Gomesin inhibits melanoma growth by manipulating key signaling cascades that control cell death and proliferation

Sci Rep. 2018 Aug 1;8(1):11519. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-29826-4.

Abstract

Consistent with their diverse pharmacology, peptides derived from venomous animals have been developed as drugs to treat disorders as diverse as hypertension, diabetes and chronic pain. Melanoma has a poor prognosis due in part to its metastatic capacity, warranting further development of novel targeted therapies. This prompted us to examine the anti-melanoma activity of the spider peptides gomesin (AgGom) and a gomesin-like homolog (HiGom). AgGom and HiGom dose-dependently reduced the viability and proliferation of melanoma cells whereas it had no deleterious effects on non-transformed neonatal foreskin fibroblasts. Concordantly, gomesin-treated melanoma cells showed a reduced G0/G1 cell population. AgGom and HiGom compromised proliferation of melanoma cells via activation of the p53/p21 cell cycle check-point axis and the Hippo signaling cascade, together with attenuation of the MAP kinase pathway. We show that both gomesin peptides exhibit antitumoral activity in melanoma AVATAR-zebrafish xenograft tumors and that HiGom also reduces tumour progression in a melanoma xenograft mouse model. Taken together, our data highlight the potential of gomesin for development as a novel melanoma-targeted therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / pharmacology*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology*
  • Cell Death / drug effects*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Heterografts
  • Melanoma / drug therapy*
  • Mice
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Zebrafish

Substances

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • gomesin