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Shrestha P, Ghanwatkar Y, Mahto S, Pramanik N, Mahato RI. Gemcitabine-Lipid Conjugate and ONC201 Combination Therapy Effectively Treats Orthotopic Pancreatic Tumor-Bearing Mice. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:29686-29698. [PMID: 38813771 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c02626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Gemcitabine (GEM) is a nucleoside analogue approved as a first line of therapy for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, rapid metabolism by plasma cytidine deaminase leading to the short half-life, intricate intracellular metabolism, ineffective cell uptake, and swift development of chemoresistance downgrades the clinical efficacy of GEM. ONC201 is a small molecule that inhibits the Akt and ERK pathways and upregulates the TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), which leads to the reversal of both intrinsic and acquired GEM resistance in PDAC treatment. Moreover, the pancreatic cancer cells that were able to bypass apoptosis after treatment of ONC201 get arrested in the G1-phase, which makes them highly sensitive to GEM. To enhance the in vivo stability of GEM, we first synthesized a disulfide bond containing stearate conjugated GEM (lipid-GEM), which makes it sensitive to the redox tumor microenvironment (TME) comprising high glutathione levels. In addition, with the help of colipids 1,2-dioleoyl-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), cholesterol, and 1,2-distearoyl-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-poly(ethylene glycol)-2000 (DSPE-PEG 2000), we were able to synthesize the lipid-GEM conjugate and ONC201 releasing liposomes. A cumulative drug release study confirmed that both ONC201 and GEM showed sustained release from the formulation. Since MUC1 is highly expressed in 70-90% PDAC, we conjugated a MUC1 binding peptide in the liposomes which showed higher cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and cellular internalization by MIA PaCa-2 cells. A biodistribution study further confirmed that the systemic delivery of the liposomes through the tail vein resulted in a higher accumulation of drugs in orthotopic PDAC tumors in NSG mice. The IHC of the excised tumor grafts further confirmed the higher apoptosis and lower metastasis and cell proliferation. Thus, our MUC1 targeting binary drug-releasing liposomal formulation showed higher drug payload, enhanced plasma stability, and accumulation of drugs in the pancreatic orthotopic tumor and thus is a promising therapeutic alternative for the treatment of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Shrestha
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Yashwardhan Ghanwatkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Sohan Mahto
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Nilkamal Pramanik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Ram I Mahato
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, United States
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Kumar V, Mahato RI. Drug delivery and targeting to chemoresistant pancreatic cancer. Cancer Lett 2024; 585:216648. [PMID: 38311056 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Virender Kumar
- College of Pharmacy, University of Toledo Medical Center, Toledo, OH 43614, USA.
| | - Ram I Mahato
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE 68198, USA.
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Hu C, Huang C, Hsu M, Chien H, Wu P, Chen Y, Jeng Y, Tang S, Chung M, Shen C, Chang M, Chang Y, Tien Y, Lee W. Oncogenic KRAS, Mucin 4, and Activin A-Mediated Fibroblast Activation Cooperate for PanIN Initiation. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2301240. [PMID: 37964407 PMCID: PMC10754145 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202301240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
Over 90% of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have oncogenic KRAS mutations. Nevertheless, mutated KRAS alone is insufficient to initiate pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN), the precursor of PDAC. The identities of the other factors/events required to drive PanIN formation remain elusive. Here, optic-clear 3D histology is used to analyze entire pancreases of 2-week-old Pdx1-Cre; LSL-KrasG12D/+ (KC) mice to detect the earliest emergence of PanIN and observed that the occurrence is independent of physical location. Instead, it is found that the earliest PanINs overexpress Muc4 and associate with αSMA+ fibroblasts in both transgenic mice and human specimens. Mechanistically, KrasG12D/+ pancreatic cells upregulate Muc4 through genetic alterations to increase proliferation and fibroblast recruitments via Activin A secretion and consequently enhance cell transformation for PanIN formation. Inhibition of Activin A signaling using Follistatin (FST) diminishes early PanIN-associated fibroblast recruitment, effectively curtailing PanIN initiation and growth in KC mice. These findings emphasize the vital role of interactions between oncogenic KrasG12D/+ -driven genetic alterations and induced microenvironmental changes in PanIN initiation, suggesting potential avenues for early PDAC diagnostic and management approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun‐Mei Hu
- Genomics Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipei11529Taiwan
| | - Chien‐Chang Huang
- Genomics Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipei11529Taiwan
- Biomedical Translation Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipei11529Taiwan
| | - Min‐Fen Hsu
- Genomics Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipei11529Taiwan
| | - Hung‐Jen Chien
- Genomics Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipei11529Taiwan
| | - Pei‐Jung Wu
- Genomics Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipei11529Taiwan
| | - Yi‐Ing Chen
- Genomics Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipei11529Taiwan
| | - Yung‐Ming Jeng
- Department of PathologyNational Taiwan University HospitalTaipei10041Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Pathology, College of MedicineNational Taiwan UniversityTaipei10041Taiwan
| | - Shiue‐Cheng Tang
- Department of Medical ScienceNational Tsing Hua UniversityHsinchu30013Taiwan
| | - Mei‐Hsin Chung
- Department of PathologyNational Taiwan University Hospital−Hsinchu BranchHsinchu30331Taiwan
| | - Chia‐Ning Shen
- Genomics Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipei11529Taiwan
- Biomedical Translation Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipei11529Taiwan
| | - Ming‐Chu Chang
- Department of Internal MedicineNational Taiwan University HospitalTaipei10041Taiwan
| | - Yu‐Ting Chang
- Department of Internal MedicineNational Taiwan University HospitalTaipei10041Taiwan
| | - Yu‐Wen Tien
- Department of SurgeryNational Taiwan University HospitalTaipei10041Taiwan
| | - Wen‐Hwa Lee
- Genomics Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipei11529Taiwan
- Drug Development CenterChina Medical UniversityTaichung40402Taiwan
- Department of Biological ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCA92697USA
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Ling CC, Sun T, Chen F, Wu H, Tao W, Xie X, Ji D, Gao G, Chen J, Ling Y, Zhang Y. Precise tumor delineation in clinical tissues using a novel acidic tumor microenvironment activatable near-infrared fluorescent contrast agent. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1279:341815. [PMID: 37827620 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341815] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Tumor selective near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent contrast agents has the potential to greatly enhance the efficiency and precision of tumor surgery by enabling real-time tumor margin identification for tumor resection guided by imaging. However, the development of these agents is still challenging. In this study, based on the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME), we designed and synthesized a novel pH-sensitive NIR fluorescent contrast agent OBD from β-carboline. The fluorescence quantum yield of OBD exhibited a notable increase at pH 3.6, approximately 12-fold higher compared to its value at pH 7.4. After cellular uptake, OBD lighted up the cancer cells with high specificity and accumulated in the mitochondria. Spraying OBD emitted selective fluorescence in xenograft tumor tissues with tumor-to-normal tissue ratios (TNR) as high as 11.18, implying successful image-guided surgery. Furthermore, OBD was also shown to track metastasis in spray mode. After simple topical spray, OBD rapidly and precisely visualized the tumor margins of clinical colon and liver tissues with TNR over 4.2. Therefore, the small-molecule fluorescent contrast agent OBD has promising clinical applications in tumor identification during surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Chun Ling
- Department of General Surgery and Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 226001, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China.
| | - Tiantian Sun
- Department of General Surgery and Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 226001, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China; School of Pharmacy, Nantong Key Laboratory of Small Molecular Drug Innovation, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 226001 Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Fang Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong Key Laboratory of Small Molecular Drug Innovation, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 226001 Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Hongmei Wu
- Department of General Surgery and Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 226001, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China; School of Pharmacy, Nantong Key Laboratory of Small Molecular Drug Innovation, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 226001 Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Weizhi Tao
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong Key Laboratory of Small Molecular Drug Innovation, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 226001 Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Xudong Xie
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong Key Laboratory of Small Molecular Drug Innovation, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 226001 Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Dongliang Ji
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong Key Laboratory of Small Molecular Drug Innovation, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 226001 Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Ge Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Nantong Key Laboratory of Small Molecular Drug Innovation, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 226001 Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Nantong Third People's Hospital and the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 226001, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Yong Ling
- Department of General Surgery and Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 226001, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China.
| | - Yanan Zhang
- Department of General Surgery and Vascular Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 226001, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China; School of Pharmacy, Nantong Key Laboratory of Small Molecular Drug Innovation, Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory for Inflammation and Molecular Drug Target, Nantong University, 226001 Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China.
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