[D-Arg1,D-Phe5,D-Trp7,9,Leu11]substance P, a potent bombesin antagonist in murine Swiss 3T3 cells, inhibits the growth of human small cell lung cancer cells in vitro.

In the search for a more potent bombesin antagonist, we found [D-Arg1,D-Phe5,D-Trp7,9,Leu11]substance P to be effective in mouse fibroblasts and to inhibit the growth of small cell lung cancer, a tumor that secretes bombesin-like peptides that may act as autocrine growth factors. In murine Swiss 3T3 cells, [D-Arg1,D-Phe5,D-Trp7,9,Leu11]substance P proved to be a bombesin antagonist as judged by the following criteria: (i) inhibition of DNA synthesis induced by gastrin-releasing peptide and other bombesin-like peptides; (ii) inhibition of 125I-labeled gastrin-releasing peptide binding to the bombesin/gastrin-releasing peptide receptor; (iii) reduction in cross-linking of the Mr 75,000-85,000 protein putatively a component of the bombesin/gastrin-releasing peptide receptor; (iv) blocking of early cellular events that precede mitogenesis--calcium mobilization and inhibition of epidermal growth factor binding. [D-Arg1,D-Phe5,D-Trp7,9,Leu11]substance P was 5-fold more potent than the antagonist [D-Arg1,D-Pro2,D-Trp7,9,Leu11]substance P. [D-Arg1,D-Phe5,D-Trp7,9,Leu11]substance P also inhibits mitogenesis induced by vasopressin but not that induced by a variety of other mitogens. Both antagonists reversibly inhibited the growth of small cell lung cancer in vitro in a concentration-dependent manner. Peptide antagonists could, therefore, have far-reaching therapeutic implications.