Thio-Cl-IB-MECA, a novel A₃ adenosine receptor agonist, suppresses angiogenesis by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK signaling in endothelial cells.

Although A₃AR agonists exhibit a variety of biological activities including anticancer effects, their possible anti-angiogenic effects have not yet been investigated. In the present study, we assayed the anti-angiogenic activity of thio-Cl-IB-MECA, a novel A₃AR agonist, in cultured HUVECs and mES/EB-derived endothelial cells. Thio-Cl-IB-MECA inhibited migration and tube formation by endothelial cells and dramatically decreased ex vivo microvessel sprouting in cultured mouse aortic rings. The anti-angiogenic activity of thio-Cl-IB-MECA was associated with suppression of the expression of the endothelial biomarker PECAM via regulation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR and ERK signaling in mES/EB-derived endothelial cells.