Poly-l-Lysine inhibits VEGF and c-Myc mediated tumor-angiogenesis and induces apoptosis in 2D and 3D tumor microenvironment of both MDA-MB-231 and B16F10 induced mice model.

Cancer is a widespread disease that has shown promising mortality worldwide. Our previous study has been shown the efficacy of Poly-l-lysine (PLL) as a promising cytotoxic effect against cancer cells. However, exact-mechanism of PLL in 3D physiological relevant tumor-microenvironment and against tumor-angiogenesis has never been analysed. In this study, we have investigated apoptotic efficacy of PLL, if any in opposition to proliferative aggressive cancer cell MDA-MB-231 both 2D and-3D cell culture conditions. Furthermore, PLL was administered in B16F10 murine melanoma cells induced BALB/c mice model. The study has been designed through transcription and translation level of PLL-induced tumor-angiogenesis and apoptotic gene-expression modulation level and various relevant histological studies in comparison with untreated control. Studies have shown anti-proliferative and anti-tumor angiogenic efficacy of PLL better in in-vitro 3D tumor-microenvironment against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Furthermore, in-vivo model, PLL was found to suppress tumorigenesis process at minimum dose. PLL found to induce apoptosis through-upregulation of cytosolic-cytochrome-C, caspase-3 and PARP activations when administered in B16F10 induced in-vivo tumor. In blocking proliferation and tumor-angiogenesis, PLL was found to be effective as it significantly downregulated activity of VEGF, VEGFR2, Ki-67 and c-Myc expression. As PLL blocked tumor progression and DNA-break, also upregulated apoptotic process and recovered tissue architecture as revealed from histological study in comparison with untreated control. Overall PLL was found to be a promising anti-tumor angiogenic and anti-proliferative drug that was effective both in in-vitro breast-cancer 3D tumor-microenvironment and in-vivo metastatic-mice-model.