Novel EphB4 monoclonal antibodies modulate angiogenesis and inhibit tumor growth.

EphB4 receptor tyrosine kinase and its cognate ligand EphrinB2 regulate induction and maturation of newly forming vessels. Inhibition of their interaction arrests angiogenesis, vessel maturation, and pericyte recruitment. In addition, EphB4 is expressed in the vast majority of epithelial cancers and provides a survival advantage to most. Here, we describe two anti-EphB4 monoclonal antibodies that inhibit tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth by two distinct pathways. MAb131 binds to fibronectin-like domain 1 and induces degradation of human EphB4, but not murine EphB4. MAb131 inhibits human endothelial tube formation in vitro and growth of human tumors expressing EphB4 in vivo. In contrast, MAb47 targets fibronectin-like domain 2 of both human and murine EphB4 and does not alter EphB4 receptor levels, but inhibits angiogenesis and growth of both EphB4-positive and EphB4-negative tumors in a mouse s.c. xenograft model. Combination of MAb47 and bevacizumab enhances the antitumor activity and induces tumor regression. Indeed, humanized antibodies hAb47 and hAb131 showed similar affinity for EphB4 and retained efficacy in the inhibition of primary tumor development and experimental metastasis.