EssentialsFactor Xa (FXa)-targeting direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) reduce venous thromboembolism (VTE) The effects of FXa-targeting DOACs on cancer progression remain to be studied In xenograft... Show moreEssentialsFactor Xa (FXa)-targeting direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) reduce venous thromboembolism (VTE) The effects of FXa-targeting DOACs on cancer progression remain to be studied In xenograft models, a FXa-targeting DOAC did not inhibit breast cancer growth and metastasis A thrombin-targeting DOAC, dabigatran, also did not inhibit breast cancer growth and metastasis Background Factor Xa-targeting DOACs were recently found to reduce recurrent VTE efficiently in cancer patients when compared to the standard treatment with low-molecular-weight heparins (LMWHs). While the anticancer effects of LMWHs have been extensively studied in preclinical cancer models, the effects of FXa-targeting DOACs on cancer progression remain to be studied. Objective We investigated whether the FXa-targeting DOAC rivaroxaban and the thrombin-targeting DOAC dabigatran etexilate (DE) affected human breast cancer growth and metastasis in orthotopic xenograft models. Methods/results Mice that were put on a custom-made chow diet supplemented with rivaroxaban (0.4 or 1.0 mg/g diet) or dabigatran etexilate (DE) (10 mg/g diet) showed prolonged ex vivo coagulation times (prothrombin time [PT] and activated partial thromboplastin time [aPTT] assay, respectively). However, rivaroxaban and DE did not inhibit MDA-MB-231 tumor growth and metastasis formation in lungs or livers of 7-week-old fully immunodeficient NOD/SCID/x1b4;(-/-)(C) (NSG) mice. Comparable data were obtained for rivaroxaban-treated mice when using NOD-SCID mice. Rivaroxaban and DE treatment also did not significantly inhibit tumor growth and metastasis formation when using another human triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell line (HCC1806) in NOD-SCID mice. The FXa and thrombin-induced gene expression of the downstream target CXCL8 in both cell lines, but FXa and thrombin, did not significantly stimulate migration, proliferation, or stemness in vitro. Conclusion Although effectively inhibiting coagulation, the DOACs rivaroxaban and DE did not inhibit orthotopic growth and metastasis of human TNBC. It remains to be investigated whether DOACs exert antitumorigenic effects in other types of cancer. Show less
Factor Xa‐targeting DOACs were recently found to reduce recurrentVTE efficiently in cancer patients when compared to the standard treatment withlow‐molecular‐weight heparins (LMWHs). While the... Show moreFactor Xa‐targeting DOACs were recently found to reduce recurrentVTE efficiently in cancer patients when compared to the standard treatment withlow‐molecular‐weight heparins (LMWHs). While the anticancer effects of LMWHshave been extensively studied in preclinical cancer models, the effects of FXa‐targetingDOACs on cancer progression remain to be studied.We investigated whether the FXa‐targeting DOAC rivaroxaban and thethrombin‐targeting DOAC dabigatran etexilate (DE) affected human breast cancergrowth and metastasis in orthotopic xenograft models.Mice that were put on a custom‐made chow diet supplementedwith rivaroxaban (0.4 or 1.0 mg/g diet) or dabigatran etexilate (DE) (10 mg/g diet)showed prolonged ex vivo coagulation times (prothrombin time [PT] and activatedpartial thromboplastin time [aPTT] assay, respectively). However, rivaroxabanand DE did not inhibit MDA‐MB‐231 tumor growth and metastasis formationin lungs or livers of 7‐week‐old fully immunodeficient NOD/SCID/ƴC−/− (NSG) mice.Comparable data were obtained for rivaroxaban‐treated mice when using NOD‐SCIDmice. Rivaroxaban and DE treatment also did not significantly inhibit tumor growthand metastasis formation when using another human triple negative breast cancer(TNBC) cell line (HCC1806) in NOD‐SCID mice. The FXa and thrombin‐induced geneexpression of the downstream target CXCL8 in both cell lines, but FXa and thrombin,did not significantly stimulate migration, proliferation, or stemness in vitro.Although effectively inhibiting coagulation, the DOACs rivaroxaban andDE did not inhibit orthotopic growth and metastasis of human TNBC. It remains to beinvestigated whether DOACs exert antitumorigenic effects in other types of cancer. Show less
