Anti‑angiogenic effect of <i>Bryopsis plumosa</i>‑derived peptide via aquaporin 3 in non‑small cell lung cancer

Developing novel anti‑angiogenic agents with minimal toxicity is notably challenging for cancer therapeutics. The discovery and development of peptides, whether derived from natural sources or synthesized, has potential for developing anti‑angiogenic agents characterized by their ability to penetrate cancer cells, high specificity and low toxicity. The present study identified a <i>Bryopsis plumose</i>‑derived anticancer and anti‑angiogenesis marine‑derived peptide 06 (MP06). A 22‑amino acid peptide was synthesized and conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC‑MP06) for intracellular localization in H1299 non‑small cell lung cancer cells. Regulatory effects of this peptide on the viability, migration and self‑renewal of lung cancer cells was assessed. Furthermore, anti‑angiogenic effect of MP06 was investigated by monitoring vascular tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and a zebrafish model. Aquaporin (AQP)3, a membrane channel in various tissues, is involved in regulating stemness, epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) and angiogenesis. MP06 downregulated AQP3 expression. Consistently, AQP3 knockdown by RNA silencing downregulated its gene expression, leading to a decrease in stemness, EMT and angiogenesis properties in H1299 cells. MP06 could thus serve as a novel therapeutic target with anticancer and angiogenesis properties for non‑small cell lung cancer.