Aurora kinase inhibitor VX‑680 suppresses the proliferation and migration of HUVECs and angiogenesis

Abstract

Angiogenesis serves a key role in tumor growth and metastasis. VX-680, a potent inhibitor targeting the Aurora kinase family, is widely used in the inhibition of tumor progression. However, the effect of VX-680 on angiogenesis remains unknown. The present study identified that VX‑680 inhibited human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) proliferation and promoted HUVEC apoptosis by inducing the cleavage of PARP and caspase-3. VX-680 also markedly decreased the migration and tube formation of HUVECs in a dose‑dependent manner. In addition, VX‑680 significantly suppressed the formation of blood vessels in a dose-dependent manner confirmed by a chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane assay in vivo. Furthermore, VX-680 inhibited the expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and phosphorylated RAC-α serine/threonine-protein kinase in HUVECs. These results suggested that VX-680 suppressed angiogenesis and may be a potential novel anti-angiogenic agent.