Effects of serine protease inhibitor FOY-305 and heparin on the growth of squamous cell carcinoma.

Effects of serine proteinase inhibitor FOY-305 and heparin on autochthonous skin carcinoma were examined using ddY female mice with single tumor induced by methylcholanthrene. FOY-305 given intraperitoneally for 9 consecutive weeks inhibited the growth of the pre-existing dermal tumors. Heparin alone was equally therapeutically effective. However, heparin induced severe mucocutaneous bleeding of the gastrointestinal mucosa. In contrast, the combined administration of FOY-305 and heparin suppressed tumor growth without any visible side effects. There was a significant increase in well differentiated cancer cells in mice treated with FOY-305 and heparin in combination, suggesting that co-administration of FOY-305 and heparin may be useful for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma.