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Thirumalai A, Girigoswami K, Pallavi P, Harini K, Gowtham P, Girigoswami A. Cancer therapy with iRGD as a tumor-penetrating peptide. Bull Cancer 2023; 110:1288-1300. [PMID: 37813754 DOI: 10.1016/j.bulcan.2023.08.009] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
One of the primary threats in tumor treatment revolves around the limited ability to penetrate tumor sites, leading to reduced therapeutic effectiveness, which remains a critical concern. Recently gaining importance are novel peptides, namely CRGDK/RGPD/EC (iRGD), that possess enhanced tumor-penetrating and inhibitory properties. These peptides specifically target and penetrate tumors by binding to αvβ integrins, namely αvβ3 and αvβ5, as well as NRP-1 receptors. Remarkably abundant on both the vasculature and tumor cell surfaces, these peptides show promising potential for improving tumor treatment outcomes. As a result, iRGD penetrated deep into the tumor tissues with biological products, contrast agents (imaging agents), antitumor drugs, and immune modulators after co-injecting them with peptides or chemically linked to peptides. The synthesis of iRGD peptides is a relatively straightforward process compared to the synthesis of other traditional peptides, and they significantly improved tumor tissue penetration inhibiting tumor metastasis effectively. Recent studies demonstrate the effectiveness of iRGD-driven dual-targeting chemotherapeutics on cancer cells, and the nanocarriers were modified with iRGD, serving as a favorable delivery strategy of payloads for deeper tumor regions. This review aims to provide an overview to emphasize the recent advancements and advantages of iRGD in treating and imaging various cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anbazhagan Thirumalai
- Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Medical Bionanotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, TN-603103 Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
| | - Koyeli Girigoswami
- Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Medical Bionanotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, TN-603103 Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
| | - Pragya Pallavi
- Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Medical Bionanotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, TN-603103 Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
| | - Karthick Harini
- Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Medical Bionanotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, TN-603103 Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
| | - Pemula Gowtham
- Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Medical Bionanotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, TN-603103 Kelambakkam, Chennai, India
| | - Agnishwar Girigoswami
- Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Medical Bionanotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, TN-603103 Kelambakkam, Chennai, India.
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Abstract
From the first clinical trial by Dr. W.F. Anderson to the most recent US Food and Drug Administration-approved Luxturna (Spark Therapeutics, 2017) and Zolgensma (Novartis, 2019), gene therapy has revamped thinking and practice around cancer treatment and improved survival rates for adult and pediatric patients with genetic diseases. A major challenge to advancing gene therapies for a broader array of applications lies in safely delivering nucleic acids to their intended sites of action. Peptides offer unique potential to improve nucleic acid delivery based on their versatile and tunable interactions with biomolecules and cells. Cell-penetrating peptides and intracellular targeting peptides have received particular focus due to their promise for improving the delivery of gene therapies into cells. We highlight key examples of peptide-assisted, targeted gene delivery to cancer-specific signatures involved in tumor growth and subcellular organelle-targeting peptides, as well as emerging strategies to enhance peptide stability and bioavailability that will support long-term implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Urandur
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA; ,
| | - Millicent O Sullivan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA; ,
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3
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Mitochondrial targeting theranostic nanomedicine and molecular biomarkers for efficient cancer diagnosis and therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 153:113451. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
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Davoodi Z, Shafiee F. Internalizing RGD, a great motif for targeted peptide and protein delivery: a review article. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2022; 12:2261-2274. [PMID: 35015253 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-022-01116-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Understanding that cancer is one of the most important health problems, especially in advanced societies, is not difficult. The term of targeted cancer therapy has also been well known as an ideal treatment strategy in the recent years. Peptides with ability to specifically recognize the cancer cells with suitable penetration properties have been used as the targeting motif in this regard. In the present review article, we focus on an individual RGD-derived peptide with ability to recognize the integrin receptor on the cancer cell surface like its ancestor with an additional outstanding feature to penetrate to extravascular space of tumor and ability to penetrate to cancer cells unlike the original peptide. This peptide which has been named "internalizing RGD" or "iRGD" has been the focus of researches as a new targeting motif since it was discovered. To date, many types of molecules have been associated with this peptide for their targeted delivery to cancer cells. In this review article, we have discussed a summary of penetration mechanisms of iRGD and all introduced peptides and proteins attached to this attractive cell-penetrating peptide and have expressed the results of the studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeinabosadat Davoodi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Hezar Jarib Ave., Isfahan, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Shafiee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Hezar Jarib Ave., Isfahan, Iran.
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Yaghoubi A, Asgharzadeh F, Movaqar A, Ghazvini K, Hassanian SM, Avan A, Khazaei M, Soleimanpour S. Anticancer activity of Helicobacter pylori ribosomal protein (HPRP) with iRGD in treatment of colon cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2021; 147:2851-2865. [PMID: 34117917 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-021-03683-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE As the conventional therapeutic approaches were not completely successful in the treatment of colon cancer, there is still a need for finding the most efficient therapeutic agents. Here we investigated the anticancer activity of HPRP-A1 that was derived from the N-terminal region of Helicobacter pylori ribosomal protein L1 (RpL1) alone or in combination with tumor-homing peptide iRGD and 5-Fluorouracil (5FU) on colon cancer cell lines (CT26 and HT29) and isograft models of colon cancer. METHOD We assessed the tumor growth inhibitory activity of HPRP-A1 with or without iRGD and 5FU on colon cancer in vitro and in vivo. In the in vitro part, we investigate the effect of HPRP-A1 alone and in combination with iRGD/5FU. RESULTS Our results demonstrated that co-administration of HPRP-A1 with iRGD increased the apoptosis, while these two peptides in combination with 5FU increased the intracellular level of p53 that upregulate the pro-apoptotic gene BAX and downregulate the anti-apoptotic gene BCL2. HPRP-A1 blocks the cell cycle progression in G0/G1. Co-administration of two peptides significantly reduced the size and weight of the tumors, while the group that received 5FU in combination with the peptides increased the necrotic and decrease the fibrotic area significantly in the tumor tissues, which also disrupt the oxidant/antioxidant balance. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicated that HPRP-A1 could be considered an effective agent toward colon cancer in vitro and in vivo with the ability to enhance the effects of conventional chemotherapy agent 5FU.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atieh Yaghoubi
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Asgharzadeh
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Aref Movaqar
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Kiarash Ghazvini
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Seyed Mahdi Hassanian
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Amir Avan
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Majid Khazaei
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. .,Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Saman Soleimanpour
- Antimicrobial Resistance Research Center, Bu-Ali Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. .,Department of Microbiology and Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. .,Metabolic Syndrome Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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Zhao L, Chen H, Lu L, Zhao C, Malichewe CV, Wang L, Guo X, Zhang X. Design and screening of a novel neuropilin-1 targeted penetrating peptide for anti-angiogenic therapy in glioma. Life Sci 2021; 270:119113. [PMID: 33508290 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
AIMS This study aimed to design and screen a dual functional fusion peptide that could penetrate the blood-brain barrier and target neuropilin 1 (NRP1) overexpressed in vascular endothelial cells for the anti-angiogenesis of glioma treatment. MAIN METHODS At the cellular level, the in vitro anti-angiogenic activity of six NRP1 targeting peptides was screened by testing the ability to inhibit the proliferation and tube formation of HUVECs. Then, the in vitro anti-angiogenic activity of two fusion peptides containing different linkers was screened by testing the ability to inhibit HUVECs proliferation, tube formation and migration. The effect of fusion peptide on VEGFR2 related signal pathway was confirmed by Western-blotting. Surface plasmon resonance technology was used to detect the affinity of the fusion peptide to NRP1. The ability of FITC-labeled peptides to penetrate cells was confirmed by cell uptake assay. By establishing an orthotopic glioma model, we evaluated the ability of FITC-labeled peptides to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and their anti-glioma growth activity in vivo. KEY FINDINGS We found that NRP1 targeting peptide RP7 and linker cysteine were the most suitable key components in the fusion peptide. We also found that the fusion peptide Tat-C-RP7 we constructed had the strongest ability to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and anti-angiogenic activity in vitro and in vivo. SIGNIFICANCE At present, NRP1 targeting peptide as a drug delivery tool and molecular probe seems to have received more attention. We constructed a fusion peptide Tat-C-RP7 with strong anti-angiogenic activity for the treatment of glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Hongyuan Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong University Affiliated Shandong Provincial Hospital, Jinan 250021, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Chunqian Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Christina V Malichewe
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
| | - Xiuli Guo
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
| | - Xinke Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China.
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Liu Y, Xie Y, Lin Y, Xu Q, Huang Y, Peng M, Lai W, Zheng Y. Cepharanthine as a Potential Novel Tumor-Regional Therapy in Treating Cutaneous Melanoma: Altering the Expression of Cathepsin B, Tumor Suppressor Genes and Autophagy-Related Proteins. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:601969. [PMID: 33335896 PMCID: PMC7736638 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.601969] [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: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The incidence of primary cutaneous melanoma continues to increase annually and is one of the most aggressive malignancies in humans and need to develop more novel non-surgical therapies. Autophagy and cathepsin B targeted therapy was reported to improve melanoma treatment. Cepharanthine (CEP), a natural alkaloid extracted from the genus Cephalophyllum has been reported to have the function of inhibiting cancers. We found that CEP inhibited human primary cutaneous melanoma cells viability and proliferation in 24 h in vitro, and topical application or intra-tumoral injection of CEP decreased the growth of cutaneous melanoma in mice within 4 weeks. CEP preparations below 50% concentration did not induce skin irritation and allergy reaction on human skin in vivo. Primary cutaneous melanoma cells incubated with CEP, the expression of cathepsin B was decreased and the LC3-I and LC3-II expression changed in a dose-dependent manner, while p53, p21Cip1p, and p16Inka gene expression was up-regulated. We demonstrated the effects of CEP as a novel tumor-regional therapy for cutaneous melanoma and provided a preliminary research basis for future clinical treatment researches and the exploration of integrated treatments with systemic therapy, radiotherapy, and surgery for human primary cutaneous melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufang Liu
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Xie
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yao Lin
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qingfang Xu
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yunfen Huang
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengran Peng
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei Lai
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Zheng
- Department of Dermatology and Venereology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Ma Z, Li N, Zhang B, Hui Y, Zhang Y, Lu P, Pi J, Liu Z. Dual drug-loaded nano-platform for targeted cancer therapy: toward clinical therapeutic efficacy of multifunctionality. J Nanobiotechnology 2020; 18:123. [PMID: 32887626 PMCID: PMC7650261 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-020-00681-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Poor targeting and penetration of chemotherapy drugs in solid tumors, and the development of resistance to chemotherapeutic agents are currently hindering the therapy of breast cancer; meanwhile, breast cancer metastasis is one of the leading causes of death in breast cancer patients. With the development of nanotechnology, nanomaterials have been widely used in tumor therapy. Results A multi-functional nano-platform containing gambogic acid (GA) and paclitaxel (PTX) was characterized by a small size, high encapsulation efficiency, slow release, long systemic circulation time in vivo, showed good targeting and penetrability to tumor tissues and tumor cells, and exhibited higher anti-tumor effect and lower systemic toxicity in BALB/c mice bearing 4T1 tumor. GA not only overcame the multidrug resistance of PTX by inhibiting P-glycoprotein (P-gp) activity in MCF-7/ADR cells, but also inhibited MDA-MB-231 cells migration and invasion, playing a crucial role in preventing and treating the lung metastasis of breast cancer caused by PTX; meanwhile, the synergistic anti-tumor effect of GA and PTX has also been verified in vitro and in vivo experiments. Conclusion Our data described the better recognition and penetration of tumor cells of R9dGR-modified versatile nanosystems containing GA and PTX, which exerted one stone three birds clinical therapeutic efficacy of multifunctionality.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Engineering Research Center of Modern Chinese Medicine Discovery and Preparation Technique, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Nan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Engineering Research Center of Modern Chinese Medicine Discovery and Preparation Technique, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Engineering Research Center of Modern Chinese Medicine Discovery and Preparation Technique, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - YuYu Hui
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Engineering Research Center of Modern Chinese Medicine Discovery and Preparation Technique, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Engineering Research Center of Modern Chinese Medicine Discovery and Preparation Technique, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Peng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Engineering Research Center of Modern Chinese Medicine Discovery and Preparation Technique, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Jiaxin Pi
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Engineering Research Center of Modern Chinese Medicine Discovery and Preparation Technique, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.,Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Zhidong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China. .,Engineering Research Center of Modern Chinese Medicine Discovery and Preparation Technique, Ministry of Education, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China. .,Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.
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Rizvi SFA, Mu S, Wang Y, Li S, Zhang H. Fluorescent RGD-based pro-apoptotic peptide conjugates as mitochondria-targeting probes for enhanced anticancer activities. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 127:110179. [PMID: 32387862 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
We have designed 2-domain anticancer peptides with RGD-based KLAK bi-functional short motifs (linear and cyclic analogues). RGD tripeptide acts as tumor blood vessel 'homing' motif while KLAK tetrapeptide internalized in mitochondria and causes cell apoptosis. All three peptides (RGDKLAK; HM, cyclic-RGDKLAK; HMC-1, and RGD-cyclic-KLAK; HMC-2) were conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate isomer-I (5-FITC; F) for in-vivo and in-vitro optical imaging studies. These fluorescent-peptide (FL-peptide) analogues were analyzed to possess αvβ3-integrin targeting affinity, high uptake in in-vitro cell binding assays followed by in-vivo tumor xenograft mice studies. Pharmacological profile reveals that F-HMC-1 analogue exhibited selectively and specifically higher affinity for αvβ3-integrin than other analogues in U87MG cells in comparison with HeLa cells. The subcutaneous U87MG tumor xenograft mice models clearly visualized the uptake of F-HMC-1 in tumor tissue in contrast with normal tissues with tumor-to-normal tissue ratio (T/NT = 15.9 ± 1.1) at 2 h post-injection. These results suggested that F-HMC-1 peptide has potential diagnostic applications for targeting αvβ3-integrin assessed by optical imaging study in U87MG tumor xenograft mice models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Faheem Askari Rizvi
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Shuai Mu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Yaya Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Shuangqin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China
| | - Haixia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, PR China.
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Juang V, Chang CH, Wang CS, Wang HE, Lo YL. pH-Responsive PEG-Shedding and Targeting Peptide-Modified Nanoparticles for Dual-Delivery of Irinotecan and microRNA to Enhance Tumor-Specific Therapy. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2019; 15:e1903296. [PMID: 31709707 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Irinotecan is one of the main chemotherapeutic agents for colorectal cancer (CRC). MicroRNA-200 (miR-200) has been reported to inhibit metastasis in cancer cells. Herein, pH-sensitive and peptide-modified liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) are designed for encapsulation of irinotecan and miR-200, respectively. These peptides include one cell-penetrating peptide, one ligand targeted to tumor neovasculature undergoing angiogenesis, and one mitochondria-targeting peptide. The peptide-modified nanoparticles are further coated with a pH-sensitive PEG-lipid derivative with an imine bond. These specially-designed nanoparticles exhibit pH-responsive release, internalization, and intracellular distribution in acidic pH of colon cancer HCT116 cells. These nanoparticles display low toxicity to blood and noncancerous intestinal cells. Delivery of miR-200 by SLN further increases the cytotoxicity of irinotecan-loaded liposomes against CRC cells by triggering apoptosis and suppressing RAS/β-catenin/ZEB/multiple drug resistance (MDR) pathways. Using CRC-bearing mice, the in vivo results further indicate that irinotecan and miR-200 in pH-responsive targeting nanoparticles exhibit positive therapeutic outcomes by inhibiting colorectal tumor growth and reducing systemic toxicity. Overall, successful delivery of miR and chemotherapy by multifunctional nanoparticles may modulate β-catenin/MDR/apoptosis/metastasis signaling pathways and induce programmed cancer cell death. Thus, these pH-responsive targeting nanoparticles may provide a potential regimen for effective treatment of colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivian Juang
- Department and Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hsien Chang
- Department and Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Shen Wang
- Department and Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Ell Wang
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Li Lo
- Department and Institute of Pharmacology, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
- Faculty of Pharmacy, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
- Center for Advanced Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Research, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan
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11
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Xu Y, Sun L, Feng S, Chen J, Gao Y, Guo L, An X, Nie Y, Zhang Y, Liu X, Ning X. Smart pH-Sensitive Nanogels for Enhancing Synergistic Anticancer Effects of Integrin α vβ 3 Specific Apoptotic Peptide and Therapeutic Nitric Oxide. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:34663-34675. [PMID: 31490654 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b10830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Apoptotic peptide (kla), which can trigger the mitochondria-mediated apoptotic programmed cell death, has been widely recognized as a potential anticancer agent. However, its therapeutic potential has been significantly impaired by its poor biostability, lack of tumor specificity, and particularly low cellular uptake. Herein, a linear peptide Arg-Trp-d-Arg-Asn-Arg (RWrNR) was identified as an integrin αvβ3 specific ligand with a nanomolar dissociation constant (Kd = 0.95 nM), which can greatly improve kla antitumor activity (IC50 = 8.81 μM) by improving its cellular uptake, compared to the classic integrin-recognition motif c-RGDyK (IC50 = 37.96 μM). Particularly, the RWrNR-kla conjugate can be entrapped in acidic sensitive nanogels (RK/Parg/CMCS-NGs), composed of poly-l-arginine (Parg) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS, pI = 6.8), which can not only carry out controlled release of RWrNR-kla in response to the tumor acidic microenvironment, and consequently enhance its tumor specificity and cell internalization, but also trigger tumor-associated macrophages to generate nitric oxide, leading to enhanced synergistic anticancer efficacy. Importantly, RK/Parg/CMCS-NGs have been proven to effectively activate the apoptosis signaling pathway in vivo and significantly inhibit tumor growth with minimal adverse effects. To summarize, RK/Parg/CMCS-NGs are a promising apoptotic peptide-based therapeutics with enhanced tumor accumulation, cytosolic delivery, and synergistic anticancer effects, thereby holding great potential for the treatment of malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yurui Xu
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
| | - Lei Sun
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
| | - Shujun Feng
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
| | - Jianmei Chen
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
| | - Ya Gao
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
| | - Leilei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Drug Discovery, Center of Advanced Pharmaceutics and Biomaterials , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Xueying An
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Department of Sports Medicine and Adult Reconstructive Surgery, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital , The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School , Nanjing 210093 , China
| | - Yuanyuan Nie
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
| | - Yu Zhang
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
| | - Xiaoxuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, Center of Drug Discovery, Center of Advanced Pharmaceutics and Biomaterials , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Xinghai Ning
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210093 , China
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12
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Hu C, Chen X, Huang Y, Chen Y. Synergistic effect of the pro-apoptosis peptide kla-TAT and the cationic anticancer peptide HPRP-A1. Apoptosis 2019; 23:132-142. [PMID: 29397453 DOI: 10.1007/s10495-018-1443-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a peptide-peptide co-administration therapy between hybrid peptide kla-TAT and cationic anticancer peptide HPRP-A1 was designed to increase the anticancer activity of the combination peptides through synergistic effect. kla is a pro-apoptotic peptide which could induce rapid cancer cell apoptosis by disruption the mitochondrial membrane when internalized the cells. To enhance more kla peptides pass through cell membrane, a double improvement strategy was designed by chemically conjugation with cell penetration peptide TAT as well as co-administration with cationic membrane active peptide HPRP-A1, and the double anticancer mechanism of the kla-TAT peptide and HPRP-A1 including membrane disruption and apoptosis induction was verified through in vitro experiments. The CompuSyn synergism/antagonism analysis showed that kla-TAT acted synergistically with HPRP-A1 against a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cell line. The anticancer activities of the two peptides were dramatically increased by co-administration, under the mechanism of cell membrane disruption, caspase-dependent apoptosis induction, as well as cyclin-D1 down-regulation based G1 phase arrest. We believe that the synergic therapeutic strategy would be a meaningful method for the anticancer peptides used in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuihua Hu
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.,College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Xiaolong Chen
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.,College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Yibing Huang
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.,College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Yuxin Chen
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China. .,College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
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13
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iRGD: A Promising Peptide for Cancer Imaging and a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Various Cancers. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2019; 2019:9367845. [PMID: 31346334 PMCID: PMC6617877 DOI: 10.1155/2019/9367845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Poor penetration into the tumor parenchyma and the reduced therapeutic efficacy of anticancer drugs and other medications are the major problems in tumor treatment. A new tumor-homing and penetrating peptide, iRGD (CRGDK/RGPD/EC), can be effectively used to combine and deliver imaging agents or anticancer drugs into tumors. The different “vascular zip codes” expressed in different tissues can serve as targets for docking-based (synaptic) delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic molecules. αv-Integrins are abundantly expressed in the tumor vasculature, where they are recognized by peptides containing the RGD integrin recognition motif. The iRGD peptide follows a multistep tumor-targeting process: First, it is proteolytically cleaved to generate the CRGDK fragment by binding to the surface of cells expressing αv integrins (αvβ3 and αvβ5). Then, the fragment binds to neuropilin-1 and penetrates the tumor parenchyma more deeply. Compared with conventional RGD peptides, the affinity of iRGD for αv integrins is in the mid to low nanomolar range, and the CRGDK fragment has a stronger affinity for neuropilin-1 than that for αv integrins because of the C-terminal exposure of a conditional C-end Rule (CendR) motif (R/KXXR/K), whose receptor proved to be neuropilin-1. Consequently, these advantages facilitate the transfer of CRGDK fragments from integrins to neuropilin-1 and consequently deeper penetration into the tumor. Due to its specific binding and strong affinity, the iRGD peptide can deliver imaging agents and anticancer drugs into tumors effectively and deeply, which is useful in detecting the tumor, blocking tumor growth, and inhibiting tumor metastasis. This review aims to focus on the role of iRGD in the imaging and treatment of various cancers.
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14
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Pro-apoptotic peptides-based cancer therapies: challenges and strategies to enhance therapeutic efficacy. Arch Pharm Res 2018; 41:594-616. [PMID: 29804279 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-018-1038-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Despite many advances in the field of cancer therapy, an effective cure is yet to be found. As a more potent alternative for the conventional small molecule anti-cancer drugs, pro-apoptotic peptides have emerged as a new class of anticancer agents. By interaction with certain members in the apoptotic pathways, they could effectively kill tumor cells. However, there remain bottleneck challenges for clinical application of these pro-apoptotic peptides in cancer therapy. In this review, we will overview the developed pro-apoptotic peptides and outline the widely adopted molecular-based and nanoparticle-based strategies to enhance their anti-tumor effects.
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15
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Hu C, Chen X, Huang Y, Chen Y. Co‐administration of kla‐TAT peptide and iRGD to enhance the permeability on A549 3D multiple sphere cells and accumulation on xenograft mice. Chem Biol Drug Des 2018; 92:1567-1575. [DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cuihua Hu
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of EducationJilin University Changchun China
- College of Life SciencesJilin University Changchun China
| | - Xiaolong Chen
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of EducationJilin University Changchun China
- College of Life SciencesJilin University Changchun China
| | - Yibing Huang
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of EducationJilin University Changchun China
- College of Life SciencesJilin University Changchun China
| | - Yuxin Chen
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of EducationJilin University Changchun China
- College of Life SciencesJilin University Changchun China
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16
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Hu C, Chen X, Huang Y, Chen Y. Co-administration of iRGD with peptide HPRP-A1 to improve anticancer activity and membrane penetrability. Sci Rep 2018; 8:2274. [PMID: 29396568 PMCID: PMC5797073 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-20715-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
To improve the specificity and penetration of anticancer peptides against tumors, in this study, we examined the effects of co-administration of the membrane-active peptide HPRP-A1 and the tumor homing/penetrating peptide iRGD. iRGD peptide is widely recognized as an efficient cell membrane penetration peptide targeting to αvβ3 integrins and neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) receptors, which show high expression in many tumor cells. The anticancer activity, cancer specificity and penetration activity in vitro and in vivo of the co-administered peptides were examined on 2D monolayer cells, 3D multi-cellular spheroids (MCS) and xenograft nude mice. Co-administration of iRGD and HPRP-A1 exhibited stronger anticancer activity and tumor specificity against A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells with NRP-1 receptor overexpression compared with HPRP-A1 alone. A549 cells showed uptake of the peptide combination and destruction of the integrity of the cell membrane, as well as adherence to the mitochondrial net, resulting in induction of apoptosis by a caspase-dependent pathway. The iRGD peptide dramatically increased the penetration depth of HPRP-A1 on A549 MCS and anticancer efficacy in an A549 xenograft mouse model. Our results suggest that the co-administration strategy of anticancer and penetrating peptides could be a potential therapeutic approach for cancer treatment in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuihua Hu
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Xiaolong Chen
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Yibing Huang
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China
| | - Yuxin Chen
- Key Laboratory for Molecular Enzymology and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, China.
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17
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Feng X, Wang Q, Liao Y, Zhou X, Wang Y, Liu W, Zhang G. A synthetic urinary probe-coated nanoparticles sensitive to fibroblast activation protein α for solid tumor diagnosis. Int J Nanomedicine 2017; 12:5359-5372. [PMID: 28794628 PMCID: PMC5538687 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s139039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We developed fibroblast activation protein α (FAPα)-sensitive magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) by conjugating a substrate-reporter tandem peptide as a synthetic biomarker to the surface of MNPs (marker-MNPs). In vitro, the marker-MNPs showed stability when treated with serum or urine and exhibited high susceptibility and specificity for FAPα enzyme and 3T3/FAPα cell line. Furthermore, the marker-MNPs were administered to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma xenograft tumor mice; they reached the tumor tissues in the mice, where they were cleaved effectively by the local overexpressed FAPα to release the reporter peptide and filter it into the urine. The tumor targeting and biodistribution of marker-MNPs were verified by in vivo imaging. The cleaved reporter peptides in urine detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay have high diagnostic accuracy for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve =1.0). Our study implies a promising strategy of utilizing the low-cost and noninvasive synthetic urinary probe–coated nanoparticles for the diagnosis of FAPα-positive solid tumors, except for in renal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwei Feng
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
| | - Qifan Wang
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
| | - Yuehua Liao
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
| | - Xie Zhou
- Department of Medical Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
| | - Yidan Wang
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
| | - Wanli Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Microbial and Biochemical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou
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18
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Zhang L, Xing Y, Gao Q, Sun X, Zhang D, Cao G. Combination of NRP1-mediated iRGD with 5-fluorouracil suppresses proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells. Biomed Pharmacother 2017; 93:1136-1143. [PMID: 28738522 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.06.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 06/22/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastric cancer is one of the most of common cancers in the world. 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) has been identified as one of the standard first-line chemotherapy drugs for locally advanced or metastatic gastric cancer. However, poor tumor penetration, bad selectivity and toxic side effects are the major limitations for the application of chemotherapy drugs in anticancer therapy. Recently, plenty of studies demonstrate that the novel tumor-homing peptide iRGD could promote the tumor-penetrating capability of chemotherapy drugs in multiple cancers, and neuropilin-1 (NRP1) protein is the critical mediator for iRGD. Here,we found that NRP1 protein expression was significantly up-regulated in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines by Immunohistochemistry and Western blot. And elevated NRP1 was notably associated with tumor differentiation (P=0.021), tumor size (P=0.004), tumor stage(P=0.028), lymph node metastasis(P=0.032), TNM tumor stage (P=0.006) and poorer prognosis. Functionally, the data of Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, Colony formation assay and Transwell assay revealed that NRP1 could facilitate gastric cancer cells proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, iRGD could strengthen the chemotherapy effect of 5-FU on gastric cancer cells through NRP1. Taken together, NPR1 might be a promising tumor target for gastric cancer, and combination of iRGD with 5-FU may be a novel and valuable approach to improving the prognosis of gastric cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, PR China
| | - Yanfeng Xing
- Department of General Surgery, The Central Hospital of Tongchuan Mining Bureau, Tongchuan, Shaanxi 727000, PR China
| | - Qi Gao
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China
| | - Xuejun Sun
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710061, PR China.
| | - Di Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, PR China
| | - Gang Cao
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710004, PR China.
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19
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Karageorgis A, Claron M, Jugé R, Aspord C, Thoreau F, Leloup C, Kucharczak J, Plumas J, Henry M, Hurbin A, Verdié P, Martinez J, Subra G, Dumy P, Boturyn D, Aouacheria A, Coll JL. Systemic Delivery of Tumor-Targeted Bax-Derived Membrane-Active Peptides for the Treatment of Melanoma Tumors in a Humanized SCID Mouse Model. Mol Ther 2017; 25:534-546. [PMID: 28153100 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 11/09/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is a highly metastatic and deadly form of cancer. Invasive melanoma cells overexpress integrin αvβ3, which is a well-known target for Arg-Gly-Asp-based (RGD) peptides. We developed a sophisticated method to synthetize milligram amounts of a targeted vector that allows the RGD-mediated targeting, internalization, and release of a mitochondria-disruptive peptide derived from the pro-apoptotic Bax protein. We found that 2.5 μM Bax[109-127] was sufficient to destabilize the mitochondria in ten different tumor cell lines, even in the presence of the anti-apoptotic Bcl2 protein, which is often involved in tumor resistance. This pore-forming peptide displayed antitumor activity when it was covalently linked by a disulfide bridge to the tetrameric RAFT-c[RGD]4-platform and after intravenous injection in a human melanoma tumor model established in humanized immuno-competent mice. In addition to its direct toxic effect, treatment with this combination induced the release of the immuno-stimulating factor monocyte chimoattractant protein 1 (MCP1) in the blood and a decrease in the level of the pro-angiogenic factor FGF2. Our novel multifunctional, apoptosis-inducing agent could be further customized and assayed for potential use in tumor-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastassia Karageorgis
- INSERM U1209, Institut Albert Bonniot, 38706 La Tronche, France; Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Michaël Claron
- Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS UMR 5250, ICMG FR2607, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Romain Jugé
- Molecular Biology of the Cell Laboratory (LBMC), Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMR 5239 CNRS - UCBL - ENS Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Caroline Aspord
- Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; EMR EFS-UGA-INSERM U1209- CNRS, Immunobiology and Immunotherapy of Chronic Diseases, 38706 La Tronche, France; EFS Rhone-Alpes, R&D Laboratory, 38701 La Tronche, France
| | - Fabien Thoreau
- INSERM U1209, Institut Albert Bonniot, 38706 La Tronche, France; Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS UMR 5250, ICMG FR2607, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Claire Leloup
- Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; EMR EFS-UGA-INSERM U1209- CNRS, Immunobiology and Immunotherapy of Chronic Diseases, 38706 La Tronche, France; EFS Rhone-Alpes, R&D Laboratory, 38701 La Tronche, France
| | - Jérôme Kucharczak
- Molecular Biology of the Cell Laboratory (LBMC), Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMR 5239 CNRS - UCBL - ENS Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
| | - Joël Plumas
- Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; EMR EFS-UGA-INSERM U1209- CNRS, Immunobiology and Immunotherapy of Chronic Diseases, 38706 La Tronche, France; EFS Rhone-Alpes, R&D Laboratory, 38701 La Tronche, France
| | - Maxime Henry
- INSERM U1209, Institut Albert Bonniot, 38706 La Tronche, France; Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Amandine Hurbin
- INSERM U1209, Institut Albert Bonniot, 38706 La Tronche, France; Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Pascal Verdié
- CNRS UMR 5247, Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron IBMM, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Jean Martinez
- CNRS UMR 5247, Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron IBMM, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Gilles Subra
- CNRS UMR 5247, Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron IBMM, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Pascal Dumy
- CNRS UMR 5250, ICMG FR2607, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS UMR 5247, Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron IBMM, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Didier Boturyn
- Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France; CNRS UMR 5250, ICMG FR2607, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Abdel Aouacheria
- Molecular Biology of the Cell Laboratory (LBMC), Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, UMR 5239 CNRS - UCBL - ENS Lyon, 46 Allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France; Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), UMR 5554, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France.
| | - Jean-Luc Coll
- INSERM U1209, Institut Albert Bonniot, 38706 La Tronche, France; Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000 Grenoble, France.
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Guo Z, Li D, Peng H, Kang J, Jiang X, Xie X, Sun D, Jiang H. Specific hepatic stellate cell-penetrating peptide targeted delivery of a KLA peptide reduces collagen accumulation by inducing apoptosis. J Drug Target 2017; 25:715-723. [PMID: 28447897 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2017.1322598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Liver fibrosis is an aberrant wound-healing process to chronic hepatic inflammation and is characterized by excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) that is produced by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Thus, activated HSCs play a key role in the pathogenesis of liver fibrosis and are a potential target for the treatment of liver fibrosis. Herein, we report that a specific HSC-penetrating peptide reduced collagen accumulation by inducing the apoptosis of HSC-T6 cells. We first screened HSC-specific transduction peptides and identified a novel HSC-targeted cell-penetrating peptide (HTP) that specifically interacted with HSC-T6 cells. A chimeric peptide termed HTPK25 was consequently generated by coupling HTP with the antimicrobial peptide KLA, which is capable of initiating cell apoptosis in mammalian cells. HTPK25 entered cells in a dose-dependent manner, reduced the cell viability and induced apoptosis via the caspase 3 pathway in HSC-T6 cells. Furthermore, HTPK25 inhibited the α-smooth muscle actin and collagen I expression in HSC-T6 cells. Our results demonstrated that the HTP was able to specifically and efficiently deliver the KLA peptide into HSC-T6 cells to induce apoptosis, indicating that HTP-delivered functional agents may present a promising approach for liver fibrosis therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengrong Guo
- a Department of Gastroenterology , The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology , Shijiazhuang , Hebei , P.R. China
| | - Dong Li
- b The Liver Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Center of PLA, Bethune International Peace Hospital , Shijiazhuang , Hebei , P.R. China
| | - Huanyan Peng
- b The Liver Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Center of PLA, Bethune International Peace Hospital , Shijiazhuang , Hebei , P.R. China
| | - Jiwen Kang
- b The Liver Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Center of PLA, Bethune International Peace Hospital , Shijiazhuang , Hebei , P.R. China
| | - Xiaoyu Jiang
- a Department of Gastroenterology , The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology , Shijiazhuang , Hebei , P.R. China
| | - Xiaoli Xie
- a Department of Gastroenterology , The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology , Shijiazhuang , Hebei , P.R. China
| | - Dianxing Sun
- b The Liver Diseases Diagnosis and Treatment Center of PLA, Bethune International Peace Hospital , Shijiazhuang , Hebei , P.R. China
| | - Huiqing Jiang
- a Department of Gastroenterology , The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Hebei Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology, Hebei Institute of Gastroenterology , Shijiazhuang , Hebei , P.R. China
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Sonawane P, Choi YA, Pandya H, Herpai DM, Fokt I, Priebe W, Debinski W. Novel Molecular Multilevel Targeted Antitumor Agents. CANCER TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2017; 3:69-79. [PMID: 28825042 PMCID: PMC5558462 DOI: 10.4103/ctm.ctm_12_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A multifunctional fusion protein, IL-13.E13K-D2-NLS, effectively recognizes glioblastoma (GBM) cells and delivers its portion to the cell nucleus. IL-13.E13K-D2-NLS is composed of a cancer cell targeting ligand (IL-13.E13K), specialized cytosol translocation bacterial toxin domain 2 of Pseudomonas exotoxin A (D2) and SV40 T antigen nuclear localization signal (NLS). We have now tested whether we can produce proteins that would serve as a delivery vehicle to lysosomes and mitochondria as well. Moreover, we examined whether IL-13.E13K-D2-NLS can deliver anti-cancer drugs like doxorubicin to their nuclear site of action in cancer cells. We have thus constructed two novel proteins: IL-13.E13K-D2-LLS which incorporates lysosomal localization signal (LLS) of a human lysosomal associated membrane protein (LAMP-1) for targeting to lysosomes and IL-13-D2-KK2, which incorporates a pro-apoptotic peptide (KLAKLAK)2 (KK2) exerting its action in mitochondria. Furthermore, we have produced IL-13.E13K-D2-NLS and IL-13.E13K-D2-LLS versions containing a cysteine for site-specific conjugation with a modified doxorubicin, WP936. We found that single-chain recombinant proteins IL-13.E13K-D2-LLS and IL-13-D2-KK2 are internalized and localized mostly to the lysosomal and mitochondrial compartments, respectively, without major trafficking to cells' nuclei. We also determined that IL-13.E13K-D2-NLS-cys[WP936], IL-13.E13K-D2-LAMP-cys[WP936] and IL-13-D2-KK2 were cytotoxic to GBM cells overexpressing IL-13RA2, while much less cytotoxic to GBM cell lines expressing low levels of the receptor. IL-13.E13K-D2-NLS-cys[WP936] was the most potent of the tested anti-tumor agents including free WP936. We believe that our receptor-directed intracellular organelle-targeted proteins can be employed for numerous specific and safer treatment applications when drugs have specific intracellular sites of their action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonam Sonawane
- Department of Cancer Biology, Brain Tumor Center of Excellence,
Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Baptist Medical Center, Medical Center Boulevard,
Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Young A. Choi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Brain Tumor Center of Excellence,
Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Baptist Medical Center, Medical Center Boulevard,
Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - Hetal Pandya
- National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Denise M. Herpai
- Department of Cancer Biology, Brain Tumor Center of Excellence,
Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Baptist Medical Center, Medical Center Boulevard,
Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | | | | | - Waldemar Debinski
- Department of Cancer Biology, Brain Tumor Center of Excellence,
Comprehensive Cancer Center of Wake Baptist Medical Center, Medical Center Boulevard,
Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
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22
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Nemudraya AA, Makartsova AA, Fomin AS, Nushtaeva AA, Koval OA, Richter VA, Kuligina EV. Tumor-Specific Peptide, Selected from a Phage Peptide Library, Enhances Antitumor Activity of Lactaptin. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0160980. [PMID: 27513518 PMCID: PMC4981335 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0160980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A recombinant analogue of lactaptin (RL2), a new potential anticancer molecule, induces apoptosis in cultured tumor cells. The tumor suppression efficacy of RL2 was shown against mouse hepatoma-1 cells and MDA-MB-231 human breast adenocarcinoma cells. The RL2-based therapeutic drug lactaptin is distributed evenly throughout the organism, which reduces its antitumor efficacy. In the current study, we obtained a genetic construct that allows production of the recombinant fusion protein T3-RL2, consisting of RL2 and T3 peptide (YTYDPWLIFPAN), in E. coli cells. T3 peptide was selected from a phage peptide library as a result of two screenings: in vitro using MDA-MB-231 cell culture and in vivo using a mouse xenograft model of breast cancer MDA-MB-231. It was shown that the displayed peptide T3 provides binding and internalization of phage particles by MDA-MB-231 cells and their specific accumulation in MDA-MB-231 tumor tissue. In addition, based on the nucleotide sequences coding RL2 and the known tumor-targeting peptide iRGD, we obtained genetic constructs that provide synthesis of fusion proteins RL2-iRGD and RL-iRGD-His. We studied the cytotoxic activity of fusion proteins T3-RL2, RL2-iRGD and RL-iRGD-His in vitro using MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 human adenocarcinoma cells. The in vitro results showed that the fusion proteins inhibit proliferation of both cell cultures, and their cytotoxic activity is higher than that of RL2. In vivo experiments on the study of the antitumor efficacy of the obtained fusion proteins demonstrated that T3-RL2 protein significantly inhibits MDA-MB-231 tumor growth in a xenograft model compared with RL2, while the antitumor effect of RL2-iRGD and RL-iRGD-His proteins is comparable to the effect of RL2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna A. Nemudraya
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
- * E-mail:
| | - Anna A. Makartsova
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alexandr S. Fomin
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anna A. Nushtaeva
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Olga A. Koval
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
- Novosibirsk State University, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir A. Richter
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Elena V. Kuligina
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
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Li W, Li X, Huang T, Teng Q, Crnovcic I, Rader C, Shen B. Engineered production of cancer targeting peptide (CTP)-containing C-1027 in Streptomyces globisporus and biological evaluation. Bioorg Med Chem 2016; 24:3887-3892. [PMID: 27094150 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2016.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2016] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 04/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Conjugation of cancer targeting peptides (CTPs) with small molecular therapeutics has emerged as a promising strategy to deliver potent (but typically nonspecific) cytotoxic agents selectively to cancer cells. Here we report the engineered production of a CTP (NGR)-containing C-1027 and evaluation of its activity against selected cancer cell lines. C-1027 is an enediyne chromoprotein produced by Streptomyces globisporus, consisting of an apo-protein (CagA) and an enediyne chromophore (C-1027). NGR is a CTP that targets CD13 in tumor vasculature. S. globisporus SB1026, a recombinant strain engineered to encode CagA with the NGR sequence fused at its C-terminus, directly produces the NGR-containing C-1027 that is equally active as the native C-1027. Our results demonstrate the feasibility to produce CTP-containing enediyne chromoproteins by metabolic pathway engineering and microbial fermentation and will inspire efforts to engineer other CTP-containing drug binding proteins for targeted delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenli Li
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Xiuling Li
- Department of Cancer Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Tingting Huang
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Qihui Teng
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Ivana Crnovcic
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Christoph Rader
- Department of Cancer Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
| | - Ben Shen
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Department of Molecular Therapeutics, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA; Natural Products Library Initiative at The Scripps Research Institute, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.
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