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Chirizzi C, Pellegatta S, Gori A, Falco J, Rubiu E, Acerbi F, Bombelli FB. Next-generation agents for fluorescence-guided glioblastoma surgery. Bioeng Transl Med 2024; 9:e10608. [PMID: 38818124 PMCID: PMC11135154 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is a fast-growing and aggressive form of brain cancer. Even with maximal treatment, patients show a low median survival and are often subjected to a high recurrence incidence. The currently available treatments require multimodal management, including maximal safe surgical resection, followed by radiation and chemotherapy. Because of the infiltrative glioblastoma nature, intraoperative differentiation of cancer tissue from normal brain parenchyma is very challenging, and this accounts for the low rate of complete tumor resection. For these reasons, clinicians have increasingly used various intraoperative adjuncts to improve surgical results, such as fluorescent agents. However, most of the existing fluorophores show several limitations such as poor selectivity, photostability, photosensitization and high costs. This could limit their application to successfully improve glioblastoma resection. In the present perspective, we highlight the possibility to develop next-generation fluorescent tools able to more selectively label cancer cells during surgical resection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Chirizzi
- Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”Politecnico di MilanoMilanoItaly
| | - Serena Pellegatta
- Unit of Immunotherapy of Brain TumorsFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
- Unit of NeuroncologyFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Alessandro Gori
- National Research Council of Italy, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche (SCITEC‐CNR)MilanItaly
| | - Jacopo Falco
- Neurosurgical Unit 2, Department of NeurosurgeryFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Emanuele Rubiu
- Neurosurgical Unit 2, Department of NeurosurgeryFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
| | - Francesco Acerbi
- Neurosurgical Unit 2, Department of NeurosurgeryFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanItaly
- Experimental Microsurgical Laboratory, Department of NeurosurgeryFondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo BestaMilanoItaly
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Corti A, Calimeri T, Curnis F, Ferreri AJM. Targeting the Blood–Brain Tumor Barrier with Tumor Necrosis Factor-α. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14071414. [PMID: 35890309 PMCID: PMC9315592 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14071414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The blood–brain tumor barrier represents a major obstacle for anticancer drug delivery to brain tumors. Thus, novel strategies aimed at targeting and breaching this structure are of great experimental and clinical interest. This review is primarily focused on the development and use of a derivative of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) that can target and alter the blood–brain-tumor-barrier. This drug, called NGR-TNF, consists of a TNF molecule fused to the Cys-Asn-Gly-Arg-Cys-Gly (CNGRCG) peptide (called NGR), a ligand of aminopeptidase N (CD13)-positive tumor blood vessels. Results of preclinical studies suggest that this peptide-cytokine fusion product represents a valuable strategy for delivering TNF to tumor vessels in an amount sufficient to break the biological barriers that restrict drug penetration in cancer lesions. Moreover, clinical studies performed in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma, have shown that an extremely low dose of NGR-TNF (0.8 µg/m2) is sufficient to promote selective blood–brain-tumor-barrier alteration, increase the efficacy of R-CHOP (a chemo-immunotherapy regimen) and improve patient survival. Besides reviewing these findings, we discuss the potential problems related to the instability and molecular heterogeneity of NGR-TNF and review the various approaches so far developed to obtain more robust and homogeneous TNF derivatives, as well as the pharmacological properties of other peptide/antibody-TNF fusion products, muteins and nanoparticles that are potentially useful for targeting the blood–brain tumor barrier. Compared to other TNF-related drugs, the administration of extremely low-doses of NGR-TNF or its derivatives appear as promising non-immunogenic approaches to overcome TNF counter-regulatory mechanism and systemic toxicity, thereby enabling safe breaking of the BBTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Corti
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy;
- Faculty of Medicine, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (A.J.M.F.); Tel.: +39-02-2643-4802 (A.C.); +39-02-2643-7649 (A.J.M.F.); Fax: +39-02-2643-7534 (A.J.M.F.)
| | - Teresa Calimeri
- Lymphoma Unit, Department of Onco-Hematology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy;
| | - Flavio Curnis
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy;
| | - Andres J. M. Ferreri
- Lymphoma Unit, Department of Onco-Hematology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy;
- Correspondence: (A.C.); (A.J.M.F.); Tel.: +39-02-2643-4802 (A.C.); +39-02-2643-7649 (A.J.M.F.); Fax: +39-02-2643-7534 (A.J.M.F.)
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3
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Tang S, Davoudi Z, Wang G, Xu Z, Rehman T, Prominski A, Tian B, Bratlie KM, Peng H, Wang Q. Soft materials as biological and artificial membranes. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:12679-12701. [PMID: 34636824 DOI: 10.1039/d1cs00029b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The past few decades have seen emerging growth in the field of soft materials for synthetic biology. This review focuses on soft materials involved in biological and artificial membranes. The biological membranes discussed here are mainly those involved in the structure and function of cells and organelles. As building blocks in medicine, non-native membranes including nanocarriers (NCs), especially liposomes and DQAsomes, and polymeric membranes for scaffolds are constructed from amphiphilic combinations of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Artificial membranes can be prepared using synthetic, soft materials and molecules and then incorporated into structures through self-organization to form micelles or niosomes. The modification of artificial membranes can be realized using traditional chemical methods such as click reactions to target the delivery of NCs and control the release of therapeutics. The biomembrane, a lamellar structure inlaid with ion channels, receptors, lipid rafts, enzymes, and other functional units, separates cells and organelles from the environment. An active domain inserted into the membrane and organelles for energy conversion and cellular communication can target disease by changing the membrane's composition, structure, and fluidity and affecting the on/off status of the membrane gates. The biological membrane targets analyzing pathological mechanisms and curing complex diseases, which inspires us to create NCs with artificial membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shukun Tang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Daqing Branch, Harbin Medical University, Research and Development of Natural Products Key Laboratory of Harbin Medical University, 39 Xin Yang Road, Daqing, 163319, China.
| | - Zahra Davoudi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 1014 Sweeney Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Guangtian Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Daqing Branch, Harbin Medical University, Research and Development of Natural Products Key Laboratory of Harbin Medical University, 39 Xin Yang Road, Daqing, 163319, China.
| | - Zihao Xu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Tanzeel Rehman
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Aleksander Prominski
- The James Franck Institute, Department of Chemistry, The Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Bozhi Tian
- The James Franck Institute, Department of Chemistry, The Institute for Biophysical Dynamics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA
| | - Kaitlin M Bratlie
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 1014 Sweeney Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA. .,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - Haisheng Peng
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Daqing Branch, Harbin Medical University, Research and Development of Natural Products Key Laboratory of Harbin Medical University, 39 Xin Yang Road, Daqing, 163319, China.
| | - Qun Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Iowa State University, 1014 Sweeney Hall, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
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Integrin αvβ3 and disulfide bonds play important roles in NGR-retargeted adenovirus transduction efficiency. Life Sci 2021; 291:120116. [PMID: 34740576 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.120116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Adenoviruses that have CNGRCVSGCAGRC peptide inserted into fiber (AdFNGR) or hexon (AdHNGR) protein, respectively, showed increased transduction of endothelial cells. In this study we investigated if cysteines within the CNGRCVSGCAGRC sequence inserted into Ad5 fiber or hexon protein form disulfide bond(s) and whether they play a role in retargeting potential of AdFNGR and AdHNGR. METHODS Transduction efficiency of adenoviruses was done by counting infected cells under the microscope. Adenovirus attachment and internalization were measured by qPCR. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the expression of CD13 and integrins. Gene knockdown was achieved by transfection of small interfering RNA. Mass spectrometry was used for determining disulfide bonds in adenovirus fiber and hexon protein. Molecular modeling was use to predict interaction of CNGRCVSGCAGRC peptide and CD13. KEY FINDINGS AdFNGR and AdHNGR attach better to CD13 and/or αvβ3 integrin-positive cells than Adwt. Reducing disulfide bonds using DTT decreased transduction efficiency and attachment of both AdFNGR and AdHNGR. Cysteins from CNGRCVSGCAGRC peptide within AdHNGR do not form disulfide bonds. Knockdown of αvβ3 integrin reduced increased transduction efficiency of both AdFNGR and AdHNGR, while CD13 knockdown had no effect, indicating that retargeting properties of these viruses rely mainly on αvβ3 integrin expression. SIGNIFICANCE Insertion site of NGR-containing peptides as well as NGR flanking residues are critical for receptor binding affinity/specificity and transduction efficiency of NGR retargeted adenoviral vectors.
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Sacchi A, Gasparri AM, Monieri M, Anderluzzi G, Colombo B, Gori A, Corti A, Curnis F. Nanogold Functionalized With Lipoamide- isoDGR: A Simple, Robust and Versatile Nanosystem for αvβ3-Integrin Targeting. Front Chem 2021; 9:690357. [PMID: 34124009 PMCID: PMC8194705 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.690357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gold nanoparticles functionalized with isoDGR, a tripeptide motif that recognizes αvβ3 integrin overexpressed in tumor vessels, have been used as nano-vectors for the delivery of cytokines to tumors. Functionalization of nanogold with this peptide has been achieved by coating nanoparticles with a peptide-albumin conjugate consisting of heterogeneous molecules with a variable number of linkers and peptides. To reduce nanodrug heterogeneity we have designed, produced and preclinically evaluated a homogeneous and well-defined reagent for nanogold functionalization, consisting of a head-to-tail cyclized CGisoDGRG peptide (iso1) coupled via its thiol group to maleimide-PEG11-lipoamide (LPA). The resulting iso1-PEG11-LPA compound can react with nanogold via lipoamide to form a stable bond. In vitro studies have shown that iso1, after coupling to nanogold, maintains its capability to bind purified αvβ3 and αvβ3-expressing cells. Nanogold functionalized with this peptide can also be loaded with bioactive tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) to form a bi-functional nanodrug that can be stored for three days at 37°C or >1 year at low temperatures with no loss αvβ3-binding properties and TNF-cytolytic activity. Nanoparticles functionalized with both iso1 and TNF induced tumor eradication in WEHI-164 fibrosarcoma-bearing mice more efficiently than nanoparticles lacking the iso1 targeting moiety. These results suggest that iso1-PEG11-LPA is an efficient and well-defined reagent that can be used to produce robust and more homogeneous nano-vectors for the delivery of TNF and other cytokines to αvβ3 positive cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina Sacchi
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Gasparri
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Barbara Colombo
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gori
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, C.N.R., Milan, Italy
| | - Angelo Corti
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.,Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Flavio Curnis
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
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Corti A, Sacchi A, Gasparri AM, Monieri M, Anderluzzi G, Colombo B, Gori A, Mondino A, Curnis F. Enhancement of doxorubicin anti-cancer activity by vascular targeting using IsoDGR/cytokine-coated nanogold. J Nanobiotechnology 2021; 19:128. [PMID: 33952242 PMCID: PMC8097910 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-021-00871-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gold nanospheres tagged with peptides containing isoDGR (isoAsp-Gly-Arg), an αvβ3 integrin binding motif, represent efficient carriers for delivering pro-inflammatory cytokines to the tumor vasculature. We prepared bi- or trifunctional nanoparticles bearing tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) and/or interleukin-12 (IL12) plus a peptide containing isoDGR, and we tested their anti-cancer effects, alone or in combination with doxorubicin, in tumor-bearing mice. Results In vitro biochemical studies showed that both nanodrugs were monodispersed and functional in terms of binding to TNF and IL12 receptors and to αvβ3. In vivo studies performed in a murine model of fibrosarcoma showed that low doses of bifunctional nanoparticles bearing isoDGR and TNF (corresponding to few nanoparticles per cell) delayed tumor growth and increased the efficacy of doxorubicin without worsening its toxicity. Similar effects were obtained using trifunctional nanoparticles loaded with isoDGR, TNF and IL12. Mechanistic studies showed that nanoparticles bearing isoDGR and TNF could increase doxorubicin penetration in tumors a few hours after injection and caused vascular damage at later time points. Conclusion IsoDGR-coated gold nanospheres can be exploited as a versatile platform for single- or multi-cytokine delivery to cells of the tumor vasculature. Extremely low doses of isoDGR-coated nanodrugs functionalized with TNF or TNF plus IL12 can enhance doxorubicin anti-tumor activity. Graphic Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12951-021-00871-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Corti
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy. .,Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.
| | - Angelina Sacchi
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Gasparri
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Barbara Colombo
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gori
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, C.N.R., Via Mario Bianco 9, 20131, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Mondino
- Lymphocyte Activation Unit, Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Flavio Curnis
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy.
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Kis A, Dénes N, Szabó JP, Arató V, Jószai I, Enyedi KN, Lakatos S, Garai I, Mező G, Kertész I, Trencsényi G. In vivo assessment of aminopeptidase N (APN/CD13) specificity of different 68Ga-labelled NGR derivatives using PET/MRI imaging. Int J Pharm 2020; 589:119881. [PMID: 32946975 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2020.119881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Aminopeptidase N (APN/CD13) plays an important role in neoangiogenic process in malignancies. Our previous studies have already shown that 68Ga-labelled NOTA conjugated asparagine-glycine-arginine peptide (c[KNGRE]-NH2) specifically bind to APN/CD13 expressing tumors. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the APN/CD13 specificity of newly synthesized 68Ga-labelled NGR derivatives in vivo by PET/MRI imaging using hepatocellular carcinoma (He/De) and mesoblastic nephroma (Ne/De) tumor models. PET/MRI and ex vivo biodistribution studies were performed 11 ± 1 days after subcutaneous injection of tumor cells and 90 min after intravenous injection of 68Ga-NOTA-c(NGR), 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR), 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR) (MG1) or 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR) (MG2). The APN/CD13 selectivity was confirmed by blocking experiments and the APN/CD13 expression was verified by immunohistochemistry. 68Ga-labelled c(NGR) derivatives were produced with high specific activity and radiochemical purity. In control animals, low radiotracer accumulation was found in abdominal and thoracic organs. Using tumor-bearing animals we found that the 68Ga-NOTA-c(NGR), 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR), and 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR) (MG1) derivatives showed higher uptake in He/De and Ne/De tumors, than that of the accumulation of 68Ga-NODAGA-c(NGR) (MG2). APN/CD13 is a very promising target in PET imaging, however, the selection of the appropriate 68Ga-labelled NGR-based radiopharmaceutical is critical for the precise detection of tumor neo-angiogenesis and for monitoring the efficacy of anticancer therapy.
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Key Words
- (68)Ga
- Aminopeptidase N
- Angiogenesis
- CD13
- CID: 2796029, 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt)
- CID: 3036142, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (NOTA)
- CID: 33032, L-Glutamic acid
- CID: 5962, L-Lysine
- CID: 6228, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF)
- CID: 6267, L-Asparagine
- CID: 6322, L-Arginine
- CID: 6422, triflouroacetic acid (TFA)
- CID: 750, Glyicine
- NGR
- PET/MRI imaging
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienn Kis
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Translational Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary; Doctoral School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei St. 98, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Noémi Dénes
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Translational Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary; Gyula Petrányi Doctoral School of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei St. 98, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Judit P Szabó
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Translational Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary; Doctoral School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei St. 98, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Viktória Arató
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Translational Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary
| | - István Jószai
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Translational Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Kata Nóra Enyedi
- Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Szilvia Lakatos
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Translational Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Ildikó Garai
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Translational Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary; Scanomed LTD, Nagyerdei St. 98, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gábor Mező
- Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Budapest, Hungary; MTA-ELTE, Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös L. University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - István Kertész
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Translational Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary
| | - György Trencsényi
- Division of Nuclear Medicine and Translational Imaging, Department of Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Hungary; Doctoral School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei St. 98, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary; Gyula Petrányi Doctoral School of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei St. 98, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
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Corti A, Gasparri AM, Sacchi A, Colombo B, Monieri M, Rrapaj E, Ferreri AJM, Curnis F. NGR-TNF Engineering with an N-Terminal Serine Reduces Degradation and Post-Translational Modifications and Improves Its Tumor-Targeting Activity. Mol Pharm 2020; 17:3813-3824. [PMID: 32805112 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.0c00579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The therapeutic index of cytokines in cancer therapy can be increased by targeting strategies based on protein engineering with peptides containing the CNGRC (NGR) motif, a ligand that recognizes CD13-positive tumor vessels. We show here that the targeting domain of recombinant CNGRC-cytokine fusion proteins, such as NGR-TNF (a CNGRC-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) conjugate used in clinical studies) and NGR-EMAP-II, undergoes various post-translational modification and degradation reactions that lead to the formation of markedly heterogeneous products. These modifications include N-terminal cysteine acetylation or the formation of various asparagine degradation products, the latter owing to intramolecular interactions of the cysteine α-amino group with asparagine and/or its succinimide derivative. Blocking the cysteine α-amino group with a serine (SCNGRC) reduced both post-translational and degradation reactions. Furthermore, the serine residue reduced the asparagine deamidation rate to isoaspartate (another degradation product) and improved the affinity of NGR for CD13. Accordingly, genetic engineering of NGR-TNF with the N-terminal serine produced a more stable and homogeneous drug (called S-NGR-TNF) with improved antitumor activity in tumor-bearing mice, either when used alone or in combination with chemotherapy. In conclusion, the targeting domain of NGR-cytokine conjugates can undergo various untoward modification and degradation reactions, which can be markedly reduced by fusing a serine to the N-terminus. The SCNGRC peptide may represent a ligand for cytokine delivery to tumors more robust than conventional CNGRC. The S-NGR-TNF conjugate (more stable, homogeneous, and active than NGR-TNF) could be rapidly developed for clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Corti
- Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan 20132, Italy.,Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Anna Maria Gasparri
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Angelina Sacchi
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Barbara Colombo
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Matteo Monieri
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Eltjona Rrapaj
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Andrés J M Ferreri
- Lymphoma Unit, Department of Onco-hematology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Flavio Curnis
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan 20132, Italy
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Wang J, Wu J, Chen ZN, Wen D, Chen J, Zheng Q, Xu X, Tu T. Selective mono-N-methylation of nitroarenes with methanol catalyzed by atomically dispersed NHC-Ir solid assemblies. J Catal 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcat.2020.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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10
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Gasparri AM, Sacchi A, Basso V, Cortesi F, Freschi M, Rrapaj E, Bellone M, Casorati G, Dellabona P, Mondino A, Corti A, Curnis F. Boosting Interleukin-12 Antitumor Activity and Synergism with Immunotherapy by Targeted Delivery with isoDGR-Tagged Nanogold. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1903462. [PMID: 31523920 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The clinical use of interleukin-12 (IL12), a cytokine endowed with potent immunotherapeutic anticancer activity, is limited by systemic toxicity. The hypothesis is addressed that gold nanoparticles tagged with a tumor-homing peptide containing isoDGR, an αvβ3-integrin binding motif, can be exploited for delivering IL12 to tumors and improving its therapeutic index. To this aim, gold nanospheres are functionalized with the head-to-tail cyclized-peptide CGisoDGRG (Iso1) and murine IL12. The resulting nanodrug (Iso1/Au/IL12) is monodispersed, stable, and bifunctional in terms of αvβ3 and IL12-receptor recognition. Low-dose Iso1/Au/IL12, equivalent to 18-75 pg of IL12, induces antitumor effects in murine models of fibrosarcomas and mammary adenocarcinomas, with no evidence of toxicity. Equivalent doses of Au/IL12 (a nanodrug lacking Iso1) fail to delay tumor growth, whereas 15 000 pg of free IL12 is necessary to achieve similar effects. Iso1/Au/IL12 significantly increases tumor infiltration by innate immune cells, such as NK and iNKT cells, monocytes, and neutrophils. NK cell depletion completely inhibits its antitumor effects. Low-dose Iso1/Au/IL12 can also increase the therapeutic efficacy of adoptive T-cell therapy in mice with autochthonous prostate cancer. These findings indicate that coupling IL12 to isoDGR-tagged nanogold is a valid strategy for enhancing its therapeutic index and sustaining adoptive T-cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Maria Gasparri
- Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Angelina Sacchi
- Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Veronica Basso
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Filippo Cortesi
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Massimo Freschi
- Department of Pathology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Eltjona Rrapaj
- Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Matteo Bellone
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Giulia Casorati
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Paolo Dellabona
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Anna Mondino
- Division of Immunology, Transplantation and Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Angelo Corti
- Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, 20132, Italy
| | - Flavio Curnis
- Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, 20132, Italy
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11
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Mamidala R, Biswal P, Subramani MS, Samser S, Venkatasubbaiah K. Palladacycle-Phosphine Catalyzed Methylation of Amines and Ketones Using Methanol. J Org Chem 2019; 84:10472-10480. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.9b00983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramesh Mamidala
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, HBNI, Bhubaneswar-752050, Odisha, India
| | - Priyabrata Biswal
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, HBNI, Bhubaneswar-752050, Odisha, India
| | - M. Siva Subramani
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, HBNI, Bhubaneswar-752050, Odisha, India
| | - Shaikh Samser
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, HBNI, Bhubaneswar-752050, Odisha, India
| | - Krishnan Venkatasubbaiah
- School of Chemical Sciences, National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER), Bhubaneswar, HBNI, Bhubaneswar-752050, Odisha, India
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12
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Palladium‐Catalyzed Methylation of Nitroarenes with Methanol. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:5417-5421. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201814146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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13
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Wang L, Neumann H, Beller M. Palladium‐Catalyzed Methylation of Nitroarenes with Methanol. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201814146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lin Wang
- Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse an derUniversität Rostock Albert-Einstein-Straße 29a 18059 Rostock Germany
| | - Helfried Neumann
- Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse an derUniversität Rostock Albert-Einstein-Straße 29a 18059 Rostock Germany
| | - Matthias Beller
- Leibniz-Institut für Katalyse an derUniversität Rostock Albert-Einstein-Straße 29a 18059 Rostock Germany
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14
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Pastorino F, Brignole C, Di Paolo D, Perri P, Curnis F, Corti A, Ponzoni M. Overcoming Biological Barriers in Neuroblastoma Therapy: The Vascular Targeting Approach with Liposomal Drug Nanocarriers. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1804591. [PMID: 30706636 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201804591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is a rare pediatric cancer characterized by a wide clinical behavior and adverse outcome despite aggressive therapies. New approaches based on targeted drug delivery may improve efficacy and decrease toxicity of cancer therapy. Furthermore, nanotechnology offers additional potential developments for cancer imaging, diagnosis, and treatment. Following these lines, in the past years, innovative therapies based on the use of liposomes loaded with anticancer agents and functionalized with peptides capable of recognizing neuroblastoma cells and/or tumor-associated endothelial cells have been developed. Studies performed in experimental orthotopic models of human neuroblastoma have shown that targeted nanocarriers can be exploited for not only decreasing the systemic toxicity of the encapsulated anticancer drugs, but also increasing their tumor homing properties, enhancing tumor vascular permeability and perfusion (and, consequently, drug penetration), inducing tumor apoptosis, inhibiting angiogenesis, and reducing tumor glucose consumption. Furthermore, peptide-tagged liposomal formulations are proved to be more efficacious in inhibiting tumor growth and metastatic spreading of neuroblastoma than nontargeted liposomes. These findings, herein reviewed, pave the way for the design of novel targeted liposomal nanocarriers useful for multitargeting treatment of neuroblastoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Pastorino
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Brignole
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Daniela Di Paolo
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Patrizia Perri
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147, Genoa, Italy
| | - Flavio Curnis
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 16132, Milan, Italy
| | - Angelo Corti
- Tumor Biology and Vascular Targeting Unit, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 16132, Milan, Italy
- Vita Salute San Raffaele University, 16132, Milan, Italy
| | - Mirco Ponzoni
- Laboratory of Experimental Therapies in Oncology, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, 16147, Genoa, Italy
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15
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Molecular Imaging of Aminopeptidase N in Cancer and Angiogenesis. CONTRAST MEDIA & MOLECULAR IMAGING 2018; 2018:5315172. [PMID: 30046296 PMCID: PMC6036854 DOI: 10.1155/2018/5315172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This review focuses on recent advances in the molecular imaging of aminopeptidase N (APN, also known as CD13), a zinc metalloenzyme that cleaves N-terminal neutral amino acids. It is overexpressed in multiple cancer types and also on the surface of vasculature undergoing angiogenesis, making it a promising target for molecular imaging and targeted therapy. Molecular imaging probes for APN are divided into two large subgroups: reactive and nonreactive. The structures of the reactive probes (substrates) contain a reporter group that is cleaved and released by the APN enzyme. The nonreactive probes are not cleaved by the enzyme and contain an antibody, peptide, or nonpeptide for targeting the enzyme exterior or active site. Multivalent homotopic probes utilize multiple copies of the same targeting unit, whereas multivalent heterotopic molecular probes are equipped with different targeting units for different receptors. Several recent preclinical cancer imaging studies have shown that multivalent APN probes exhibit enhanced tumor specificity and accumulation compared to monovalent analogues. The few studies that have evaluated APN-specific probes for imaging angiogenesis have focused on cardiac regeneration. These promising results suggest that APN imaging can be expanded to detect and monitor other diseases that are associated with angiogenesis.
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