An antibody to the sixth Ig-like domain of VCAM-1 inhibits leukocyte transendothelial migration without affecting adhesion

VCAM-1 plays a key role in leukocyte trafficking during inflammatory responses. However, molecular mechanisms underlying this function have not been clearly elucidated. In this study, using phage display technology, we developed a rabbit/human chimeric VCAM-1 Ab, termed VCAM-1 domain 6 (VCAM-1-D6), which specifically recognizes aa 511-599 within the sixth Ig-like domain. We report that the VCAM-1-D6 Ab blocked U937 cell transmigration across activated HUVECs but did not alter adhesion of U937 cells to the HUVECs. We also demonstrate that VCAM-1-D6 does not alter TNF-α-stimulated endothelial cell chemokine or cytokine production. Furthermore, through in vivo efficacy testing using a mouse islet allograft model, we demonstrate that VCAM-1-D6 significantly alleviates allograft rejection by blocking leukocyte infiltration to the grafted islets. Taken together, our results suggest that the VCAM-1-D6 Ab may block VCAM-1-mediated inflammation and could be a useful tool in treating inflammatory diseases.