Heparanase neutralizing monoclonal antibodies block myeloma and lymphoma tumor growth and dissemination; this is attributable to a combined effect on the tumor cells and/or cells of the tumor microenvironment.
Human breast carcinoma (MDA-MB-435) and mouse lymphoma (Eb) and melanoma (B16-BL6) tumor cell lines, which have naturally high levels of endogenous heparanase or have been genetically engineered to overexpress heparanase, were transfected with anti-heparanase ribozyme or siRNA.
Low metastatic murine T-lymphoma and melanoma cells transfected with the heparanase cDNA acquired a highly metastatic phenotype in vivo, reflected by a massive liver and lung colonization.