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Fang Q, Lu X, Zhu Y, Lv X, Yu F, Ma X, Liu B, Zhang H. Development of a PCSK9-targeted nanoparticle vaccine to effectively decrease the hypercholesterolemia. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101614. [PMID: 38897173 PMCID: PMC11228807 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101614] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) binds to the low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) and mediates its internalization and degradation, resulting in an increase in LDL cholesterol levels. Recently, PCSK9 emerged as a therapeutic target for hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis. In this study, we develop a PCSK9 nanoparticle (NP) vaccine by covalently conjugating the catalytic domain (aa 153-aa 454, D374Y) of PCSK9 to self-assembled 24-mer ferritin NPs. We demonstrate that the PCSK9 NP vaccine effectively induces interfering antibodies against PCSK9 and reduces serum lipids levels in both a high-fat diet-induced hypercholesterolemia model and an adeno-associated virus-hPCSK9D374Y-induced hypercholesterolemia model. Additionally, the vaccine significantly reduces plaque lesion areas in the aorta and macrophages infiltration in an atherosclerosis mouse model. Furthermore, we discover that the vaccine's efficacy relied on T follicular help cells and LDLR. Overall, these findings suggest that the PCSK9 NP vaccine holds promise as an effective treatment for hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiannan Fang
- Guangdong Cardiovascular Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China; Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Xinyu Lu
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Yuanqiang Zhu
- Department of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University·Zhaoqing Hospital, Zhaoqing, Guangdong 510630, China
| | - Xi Lv
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Fei Yu
- Medical Research Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital (Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences), Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Xiancai Ma
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Guangzhou International Bio-Island, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510005, China
| | - Bingfeng Liu
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Institute of Human Virology, Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control of Ministry Education, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Antimicrobial Agent and Immunotechnology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, China.
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Ouyang Z, Ma M, Zhang Z, Wu H, Xue Y, Jian Y, Yin K, Yu S, Zhao C, Guo W, Gu X. Targeted Degradation of PCSK9 In Vivo by Autophagy-Tethering Compounds. J Med Chem 2024; 67:433-449. [PMID: 38112492 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type-9 (PCSK9), a secreted protein that is synthesized and spontaneously cleaved in the endoplasmic reticulum, has become a hot lipid-lowering target chased by pharmaceutical companies in recent years. Autophagosome-tethering compounds (ATTECs) represent a new strategy to degrade targeted biomolecules. Here, we designed and synthesized PCSK9·ATTECs that are capable of lowering PCSK9 levels via autophagy in vivo, providing the first report of the degradation of a secreted protein by ATTECs. OY3, one of the PCSK9·ATTECs synthesized, shows greater potency to reduce plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and improve atherosclerosis symptoms than treatment with the same dose of simvastatin. OY3 also significantly reduces the high expression of PCSK9 caused by simvastatin administration in atherosclerosis model mice and subsequently increases the level of low-density lipoprotein receptor, promoting simvastatin to clear plasma LDL-C and alleviate atherosclerosis symptoms. Thus, we developed a new candidate compound to treat atherosclerosis that could also promote statin therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhirong Ouyang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201301, China
| | - Muye Ma
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201301, China
| | - Ziwen Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201301, China
| | - Hongyu Wu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201301, China
| | - Yongxing Xue
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201301, China
| | - Yuting Jian
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201301, China
| | - Kai Yin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201301, China
| | - Shaokun Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201301, China
| | - Chunchang Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials and Feringa Nobel Prize Scientist Joint Research Center, Institute of Fine Chemicals, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Materiobiology and Dynamic Chemistry, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201301, China
| | - Xianfeng Gu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai 201301, China
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Ahamad S, Bhat SA. Recent Update on the Development of PCSK9 Inhibitors for Hypercholesterolemia Treatment. J Med Chem 2022; 65:15513-15539. [PMID: 36446632 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
The proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin-type 9 (PCSK9) binds to low-density lipoprotein receptors (LDLR), thereby trafficking them to lysosomes upon endocytosis and enhancing intracellular degradation to prevent their recycling. As a result, the levels of circulating LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) increase, which is a prominent risk factor for developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). Thus, PCSK9 has become a promising therapeutic target that offers a fertile testing ground for new drug modalities to regulate plasma LDL-C levels to prevent ASCVD. In this review, we have discussed the role of PCSK9 in lipid metabolism and briefly summarized the current clinical status of modalities targeting PCSK9. In particular, a detailed overview of peptide-based PCSK9 inhibitors is presented, which emphasizes their structural features and design, therapeutic effects on patients, and preclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) models, along with PCSK9 modulation mechanisms. As a promising alternative to monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for managing LDL-C, anti-PCSK9 peptides are emerging as a prospective next generation therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakir Ahamad
- Department of Chemistry, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
| | - Shahnawaz A Bhat
- Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh 202002, India
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Tombling BJ, Zhang Y, Huang YH, Craik DJ, Wang CK. The emerging landscape of peptide-based inhibitors of PCSK9. Atherosclerosis 2021; 330:52-60. [PMID: 34246818 DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2021.06.903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is a clinically validated target for treating cardiovascular disease (CVD) due to its involvement in cholesterol metabolism. Although approved monoclonal antibodies (alirocumab and evolocumab) that inhibit PCSK9 function are very effective in lowering cholesterol, their limitations, including high treatment costs, have so far prohibited widespread use. Accordingly, there is great interest in alternative drug modalities to antibodies. Like antibodies, peptides are valuable therapeutics due to their high target potency and specificity. Furthermore, being smaller than antibodies means they have access to more drug administration options, are less likely to induce adverse immunogenic responses, and are better suited to affordable production. This review surveys the current peptide-based landscape aimed towards PCSK9 inhibition, covering pre-clinical to patented drug candidates and comparing them to current cholesterol lowering therapeutics. Classes of peptides reported to be inhibitors include nature-inspired disulfide-rich peptides, combinatorially derived cyclic peptides, and peptidomimetics. Their functional activities have been validated in biophysical and cellular assays, and in some cases pre-clinical mouse models. Recent efforts report peptides with potent sub-nanomolar binding affinities to PCSK9, which highlights their potential to achieve antibody-like potency. Studies are beginning to address pharmacokinetic properties of PCSK9-targeting peptides in more detail. We conclude by highlighting opportunities to investigate their biological effects in pre-clinical models of cardiovascular disease. The anticipation concerning the PCSK9-targeting peptide landscape is accelerating and it seems likely that a peptide-based therapeutic for treating PCSK9-mediated hypercholesterolemia may be clinically available in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Tombling
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Yuhui Zhang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Yen-Hua Huang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - David J Craik
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia
| | - Conan K Wang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia.
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Adi D, Abuzhalihan J, Wang YH, Baituola G, Wu Y, Xie X, Fu ZY, Yang YN, Ma X, Li XM, Chen BD, Liu F, Ma YT. IDOL gene variant is associated with hyperlipidemia in Han population in Xinjiang, China. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14280. [PMID: 32868861 PMCID: PMC7459279 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71241-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperlipidemia is one of the main risk factors that contributed to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). In the present study, our objective was to explore whether some genetic variants of human IDOL gene were associated with hyperlipidemia among Han population in Xinjiang, China. We designed a case–control study. A total of 1,172 subjects (588 diagnosed hyperlipidemia cases and 584 healthy controls) of Chinese Han were recruited. We genotyped three SNPs (rs9370867, rs909562, and rs2072783) of IDOL gene in all subjects by using the improved multiplex ligation detection reaction (iMLDR) method. Our study demonstrated that the distribution of the genotypes, the dominant model (AA vs GG + GA), and the overdominant model (AA + GG vs GA) of the rs9370867 SNP had significant differences between the case group and controls (all P < 0.001). For rs909562 and rs2072783, the distribution of the genotypes, the recessive model (AA + GA vs GG) showed significant differences between the case subjects and controls (P = 0.002, P = 0.007 and P = 0.045, P = 0.02, respectively). After multivariate adjustment for several confounders, the rs9370867 SNP is still an independent risk factor for hyperlipidemia [odds ratio (OR) = 1.380, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.201–1.586, P < 0.001]. The rs9370867 of human IDOL gene was associated with hyperlipidemia in Han population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilare Adi
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Jialin Abuzhalihan
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying-Hong Wang
- Health Checkup Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Gulinaer Baituola
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Yun Wu
- Department of General Practice, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830011, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhen-Yan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Ning Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiang Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Mei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Bang-Dang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China.,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Fen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Clinical Medical Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Tong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China. .,Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease Research, Urumqi, 830054, People's Republic of China.
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Cariou B, Dijk W. EGF-A peptides: A promising strategy for PCSK9 inhibition. Atherosclerosis 2020; 292:204-206. [DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2019.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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