properdistatin

Properdistatin is a small antiangiogenic peptide derived from the thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) type 1 repeat domain of the human plasma protein properdin. Developed by researchers at the Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital, it functions as an antiangiogenic agent that selectively removes small-diameter tumor vessels. This selective pruning reduces geometric resistance to blood flow and improves vascular function, which in turn reduces tumor hypoxia. In preclinical models of malignant melanoma (R-18 human melanoma xenografts), properdistatin has shown distinct advantages over multi-kinase inhibitors like sunitinib by improving rather than impairing vascular efficiency and oxygenation.