Comparison of the protective effects of truncated bFGF and native bFGF against murine lung carcinoma

Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), an angiogenic factor, exhibits pro-angiogenic abilities by interacting with tyrosine kinase receptors and heparin-sulfated proteoglycan receptors. Here, we designed an N-, C-terminally truncated basic fibroblast growth factor (tbFGF) for immuno-therapy of murine lung carcinoma with PCEC hydrogel as adjuvant, comparing it with the wild-type bFGF. In vitro, tbFGF did not stimulate NIH-3T3 fibroblast proliferation. In vivo, after immunization, both tbFGF and bFGF were able to induce a robust bFGF-specific immune response. The protective anti-tumor investigation showed a significant inhibition of tumor growth and reduction of tumor vascularization detected by immunohistochemical staining and the alginate-encapsulated tumor cell assay in the tbFGF or the bFGF group. These data suggested that tbFGF can be used in the immunotherapy of tumors, without the risks associated with bFGF, which induces neovascularization in normal tissues.