Bombesin analogs containing α-amino-isobutyric acid with potent anticancer activity

A new class of radiopeptides for PET imaging of neuromedin-B receptor: 68Ga-ranatensin analogs

The neuromedin B receptor NMB-R is frequently over-expressed in tumors of the lung, pancreas, colon, carcinoids (bronchial, intestinal) and also pruritus. We have developed a new class of radiopeptide for NMB-R targeting.

Conformational profile of bombesin assessed using different computational protocols

The present work involves the study of the conformational profile of bombesin using different computational procedures used to explore the configurational space based on molecular dynamics simulations. Specifically, the present study describes the effect of using Berendsen's versus Langevin's thermostat and on the other hand, the use of the multicanonical replica exchange molecular dynamics as compared to standard molecular dynamics. In these simulations the solvent was modeled using the Onufriev, Bashford and Case implementation of Generalized Born procedure. The detailed computational analysis agrees well with the aggregated information previously reported in the NMR study of the peptide in a mixture of trifluoroethanol/water. Present results show a clear preference for the peptide to attain a helical structure on the segment 6-14, with a tendency to adopt a α-helix at the C-terminus aligning the aromatic residues Trp8 and His12 together with Gln7, known to be important for peptide mediated activation. Finally, the three methodologies used in the present work yield similar structural results, although a detailed analysis reveals biases that need to be considered when performing this kind of studies.

99mTc-labeled bombesin(7-14)NH2 with favorable properties for SPECT imaging of colon cancer

In this report, we present the synthesis and evaluation of the (99m)Tc-labeled beta-Ala-BN(7-14)NH2 (ABN = beta-Ala-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Leu-Met-NH2) as a new radiotracer for tumor imaging in the BALB/c nude mice bearing HT-29 human colon cancer xenografts. The gastrin releasing peptide receptor binding affinity of ABN and HYNIC-ABN (6-hydrazinonicotinamide) was assessed via a competitive displacement of (125)I-[Tyr4]BBN bound to the PC-3 human prostate carcinoma cells. The IC 50 values were calculated to be 24 +/- 2 nM and 38 +/- 1 nM for ABN and HYNIC-ABN, respectively. HYNIC is the bifunctional coupling agent for (99m)Tc-labeling, while tricine and TPPTS (trisodium triphenylphosphine-3,3',3''-trisulfonate) are used as coligands to prepare the ternary ligand complex [(99m)Tc(HYNIC-ABN)(tricine)(TPPTS)] in very high yield and high specific activity. Because of its high hydrophilicity (log P = -2.39 +/- 0.06), [(99m)Tc(HYNIC-ABN)(tricine)(TPPS)] was excreted mainly through the renal route with little radioactivity accumulation in the liver, lungs, stomach, and gastrointestinal tract. The tumor uptake at 30 min postinjection (p.i.) was 1.59 +/- 0.23%ID/g with a steady tumor washout over the 4 h study period. As a result, it had the best T/ B ratios in the blood (2.37 +/- 0.68), liver (1.69 +/- 0.41), and muscle (11.17 +/- 3.32) at 1 h p.i. Most of the injected radioactivity was found in the urine sample at 1 h p.i., and there was no intact [(99m)Tc(HYNIC-ABN)(tricine)(TPPTS)] detectable in the urine, kidney, and liver samples. Its metabolic instability may contribute to its rapid clearance from the liver, lungs, and stomach. Despite the steady radioactivity washout, the tumors could be clearly visualized in planar images of the BALB/c nude mice bearing the HT-29 human colon xenografts at 1 and 4 h p.i. The favorable excretion kinetics from the liver, lungs, stomach, and gastrointestinal tract makes [(99m)Tc(HYNIC-ABN)(tricine)(TPPTS)] a promising SPECT radiotracer for imaging colon cancer.

Substance P analogs containing alpha,alpha-dialkylated amino acids with potent anticancer activity

Six analogs (peptides 1-6) of the potent substance P (SP) derivative known as 'Antagonist D' were synthesized by substituting constrained amino acids Aib or Acp (cycloleucine, 1-amino cyclopentane carboxylic acid) at different positions in the Antagonist D sequence: D-Arg(1)-Pro(2)-Lys(3)-Pro(4)-D-Phe(5)-Gln(6)-D-Trp(7)-Phe(8)-D-Trp(9)-Leu(10)-Leu(11)-NH(2). In the preliminary in vitro antiproliferative screening of the analogs on different human cancer cell lines by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, peptide 1 was found to be the most active. Further, peptide 1 was butanoylated (analog 5) or octanoylated (analog 6) at the N-terminus. SP analogs 1, 5, and 6 were evaluated in vivo in a xenograft model of human primary colon tumor (PTC) cell line in athymic nude mice and were found to cause tumor regression. This study investigates if the use of the constrained amino acids Aib and Acp in the designed SP analogs can retain the in vitro and in vivo anticancer activities, which could be useful in cancer therapy and drug targeting. Further, the strategy of incorporation of Aib or Acp in biologically active peptides can be exploited in determining the receptor-bound conformation and in transforming these bioactive peptides into pharmacologically useful drugs.

Effect of aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) substitutions on the antimicrobial and cytolytic activities of the frog skin peptide, temporin-1DRa

Temporin-1DRa (HFLGTLVNLAKKIL.NH(2)), first isolated from the skin of the California red-legged frog Rana draytonii, shows broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity but its therapeutic potential is limited by its toxicity against mammalian cells. The cytolytic properties of cationic alpha-helical peptides are determined by a complex interaction between cationicity, hydrophobicity, conformation, and amphipathicity. This study has investigated the cytolytic properties of conformationally constrained analogs of temporin-1DRa containing alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) substitutions. Cytolytic activity was determined against the bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, the opportunistic yeast pathogen, Candida albicans, human erythrocytes, HepG2 hepatoma-derived cells, and L929 fibroblasts. Aib substitutions at Gly(4), Asn(8), and Ala(10) increased both % helicity, determined in methanol solution, and hydrophobicity resulting in increases in both antimicrobial potencies and toxicities against the mammalian cells. Substitution at Leu(6) resulted in an appreciable decrease in cytolytic activity against all cells whereas the substitutions at His(1), Phe(2), Leu(3), Thr(5), and Val(7) had only minor effects on activity. Substitutions at Leu(9), Ile(13), Leu(14) produced analogs with decreased helicity and hydrophobicity that retained activity against microorganisms but showed appreciably lower cytolytic activities against mammalian cells. In particular, the fourfold increase in therapeutic index [ratio of LC(50) against erythrocytes to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against microorganisms] of [Aib(13)]temporin-1DRa identifies it as a compound with potential for development as a therapeutically valuable anti-infective agent.

Delivering multiple anticancer peptides as a single prodrug using lysyl-lysine as a facile linker

A large 40-residue precursor peptide (propeptide 5) was synthesized by linking together four designed anticancer peptide analogs to the neuropeptides: vasoactive intestinal peptide, somatostatin, bombesin and substance P, using enzyme cleavable lysyl-lysine linkers. On incubation with the enzyme trypsin, propeptide 5 was cleaved in a sequence-specific manner at the lysyl-lysine residues in the linker to release the individual peptide fragments which were identified by LC-MS. Another precursor peptide (propeptide 5a), consisting of two of the peptide analogs linked through lysyl-lysine linker, was also preferentially cleaved at the Lys-Lys site on incubation with the enzyme trypsin. Propeptide 5 showed potent anticancer activity, both in vitro and in vivo, which was greater than that of the individual component peptides. The enhanced activity suggests that the propeptide is possibly cleaved in the biological system at the lysyl-lysine site to yield the individual peptide analogs, which together show a synergistic effect. On the basis of these experimental findings, it can be concluded that pairs of basic amino acids such as Lys-Lys can be used as facile linkers for delivering multiple biologically active peptides.