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Updated: Aug 18, 2026
Murine Model for Non-invasive Imaging to Detect and Monitor Ovarian Cancer Recurrence
Published on: November 2, 2014
Action of fenretinide (4-HPR) on ovarian cancer and endothelial cells
Vladislav Golubkov1, Agustin Garcia, Francis S Markland
1Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA.
Background:
Fenretinide (4-HPR) is a synthetic retinoid that has been reported to inhibit the growth of cancer cell lines in vitro.
Materials And Methods:
We examined the effect of 4-HPR on ovarian cancer (OVCAR-5) cell proliferation, viability and invasion using standard techniques. We also examined the action of 4-HPR on the actin cytoskeleton using immunocytochemistry, and on phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) using immunoprecipitation and phosphotyrosine immunoblotting. We then examined the activity of 4-HPR on endothelial cells using the tube formation assay on Matrigel.
Results:
4-HPR inhibited OVCAR-5 cell proliferation and viability at concentrations higher than 1 microM, with 70-90% growth inhibition at 10 microM. 4-HPR (1 microM) significantly inhibited OVCAR-5 invasion after 3 days preincubation. In view of the importance of the cytoskeleton in cell motility, we examined the action of 4-HPR on the actin cytoskeleton and on FAK phosphorylation. In OVCAR-5 cells treated with 1 mM fenretinide for 3 days, actin cytoskeleton stress fibers were disrupted and FAK tyrosine phosphorylation was elevated dose-dependently. Endothelial cells treated with 1 microM 4-HPR failed to form tubes, but formed small cellular aggregates.
Conclusion:
Fenretinide has anti-tumor activity by acting on the actin cytoskeleton and by regulating FAK tyrosine phosphorylation. 4-HPR also inhibits endothelial cell tube formation, a major step in angiogenesis.
