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Mortier E, Maillasson M, Quéméner A. Counteracting Interleukin-15 to Elucidate Its Modes of Action in Physiology and Pathology. J Interferon Cytokine Res 2023; 43:2-22. [PMID: 36651845 DOI: 10.1089/jir.2022.0198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-15 belongs to the common gamma-dependent cytokine family, along with IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, and IL-21. IL-15 is crucial for the homeostasis of Natural Killer (NK) and memory CD8 T cells, and to fight against cancer progression. However, dysregulations of IL-15 expression could occur and participate in the emergence of autoimmune inflammatory diseases as well as hematological malignancies. It is therefore important to understand the different modes of action of IL-15 to decrease its harmful action in pathology without affecting its beneficial effects in the immune system. In this review, we present the different approaches used by researchers to inhibit the action of IL-15, from most broad to the most selective. Indeed, it appears that it is important to selectively target the mode of action of the cytokine rather than the cytokine itself as they are involved in numerous biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwan Mortier
- Nantes Université, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France
| | - Mike Maillasson
- Nantes Université, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France
| | - Agnès Quéméner
- Nantes Université, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France
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Meghnem D, Maillasson M, Barbieux I, Morisseau S, Keita D, Jacques Y, Quéméner A, Mortier E. Selective Targeting of IL-15Rα Is Sufficient to Reduce Inflammation. Front Immunol 2022; 13:886213. [PMID: 35592318 PMCID: PMC9110858 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.886213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytokines are crucial molecules for maintaining the proper functioning of the immune system. Nevertheless, a dysregulation of cytokine expression could be involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Interleukin (IL)-15 is a key factor for natural killer cells (NK) and CD8 T cells homeostasis, necessary to fight cancer and infections but could also be considered as a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in autoimmune inflammatory disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, along with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), IL-6, and IL-1β. The molecular mechanisms by which IL-15 exerts its inflammatory function in these diseases are still unclear. In this study, we generated an IL-15-derived molecule called NANTIL-15 (New ANTagonist of IL-15), designed to selectively inhibit the action of IL-15 through the high-affinity trimeric IL-15Rα/IL-2Rβ/γc receptor while leaving IL-15 signaling through the dimeric IL-2Rβ/γc receptor unaffected. Administrating of NANTIL-15 in healthy mice did not affect the IL-15-dependent cell populations such as NK and CD8 T cells. In contrast, we found that NANTIL-15 efficiently reduced signs of inflammation in a collagen-induced arthritis model. These observations demonstrate that the inflammatory properties of IL-15 are linked to its action through the trimeric IL-15Rα/IL-2Rβ/γc receptor, highlighting the interest of selectively targeting this receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dihia Meghnem
- Nantes University, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France
| | - Mike Maillasson
- Nantes University, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France.,Nantes University, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire (CHU) Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, SFR Bonamy, UMS BioCore, IMPACT Platform, Nantes, France
| | - Isabelle Barbieux
- Nantes University, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France
| | - Sébastien Morisseau
- Nantes University, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France.,Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire (CHU), Nantes Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Dalloba Keita
- Nantes University, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France
| | - Yannick Jacques
- Nantes University, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France
| | - Agnès Quéméner
- Nantes University, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France
| | - Erwan Mortier
- Nantes University, CNRS, Inserm, CRCI2NA, Nantes, France.,LabEX IGO, Immuno-Onco-Greffe, Nantes, France.,Nantes University, Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire (CHU) Nantes, Inserm, CNRS, SFR Bonamy, UMS BioCore, IMPACT Platform, Nantes, France
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3
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Rodríguez-Álvarez Y, Cabrales-Rico A, Diago-Abreu D, Correa-Arguelles E, Reyes-Acosta O, Puente-Pérez P, Pichardo-Díaz D, Urquiza-Noa D, Hernández-Santana A, Garay-Pérez HE. d-Amino acid substitutions and dimerization increase the biological activity and stability of an IL-15 antagonist peptide. J Pept Sci 2020; 27:e3293. [PMID: 33331098 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-15 plays an important role in several inflammatory diseases. We have previously identified an IL-15 antagonist called P8 peptide, which binds specifically to IL-15 receptor alpha subunit. However, the P8 peptide rapidly degraded by proteases, limiting its therapeutic application. Thus, we replaced each P8 peptide l-amino acid by its corresponding d-isomers. First, we determined the biological activity of the resulting peptides in a proliferation assay by using CTLL-2 cells. The substitution of l-Ala by d-Ala ([A4a]P8 peptide) increased the inhibitory effect of the P8 peptide in CTLL-2 cells in five-fold. In addition to that, the [A4a]P8 peptide dimer showed the most inhibitory effect. To protect the [A4a]P8 peptide and its dimer against exopeptidase activity, we acetylated the N-terminal of these peptides. At least a three-fold reduction in antagonist activity of acetylated peptides was exhibited. However, the substitution of the N-terminal l-Lys residue of [A4a]P8 peptide and its dimer by d-Lys ([K1k;A4a]P8 peptide) did not affect the antagonist effect of the aforementioned peptides. The [K1k;A4a]P8 peptide dimer was stable to the degradation of trypsin, chymotrypsin, and pepsin up until 48 min. Also, the safety and immunogenicity studies in healthy BALB/c mice demonstrated that the administration of this peptide did not affect the clinical parameters of the animals nor generated antipeptide antibodies. Our findings reveal that two distinct d-amino acid substitutions and dimerization increase the biological activity and stability of P8 peptide. The resulting peptide constitutes a novel IL-15 antagonist with potential applicability in inflammatory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ania Cabrales-Rico
- Chemistry and Physics Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | - David Diago-Abreu
- Chemistry and Physics Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | | | - Osvaldo Reyes-Acosta
- Chemistry and Physics Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | - Pedro Puente-Pérez
- Animal Facility Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | - Dagmara Pichardo-Díaz
- Animal Facility Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | - Dioslaida Urquiza-Noa
- Animal Facility Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
| | | | - Hilda E Garay-Pérez
- Chemistry and Physics Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana, Cuba
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Peptides as Therapeutic Agents for Inflammatory-Related Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19092714. [PMID: 30208640 PMCID: PMC6163503 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2018] [Revised: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammation is a physiological mechanism used by organisms to defend themselves against infection, restoring homeostasis in damaged tissues. It represents the starting point of several chronic diseases such as asthma, skin disorders, cancer, cardiovascular syndrome, arthritis, and neurological diseases. An increasing number of studies highlight the over-expression of inflammatory molecules such as oxidants, cytokines, chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases, and transcription factors into damaged tissues. The treatment of inflammatory disorders is usually linked to the use of unspecific small molecule drugs that can cause undesired side effects. Recently, many efforts are directed to develop alternative and more selective anti-inflammatory therapies, several of them imply the use of peptides. Indeed, peptides demonstrated as elected lead compounds toward several targets for their high specificity as well as recent and innovative synthetic strategies. Several endogenous peptides identified during inflammatory responses showed anti-inflammatory activities by inhibiting, reducing, and/or modulating the expression and activity of mediators. This review aims to discuss the potentialities and therapeutic use of peptides as anti-inflammatory agents in the treatment of different inflammation-related diseases and to explore the importance of peptide-based therapies.
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Garay H, Espinosa LA, Perera Y, Sánchez A, Diago D, Perea SE, Besada V, Reyes O, González LJ. Characterization of low-abundance species in the active pharmaceutical ingredient of CIGB-300: A clinical-grade anticancer synthetic peptide. J Pept Sci 2018; 24:e3081. [PMID: 29676523 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
CIGB-300 is a first-in-class synthetic peptide-based drug of 25 amino acids currently undergoing clinical trials in cancer patients. It contains an amidated disulfide cyclic undecapeptide fused to the TAT cell-penetrating peptide through a beta-alanine spacer. CIGB-300 inhibits the CK2-mediated phosphorylation leading to apoptosis of tumor cells in vitro, and in vivo in cancer patients. Despite the clinical development of CIGB-300, the characterization of peptide-related impurities present in the active pharmaceutical ingredient has not been reported earlier. In the decision tree of ICHQ3A(R2) guidelines, the daily doses intake, the abundance, and the identity of the peptide-related species are pivotal nodes that define actions to be taken (reporting, identification, and qualification). For this, purity was first assessed by reverse-phase chromatography (>97%) and low-abundance impurities (≤0.27%) were collected and identified by mass spectrometry. Most of the impurities were generated during peptide synthesis, the spontaneous air oxidation of the reduced peptide, and the lyophilization step. The most abundant impurity, with no biological activity, was the full-length peptide containing Met17 transformed into a sulfoxide residue. Interestingly, parallel and antiparallel dimers of CIGB-300 linked by 2 intermolecular disulfide bonds exhibited a higher antiproliferative activity than the CIGB-300 monomer. Likewise, very low abundance trimers and tetramers of CIGB-300 linked by disulfide bonds (≤0.01%) were also detected. Here we describe for the first time the presence of active dimeric species whose feasibility as novel CIGB-300 derived entities merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilda Garay
- Peptide Synthesis Laboratory, Physics and Chemistry Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana, Cuba
| | - Luis Ariel Espinosa
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Department of Proteomics, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana, Cuba
| | - Yasser Perera
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Pharmaceutical Department, Biomedical Research, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana, Cuba
| | - Aniel Sánchez
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Department of Proteomics, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana, Cuba
| | - David Diago
- Peptide Synthesis Laboratory, Physics and Chemistry Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana, Cuba
| | - Silvio E Perea
- Molecular Oncology Laboratory, Pharmaceutical Department, Biomedical Research, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana, Cuba
| | - Vladimir Besada
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Department of Proteomics, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana, Cuba
| | - Osvaldo Reyes
- Peptide Synthesis Laboratory, Physics and Chemistry Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana, Cuba
| | - Luis Javier González
- Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Department of Proteomics, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, PO Box 6162, Havana, Cuba
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Rodríguez-Álvarez Y, Cabrales-Rico A, Perera-Pintado A, Prats-Capote A, Garay-Pérez HE, Reyes-Acosta O, Pérez-García E, Chico-Capote A, Santos-Savio A. In vitro and in vivo characterization of an interleukin-15 antagonist peptide by metabolic stability, 99m Tc-labeling, and biological activity assays. J Pept Sci 2018; 24:e3078. [PMID: 29656472 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Interleukin (IL)-15 is an inflammatory cytokine that constitutes a validated therapeutic target in some immunopathologies, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Previously, we identified an IL-15 antagonist peptide named [K6T]P8, with potential therapeutic application in RA. In the current work, the metabolic stability of this peptide in synovial fluids from RA patients was studied. Moreover, [K6T]P8 peptide was labeled with 99m Tc to investigate its stability in human plasma and its biodistribution pattern in healthy rats. The biological activity of [K6T]P8 peptide and its dimer was evaluated in CTLL-2 cells, using 3 different additives to improve the solubility of these peptides. The half-life of [K6T]P8 in human synovial fluid was 5.88 ± 1.73 minutes, and the major chemical modifications included peptide dimerization, cysteinylation, and methionine oxidation. Radiolabeling of [K6T]P8 with 99m Tc showed a yield of approximately 99.8%. The 99m Tc-labeled peptide was stable in a 30-fold molar excess of cysteine and in human plasma, displaying a low affinity to plasma proteins. Preliminary biodistribution studies in healthy Wistar rats suggested a slow elimination of the peptide through the renal and hepatic pathways. Although citric acid, sucrose, and Tween 80 enhanced the solubility of [K6T]P8 peptide and its dimer, only the sucrose did not interfere with the in vitro proliferation assay used to assess their biological activity. The results here presented, reinforce nonclinical characterization of the [K6T]P8 peptide, a potential agent for the treatment of RA and other diseases associated with IL-15 overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunier Rodríguez-Álvarez
- Pharmaceutical Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Avenue 31, PO Box 6162, Havana, 10600, Cuba
| | - Ania Cabrales-Rico
- Chemistry and Physics Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Avenue 31, PO Box 6162, Havana, 10600, Cuba
| | | | - Anais Prats-Capote
- Center for Clinical Research, Avenue 34, PO Box 6162, Havana, 11300, Cuba
| | - Hilda E Garay-Pérez
- Chemistry and Physics Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Avenue 31, PO Box 6162, Havana, 10600, Cuba
| | - Osvaldo Reyes-Acosta
- Chemistry and Physics Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Avenue 31, PO Box 6162, Havana, 10600, Cuba
| | - Erik Pérez-García
- Pharmaceutical Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Avenue 31, PO Box 6162, Havana, 10600, Cuba
| | - Araceli Chico-Capote
- Rheumatology Department, Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital, San Lazaro 701, PO Box 6122, Havana, 10600, Cuba
| | - Alicia Santos-Savio
- Pharmaceutical Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Avenue 31, PO Box 6162, Havana, 10600, Cuba
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Quantitative sequence–activity modeling of antimicrobial hexapeptides using a segmented principal component strategy: an approach to describe and predict activities of peptide drugs containing l/d and unnatural residues. Amino Acids 2014; 47:125-34. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-014-1850-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/03/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Jamieson AG, Boutard N, Sabatino D, Lubell WD. Peptide scanning for studying structure-activity relationships in drug discovery. Chem Biol Drug Des 2013; 81:148-65. [PMID: 23253136 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Peptide-based therapeutics have grown in importance over the last few decades. Furthermore, peptides have been extensively used as lead compounds in the drug discovery process to investigate the nature of chemical space required for molecular recognition and activity at a variety of targets. This critical commentary reviews scanning techniques, which employ natural and non-proteinogenic amino acids to facilitate understanding of structural requirements for peptide biological activity. The value of sequence analysis by such methods is highlighted by examples, in which the elements for peptide affinity and activity have been elucidated and employed to prepare peptidomimetic leads for drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Jamieson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
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