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You J, Guo Y, Dong Z. Polypeptides-Based Nanocarriers in Tumor Therapy. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:1192. [PMID: 39339228 PMCID: PMC11435007 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16091192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2024] [Revised: 09/07/2024] [Accepted: 09/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a worldwide problem, and new treatment strategies are being actively developed. Peptides have the characteristics of good biocompatibility, strong targeting, functional diversity, modifiability, membrane permeable ability, and low immunogenicity, and they have been widely used to construct targeted drug delivery systems (DDSs). In addition, peptides, as endogenous substances, have a high affinity, which can not only regulate immune cells but also work synergistically with drugs to kill tumor cells, demonstrating significant potential for application. In this review, the latest progress of polypeptides-based nanocarriers in tumor therapy has been outlined, focusing on their applications in killing tumor cells and regulating immune cells. Additionally, peptides as carriers were found to primarily provide a transport function, which was also a subject of interest to us. At the end of the paper, the shortcomings in the construction of peptide nano-delivery system have been summarized, and possible solutions are proposed therein. The application of peptides provides a promising outlook for cancer treatment, and we hope this article can provide in-depth insights into possible future avenues of exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juhua You
- School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, No. 24, Heping Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin 150040, China
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yifei Guo
- School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, No. 24, Heping Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin 150040, China
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Zhengqi Dong
- School of Pharmacy, Heilongjiang University of Chinese Medicine, No. 24, Heping Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin 150040, China
- Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
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Lang X, Wang X, Han M, Guo Y, Dong Z. TPGS nanoparticles co-loaded with ABT-737 and R848 for breast cancer therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 177:117107. [PMID: 38996708 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117107] [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: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of new effective drugs to treat breast cancer remains a huge challenge. ABT-737 can inhibit Bcl-2 proteins to promote apoptosis. Resiquimod (R848) is a TLR7/8 agonist that is effective in modulating the immunosuppressive microenvironment. In this study, a codelivery system (TPGS/ABT+R848 NPs) based on D-α-tocopheryl poly (ethylene glycol) 1000 succinate as a potential drug delivery vector to codelivery ABT-737 and R848 was investigated. The size of TPGS/ABT+R848 NPs was 102.5 nm, the drug loading of ABT-737 and R848 was 30.6 % and 12.5 %, and the entrapment efficiency was 84.2 % and 23.7 %, respectively. The nanoparticles showed no significant change in particle size over 14 days. R848 and ABT-737 were released in co-loaded nanoparticles in sequential order. In vitro anti-tumor experiments, the IC50 value of TPGS/ABT+R848 NPs was 0.30 μg·mL-1, 34 times lower than that of free ABT-737. Animal experiments also verified that TPGS/ABT+R848 NPs could enhance the anti-tumor activity, and the tumor weight inhibition rate was 75.3 %. This study demonstrated that TPGS NPs loaded with ABT-737 and R848 have superior combination tumor therapeutic effects, and the co-loaded preparation is conducive to anti-tumor efficacy. The TPGS/ABT+R848 NPs could be a promising platform against breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Lang
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Xiangtao Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Meihua Han
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Yifei Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Natural Medicine) and Translational Medicine, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China.
| | - Zhengqi Dong
- State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicine, Ministry of Education, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of New Drug Discovery Based on Classic Chinese Medicine Prescription, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Innovative Drug Discovery of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Natural Medicine) and Translational Medicine, No. 151, Malianwa North Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100193, China.
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Wang Y, Wang L, Hu Y, Qin J, Yu B. Design and optimization of ε-poly-l-lysine with specific functions for diverse applications. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 262:129513. [PMID: 38262828 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129513] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
ε-Poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) is a natural homo-poly(amino acid) which can be produced by microorganisms. With the advantages in broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility, ε-PL has been widely used as a preservative in the food industry. Different molecular architectures endow ε-PL and ε-PL-based materials with versatile applications. However, the microbial synthesis of ε-PL is currently limited by low efficiencies in genetic engineering and molecular architecture modification. This review presents recent advances in ε-PL production and molecular architecture modification of microbial ε-PL, with a focus on the current challenges and solutions for the improvement of the productivity and diversity of ε-PL. In addition, we highlight recent examples where ε-PL has been applied to expand the versability of edible films and nanoparticles in various applications. Commercial production and the challenges and future research directions in ε-PL biosynthesis are also discussed. Currently, although the main use of ε-PL is as a food preservative, ε-PL and ε-PL-based polymers have shown excellent application potential in biomedical fields. With the development of synthetic biology, the design and synthesis of ε-PL with a customized molecular architecture are possible in the near future. ε-PL-based polymers with specific functions will be a new trend in biopolymer manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Limin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Yangfan Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jiayang Qin
- College of Pharmacy, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China.
| | - Bo Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological & Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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Moradbeygi F, Ghasemi Y, Farmani AR, Hemmati S. Glucarpidase (carboxypeptidase G2): Biotechnological production, clinical application as a methotrexate antidote, and placement in targeted cancer therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 166:115292. [PMID: 37579696 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115292] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Patients receiving high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) for malignancies are exposed to diverse complications, including nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, mucositis, myelotoxicity, neurological symptoms, and death. Glucarpidase is a recombinant carboxypeptidase G2 (CPG2) that converts MTX into nontoxic metabolites. In this study, the role of vector type, gene optimization, orientation, and host on the expression of CPG2 is investigated. The effectiveness of various therapeutic regimens containing glucarpidase is classified and perspectives on the dose adjustment based on precision medicine are provided. Conjugation with cell-penetrating peptides, human serum albumin, and polymers such as PEG and dextran for delivery, higher stability, and production of the biobetter variants of CPG2 is highlighted. Conjugation of CPG2 to F(ab՜)2 or scFv antibody fragments against tumor-specific antigens and the corresponding prodrugs for tumor-targeted drug delivery using the antibody-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (ADEPT) is communicated. Trials to reduce the off-target effects and the possibility of repeated ADEPT cycles by adding pro-domains sensitive to tumor-overexpressed proteases, antiCPG2 antibodies, CPG2 mutants with immune-system-unrecognizable epitopes, and protective polymers are reported. Intracellular cpg2 gene expression by gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) and the concerns regarding the safety and transfection efficacy of the GDEPT vectors are described. A novel bifunctional platform using engineered CAR-T cell micropharmacies, known as Synthetic Enzyme-Armed KillER (SEAKER) cells, expressing CPG2 to activate prodrugs at the tumor niche is introduced. Taken together, integrated data in this review and recruiting combinatorial strategies in novel drug delivery systems define the future directions of ADEPT, GDEPT, and SEAKER cell therapy and the placement of CPG2 therein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Moradbeygi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Younes Ghasemi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ahmad Reza Farmani
- Tissue Engineering Department, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Shiva Hemmati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Biotechnology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
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