Inhibition of Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion In Vitro by Recombinant Tyrosine-Sulfated Haemathrin, A Thrombin Inhibitor

Thrombin, a key enzyme in the regulation of hemostasis, has been implicated in cancer progression. This study explored the effect of recombinant tyrosine-sulfated haemathrin on cancer cell behavior and signaling pathways compared to wild-type (WT) haemathrin 2. The recombinant proteins, tyrosine-sulfated haemathrin 2 (haemathrin 2S), and WT haemathrin 2 were produced in <i>Escherichia coli</i> and subsequently purified and applied to SKOV3 and MDA-MB-231 cells with and without thrombin stimulation. Cell migration and invasion were assessed using wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. Haemathrin 2S treatment significantly diminished cell migration and invasion promoted by thrombin in both SKOV3 and MDA-MB-231 cells (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Additionally, haemathrin 2S effectively inhibited thrombin-induced phosphorylation of serine/threonine kinase (Akt) in both cell lines (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while WT haemathrin 2 had this effect only in MDA-MB-231 cells. Furthermore, haemathrin 2S significantly reduced thrombin-activated phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) and p38 in both cell lines (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and reversed E/N-cadherin expression in thrombin-treated MDA-MB-231 cells (<i>p</i> < 0.05), which were not observed with WT haemathrin 2. Overall, haemathrin 2S was more effective than WT haemathrin 2 in reducing cancer cell migration and invasion, indicating that targeting thrombin with sulfated haemathrin is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. However, further in vivo studies are needed to confirm these results.