1
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Juretić D. Designed Multifunctional Peptides for Intracellular Targets. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11091196. [PMID: 36139975 PMCID: PMC9495127 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11091196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Nature’s way for bioactive peptides is to provide them with several related functions and the ability to cooperate in performing their job. Natural cell-penetrating peptides (CPP), such as penetratins, inspired the design of multifunctional constructs with CPP ability. This review focuses on known and novel peptides that can easily reach intracellular targets with little or no toxicity to mammalian cells. All peptide candidates were evaluated and ranked according to the predictions of low toxicity to mammalian cells and broad-spectrum activity. The final set of the 20 best peptide candidates contains the peptides optimized for cell-penetrating, antimicrobial, anticancer, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory activity. Their predicted features are intrinsic disorder and the ability to acquire an amphipathic structure upon contact with membranes or nucleic acids. In conclusion, the review argues for exploring wide-spectrum multifunctionality for novel nontoxic hybrids with cell-penetrating peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davor Juretić
- Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences, 21000 Split, Croatia;
- Faculty of Science, University of Split, 21000 Split, Croatia;
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2
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Ferreira A, Moreira S, Lapa R, Vale N. Permeability evaluation of gemcitabine-CPP6 conjugates in Caco-2 cells. ADMET AND DMPK 2022; 9:41-48. [PMID: 35310327 PMCID: PMC8923309 DOI: 10.5599/admet.882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most alarming diseases due to its high mortality and still increasing incidence rate. Currently available treatments for this condition present several shortcomings and new options are continuously being developed and evaluated, aiming at increasing the overall treatment efficiency and reducing associated adverse side effects. Gemcitabine has proven activity and is used in chemotherapy. However, its therapeutic efficiency is limited by its low bioavailability as a result of rapid enzymatic inactivation. Additionally, tumor cells often develop drug resistance after initial tumor regression related to transporter deficiency. We have previously developed three gemcitabine conjugates with cell-penetrating hexapeptides (CPP6) to facilitate intracellular delivery of this drug while also preventing enzymatic deamination. The bioactivity of these new prodrugs was evaluated in different cell lines and showed promising results. Here, we assessed the absorption and permeability across Caco-2 monolayers of these conjugates in comparison with gemcitabine and the respective isolated cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). CPP6-2 (KLPVMW) and respective Gem-CPP6-2 conjugate showed the highest permeability in Caco-2 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Ferreira
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.,LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sara Moreira
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.,Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rui Lapa
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Dr. Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Al. Prof. Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
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3
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Pereira M, Vale N. Two Possible Strategies for Drug Modification of Gemcitabine and Future Contributions to Personalized Medicine. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27010291. [PMID: 35011522 PMCID: PMC8746447 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27010291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Drug repurposing is an emerging strategy, which uses already approved drugs for new medical indications. One such drug is gemcitabine, an anticancer drug that only works at high doses since a portion is deactivated in the serum, which causes toxicity. In this review, two methods were discussed that could improve the anticancer effect of gemcitabine. The first is a chemical modification by conjugation with cell-penetrating peptides, namely penetratin, pVEC, and different kinds of CPP6, which mostly all showed an increased anticancer effect. The other method is combining gemcitabine with repurposed drugs, namely itraconazole, which also showed great cancer cell inhibition growth. Besides these two strategies, physiologically based pharmacokinetic models (PBPK models) are also the key for predicting drug distribution based on physiological data, which is very important for personalized medicine, so that the correct drug and dosage regimen can be administered according to each patient’s physiology. Taking all of this into consideration, it is believed that gemcitabine can be repurposed to have better anticancer effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Pereira
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Nuno Vale
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- Department of Community Medicine, Health Information and Decision (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-220-426-537
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4
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Rusiecka I, Gągało I, Kocić I. Cell-penetrating peptides improve pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anticancer drugs. Tissue Barriers 2022; 10:1965418. [PMID: 34402743 PMCID: PMC8794253 DOI: 10.1080/21688370.2021.1965418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This review concentrates on the research concerning conjugates of anticancer drugs with versatile cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). For a better insight into the relationship between the components of the constructs, it starts with the characteristic of the peptides and considers its following aspects: mechanisms of cellular internalization, interaction with cancer-modified membranes, selectivity against tumor tissue. Also, CPPs with anticancer activity have been distinguished and summarized with their mechanisms of action. With respect to the conjugates, the preclinical studies (in vitro, in vivo) indicated that they possess several merits in comparison to the parent drugs. They concerned not only better cellular internalization but also other improvements in pharmacokinetics (e.g. access to the brain tissue) and pharmacodynamics (e.g. overcoming drug resistance). The anticancer activity of the conjugates was usually superior to that of the unconjugated drug. Certain anticancer CPPs and conjugates entered clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Rusiecka
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Iwona Gągało
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Ivan Kocić
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
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5
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Ferreira A, Lapa R, Vale N. Permeability of Gemcitabine and PBPK Modeling to Assess Oral Administration. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2021; 43:2189-2198. [PMID: 34940127 PMCID: PMC8929097 DOI: 10.3390/cimb43030153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Gemcitabine is a nucleoside analog effective against several solid tumors. Standard treatment consists of an intravenous infusion over 30 min. This is an invasive, uncomfortable and often painful method, involving recurring visits to the hospital and costs associated with medical staff and equipment. Gemcitabine’s activity is significantly limited by numerous factors, including metabolic inactivation, rapid systemic clearance of gemcitabine and transporter deficiency-associated resistance. As such, there have been research efforts to improve gemcitabine-based therapy efficacy, as well as strategies to enhance its oral bioavailability. In this work, gemcitabine in vitro and clinical data were analyzed and in silico tools were used to study the pharmacokinetics of gemcitabine after oral administration following different regimens. Several physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models were developed using simulation software GastroPlus™, predicting the PK parameters and plasma concentration–time profiles. The integrative biomedical data analyses presented here are promising, with some regimens of oral administration reaching higher AUC in comparison to the traditional IV infusion, supporting this route of administration as a viable alternative to IV infusions. This study further contributes to personalized health care based on potential new formulations for oral administration of gemcitabine, as well nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Ferreira
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Rui Lapa
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Nuno Vale
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence:
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6
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Esfandiari Mazandaran K, Baharloui M, Houshdar Tehrani MH, Mirshokraee SA, Balalaie S. The Synthesis of Conjugated Peptides Containing Triazole and Quinolone-3-Carboxamide Moieties Designed as Anticancer Agents. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF BIOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 19:e2917. [PMID: 35350640 PMCID: PMC8926318 DOI: 10.30498/ijb.2021.257765.2917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Background Cancer is a major health concern in human populations worldwide, and due to its causes being multi-factorial, it is not easily curable. Many attempts have been made to tackle this disease in hopes of finding effective anticancer agents which are not harmful to healthy tissues. Peptides with several medicinal activities have been shown to be good candidates as anticancer agents to replace common classic anticancer drugs. Peptides in conjugation with either biologically active heterocyclic compounds or anticancer drugs may result in new molecules compiling the biological benefits of both individual compounds within a unit structure. Objective In this study some triazole-peptide conjugates as well as ciprofloxacin-peptide conjugates were designed, synthesized, and their anticancer activities evaluated. A normal skin cell line, NIH3, was also employed to determine the safety profiles of these conjugates. Materials and Methods Two peptides; YIGSR and LSGNK were synthesized by the solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) method using Wang resin. Cell viability was examined by employing the MTT assay. To determine the cytotoxicity of the triazole and ciprofloxacin conjugates, two human cancer cell lines were employed; HepG2 (human liver cancer cell line) and LNCaP (human prostatic carcinoma cell line). A human skin fibroblast cell line was also included for comparison. Results MTT results showed that all the compounds could inhibit the viability of cancerous cells in a concentration- dependent manner. Conclusions The results showed that these peptide conjugates are toxic against the aforementioned cancerous cells and thus may raise a hope for finding new anticancer agents made by such strategy in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Saeed Balalaie
- Peptide Chemistry Research Center, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, P. O. Box 15875-4416, Tehran, Iran
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7
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Regulation of tumor microenvironment for pancreatic cancer therapy. Biomaterials 2021; 270:120680. [PMID: 33588140 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) is one kind of the most lethal malignancies worldwide, owing to its insidious symptoms, early metastases, and negative responses to current therapies. With an increasing understanding of pathology, the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a significant role in ineffective treatment and poor prognosis of PC. Thus, a growing number of studies have focused on whether components of the TME could be effective targets for PC therapy. Biomaterials have been widely applied in cancer therapy, and numerous organic or inorganic biomaterials for TME regulation have been developed to inhibit the growth and metastasis of PC, as well as reverse therapeutic resistance. In this review, we discuss various biomaterials utilized to treat PC based on different components of the TME, including, but not limited to, extracellular matrix (ECM), abnormal tumor vascularization, and tumor-associated immune cells, as well as other unconventional therapeutic strategies. Besides, the perspectives on the underlying future of theranostic nanomedicines for PC therapy are also presented.
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8
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Hawryłkiewicz A, Ptaszyńska N. Gemcitabine Peptide-Based Conjugates and Their Application in Targeted Tumor Therapy. Molecules 2021; 26:E364. [PMID: 33445797 PMCID: PMC7828243 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26020364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A major obstacle in tumor treatment is associated with the poor penetration of a therapeutic agent into the tumor tissue and with their adverse influence on healthy cells, which limits the dose of drug that can be safely administered to cancer patients. Gemcitabine is an anticancer drug used to treat a wide range of solid tumors and is a first-line treatment for pancreatic cancer. The effect of gemcitabine is significantly weakened by its rapid plasma degradation. In addition, the systemic toxicity and drug resistance significantly reduce its chemotherapeutic efficacy. Up to now, many approaches have been made to improve the therapeutic index of gemcitabine. One of the recently developed approaches to improve conventional chemotherapy is based on the direct targeting of chemotherapeutics to cancer cells using the drug-peptide conjugates. In this work, we summarize recently published gemcitabine peptide-based conjugates and their efficacy in anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalia Ptaszyńska
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
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9
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Skwarecki AS, Nowak MG, Milewska MJ. Synthetic strategies in construction of organic low molecular-weight carrier-drug conjugates. Bioorg Chem 2020; 104:104311. [PMID: 33142423 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2020.104311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Inefficient transportation of polar metabolic inhibitors through cell membranes of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells precludes their direct use as drug candidates in chemotherapy. One of the possible solutions to this problem is application of the 'Trojan horse' strategy, i.e. conjugation of an active substance with a molecular carrier of organic or inorganic nature, facilitating membrane penetration. In this work, the synthetic strategies used in rational design and preparation of conjugates of bioactive agents with three types of organic low molecular-weight carriers have been reviewed. These include iron-chelating agents, siderophores and cell-penetrating peptides. Moreover, a less known but very promising "molecular umbrella" conjugation strategy has been presented. Special attention has been paid on appropriate linking strategies, especially these allowing intracellular drug release after internalisation of a conjugate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrzej S Skwarecki
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biochemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Gabriela Narutowicza Street, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Michał G Nowak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Gabriela Narutowicza Street, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Maria J Milewska
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12 Gabriela Narutowicza Street, 80-233 Gdańsk, Poland
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10
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Cell-penetrating peptides in oncologic pharmacotherapy: A review. Pharmacol Res 2020; 162:105231. [PMID: 33027717 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world and its treatment is extremely challenging, mainly due to its complexity. Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) are peptides that can transport into the cell a wide variety of biologically active conjugates (or cargoes), and are, therefore, promising in the treatment and in the diagnosis of several types of cancer. Some notable examples are TAT and Penetratin, capable of penetrating the central nervous system (CNS) and, therefore, acting in cancers of this system, such as Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). These above-mentioned peptides, conjugated with traditional chemotherapeutic such as Doxorubicin (DOX) and Paclitaxel (PTX), have also been shown to induce apoptosis of breast and liver cancer cells, as well as in lung cancer cells, respectively. In other cancers, such as esophageal cancer, the attachment of Magainin 2 (MG2) to Bombesin (MG2B), another CPP, led to pronounced anticancer effects. Other examples are CopA3, that selectively decreased the viability of gastric cancer cells, and the CPP p28. Furthermore, in preclinical tests, the anti-tumor efficacy of this peptide was evaluated on human breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and melanoma cells in vitro, leading to high expression of p53 and promoting cell cycle arrest. Despite the numerous in vitro and in vivo studies with promising results, and the increasing number of clinical trials using CPPs, few treatments reach the expected clinical efficacy. Usually, their clinical application is limited by its poor aqueous solubility, immunogenicity issues and dose-limiting toxicity. This review describes the most recent advances and innovations in the use of CPPs in several types of cancer, highlighting their crucial importance for various purposes, from therapeutic to diagnosis. Further clinical trials with these peptides are warranted to examine its effects on various types of cancer.
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11
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Exploring the action of RGDV-gemcitabine on tumor metastasis, tumor growth and possible action pathway. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15729. [PMID: 32978501 PMCID: PMC7519057 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72824-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The coupling of Arg-Gly-Asp-Val (RGDV) and gemcitabine led to a hypothesis that the conjugate (RGDV-gemcitabine) could inhibit tumor metastasis. To confirm this hypothesis the activities of RGDV-gemcitabine inhibiting tumor metastasis in vitro and in vivo were presented for the first time. AFM (atomic force microscopy) imaged that RGDV-gemcitabine was able to adhere onto the surface of serum-starved A549 cells, to block the extending of the pseudopodia. Thereby RGDV-gemcitabine was able to inhibit the invasion, migration and adhesion of serum-starved A549 cells in vitro. On C57BL/6 mouse model RGDV-gemcitabine dose dependently inhibited the metastasis of planted tumor towards the lung and the minimal dose was 0.084 µmol/kg/3 days. The decrease of serum TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor), IL-8 (interleukin-8), MMP-2 (matrix metalloprotein-2) and MMP-9 (matrix metalloprotein-9) of the treated C57BL/6 mice was correlated with the action pathway of RGDV-gemcitabine inhibiting the metastasis of the planted tumor towards lung.
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12
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Vale N, Alves C, Sharma V, Lázaro DF, Silva S, Gomes P, Outeiro TF. A new MAP-Rasagiline conjugate reduces α-synuclein inclusion formation in a cell model. Pharmacol Rep 2020; 72:456-464. [PMID: 32048262 DOI: 10.1007/s43440-019-00032-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease of the elderly. Current therapies are only symptomatic, and have no disease-modifying effect. Therefore, disease progresses continuously over time, presenting with both motor and non-motor features. The precise molecular basis for PD is still elusive, but the aggregation of the protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn) is a key pathological hallmark of the disease and is, therefore, a major focus of current research. Considering the intrinsic properties of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) for mediating drug delivery of neurotherapeutics across the blood brain barrier (BBB), these might open novel opportunities for the development of new solutions for the treatment of brain-related aspects of PD and other neurodegenerative disorders. METHODS Here, we synthesized solid-phase CPPs using an amphipathic model peptide (MAP) conjugated with the drug Rasagiline (RAS), which we named RAS-MAP, and evaluated its effect on α-syn inclusion formation in a human cell-based model of synucleinopathy. RESULTS We found that treatment with RAS-MAP at low concentrations (1-3 µM) reduced α-syn aggregation in cells. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, we report that conjugation of a current drug used in the therapy of PD with CPP reduces α-syn aggregation, which might prove beneficial in PD and other synucleinopathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Vale
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal. .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal. .,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal. .,Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Cláudia Alves
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, LAQV/REQUIMTE, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Vaishali Sharma
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Diana F Lázaro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sara Silva
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Gomes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Sciences, LAQV/REQUIMTE, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 687, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Tiago Fleming Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience, The Medical School, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
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13
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Correia C, Xavier CPR, Duarte D, Ferreira A, Moreira S, Vasconcelos MH, Vale N. Development of potent CPP6-gemcitabine conjugates against human prostate cancer cell line (PC-3). RSC Med Chem 2020; 11:268-273. [PMID: 33479633 DOI: 10.1039/c9md00489k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Gemcitabine (dFdC) is a nucleoside analogue used in the treatment of various cancers, being a standard treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer. The effect of gemcitabine is severely compromised due to its rapid plasma degradation, systemic toxicity and drug resistance, which restricts its therapeutic efficacy. Our main goal was to develop new active conjugates of dFdC with novel cell-penetrating hexapeptides (CPP6) to facilitate intracellular delivery of this drug. All new peptides were prepared by solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), purified and characterized by HPLC and LC-MS. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) contain a considerably high ratio of positively charged amino acids, imparting them with cationic character. Tumor cells are characterized by an increased anionic nature of their membrane surface, a property that could be used by CPP to target these cells. The BxPC-3, MCF-7 and PC-3 cancer cell lines were used to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of conjugates and the results showed that conjugating dFdC with CPP6 significantly enhanced cell growth inhibitory activity on PC-3 cells, with IC50 between 14 and 15 nM. These new conjugates have potential to become new therapeutic tools for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiana Correia
- Laboratory of Pharmacology , Department of Drug Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal . .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal
| | - Cristina P R Xavier
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal
| | - Diana Duarte
- Laboratory of Pharmacology , Department of Drug Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal . .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal
| | - Abigail Ferreira
- Laboratory of Pharmacology , Department of Drug Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal . .,LAQV/REQUIMTE , Department of Chemical Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal
| | - Sara Moreira
- Laboratory of Pharmacology , Department of Drug Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal . .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal
| | - M Helena Vasconcelos
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Laboratory of Microbiology , Department of Biological Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- Laboratory of Pharmacology , Department of Drug Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal . .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology , Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICBAS) , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal
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14
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Li X, Wu Z, Xu L, Chi CL, Chen BQ. Design, synthesis, and antitumor evaluation of novel naphthalimide derivatives. Med Chem Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00044-019-02471-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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15
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Ferreira A, Lapa R, Vale N. Combination of Gemcitabine with Cell-Penetrating Peptides: A Pharmacokinetic Approach Using In Silico Tools. Biomolecules 2019; 9:biom9110693. [PMID: 31690028 PMCID: PMC6921036 DOI: 10.3390/biom9110693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gemcitabine is an anticancer drug used to treat a wide range of solid tumors and is a first line treatment for pancreatic cancer. Our group has previously developed novel conjugates of gemcitabine with cell-penetrating peptides (CPP), and here we report some preliminary data regarding the pharmacokinetics of gemcitabine, two gemcitabine-CPP conjugates and respective CPP gathered from GastroPlus™, and analyze these results considering our previous evaluation of gemcitabine release and conjugates’ bioactivity. Additionally, seeking to shed some light on the relation between the penetration ability of CPP and their physicochemical properties, chemical descriptors for the 20 natural amino acids were calculated, a new principal property scale (z-scale) was created and CPP prediction models were developed, establishing quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR). The z-scores of the peptides conjugated with gemcitabine are presented and analyzed with the aforementioned data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Ferreira
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Rui Lapa
- LAQV/REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Nuno Vale
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
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16
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Liu W, Mao Y, Zhang X, Wang Y, Wu J, Zhao S, Peng S, Zhao M. RGDV-modified gemcitabine: a nano-medicine capable of prolonging half-life, overcoming resistance and eliminating bone marrow toxicity of gemcitabine. Int J Nanomedicine 2019; 14:7263-7279. [PMID: 31686807 PMCID: PMC6737205 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s212978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gemcitabine has been widely used as a chemotherapeutic drug. However, drug resistance, short half-life and side effects seriously decrease its chemotherapeutic efficacy. PURPOSE The object of preparing RGDV-gemcitabine was to prolong the half-life, to overcome drug resistance and to eliminate bone marrow toxicity of gemcitabine. METHODS Arg-Gly-Asp-Val was coupled with gemcitabine, forming 4-(Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-amino)-1-[3,3-difluoro-4-hydroxy-5-(hydroxylmethyl)oxo-lan-2-yl]pyrimidin-2-one (RGDV-gemcitabine) involving 9-step reactions. The advantages of RGDV-gemcitabine to gemcitabine were demonstrated by a series of assays, such as in vitro half-life assay, in vitro drug resistance assay, in vivo anti-tumor assay, in vivo kidney toxicity assay, in vivo liver toxicity assay and in vivo marrow toxicity assay. The nano-features of RGDV-gemcitabine were visualized by TEM, SEM and AFM images. The tumor-targeting action and release of RGDV-gemcitabine were evidenced by FT-MS spectra. RESULTS Half-life and anti-tumor activity of RGDV-gemcitabine were 17-fold longer and 10-fold higher than that of gemcitabine, respectively. RGDV-gemcitabine, but not gemcitabine, showed no kidney toxicity, no liver toxicity, no marrow toxicity and no drug resistance. The advantages attributed to the nanofeatures of RGDV-gemcitabine were targeting tumor tissue and releasing gemcitabine in tumor tissue. CONCLUSION RGDV-gemcitabine successively overcame the defects of gemcitabine and provided a practical strategy of nano-medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenchao Liu
- Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Peptide and Small Molecular Drugs, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Endogenous Prophylactic of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yujia Mao
- Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Peptide and Small Molecular Drugs, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Endogenous Prophylactic of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyi Zhang
- Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Peptide and Small Molecular Drugs, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Endogenous Prophylactic of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yaonan Wang
- Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Peptide and Small Molecular Drugs, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Endogenous Prophylactic of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jianhui Wu
- Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Peptide and Small Molecular Drugs, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Endogenous Prophylactic of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shurui Zhao
- Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Peptide and Small Molecular Drugs, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Endogenous Prophylactic of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shiqi Peng
- Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Peptide and Small Molecular Drugs, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Endogenous Prophylactic of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ming Zhao
- Beijing Area Major Laboratory of Peptide and Small Molecular Drugs, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
- Engineering Research Center of Endogenous Prophylactic of Ministry of Education of China, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing100069, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Biomaterials, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials of Natural Macromolecules, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing100026, People’s Republic of China
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17
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Synthesis of PEGylated methotrexate conjugated with a novel CPP6, in sillico structural insights and activity in MCF-7 cells. J Mol Struct 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2019.04.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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18
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Liu XJ, Liu HY, Wang HX, Shi YP, Tang R, Zhang S, Chen BQ. Synthesis and antitumor evaluation of novel fused heterocyclic 1,2,4-triazolo[3,4-b]-1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives. Med Chem Res 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00044-019-02409-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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19
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Duarte D, Fraga AG, Pedrosa J, Martel F, Vale N. Increasing the potential of cell-penetrating peptides for cancer therapy using a new pentagonal scaffold. Eur J Pharmacol 2019; 860:172554. [PMID: 31326378 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2019.172554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Cancer treatment is one of the major fields of interest for the scientific community. Investment in cancer research is costly but essential to provide patients with more effective and safe treatments. In this project, we describe the synthesis and characterization of new thiazole derivatives coupled to CPP2, a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) reported for colon cancer cells. Using a human adenocarcinoma-derived cell line (Caco-2), these new CPPs were evaluated for antiproliferative (3H-thymidine incorporation) and cytotoxic effect (extracellular lactate dehydrogenase activity). One of these derivatives, the BTZCA thiazole compound and its peptide-conjugated (BTZCA-CPP2) also showed the ability to decrease tumour cell viability and proliferation, with potential cytotoxic effect against human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. Then, cytotoxicity studies were developed against J774, L929 and THP1 cell lines and this new family showed no significant cytotoxicity, when compared to their counterparts alone (BTZCA and CPP2). The use of smaller CPP conjugated with this family of derivatives can be also considered in future for the development of new drugs to cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Duarte
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal; Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, 4200-i35, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alexandra G Fraga
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Jorge Pedrosa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Fátima Martel
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal; Unit of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine of University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal; Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, 4200-i35, Porto, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal; Department of Molecular Pahology and Immunology, Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313, Porto, Portugal.
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Wang HX, Liu HY, Li W, Zhang S, Wu Z, Li X, Li CW, Liu YM, Chen BQ. Design, synthesis, antiproliferative and antibacterial evaluation of quinazolinone derivatives. Med Chem Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00044-018-2276-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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21
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Vale N, Ferreira A, Matos J, Fresco P, Gouveia MJ. Amino Acids in the Development of Prodrugs. Molecules 2018; 23:E2318. [PMID: 30208629 PMCID: PMC6225300 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Although drugs currently used for the various types of diseases (e.g., antiparasitic, antiviral, antibacterial, etc.) are effective, they present several undesirable pharmacological and pharmaceutical properties. Most of the drugs have low bioavailability, lack of sensitivity, and do not target only the damaged cells, thus also affecting normal cells. Moreover, there is the risk of developing resistance against drugs upon chronic treatment. Consequently, their potential clinical applications might be limited and therefore, it is mandatory to find strategies that improve those properties of therapeutic agents. The development of prodrugs using amino acids as moieties has resulted in improvements in several properties, namely increased bioavailability, decreased toxicity of the parent drug, accurate delivery to target tissues or organs, and prevention of fast metabolism. Herein, we provide an overview of models currently in use of prodrug design with amino acids. Furthermore, we review the challenges related to the permeability of poorly absorbed drugs and transport and deliver on target organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Vale
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP), Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho, 45, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Abigail Ferreira
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
- LAQV&REQUIMTE, Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, Department of Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Joana Matos
- SpiroChem AG, Rosental Area, WRO-1074-3, Mattenstrasse 24, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Paula Fresco
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
| | - Maria João Gouveia
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal.
- Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
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22
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Ma L, Chen Y, Wang X, Xiong M, Sun Y, Zhang X, Zhao Y. Design, characterization, and in vitro antiproliferative efficacy of gemcitabine conjugates based on carboxymethyl glucan. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:2920-2924. [PMID: 30017318 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Gemcitabine (GEM) is widely used in clinical practice in the treatment of cancer and several other solid tumors. Nevertheless, the antitumor effect of GEM is partially prevented by some limitations including short half life, and lack of tumor localizing. Carboxymethyl glucan (CMG), a carboxymethylated derivative of β-(1-3)-glucan, shows biocompatibility and biodegradability as well as a potential anticarcinogenic effect. To enhance the antiproliferative activity of GEM, four water soluble conjugates of GEM bound to CMG via diverse amino acid linkers were designed and synthesized. 1H NMR, FT IR, elementary analysis and RP-HPLC chromatography were employed to verify the correct achievement of the conjugates. In vitro release study indicated that conjugates presented slower release in physiological buffer (pH 7.4) than acidic buffer (pH 5.5) mimicking the acidic tumor microenvironment. Moreover, A549, HeLa and Caco-2 cancer cell lines were used to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of conjugates and the results showed that binding GEM to CMG significantly enhanced antiproliferative activity of GEM on A549 cells. Therefore, these conjugates may be potentially useful as a delivery vehicle in cancer therapy and worthy of further study on structure-activity relationship and antiproliferative activity in vitro and in vivo, especially for lung tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Ma
- Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yuancai Chen
- Zhuhai Tianxiangyuan Biotechnology and Development Co., Ltd., Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Xude Wang
- Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Mingzhou Xiong
- Zhuhai Tianxiangyuan Biotechnology and Development Co., Ltd., Zhuhai 519000, China
| | - Yuanyuan Sun
- Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xiaoshu Zhang
- Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Structure-based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
| | - Yuqing Zhao
- Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Structure-based Drug Design and Discovery, Ministry of Education, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China.
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Liu HY, Wang HX, Li X, Wu Z, Li CW, Liu YM, Li W, Chen BQ. Synthesis, antitumor and antimicrobial evaluation of novel 1,3,4-thiadiazole derivatives bearing disulfide bond. Med Chem Res 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00044-018-2204-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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24
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Lyu L, Huang LQ, Huang T, Xiang W, Yuan JD, Zhang CH. Cell-penetrating peptide conjugates of gambogic acid enhance the antitumor effect on human bladder cancer EJ cells through ROS-mediated apoptosis. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2018; 12:743-756. [PMID: 29670331 PMCID: PMC5896666 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s161821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Background Gambogic acid (GA) is the main active ingredient of resin gamboges and possesses anti-cancer activity toward various human cancer cells. However, clinical application of GA has been limited by its poor aqueous solubility and dose-limiting toxicities. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are widely used to deliver anti-cancer drugs into cancer cells and to enhance the water solubility of drugs. Purpose The object of this study was to synthesize peptide-drug conjugates in which the cell-penetrating peptide TAT (trans-activator of transcription) was conjugated to GA and evaluated the anti-cancer activity of this GA-CPP conjugate (GA-TAT) in EJ bladder cancer cells. Methods GA is built onto the TAT, and the GA-TAT conjugates are cleaved from the solid support and purified via HPLC. The equilibrium solubility of GA-TAT was measured using the shake-flask method. The effects of GA-TAT on EJ cell viability and proliferation were determined by MTT assay, Edu assay and colony formation assay, respectively. After treated with 1.0 μM GA-TAT for 24 h, the apoptosis rate of EJ cells were detected by Acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) assay and flow cytometry assay. The proteins of caspase-3 (processing), caspase-9 (processing), Bcl-2 and Bax were analyzed by Western blotting, and the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production was evaluated by a reactive oxygen species assay. Results In contrast to free GA, the solubility of GA-TAT in water was significantly improved. Meanwhile, GA-TAT significantly increased EJ cellular uptake, toxicity and apoptosis. Mechanistic analysis revealed that GA-TAT enhanced the anti-cancer effect of GA against EJ cells through ROS-mediated apoptosis. The results were demonstrated that GA-TAT increased the ROS level in EJ cells, and N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC; a well-known ROS scavenger) inhibited GA-TAT-induced ROS generation and apoptosis. Additionally, GA-TAT activated caspase-3 and caspase-9 and down-regulated the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, but these effects were largely rescued by NAC. Conclusion GA-TAT has outstanding potential for promoting tumor apoptosis and exhibits promise for use in bladder cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Lyu
- Department of Urology, Wuhan No 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu-Qi Huang
- Department of Neurology, Wuhan No 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Huang
- Department of Urology, Wuhan No 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Xiang
- Department of Urology, Wuhan No 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing-Dong Yuan
- Department of Urology, Wuhan No 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuan-Hua Zhang
- Department of Urology, Wuhan No 1 Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
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Gonzalez C, Sanchez A, Collins J, Lisova K, Lee JT, Michael van Dam R, Alejandro Barbieri M, Ramachandran C, Wnuk SF. The 4-N-acyl and 4-N-alkyl gemcitabine analogues with silicon-fluoride-acceptor: Application to 18F-Radiolabeling. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 148:314-324. [PMID: 29471120 PMCID: PMC5841594 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The coupling of gemcitabine with functionalized carboxylic acids using peptide coupling conditions afforded 4-N-alkanoyl analogues with a terminal alkyne or azido moiety. Reaction of 4-N-tosylgemcitabine with azidoalkyl amine provided 4-N-alkyl gemcitabine with a terminal azido group. Click reaction with silane building blocks afforded 4-N-alkanoyl or 4-N-alkyl gemcitabine analogues suitable for fluorination. RP-HPLC analysis indicated better chemical stability of 4-N-alkyl gemcitabine analogues versus 4-N-alkanoyl analogues in acidic aqueous conditions. The 4-N-alkanoyl gemcitabine analogues showed potent cytostatic activity against L1210 cell line, but cytotoxicity of the 4-N-alkylgemcitabine analogues was low. However, 4-N-alkanoyl and 4-N-alkyl analogues had comparable antiproliferative activities in the HEK293 cells. The 4-N-alkyl analogue with a terminal azide group was shown to be localized inside HEK293 cells by fluorescence microscopy after labelling with Fluor 488-alkyne. The [18F]4-N-alkyl or alkanoyl silane gemcitabine analogues were successfully synthesized using microscale and conventional silane-labeling radiochemical protocols. Preliminary positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging in mice showed the biodistribution of [18F]4-N-alkyl to have initial concentration in the liver, kidneys and GI tract followed by increasing signal in the bone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, United States
| | - Andersson Sanchez
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, United States
| | - Jeffrey Collins
- Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - Ksenia Lisova
- Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States; Physics & Biology in Medicine Interdepartmental Graduate Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - Jason T Lee
- Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - R Michael van Dam
- Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States; Physics & Biology in Medicine Interdepartmental Graduate Program, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - M Alejandro Barbieri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, United States
| | | | - Stanislaw F Wnuk
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, United States.
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A novel synthetic peptide inspired on Lys49 phospholipase A 2 from Crotalus oreganus abyssus snake venom active against multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 149:248-256. [PMID: 29501945 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.02.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2017] [Revised: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Currently, the evolving and complex mechanisms of bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics are increasing, while alternative medicines are drying up, which urges the need to discover novel agents able to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Lys49 phospholipase A2s (PLA2s) from snake venoms are multifunctional toxins able to induce a huge variety of therapeutic effects and consequently serve as templates for new drug leads. Hence, the present study was aimed at the synthesis of oligopeptides mimicking regions of the antibacterial Lys49 PLA2 toxin (CoaTx-II), recently isolated from Crotalus oreganus abyssus snake venom, to identify small peptides able to reproduce the therapeutic action of the toxin. Five peptides, representing major regions of interest within CoaTx-II, were synthesized and screened for their antibacterial properties. The 13-mer peptide pC-CoaTxII, corresponding to residues 115-129 of CoaTx-II, was able to reproduce the promising bactericidal effect of the toxin against multi-resistant clinical isolates. Peptide pC-CoaTxII is mainly composed by positively charged and hydrophobic amino acids, a typical trait in most antimicrobial peptides, and presented no defined secondary structure in aqueous environment. The physicochemical properties of pC-CoaTxII are favorable towards a strong interaction with anionic lipid membranes as those in bacteria. Additional in silico studies suggest formation of a water channel across the membrane upon peptide insertion, eventually leading to bacterial cell disruption and death. Overall, our findings confirm the valuable potential of snake venom toxins towards design and synthesis of novel antimicrobials, thus representing key insights towards development of alternative efficient antimicrobials to fight bacterial resistance to current antibiotics.
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Vogus DR, Evans MA, Pusuluri A, Barajas A, Zhang M, Krishnan V, Nowak M, Menegatti S, Helgeson ME, Squires TM, Mitragotri S. A hyaluronic acid conjugate engineered to synergistically and sequentially deliver gemcitabine and doxorubicin to treat triple negative breast cancer. J Control Release 2017; 267:191-202. [PMID: 28823957 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Combination chemotherapy is commonly used to treat advanced breast cancer. However, treatment success is often limited due to systemic toxicity. To improve therapeutic efficacy, polymer drug conjugates carrying synergistic pairs of chemotherapy drugs can be used to reduce drug administration dose. Here, we systematically evaluated the effect of temporal scheduling of doxorubicin (DOX) and gemcitabine (GEM) on drug synergy. Hyaluronic acid (HA) drug conjugates with distinct linkers conjugating both DOX and GEM were synthesized to control relative release kinetics of each drug. We show that polymer conjugates that release GEM faster than DOX are more effective at killing triple negative breast cancer cells in vitro. We further show that the optimal dual drug conjugate more effectively inhibits the growth of an aggressive, orthotopic 4T1 tumor model in vivo than free DOX and GEM and the single drug HA conjugates. The dual drug HA conjugate can inhibit 4T1 tumor growth in vivo during treatment through both intravenous and non-local subcutaneous injections. These results emphasize the importance of understanding the effect release rates have on the efficacy of synergistic drug carriers and motivate the use of HA as a delivery platform for multiple cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas R Vogus
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Michael A Evans
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Anusha Pusuluri
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Alexandra Barajas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Mengwen Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Vinu Krishnan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Maksymilian Nowak
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Stefano Menegatti
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Matthew E Helgeson
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Todd M Squires
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States
| | - Samir Mitragotri
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States; Center for Bioengineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, United States.
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Campos-Parra AD, Mitznahuatl GC, Pedroza-Torres A, Romo RV, Reyes FIP, López-Urrutia E, Pérez-Plasencia C. Micro-RNAs as Potential Predictors of Response to Breast Cancer Systemic Therapy: Future Clinical Implications. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E1182. [PMID: 28574440 PMCID: PMC5486005 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18061182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in diagnosis and new treatments such as targeted therapies, breast cancer (BC) is still the most prevalent tumor in women worldwide and the leading cause of death. The principal obstacle for successful BC treatment is the acquired or de novo resistance of the tumors to the systemic therapy (chemotherapy, endocrine, and targeted therapies) that patients receive. In the era of personalized treatment, several studies have focused on the search for biomarkers capable of predicting the response to this therapy; microRNAs (miRNAs) stand out among these markers due to their broad spectrum or potential clinical applications. miRNAs are conserved small non-coding RNAs that act as negative regulators of gene expression playing an important role in several cellular processes, such as cell proliferation, autophagy, genomic stability, and apoptosis. We reviewed recent data that describe the role of miRNAs as potential predictors of response to systemic treatments in BC. Furthermore, upon analyzing the collected published information, we noticed that the overexpression of miR-155, miR-222, miR-125b, and miR-21 predicts the resistance to the most common systemic treatments; nonetheless, the function of these particular miRNAs must be carefully studied and further analyses are still necessary to increase knowledge about their role and future potential clinical uses in BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alma D Campos-Parra
- Laboratorio de Genomica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Av. San Fernando 22, Col. Sección XVI, C.P. 14080 Tlalpan, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Gerardo Cuamani Mitznahuatl
- Laboratorio de Genomica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Av. San Fernando 22, Col. Sección XVI, C.P. 14080 Tlalpan, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Abraham Pedroza-Torres
- Laboratorio de Genomica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Av. San Fernando 22, Col. Sección XVI, C.P. 14080 Tlalpan, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
- CATEDRA-CONACyT, Av. De los Insurgente Sur 1582, Col. Crédito Constructor., C.P. 03940 Benito Juárez, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Rafael Vázquez Romo
- Departamento de Cirugia de Tumores mamarios, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Av. San Fernando 22, Col. Sección XVI, C.P. 14080 Tlalpan, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Fany Iris Porras Reyes
- Servicio de Anatomia Patologica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología (INCan), Av. San Fernando 22, Col. Sección XVI, C.P. 14080 Tlalpan, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
| | - Eduardo López-Urrutia
- Unidad de Biomedicina, FES-IZTACALA, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), Av. De Los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Ixtacala, Hab Los Reyes Ixtacala Barrio de los Árboles/Barrio de los Héroes, C.P. 54090 Tlalnepantla, México, Mexico.
| | - Carlos Pérez-Plasencia
- Unidad de Biomedicina, FES-IZTACALA, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (UNAM), Av. De Los Barrios 1, Los Reyes Ixtacala, Hab Los Reyes Ixtacala Barrio de los Árboles/Barrio de los Héroes, C.P. 54090 Tlalnepantla, México, Mexico.
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