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Zou Q, Zhang Q, Du B, Wang H, Yang X, Wang Q, Wang K. Atomic Force Microscopy Lifetime Analysis: An Intuitive Method for Evaluating Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Dimer-Targeting Inhibitors. Anal Chem 2024; 96:10962-10968. [PMID: 38925633 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Overexpression of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) or binding to ligands can lead to the formation of specific unliganded and liganded RTK dimers, and these two RTK dimers are potential targets for preventing tumor metastasis. Traditional RTK dimer inhibitor analysis was mostly based on end point assays, which required cumbersome cell handling and behavior monitoring. There are still challenges in developing intuitive process-based analytical methods to study RTK dimer inhibitors, especially those used to visually distinguish between unliganded and liganded RTK dimer inhibitors. Herein, taking the mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) receptor, an intuitive method for evaluating MET inhibitors has been developed based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) lifetime analysis. The time interval between the start of the force and the bond break point was regarded as the bond lifetime, which could reflect the stability of the MET dimer. The results showed that there was a significant difference in the lifetime (τ) of unliganded MET dimers (τ1 = 207.87 ± 4.69 ms) and liganded MET dimers (τ2 = 330.58 ± 15.60 ms) induced by the hepatocyte growth factor, and aptamer SL1 could decrease τ1 and τ2, suggesting that SL1 could inhibit both unliganded and liganded MET dimers. However, heparin only decreased τ2, suggesting that it could inhibit only the liganded MET dimer. AFM-based lifetime analysis methods could monitor RTK dimer status rather than provide overall average results, allowing for intuitive process-based analysis and evaluation of RTK dimers and related inhibitors at the single-molecule level. This study provides a novel complementary strategy for simple and intuitive RTK inhibitor research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Bin Du
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Hongqiang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohai Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Qing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Kemin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Key Laboratory for Bio-Nanotechnology and Molecular Engineering of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
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Bi S, Chen W, Fang Y, Shen J, Zhang Q, Guo H, Ju H, Liu Y. Cancer Cell-Selective PD-L1 Inhibition via a DNA Safety Catch to Enhance Immunotherapy Specificity. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202402522. [PMID: 38421189 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202402522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint protein blockade (ICB) has emerged as a powerful immunotherapy approach, but suppressing immune-related adverse events (irAEs) for noncancerous cells and normal tissues remains challenging. Activatable ICB has been developed with tumor microenvironment highly-expressed molecules as stimuli, but they still lack precision and efficiency considering the diffusion of stimuli molecules in whole tumor tissue. Here we assemble PD-L1 with a duplex DNA strand, termed as "safety catch", to regulate its accessibility for ICB. The safety catch remains at "on" status for noncancerous cells to prevent ICB binding to PD-L1. Cancer cell membrane protein c-Met acts as a trigger protein to react with safety catch, which selectively exposes its hybridization region for ICB reagent. The ICB reagent is a retractable DNA nanostring with repeating hairpin-structural units, whose contraction drives PD-L1 clustering with endocytosis-guided degradation. The safety catch, even remained at "safety on" status, is removed from the cell membrane via a DNA strand displacement reaction to minimize its influence on noncancerous cells. This strategy demonstrates selective and potent immunotherapeutic capabilities only against cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo, and shows effective suppression of irAEs in normal tissues, therefore would become a promising approach for precise immunotherapy in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyi Bi
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Institute of Urology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yanyun Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Jieyu Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Institute of Urology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Hongqian Guo
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Institute of Urology, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Huangxian Ju
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China
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Wei Y, Long S, Zhao M, Zhao J, Zhang Y, He W, Xiang L, Tan J, Ye M, Tan W, Yang Y, Yuan Q. Regulation of Cellular Signaling with an Aptamer Inhibitor to Impede Cancer Metastasis. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:319-329. [PMID: 38129955 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c09091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Tumor invasion and metastasis are the main causes of tumor progression and are the leading causes of death among cancer patients. In the present study, we propose a strategy to regulate cellular signaling with a tumor metastasis-relevant cytoskeleton-associated protein 4 (CKAP4) specific aptamer for the achievement of tumor metastasis inhibition. The designed aptamer could specifically bind to CKAP4 in the cell membranes and cytoplasm to block the internalization and recycling of α5β1 integrin, resulting in the disruption of the fibronectin-dependent cell adhesion and the weakening of the cell traction force. Moreover, the aptamer is able to impede the interaction between CKAP4 and Dickkopf1 (DKK1) to further block the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway, which subsequently reduces AKT phosphorylation and inhibits the reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in cell migration. The synergetic function of the designed aptamer in inhibiting cancer cell adhesion and blocking the PI3K signaling pathway enables efficient tumor cell metastasis suppression. The aptamer with specific targeting ability in regulating cellular signaling paves the way for cancer treatment and further provides a guiding ideology for inhibiting tumor metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurong Wei
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Microelectronics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Shiyi Long
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Microelectronics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Min Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Microelectronics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Jingfang Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Microelectronics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Yun Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Microelectronics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Wang He
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Microelectronics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Limin Xiang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Microelectronics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Jie Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Mao Ye
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
| | - Yanbing Yang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Microelectronics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
| | - Quan Yuan
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Microelectronics, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, P. R. China
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, P. R. China
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Wu Q, Wei X, Chen F, Huang M, Zhang S, Zhu L, Zhou L, Yang C, Song Y. Aptamer-Assisted Blockade of the Immune Suppressor Sialic Acid-Binding Immunoglobulin-Like Lectin-15 for Cancer Immunotherapy. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202312609. [PMID: 37955317 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202312609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
The percentage of low response and adaptive resistance to current antibody-based immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy requires the development of novel immunotherapy strategies. Here, we developed an aptamer-assisted immune checkpoint blockade (Ap-ICB) against sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-like lectin-15 (Siglec-15), a novel immune suppressor broadly upregulated on cancer cells and tumor infiltrating myeloid cells, which is mutually exclusive of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1). Using protein aptamer selection, we identified WXY3 aptamer with high affinity against Siglec-15 protein/Siglec-15 positive cells. We demonstrated that WXY3 aptamer rescued antigen-specific T cell responses in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, the WXY3 Ap-ICB against Siglec-15 amplified anti-tumor immunity in the tumor microenvironment and inhibited tumor growth/metastasis in syngeneic mouse model, which may result from enhanced macrophage and T cell functionality. In addition, by using aptamer-based spherical nucleic acids, we developed a synergetic ICB strategy of multivalent binding and steric hindrance, which further improves the in vivo anti-tumor effect. Taken together, our results support Ap-ICB targeted Siglec-15 as a potential strategy for normalization cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuyue Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Xinyu Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Fude Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Mengjiao Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Suhui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Lin Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Leiji Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Chaoyong Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200127, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanling Song
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Key Laboratory for Chemical Biology of Fujian Province, The MOE Key Laboratory of Spectrochemical Analysis & Instrumentation, Department of Chemical Biology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, 361005, Xiamen, Fujian, China
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Ai L, Jiang X, Zhang K, Cui C, Liu B, Tan W. Tools and techniques for the discovery of therapeutic aptamers: recent advances. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:1393-1411. [PMID: 37840268 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2023.2264187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The pursuit of novel therapeutic agents for serious diseases such as cancer has been a global endeavor. Aptamers characteristic of high affinity, programmability, low immunogenicity, and rapid permeability hold great promise for the treatment of diseases. Yet obtaining the approval for therapeutic aptamers remains challenging. Consequently, researchers are increasingly devoted to exploring innovative strategies and technologies to advance the development of these therapeutic aptamers. AREAS COVERED The authors provide a comprehensive summary of the recent progress of the SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment) technique, and how the integration of modern tools has facilitated the identification of therapeutic aptamers. Additionally, the engineering of aptamers to enhance their functional attributes, such as inhibiting and targeting, is discussed, demonstrating the potential to broaden their scope of utility. EXPERT OPINION The grand potential of aptamers and the insufficient development of relevant drugs have spurred countless efforts for stimulating their discovery and application in the therapeutic field. While SELEX techniques have undergone significant developments with the aid of advanced analysis instruments and ingeniously updated aptameric engineering strategies, several challenges still impede their clinical translation. A key challenge lies in the insufficient understanding of binding conformation and susceptibility to degradation under physiological conditions. Despite the hurdles, our opinion is optimistic. With continued progress in overcoming these obstacles, the widespread utilization of aptamers for clinical therapy is envisioned to become a reality soon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Ai
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, The People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyi Jiang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, The People's Republic of China
| | - Kejing Zhang
- Department of Geriatrics and Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, The People's Republic of China
- The Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, The People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Cui
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, The People's Republic of China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of Geriatrics and Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, The People's Republic of China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan, The People's Republic of China
- The Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, The People's Republic of China
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, School of Medicine and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, The People's Republic of China
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