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Wei M, Chen W, Dong Y, Gu Y, Wei D, Zhang J, Ren Y. Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α-Activated Protein Switch Based on Allosteric Self-Splicing Reduces Nonspecific Cytotoxicity of Pharmaceutical Drugs. Mol Pharm 2024. [PMID: 39213620 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c00921] [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: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Protein-based therapeutic agents currently used for targeted tumor therapy exhibit limited penetrability, nonspecific toxicity, and a short circulation half-life. Although targeting cell surface receptors improves cancer selectivity, the receptors are also slightly expressed in normal cells; consequently, the nonspecific toxicity of recombinant protein-based therapeutic agents has not been eliminated. In this study, an allosteric-regulated protein switch was designed that achieved cytoplasmic reorganization of engineered immunotoxins in tumor cells via interactions between allosteric self-splicing elements and cancer markers. It can target the accumulated HIF-1α in hypoxic cancer cells and undergo allosteric activation, and the splicing products were present in hypoxic cancer cells but were absent in normoxic cells, selectively killing tumor cells and reducing nonspecific toxicity to normal cells. The engineered pro-protein provides a platform for targeted therapy of tumors while offering a novel universal strategy for combining the activation of therapeutic functions with specific cancer markers. The allosteric self-splicing element is a powerful tool that significantly reduces the nonspecific cytotoxicity of therapeutic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Wenxin Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yuguo Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yiyang Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Dongzhi Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yuhong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
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Luo C, He S, Shi F, Zhou J, Shang L. The Role of TRAIL Signaling in Cancer: Searching for New Therapeutic Strategies. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:521. [PMID: 39056714 PMCID: PMC11274015 DOI: 10.3390/biology13070521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Cancer continues to pose a significant threat to global health, with its status as a leading cause of death remaining unchallenged. Within the realm of cancer research, the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) stands out as a critical player, having been identified in the 1990s as the tenth member of the TNF family. This review examines the pivotal role of TRAIL in cancer biology, focusing on its ability to induce apoptosis in malignant cells through both endogenous and exogenous pathways. We provide an in-depth analysis of TRAIL's intracellular signaling and intercellular communication, underscoring its potential as a selective anticancer agent. Additionally, the review explores TRAIL's capacity to reshape the tumor microenvironment, thereby influencing cancer progression and response to therapy. With an eye towards future developments, we discuss the prospects of harnessing TRAIL's capabilities for the creation of tailored, precision-based cancer treatments, aiming to enhance efficacy and improve patient survival rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Luo
- Department of Pathology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders/Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; (C.L.); (J.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; (S.H.); (F.S.)
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of National Health Commission, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Shan He
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; (S.H.); (F.S.)
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of National Health Commission, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Feng Shi
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; (S.H.); (F.S.)
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis of National Health Commission, Cancer Research Institute and School of Basic Medical Science, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Jianhua Zhou
- Department of Pathology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders/Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; (C.L.); (J.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; (S.H.); (F.S.)
| | - Li Shang
- Department of Pathology, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders/Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; (C.L.); (J.Z.)
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion of Chinese Ministry of Education, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; (S.H.); (F.S.)
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Wei M, Chen A, Zhang J, Ren Y. Novel Oxygen-Dependent Degradable Immunotoxin Regulated by the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System Reduces Nonspecific Cytotoxicity. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:90-100. [PMID: 36305716 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00503] [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: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The use of bacterial toxins as antitumor agents has received considerable attention. Immunotoxins based on antigen recognition of single-chain antibodies have been widely explored for cancer therapy. Despite their impressive killing effect on tumor cells, immunotoxins still display unspecific toxicity with undesired side effects. High levels of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) are well-known indicators of hypoxia in cancer cells. In this study, different linkers were employed to fuse the immunotoxin DAB389-4D5 scFv (DS) with the oxygen-dependent degradation domain (ODDD) of HIF-1α, a domain selectively facilitating the accumulation of HIF-1α under hypoxia, to construct the oxygen-dependent degradable immunotoxin DS-ODDD (DSO). The engineered fusion protein DSO-2 containing a linker (G4S)3 possesses the best killing effect on cancer cells under hypoxia and displayed considerably reduced nonspecific toxicity to normal cells under normoxic conditions. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and immunoblot analyses demonstrated that DSO-2 was degraded via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway regulated by the oxygen-sensitive mechanism. Western blot analysis indicated that the degradation of DSO-2 significantly decreased the activation of apoptosis-related molecules in normal cells. The engineered immunotoxin with oxygen-sensing properties developed herein is a potential therapeutic agent for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Anxiang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Yuhong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, New World Institute of Biotechnology, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road, Shanghai 200237, China
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