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Jiang X, Huang Z, Liu Z, Wang S, Qiu Y, Su X, Wang Y, Xu H. MOF-Derived Oxygen-Deficient Titania-Mediated Photodynamic/Photothermal-Enhanced Immunotherapy for Tumor Treatment. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:34591-34606. [PMID: 38917296 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c04985] [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: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a revolutionizing therapeutic modality for cancer. However, its efficacy has been largely limited by a weak immune response and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Herein, we report a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived titanium oxide nanoparticle (MCTx NP) as an immune booster that can greatly improve the immunotherapy efficacy by inducing "immunogenic cell death" (ICD) and remodeling the tumor microenvironment. The NPs, inheriting the characteristic structure of MIL-125 and enriched with oxygen vacancies (OVs), demonstrate both high photothermal conversion efficiency and a reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation yield upon near-infrared (NIR) activation. Moreover, the NPs can release O2 and reduce glutathione (GSH) in the tumor environment, showcasing their potential to reverse the immunosuppressive microenvironment. In vitro/vivo results demonstrate that MCTx NPs directly kill tumor cells and effectively eliminate primary tumors by exerting dual photodynamic/photothermal therapy under a single NIR irritation. At the same time, MCTx NPs augment the PD-L1 blockade efficacy by potently inducing ICDs and reversing the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, including promoting dendritic cell (DC) maturation, decreasing regulatory T cells (Tregs)' infiltration, and increasing cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and helper T cells (Ths), resulting in effective distant tumor suppression. This work highlights MCTx NP-mediated photodynamic- and photothermal-enhanced immunotherapy as an effective strategy for tumor treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Jiang
- The Education Ministry Key Lab of Resource Chemistry, Joint International Research Laboratory of Resource Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Functional Materials, and Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Biomimetic Catalysis, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengjie Huang
- The Education Ministry Key Lab of Resource Chemistry, Joint International Research Laboratory of Resource Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Functional Materials, and Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Biomimetic Catalysis, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhuqing Liu
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, People's Republic of China
| | - Sitong Wang
- Department of Oncology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuyou Qiu
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaolian Su
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, People's Republic of China
| | - Yitong Wang
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200072, People's Republic of China
| | - He Xu
- The Education Ministry Key Lab of Resource Chemistry, Joint International Research Laboratory of Resource Chemistry of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Rare Earth Functional Materials, and Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Biomimetic Catalysis, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, People's Republic of China
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Kirthiga Devi SS, Singh S, Joga R, Patil SY, Meghana Devi V, Chetan Dushantrao S, Dwivedi F, Kumar G, Kumar Jindal D, Singh C, Dhamija I, Grover P, Kumar S. Enhancing cancer immunotherapy: Exploring strategies to target the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and analyzing the associated patent, regulatory, and clinical trial landscape. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 200:114323. [PMID: 38754524 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114323] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Cancer treatment modalities and their progression is guided by the specifics of cancer, including its type and site of localization. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy are the most often used conventional treatments. Conversely, emerging treatment techniques include immunotherapy, hormone therapy, anti-angiogenic therapy, dendritic cell-based immunotherapy, and stem cell therapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors' anticancer properties have drawn considerable attention in recent studies in the cancer research domain. Programmed Cell Death Protein-1 (PD-1) and its ligand (PD-L1) checkpoint pathway are key regulators of the interactions between activated T-cells and cancer cells, protecting the latter from immune destruction. When the ligand PD-L1 attaches to the receptor PD-1, T-cells are prevented from destroying cells that contain PD-L1, including cancer cells. The PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint inhibitors block them, boosting the immune response and strengthening the body's defenses against tumors. Recent years have seen incredible progress and tremendous advancement in developing anticancer therapies using PD-1/PD-L1 targeting antibodies. While immune-related adverse effects and low response rates significantly limit these therapies, there is a need for research on methods that raise their efficacy and lower their toxicity. This review discusses various recent innovative nanomedicine strategies such as PLGA nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes and drug loaded liposomes to treat cancer targeting PD-1/PD-L1 axis. The biological implications of PD-1/PD-L1 in cancer treatment and the fundamentals of nanotechnology, focusing on the novel strategies used in nanomedicine, are widely discussed along with the corresponding guidelines, clinical trial status, and the patent landscape of such formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S S Kirthiga Devi
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Sidhartha Singh
- Department of Natural Products, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Ramesh Joga
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Sharvari Y Patil
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Vakalapudi Meghana Devi
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Sabnis Chetan Dushantrao
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Falguni Dwivedi
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, D Y Patil International University, Akurdi, Pune 411044, India
| | - Gautam Kumar
- School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, D Y Patil International University, Akurdi, Pune 411044, India; Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani campus, Rajasthan 333031, India
| | - Deepak Kumar Jindal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar, 125001, India
| | - Charan Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Sciences, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (A Central University), Srinagar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand 246174, India
| | - Isha Dhamija
- Department of Biological Sciences, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India
| | - Parul Grover
- KIET School of Pharmacy, KIET Group of Institutions, Delhi-NCR, Ghaziabad 201206, India; Department of Pharmaceutics, NIMS Institute of Pharmacy, NIMS University Rajasthan, Jaipur, Rajasthan 303121, India
| | - Sandeep Kumar
- Department of Regulatory Affairs, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana 500037, India; Department of Pharmaceutics, NIMS Institute of Pharmacy, NIMS University Rajasthan, Jaipur, Rajasthan 303121, India.
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3
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Klebansky B, Backer M, Gorbatyuk V, Vinogradova O, Backer J. In Search of Better Peptide-(Derived from PD-L2)-Based Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Biomolecules 2024; 14:597. [PMID: 38786004 PMCID: PMC11118832 DOI: 10.3390/biom14050597] [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: 04/11/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Current anti-cancer immune checkpoint therapy relies on antibodies that primarily target the PD-1/PD-L1(-L2) negative regulatory pathway. Although very successful in some cases for certain cancers, these antibodies do not help most patients who, presumably, should benefit from this type of therapy. Therefore, an unmet clinical need for novel, more effective drugs targeting immune checkpoints remains. We have developed a series of high-potency peptide inhibitors interfering with PD-1/PD-L1(-L2) protein-protein interaction. Our best peptide inhibitors are 12 and 14 amino acids long and show sub-micromolar IC50 inhibitory activity in the in vitro assay. The positioning of the peptides within the PD-1 binding site is explored by extensive modeling. It is further supported by 2D NMR studies of PD-1/peptide complexes. These results reflect substantial progress in the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors using peptidomimetics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marina Backer
- SibTech Inc., 115A Commerce Drive, Brookfield, CT 06804, USA
| | - Vitaliy Gorbatyuk
- Center for Open Research Resources & Equipment, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3060, USA
| | - Olga Vinogradova
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-3092, USA
| | - Joseph Backer
- SibTech Inc., 115A Commerce Drive, Brookfield, CT 06804, USA
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Mierzwicka JM, Petroková H, Kafková LR, Kosztyu P, Černý J, Kuchař M, Petřík M, Bendová K, Krasulová K, Groza Y, Vaňková L, Bharadwaj S, Panova N, Křupka M, Škarda J, Raška M, Malý P. Engineering PD-1-targeted small protein variants for in vitro diagnostics and in vivo PET imaging. J Transl Med 2024; 22:426. [PMID: 38711085 PMCID: PMC11071268 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05210-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) belongs to immune checkpoint proteins ensuring negative regulation of the immune response. In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the sensitivity to treatment with anti-PD-1 therapeutics, and its efficacy, mostly correlated with the increase of tumor infiltrating PD-1+ lymphocytes. Due to solid tumor heterogeneity of PD-1+ populations, novel low molecular weight anti-PD-1 high-affinity diagnostic probes can increase the reliability of expression profiling of PD-1+ tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in tumor tissue biopsies and in vivo mapping efficiency using immune-PET imaging. METHODS We designed a 13 kDa β-sheet Myomedin scaffold combinatorial library by randomization of 12 mutable residues, and in combination with ribosome display, we identified anti-PD-1 Myomedin variants (MBA ligands) that specifically bound to human and murine PD-1-transfected HEK293T cells and human SUP-T1 cells spontaneously overexpressing cell surface PD-1. RESULTS Binding affinity to cell-surface expressed human and murine PD-1 on transfected HEK293T cells was measured by fluorescence with LigandTracer and resulted in the selection of most promising variants MBA066 (hPD-1 KD = 6.9 nM; mPD-1 KD = 40.5 nM), MBA197 (hPD-1 KD = 29.7 nM; mPD-1 KD = 21.4 nM) and MBA414 (hPD-1 KD = 8.6 nM; mPD-1 KD = 2.4 nM). The potential of MBA proteins for imaging of PD-1+ populations in vivo was demonstrated using deferoxamine-conjugated MBA labeled with 68Galium isotope. Radiochemical purity of 68Ga-MBA proteins reached values 94.7-99.3% and in vitro stability in human serum after 120 min was in the range 94.6-98.2%. The distribution of 68Ga-MBA proteins in mice was monitored using whole-body positron emission tomography combined with computerized tomography (PET/CT) imaging up to 90 min post-injection and post mortem examined in 12 mouse organs. The specificity of MBA proteins was proven by co-staining frozen sections of human tonsils and NSCLC tissue biopsies with anti-PD-1 antibody, and demonstrated their potential for mapping PD-1+ populations in solid tumors. CONCLUSIONS Using directed evolution, we developed a unique set of small binding proteins that can improve PD-1 diagnostics in vitro as well as in vivo using PET/CT imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Maria Mierzwicka
- Laboratory of Ligand Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Research Center, Průmyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Petroková
- Laboratory of Ligand Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Research Center, Průmyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Leona Rašková Kafková
- Department of Immunology, University Hospital Olomouc, Zdravotníků 248/7, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 3, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kosztyu
- Department of Immunology, University Hospital Olomouc, Zdravotníků 248/7, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 3, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Černý
- Laboratory of Structural Bioinformatics of Proteins, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Research Center, Průmyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Kuchař
- Laboratory of Ligand Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Research Center, Průmyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Miloš Petřík
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Bendová
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Kristýna Krasulová
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry and Czech Advanced Technology and Research Institute, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Yaroslava Groza
- Laboratory of Ligand Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Research Center, Průmyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Lucie Vaňková
- Laboratory of Ligand Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Research Center, Průmyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Shiv Bharadwaj
- Laboratory of Ligand Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Research Center, Průmyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Natalya Panova
- Laboratory of Ligand Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Research Center, Průmyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Křupka
- Department of Immunology, University Hospital Olomouc, Zdravotníků 248/7, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 3, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jozef Škarda
- Department of Immunology, University Hospital Olomouc, Zdravotníků 248/7, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 3, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
- Institute of Clinical and Molecular Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 3, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Raška
- Department of Immunology, University Hospital Olomouc, Zdravotníků 248/7, 77900, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacky University Olomouc, Hněvotínská 3, 779 00, Olomouc, Czech Republic.
| | - Petr Malý
- Laboratory of Ligand Engineering, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV Research Center, Průmyslová 595, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic.
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Guo J, Yu F, Zhang K, Jiang S, Zhang X, Wang T. Beyond inhibition against the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway: development of PD-L1 inhibitors targeting internalization and degradation of PD-L1. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:1096-1108. [PMID: 38665824 PMCID: PMC11042118 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00636k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor cells hijack the programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway to suppress the immune response through overexpressing PD-L1 to interact with PD-1 of T cells. With in-depth ongoing research, tumor-intrinsic PD-L1 is found to play important roles in tumor progression without interaction with PD-1 expressed on T cells, which provides an additional important target and therapeutic approach for development of PD-L1 inhibitors. Existing monoclonal antibody (mAb) drugs against the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway generally behave by conformationally blocking the interactions of PD-1 with PD-L1 on the cell surface. Beyond general inhibition of the protein-protein interaction (PPI), inhibitors targeting PD-L1 currently focus on the functional inhibition of the interaction between PD-1/PD-L1 and degradation of tumor-intrinsic PD-L1. This perspective will clarify the evolution of PD-L1 inhibitors and provide insights into the current development of PD-L1 inhibitors, especially targeting internalization and degradation of PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiazheng Guo
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Fengyi Yu
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Kuojun Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Sheng Jiang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
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6
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Sun B, Zhang L, Li M, Wang X, Wang W. Applications of peptide-based nanomaterials in targeting cancer therapy. Biomater Sci 2024; 12:1630-1642. [PMID: 38404259 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm02026f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
To meet the demand for precision medicine, researchers are committed to developing novel strategies to reduce systemic toxicity and side effects in cancer treatment. Targeting peptides are widely applied due to their affinity and specificity, and their ability to be high-throughput screened, chemically synthesized and modified. More importantly, peptides can form ordered self-assembled structures through non-covalent supramolecular interactions, which can form nanostructures with different morphologies and functions, playing crucial roles in targeted diagnosis and treatment. Among them, in targeted immunotherapy, utilizing targeting peptides to block the binding between immune checkpoints and ligands, thereby activating the immune system to eliminate cancer cells, is an advanced therapeutic strategy. In this mini-review, we summarize the screening, self-assembly, and biomedical applications of targeting peptide-based nanomaterials. Furthermore, this mini-review summarizes the potential and optimization strategies of targeting peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beilei Sun
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro-photonic Conversion Materials, School of Medical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - Limin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro-photonic Conversion Materials, School of Medical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - Mengzhen Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro-photonic Conversion Materials, School of Medical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - Xin Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro-photonic Conversion Materials, School of Medical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
| | - Weizhi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Key Laboratory of Cluster Science of Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electro-photonic Conversion Materials, School of Medical Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, P. R. China.
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7
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Zhang F, Jiang R, Sun S, Wu C, Yu Q, Awadasseid A, Wang J, Zhang W. Recent advances and mechanisms of action of PD-L1 degraders as potential therapeutic agents. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 268:116267. [PMID: 38422701 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116267] [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: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
PD-L1 is an important immune checkpoint protein that can bind to T cells' PD-1 receptor, thereby promoting immune escape from tumors. In recent years, many researchers have developed strategies to degrade PD-L1 to improve the effect of immunotherapy. The study of degrading PD-L1 provides new opportunities for immunotherapy. Here, we mainly summarize and review the current active molecules and mechanisms that mediate the degradation of immature and mature PD-L1 during the post-translational modification stages, involving PD-L1 phosphorylation, glycosylation, palmitoylation, ubiquitination, and the autophagy-lysosomal process. This review expects that by degrading PD-L1 protein, we will not only gain a better understanding of oncogenic mechanisms involving tumor PD-L1 protein but also provide a new way to improve immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Ruiya Jiang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Shishi Sun
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Caiyun Wu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Qimeng Yu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China
| | - Annoor Awadasseid
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Moganshan Institute, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing, China
| | - Jianwei Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
| | - Wen Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, 310014, China.
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8
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Gobbo M, Caligiuri I, Giannetti M, Litti L, Mazzuca C, Rizzolio F, Palleschi A, Meneghetti M. SERS nanostructures with engineered active peptides against an immune checkpoint protein. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:5206-5214. [PMID: 38375540 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr00172a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The immune checkpoint programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) protein is expressed by tumor cells and it suppresses the killer activity of CD8+ T-lymphocyte cells binding to the programmed death 1 (PD-1) protein of these immune cells. Binding to either PD-L1 or PD1 is used for avoiding the inactivation of CD8+ T-lymphocyte cells. We report, for the first time, Au plasmonic nanostructures with surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) properties (SERS nanostructures) and functionalized with an engineered peptide (CLP002: Trp-His-Arg-Ser-Tyr-Tyr-Thr-Trp-Asn-Leu-Asn-Thr), which targets PD-L1. Molecular dynamics calculations are used to describe the interaction of the targeting peptide with PD-L1 in the region where the interaction with PD-1 occurs, showing also the poor targeting activity of a peptide with the same amino acids, but a scrambled sequence. The results are confirmed experimentally since a very good targeting activity is observed against the MDA-MB-231 breast adenocarcinoma cancer cell line, which overexpresses PD-L1. A good activity is observed, in particular, for SERS nanostructures where the CLP002-engineered peptide is linked to the nanostructure surface with a short charged amino acid sequence and a long PEG chain. The results show that the functionalized SERS nanostructures show very good targeting of the immune checkpoint PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Gobbo
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Isabella Caligiuri
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, via F. Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, PN, Italy
| | - Micaela Giannetti
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", and CSGI unit of Rome, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucio Litti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy.
| | - Claudia Mazzuca
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", and CSGI unit of Rome, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Flavio Rizzolio
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, via F. Gallini 2, 33081 Aviano, PN, Italy
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, via Torino 155, 30172 Venice, Italy
| | - Antonio Palleschi
- Department of Chemical Science and Technologies, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", and CSGI unit of Rome, Via della Ricerca Scientifica, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Moreno Meneghetti
- Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, via F. Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy.
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Donati G, Viviano M, D'Amore VM, Cipriano A, Diakogiannaki I, Amato J, Tomassi S, Brancaccio D, Russomanno P, Di Leva FS, Arosio D, Seneci P, Taliani S, Magiera-Mularz K, Musielak B, Skalniak L, Holak TA, Castellano S, La Pietra V, Marinelli L. A combined approach of structure-based virtual screening and NMR to interrupt the PD-1/PD-L1 axis: Biphenyl-benzimidazole containing compounds as novel PD-L1 inhibitors. Arch Pharm (Weinheim) 2024; 357:e2300583. [PMID: 38110703 DOI: 10.1002/ardp.202300583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy has emerged as a game-changing approach for cancer treatment. Although monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death protein 1 ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) axis have entered the market revolutionizing the treatment landscape of many cancer types, small molecules, although presenting several advantages including the possibility of oral administration and/or reduced costs, struggled to enter in clinical trials, suffering of water insolubility and/or inadequate potency compared with mAbs. Thus, the search for novel scaffolds for both the design of effective small molecules and possible synergistic strategies is an ongoing field of interest. In an attempt to find novel chemotypes, a virtual screening approach was employed, resulting in the identification of new chemical entities with a certain binding capability, the most versatile of which was the benzimidazole-containing compound 10. Through rational design, a small library of its derivatives was synthesized and evaluated. The homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence (HTRF) assay revealed that compound 17 shows the most potent inhibitory activity (IC50 ) in the submicromolar range and notably, differently from the major part of PD-L1 inhibitors, exhibits satisfactory water solubility properties. These findings highlight the potential of benzimidazole-based compounds as novel promising candidates for PD-L1 inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Donati
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Monica Viviano
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Jussara Amato
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Stefano Tomassi
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Diego Brancaccio
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | - Daniela Arosio
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta" (SCITEC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Milan, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Bogdan Musielak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Lukasz Skalniak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | - Tad A Holak
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland
| | | | - Valeria La Pietra
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luciana Marinelli
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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10
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Lee EJ, Kim YS, Kim JH, Woo KW, Park YH, Ha JH, Li W, Kim TI, An BK, Cho HW, Han JH, Choi JG, Chung HS. Uncovering the colorectal cancer immunotherapeutic potential: Evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) root extract and its active compound oenothein B targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 125:155370. [PMID: 38266440 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors, a novel class of immunotherapy drugs, represents a major breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy, substantially improving patient survival post-treatment. Blocking programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and programmed death protein-1 (PD-1) has demonstrated promising clinical results in various human cancer types. The US FDA has recently permitted only monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based PD-L1 or PD-1 blockers. Although these antibodies exhibit high antitumor efficacy, their size- and affinity-induced side effects limit their applicability. PURPOSE As small-molecule-based PD-1/PD-L1 blockers capable of reducing the side effects of antibody therapies are needed, this study focuses on exploring natural ingredient-based small molecules that can target hPD-L1/PD-1 using herbal medicines and their components. METHODS The antitumor potential of evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) root extract (EPRE), a globally utilized traditional herbal medicine, folk remedy, and functional food, was explored. A coculture system was established using human PD-L1-expressed murine MC38 cells (hPD-L1-MC38s) and CD8+ tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes (CD8+ TILs) expressing humanized PD-1. The in vivo experiments utilized a colorectal cancer (CRC) C57BL/6 J mouse model bearing MC38 cells expressing humanized PD-L1 and PD-1 proteins. RESULTS EPRE and its active compound oenothein B effectively hindered the molecular interaction between hPD-L1 and hPD-1. EPRE stimulated tumor-specific T lymphocytes of a hPD-L1/PD-1 CRC mice. This action resulted in the elevated infiltration of cytotoxic CD8+T lymphocytes and subsequent tumor growth reduction. Moreover, the combined therapy of oenothein B, a PD-1/PD-L1 blocker, and FOLFOX (5-fluorouracil plus oxaliplatin) cooperatively suppressed hPD-L1-MC38s growth in the ex vivo model through activated CD8+ TIL antitumor immune response. Oenothein B exhibited a high binding affinity for hPD-L1 and hPD-1. We believe that this study is the first to uncover the inhibitory effects of EPRE and its component, oenothein B, on PD-1/PD-L1 interactions. CONCLUSION This study identified a promising small-molecule candidate from natural products that blocks the hPD-L1/PD-1 signaling pathway. These findings emphasize the potential of EPRE and oenothein B as effective anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Ji Lee
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Soo Kim
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Hye Kim
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Wan Woo
- National Development Institute of Korea Medicine, 27, Wondogwandeok-gil, Jangheung-eup, Jangheung-gun, Jeollanam-do 59319, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Hoon Park
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), 80, Cheombok-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hye Ha
- New Drug Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation (DGMIF), 80, Cheombok-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41061, Republic of Korea
| | - Wei Li
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae In Kim
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Byeong Kwan An
- National Development Institute of Korea Medicine, 94, Hwarang-ro, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do 38540, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Woo Cho
- National Development Institute of Korea Medicine, 27, Wondogwandeok-gil, Jangheung-eup, Jangheung-gun, Jeollanam-do 59319, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Ho Han
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea
| | - Jang-Gi Choi
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea.
| | - Hwan-Suck Chung
- Korean Medicine Application Center, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea; Korean Convergence Medical Science Major, KIOM Campus, University of Science and Technology (UST), 70, Cheomdan-ro, Dong-gu, Daegu 41062, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Zhou Y, Wang F, Li G, Xu J, Zhang J, Gullen E, Yang J, Wang J. From immune checkpoints to therapies: understanding immune checkpoint regulation and the influence of natural products and traditional medicine on immune checkpoint and immunotherapy in lung cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1340307. [PMID: 38426097 PMCID: PMC10902058 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1340307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is a disease of global concern, and immunotherapy has brought lung cancer therapy to a new era. Besides promising effects in the clinical use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) and low response rates are problems unsolved. Natural products and traditional medicine with an immune-modulating nature have the property to influence immune checkpoint expression and can improve immunotherapy's effect with relatively low toxicity. This review summarizes currently approved immunotherapy and the current mechanisms known to regulate immune checkpoint expression in lung cancer. It lists natural products and traditional medicine capable of influencing immune checkpoints or synergizing with immunotherapy in lung cancer, exploring both their effects and underlying mechanisms. Future research on immune checkpoint modulation and immunotherapy combination applying natural products and traditional medicine will be based on a deeper understanding of their mechanisms regulating immune checkpoints. Continued exploration of natural products and traditional medicine holds the potential to enhance the efficacy and reduce the adverse reactions of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibin Zhou
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Fenglan Wang
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Guangda Li
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Zhang
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Elizabeth Gullen
- Department of Pharmacology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
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12
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Abramenko N, Vellieux F, Veselá K, Kejík Z, Hajduch J, Masařík M, Babula P, Hoskovec D, Pacák K, Martásek P, Smetana K, Jakubek M. Investigation of the potential effects of estrogen receptor modulators on immune checkpoint molecules. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3043. [PMID: 38321096 PMCID: PMC10847107 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51804-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoints regulate the immune system response. Recent studies suggest that flavonoids, known as phytoestrogens, may inhibit the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. We explored the potential of estrogens and 17 Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs) as inhibiting ligands for immune checkpoint proteins (CTLA-4, PD-L1, PD-1, and CD80). Our docking studies revealed strong binding energy values for quinestrol, quercetin, and bazedoxifene, indicating their potential to inhibit PD-1 and CTLA-4. Quercetin and bazedoxifene, known to modulate EGFR and IL-6R alongside estrogen receptors, can influence the immune checkpoint functionality. We discuss the impact of SERMs on PD-1 and CTLA-4, suggesting that these SERMs could have therapeutic effects through immune checkpoint inhibition. This study highlights the potential of SERMs as inhibitory ligands for immune checkpoint proteins, emphasizing the importance of considering PD-1 and CTLA-4 inhibition when evaluating SERMs as therapeutic agents. Our findings open new avenues for cancer immunotherapy by exploring the interaction between various SERMs and immune checkpoint pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Abramenko
- BIOCEV, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
- Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, 120 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Fréderic Vellieux
- BIOCEV, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
- Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, 120 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Veselá
- BIOCEV, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
- Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, 120 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zdeněk Kejík
- BIOCEV, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
- Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, 120 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Hajduch
- BIOCEV, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Masařík
- BIOCEV, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
- Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, 120 00, Prague, Czech Republic
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Babula
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, 625 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Hoskovec
- 1st Department of Surgery-Department of Abdominal, Thoracic Surgery and Traumatology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, U Nemocnice 2, 121 08, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Pacák
- Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, Room 1-3140, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Pavel Martásek
- Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, 120 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Smetana
- BIOCEV, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic
- Institute of Anatomy, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 120 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Jakubek
- BIOCEV, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, 252 50, Vestec, Czech Republic.
- Department of Paediatrics and Inherited Metabolic Disorders, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital, 120 00, Prague, Czech Republic.
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13
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Surmiak E, Ząber J, Plewka J, Wojtanowicz G, Kocik-Krol J, Kruc O, Muszak D, Rodríguez I, Musielak B, Viviano M, Castellano S, Skalniak L, Magiera-Mularz K, Holak TA, Kalinowska-Tłuścik J. Solubilizer Tag Effect on PD-L1/Inhibitor Binding Properties for m-Terphenyl Derivatives. ACS Med Chem Lett 2024; 15:36-44. [PMID: 38229762 PMCID: PMC10788941 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Although heavily studied, the subject of anti-PD-L1 small-molecule inhibitors is still elusive. Here we present a systematic overview of the principles behind successful anti-PD-L1 small-molecule inhibitor design on the example of the m-terphenyl scaffold, with a particular focus on the neglected influence of the solubilizer tag on the overall affinity toward PD-L1. The inhibitor developed according to the proposed guidelines was characterized through its potency in blocking PD-1/PD-L1 complex formation in homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence and cell-based assays. The affinity is also explained based on the crystal structure of the inhibitor itself and its costructure with PD-L1 as well as a molecular modeling study. Our results structuralize the knowledge related to the strong pharmacophore feature of the m-terphenyl scaffold preferential geometry and the more complex role of the solubilizer tag in PD-L1 homodimer stabilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Surmiak
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Julia Ząber
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
- Doctoral
School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian
University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Cracow, Poland
| | - Jacek Plewka
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Wojtanowicz
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Justyna Kocik-Krol
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
- Doctoral
School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian
University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Cracow, Poland
| | - Oskar Kruc
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
- Doctoral
School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian
University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Cracow, Poland
| | - Damian Muszak
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Ismael Rodríguez
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
- Doctoral
School of Exact and Natural Sciences, Jagiellonian
University, Łojasiewicza 11, 30-348 Cracow, Poland
| | - Bogdan Musielak
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | - Monica Viviano
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84085 Fisciano, Italy
| | - Sabrina Castellano
- Department
of Pharmacy, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 84085 Fisciano, Italy
| | - Lukasz Skalniak
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
| | | | - Tad A. Holak
- Faculty
of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Cracow, Poland
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14
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Zou W, Luo X, Gao M, Yu C, Wan X, Yu S, Wu Y, Wang A, Fenical W, Wei Z, Zhao Y, Lu Y. Optimization of cancer immunotherapy on the basis of programmed death ligand-1 distribution and function. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:257-272. [PMID: 36775813 PMCID: PMC11080663 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) immune checkpoint blockade as a breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy has shown unprecedented positive outcomes in the clinic. However, the overall effectiveness of PD-L1 antibody is less than expected. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that PD-L1 is widely distributed and expressed not only on the cell membrane but also on the inside of the cells as well as on the extracellular vesicles secreted by tumour cells. Both endogenous and exogenous PD-L1 play significant roles in influencing the therapeutic effect of anti-tumour immunity. Herein, we mainly focused on the distribution and function of PD-L1 and further summarized the potential targeted therapeutic strategies. More importantly, in addition to taking the overall expression abundance of PD-L1 as a predictive indicator for selecting corresponding PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), we also proposed that personalized combination therapies based on the different distribution of PD-L1 are worth attention to achieve more efficient and effective therapeutic outcomes in cancer patients. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on Cancer Microenvironment and Pharmacological Interventions. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v181.2/issuetoc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Luo
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Mengyuan Gao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Chang Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xueting Wan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Suyun Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Aiyun Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - William Fenical
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Zhonghong Wei
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yang Zhao
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yin Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Joint International Research Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Regenerative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Prevention and Treatment of Tumor, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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15
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Vasilakaki S, Vathiotis I, Panagiotou E, Dimakakos E, Gomatou G, Kotteas E. Molecular interactions of antibodies with PD-1/PD-L1 proteins. Immunotherapy 2024; 16:21-28. [PMID: 38054258 DOI: 10.2217/imt-2023-0165] [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] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: To compare the protein-protein interactions of antibodies targeting PD-1 and its ligand (PD-L1) with their targets in an attempt to explain the antibodies' binding affinity. Materials & methods: The structural features of complexes between pembrolizumab, nivolumab, durvalumab, atezolizumab, avelumab and PD-1/PD-L1 are described, with the use of software and based on crystallographic data. Results: Pembrolizumab has more structural features, including the number and type of the bonds and total binding surface area, which could rationalize its different clinical behavior compared with nivolumab. Similarly, protein-protein interactions with PD-L1 differ among durvalumab, atezolizumab and avelumab. Conclusion: Differential protein-protein interactions between antibodies and PD-1/PD-L1 may indicate differential clinical activity; however, further research is needed to provide evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Vasilakaki
- Chemistry Department, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Athens, 15771, Greece
| | - Ioannis Vathiotis
- Oncology Unit, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, 152 Mesogeion Avenue, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Emmanouil Panagiotou
- Oncology Unit, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, 152 Mesogeion Avenue, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Evangelos Dimakakos
- Oncology Unit, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, 152 Mesogeion Avenue, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Georgia Gomatou
- Oncology Unit, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, 152 Mesogeion Avenue, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Elias Kotteas
- Oncology Unit, Third Department of Medicine, Sotiria General Hospital, 152 Mesogeion Avenue, Athens, 11527, Greece
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16
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Parvez A, Choudhary F, Mudgal P, Khan R, Qureshi KA, Farooqi H, Aspatwar A. PD-1 and PD-L1: architects of immune symphony and immunotherapy breakthroughs in cancer treatment. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1296341. [PMID: 38106415 PMCID: PMC10722272 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1296341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
PD-1 (Programmed Cell Death Protein-1) and PD-L1 (Programmed Cell Death Ligand-1) play a crucial role in regulating the immune system and preventing autoimmunity. Cancer cells can manipulate this system, allowing them to escape immune detection and promote tumor growth. Therapies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway have transformed cancer treatment and have demonstrated significant effectiveness against various cancer types. This study delves into the structure and signaling dynamics of PD-1 and its ligands PD-L1/PD-L2, the diverse PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and their efficacy, and the resistance observed in some patients. Furthermore, this study explored the challenges associated with the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor treatment approach. Recent advancements in the combination of immunotherapy with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgical procedures to enhance patient outcomes have also been highlighted. Overall, this study offers an in-depth overview of the significance of PD-1/PD-L1 in cancer immunotherapy and its future implications in oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adil Parvez
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia, Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Furqan Choudhary
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia, Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Priyal Mudgal
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia, Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Rahila Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia, Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Kamal A. Qureshi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Unaizah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
| | - Humaira Farooqi
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Chemical and Life Sciences, Jamia, Hamdard, New Delhi, India
| | - Ashok Aspatwar
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
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Huang Y, Li C, Li Z, Wang Q, Huang S, Liu Q, Liang Y. Development and Preclinical Evaluation of [ 68Ga]BMSH as a New Potent Positron Emission Tomography Tracer for Imaging Programmed Death-Ligand 1 Expression. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1487. [PMID: 37895958 PMCID: PMC10610256 DOI: 10.3390/ph16101487] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy targeting the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)/programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) pathway has shown remarkable efficacy against various cancers, but the overall response rate (ORR) is still low. PD-L1 expression in tumors may predict treatment response to immunotherapy. Indeed, ongoing clinical studies utilize a few PD-L1 radiotracers to assess PD-L1 expression as a predictive biomarker for immunotherapy. Here, we present a novel positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer called [68Ga]BMSH, which is derived from a small molecule inhibitor specifically targeting the binding site of PD-L1. The inhibitor was modified to optimize its in vivo pharmacokinetic properties and enable chelation of 68Ga. In vitro evaluation revealed [68Ga]BMSH possessed a strong binding affinity, high specificity, and rapid internalization in PD-L1 overexpressing cells. Biodistribution studies showed that PD-L1 overexpressing tumors had an uptake of [68Ga]BMSH at 4.22 ± 0.65%ID/g in mice, while the number was 2.23 ± 0.41%ID/g in PD-L1 low-expressing tumors. Micro-PET/CT imaging of tumor-bearing mice further confirmed that, compared to [18F]FDG, [68Ga]BMSH can specifically identify tumors with varying levels of PD-L1 expression. Our findings suggest that the [68Ga]BMSH is a PD-L1 radioligand with ideal imaging properties, and its further application in the clinical screening of PD-L1 overexpressing tumors may improve ORR for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen 518116, China; (Y.H.); (C.L.); (Z.L.); (Q.W.); (S.H.)
| | - Chengze Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen 518116, China; (Y.H.); (C.L.); (Z.L.); (Q.W.); (S.H.)
| | - Zhongjing Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen 518116, China; (Y.H.); (C.L.); (Z.L.); (Q.W.); (S.H.)
| | - Qiong Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen 518116, China; (Y.H.); (C.L.); (Z.L.); (Q.W.); (S.H.)
| | - Size Huang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen 518116, China; (Y.H.); (C.L.); (Z.L.); (Q.W.); (S.H.)
| | - Qi Liu
- International Cancer Center, Shenzhen University School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518057, China
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Graduate School, Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ying Liang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen 518116, China; (Y.H.); (C.L.); (Z.L.); (Q.W.); (S.H.)
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18
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Liu J, Cheng Y, Yuan L, Liu T, Ruan Y, Ren Y, Li L, Jiang S, Xiao Y, Chen J. Discovery and Crystallography Study of Novel Biphenyl Ether and Oxadiazole Thioether (Non-Arylmethylamine)-Based Small-Molecule PD-1/PD-L1 Inhibitors as Immunotherapeutic Agents. J Med Chem 2023; 66:13172-13188. [PMID: 37674362 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Current small-molecule PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are mainly based on the arylmethylamine/biphenyl core scaffold. Herein, we designed for the first time a series of non-arylmethylamine analogues (oxadiazole thioether derivatives) as small-molecule PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. Among them, compound LP23 exhibited the most potent PD-L1 inhibitory activity with an IC50 of 16.7 nM, 3.2-fold better than the lead BMS-202 (IC50 = 53.6 nM). The X-ray crystal structure of LP23 in complex with PD-L1 was solved at a resolution of 2.6 Å, which further confirmed the high binding affinity of LP23 to PD-L1. In the HepG2/Jurkat T cell co-culture model, LP23 effectively promoted HepG2 cell death by restoring the immune function of T cells. In addition, LP23 showed excellent in vivo antitumor efficacy (TGI = 88.6% at 30 mg/kg) and benign toxicity profiles in a B16-F10 tumor model by modulating PD-L1. In summary, LP23 represents the first non-arylmethylamine-based small-molecule PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor worthy of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education and One Health Institute, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Yao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, Chongqing 401135, China
| | - Lin Yuan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ting Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yong Ruan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Yichang Ren
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Ling Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Sheng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yibei Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
- Chongqing Innovation Institute of China Pharmaceutical University, Chongqing 401135, China
| | - Jianjun Chen
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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Hu X, Lv G, Hua D, Zhang N, Liu Q, Qin S, Zhang L, Xi H, Qiu L, Lin J. Preparation and Bioevaluation of 18F-Labeled Small-Molecular Radiotracers via Sulfur(VI) Fluoride Exchange Chemistry for Imaging of Programmed Cell Death Protein Ligand 1 Expression in Tumors. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:4228-4235. [PMID: 37409670 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, one of the most effective methods of tumor immunotherapy is blocking programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death protein ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) immune checkpoints. However, there is still a significant challenge in selecting patients to benefit from immune checkpoint therapies. Positron emission tomography (PET), a noninvasive molecular imaging technique, offers a new approach to accurately detect PD-L1 expression and allows for a better prediction of response to PD-1/PD-L1 target immunotherapy. Here, we designed and synthesized a novel group of aryl fluorosulfate-containing small-molecule compounds (LGSu-1, LGSu-2, LGSu-3, and LGSu-4) based on the phenoxymethyl-biphenyl scaffold. After screening by the time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer (TR-FRET) assay, the most potent compound LGSu-1 (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50): 15.53 nM) and the low-affinity compound LGSu-2 (IC50: 189.70 nM) as a control were selected for 18F-radiolabeling by sulfur(VI) fluoride exchange chemistry (SuFEx) to use for PET imaging. [18F]LGSu-1 and [18F]LGSu-2 were prepared by a one-step radiofluorination reaction in over 85% radioconversion and nearly 30% radiochemical yield. In B16-F10 melanoma cell assays, [18F]LGSu-1 (5.00 ± 0.06%AD) showed higher cellular uptake than [18F]LGSu-2 (2.55 ± 0.04%AD), in which cell uptake could be significantly blocked by the nonradioactivity LGSu-1. In vivo experiments, micro-PET imaging of B16-F10 tumor-bearing mice and radiographic autoradiography of tumor sections showed that [18F]LGSu-1 was more effectively accumulated in the tumor due to the higher binding affinity with PD-L1. The above experimental results confirmed the potential of the small-molecule probe LGSu-1 as a targeting PD-L1 imaging tracer in tumor tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Hu
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Gaochao Lv
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Di Hua
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Nan Zhang
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Qingzhu Liu
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Shuai Qin
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Lixia Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Hongjie Xi
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Ling Qiu
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
| | - Jianguo Lin
- Department of Radiopharmaceuticals, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Jiangsu Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Wuxi 214063, China
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20
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Amoscato AA, Anthonymuthu T, Kapralov O, Sparvero LJ, Shrivastava IH, Mikulska-Ruminska K, Tyurin VA, Shvedova AA, Tyurina YY, Bahar I, Wenzel S, Bayir H, Kagan VE. Formation of protein adducts with Hydroperoxy-PE electrophilic cleavage products during ferroptosis. Redox Biol 2023; 63:102758. [PMID: 37245287 PMCID: PMC10238881 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2023.102758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis is an iron dependent form of cell death, that is triggered by the discoordination of iron, lipids, and thiols. Its unique signature that distinguishes it from other forms of cell death is the formation and accumulation of lipid hydroperoxides, particularly oxidized forms of polyunsaturated phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs), which drives cell death. These readily undergo iron-catalyzed secondary free radical reactions leading to truncated products which retain the signature PE headgroup and which can readily react with nucleophilic moieties in proteins via their truncated electrophilic acyl chains. Using a redox lipidomics approach, we have identified oxidatively-truncated PE species (trPEox) in enzymatic and non-enzymatic model systems. Further, using a model peptide we demonstrate adduct formation with Cys as the preferred nucleophilic residue and PE(26:2) +2 oxygens, as one of the most reactive truncated PE-electrophiles produced. In cells stimulated to undergo ferroptosis we identified PE-truncated species with sn-2 truncations ranging from 5 to 9 carbons. Taking advantage of the free PE headgroup, we have developed a new technology using the lantibiotic duramycin, to enrich and identify the PE-lipoxidated proteins. Our results indicate that several dozens of proteins for each cell type, are PE-lipoxidated in HT-22, MLE, and H9c2 cells and M2 macrophages after they were induced to undergo ferroptosis. Pretreatment of cells with the strong nucleophile, 2-mercaptoethanol, prevented the formation of PE-lipoxidated proteins and blocked ferroptotic death. Finally, our docking simulations showed that the truncated PE species bound at least as good to several of the lantibiotic-identified proteins, as compared to the non-truncated parent molecule, stearoyl-arachidonoyl PE (SAPE), indicating that these oxidatively-truncated species favor/promote the formation of PEox-protein adducts. The identification of PEox-protein adducts during ferroptosis suggests that they are participants in the ferroptotic process preventable by 2-mercaptoethanol and may contribute to a point of no return in the ferroptotic death process.
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Affiliation(s)
- A A Amoscato
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 Desoto St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA.
| | - T Anthonymuthu
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 Desoto St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA; Adeptrix Corp, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 339c, Beverly, MA, 01915, USA
| | - O Kapralov
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 Desoto St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - L J Sparvero
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 Desoto St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - I H Shrivastava
- NIOSH/HELD/EAB, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA
| | - K Mikulska-Ruminska
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics Astronomy and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, PL87100, Toruń, Poland
| | - V A Tyurin
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 Desoto St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - A A Shvedova
- NIOSH/HELD/EAB, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV, 26505, USA; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Y Y Tyurina
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 Desoto St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - I Bahar
- Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, 800 Murdoch I Bldg., 3420 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA; Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Laufer Center, Z-5252, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA
| | - S Wenzel
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh Asthma and Environmental Lung Health Institute at UPMC, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - H Bayir
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 Desoto St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA; Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 4401 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA, 15224, USA; Department of Pediatrics Critical Care, Columbia University, 3959 Broadway, CHN-10, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - V E Kagan
- Center for Free Radical and Antioxidant Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, 130 Desoto St, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 8-2 Trubetskaya Str, 11999, Moscow, Russia.
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21
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Chamcheu JC, Ba Q, Ma H. Editorial: Natural products modulate the sensitivity of cancer to anti-PD-1 based immunotherapy. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1232456. [PMID: 37405053 PMCID: PMC10317057 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1232456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jean Christopher Chamcheu
- School of Basic Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Louisiana, Monroe, LA, United States
| | - Qian Ba
- School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hang Ma
- Bioactive Botanical Research Laboratory, Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
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22
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Zheng J, Miao F, Wang Z, Ma Y, Lin Z, Chen Y, Kong X, Wang Y, Zhuang A, Wu T, Li W. Identification of MDM2 as a prognostic and immunotherapeutic biomarker in a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis: A promising target for breast cancer, bladder cancer and ovarian cancer immunotherapy. Life Sci 2023:121832. [PMID: 37276911 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The murine double minute 2 (MDM2) gene is a crucial factor in the development and progression of various cancer types. Multiple rigorous scientific studies have consistently shown its involvement in tumorigenesis and cancer progression in a wide range of cancer types. However, a comprehensive analysis of the role of MDM2 in human cancer has yet to be conducted. METHODS We used various databases, including TIMER2.0, TCGA, GTEx and STRING, to analyze MDM2 expression and its correlation with clinical outcomes, interacting genes and immune cell infiltration. We also investigated the association of MDM2 with immune checkpoints and performed gene enrichment analysis using DAVID tools. RESULTS The pan-cancer MDM2 analysis found that MDM2 expression and mutation status were observably different in 25 types of cancer tissue compared with healthy tissues, and prognosis analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between MDM2 expression and patient prognosis. Furthermore, correlation analysis showed that MDM2 expression was correlated with tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability and drug sensitivity in certain cancer types. We found that there was an association between MDM2 expression and immune cell infiltration across cancer types, and MDM2 inhibitors might enhance the effect of immunotherapy on breast cancer, bladder cancer and ovarian cancer. CONCLUSIONS The first systematic pan-cancer analysis of MDM2 was conducted, and it demonstrated that MDM2 was a reliable prognostic biomarker and was closely related to cancer immunity, providing a potential immunotherapeutic target for breast cancer, bladder cancer and ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialiang Zheng
- Cancer Research Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Fenglin Miao
- Cancer Research Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zhao Wang
- Cancer Research Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yuan Ma
- Cancer Research Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Zhenhang Lin
- Cancer Research Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yaqin Chen
- Nursing Department of Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350001, China
| | - Xu Kong
- Cancer Research Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Cancer Research Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Aobo Zhuang
- Cancer Research Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China
| | - Ting Wu
- Cancer Research Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
| | - Wengang Li
- Cancer Research Center, Xiang'an Hospital of Xiamen University, School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361102, China.
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23
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Li Z, Li Y, Tian Y, Li N, Shen L, Zhao Y. Pan-cancer analysis identifies the correlations of Thymosin Beta 10 with predicting prognosis and immunotherapy response. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1170539. [PMID: 37275863 PMCID: PMC10232749 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1170539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The biological function and prognosis roles of thymosin β(TMSB) 10 are still unclear in pan-cancer. Methods We retrieved The Cancer Genome Atlas and Genotype-tissue expression datasets to obtain the difference of TMSB10 expression between pan-cancer and normal tissues, and analyzed the biological function and prognosis role of TMSB10 in pan-cancer by using cBioPortal Webtool. Results The expression of TMSB10 in tumor tissues was significantly higher than normal tissues, and showed the potential ability to predict the prognosis of patients in Pan-cancer. It was found that TMSB10 was significantly correlated with tumor microenvironment, immune cell infiltration and immune regulatory factor expression. TMSB10 is involved in the regulation of cellular signal transduction pathways in a variety of tumors, thereby mediating the occurrence of tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Finally, TMSB10 can not only effectively predict the anti-PD-L1 treatment response of cancer patients, but also be used as an important indicator to evaluate the sensitivity of chemotherapy. In vitro, low expression of TMSB10 inhibited clonogenic formation ability, invasion, and migration in glioma cells. Furthermore, TMSB10 may involve glioma immune regulation progression by promoting PD-L1 expression levels via activating STAT3 signaling pathway. Conclusions Our results show that TMSB10 is abnormally expressed in tumor tissues, which may be related to the infiltration of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Clinically, TMSB10 is not only an effective prognostic factor for predicting the clinical treatment outcome of cancer patients, but also a promising biomarker for predicting the effect of tumor immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) and chemotherapy in some cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanzhan Li
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yanyan Li
- Department of Nursing, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yifu Tian
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Na Li
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liangfang Shen
- Department of Oncology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yajie Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Cai S, Wang K, Qi Z, Ye K, Zhou X, Jiang S, Zhang K, Zhang X, Wang T. Design, synthesis, and evaluation of PD-1/PD-L1 small-molecule inhibitors bearing a rigid indane scaffold. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 256:115468. [PMID: 37207535 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Discovery of small-molecule inhibitors against programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis provides a promising alternative to overcome the inevitable defects of PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Here, we report a series of indanes as novel small-molecule inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. Thirty-one indanes were synthesized and the structure-activity relationships (SARs) demonstrated that conformational restriction with (S)-indane is superior in potency to inhibit the interaction of PD-1 and PD-L1. Compound D3 was found to be the most potent inhibitor with an IC50 value of 2.2 nM against PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. Cell-based assay showed that D3 significantly induced immune activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) against MDA-MB-231 cells and could restore the immune function of T cells by promoting secretion of the IFN-γ. The above results indicate that compound D3 is a promising PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor that deserves further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Cai
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Kaizhen Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Zhihao Qi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Ke Ye
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xinyuan Zhou
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Sheng Jiang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Kuojun Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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25
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Pan X, Li C, Feng J. The role of LncRNAs in tumor immunotherapy. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:30. [PMID: 36810034 PMCID: PMC9942365 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-02872-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy is a major breakthrough in the history of tumor therapy in the last decade. Immune checkpoint inhibitors blocking CTLA-4/B7 or PD-1/PD-L1 pathways have greatly prolonged the survival of patients with different cancers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are abnormally expressed in tumors and play an important role in tumor immunotherapy through immune regulation and immunotherapy resistance. In this review, we summarized the mechanisms of lncRNAs in regulating gene expression and well-studied immune checkpoint pathways. The crucial regulatory function of immune-related lncRNAs in cancer immunotherapy was also described. Further understanding of the underlying mechanisms of these lncRNAs is of great importance to the development of taking lncRNAs as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Pan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chenchen Li
- grid.89957.3a0000 0000 9255 8984Department of Medical Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jifeng Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
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Hirosaki H, Maeda Y, Takeyoshi M. Establishment of Cell-Based Assay System for Evaluating Cytotoxic Activity Modulated by the Blockade of PD-1 and PD-L1 Interactions with a Therapeutic Antibody. Immunol Invest 2023; 52:332-342. [PMID: 36731129 DOI: 10.1080/08820139.2023.2174442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Therapeutic antibodies targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint are widely used in cancer therapy and are under active further development. Historically, the antitumor activity of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors has been evaluated using in vivo and ex vivo test methods; however, a simple in vitro assay method to evaluate antitumor activity accurately is needed for the efficient development of new therapeutic agents. In the present study, we attempted to establish a simple cell-based assay system to evaluate the modulating effect of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors on cytotoxic activity. METHODS We established a new natural killer (NK) cell line stably transfected with the PD-1 and IL-2 genes and a new NK-sensitive target cell line stably transfected with the PD-L1 gene. Then, the assay system was established by co-cultivation of the established cell lines and measurement of the cytotoxic activities using the europium release assay. To confirm the performance of the established assay system, model therapeutic antibodies to block the PD-1/PD-L1 signal, nivolumab and atezolizumab were added to the co-culture system and the modulating effect on the cytotoxic activities were evaluated. RESULTS Nivolumab and atezolizumab clearly showed a modulating effect on cytotoxic activity in a dose-dependent manner in our assay system, whereas a human IgG isotype control antibody did not show any modulating effect on the assay system. CONCLUSION The newly established cell-based assay system can quantitatively evaluate the modulating effect of PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors by measuring cytotoxic activity, playing an important role in antitumor effects as innate immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruka Hirosaki
- Chemicals Assessment and Research Center, Chemicals Evaluation and Research Institute, Japan
| | - Yosuke Maeda
- Chemicals Assessment and Research Center, Chemicals Evaluation and Research Institute, Japan
| | - Masahiro Takeyoshi
- Chemicals Assessment and Research Center, Chemicals Evaluation and Research Institute, Japan
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27
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Dimitrova YN, Gutierrez JA, Huard K. It's ok to be outnumbered - sub-stoichiometric modulation of homomeric protein complexes. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:22-46. [PMID: 36760737 PMCID: PMC9890894 DOI: 10.1039/d2md00212d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
An arsenal of molecular tools with increasingly diversified mechanisms of action is being developed by the scientific community to enable biological interrogation and pharmaceutical modulation of targets and pathways of ever increasing complexity. While most small molecules interact with the target of interest in a 1 : 1 relationship, a noteworthy number of recent examples were reported to bind in a sub-stoichiometric manner to a homomeric protein complex. This approach requires molecular understanding of the physiologically relevant protein assemblies and in-depth characterization of the compound's mechanism of action. The recent literature examples summarized here were selected to illustrate methods used to identify and characterize molecules with such mechanisms. The concept of one small molecule targeting a homomeric protein assembly is not new but the subject deserves renewed inspection in light of emerging technologies and increasingly diverse target biology, to ensure relevant in vitro systems are used and valuable compounds with potentially novel sub-stoichiometric mechanisms of action aren't overlooked.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kim Huard
- Genentech 1 DNA Way South San Francisco CA 94080 USA
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28
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Mao J, Xue M, Guan X, Wang Q, Wang Z, Qin G, He H. Near-Infrared Blinking Carbon Dots Designed for Quantitative Nanoscopy. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:124-131. [PMID: 36579734 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Blinking carbon dots (CDs) have attracted attention as a probe for single molecule localization microscopy (SMLM), yet quantitative analysis is limited because of inept blinking and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Here we report the design and synthesis of near-infrared (NIR) blinking CDs with a maximum emission of around 750 nm by weaving a nitrogen-doped aromatic backbone with surplus carboxyl groups on the surface. The NIR-CDs allow conjugation to monovalent antibody fragments for labeling and imaging of cellular receptors as well as afford increases of 52% in SNR and 33% in localization precision over visible CDs. Analysis of fluorescent bursts allows for accurate counting of cellular receptors at the nanoscale resolution. Using NIR-CDs-based SMLM, we demonstrate oligomerization and internalization of programmed cell death-ligand 1 by a small molecule inhibitor for checkpoint blockade. Our NIR-CDs can become a generally applicable probe for quantitative nanoscopy in chemistry and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Minmin Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Xin Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Qian Wang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xi'an Shiyou University, Xi'an 710065, China
| | - Zhirui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Guangyong Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
| | - Hua He
- State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, China
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29
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Jiang M, Liu M, Liu G, Ma J, Zhang L, Wang S. Advances in the structural characterization of complexes of therapeutic antibodies with PD-1 or PD-L1. MAbs 2023; 15:2236740. [PMID: 37530414 PMCID: PMC10399482 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2023.2236740] [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: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody-based immune checkpoint blockade (ICB)-based therapeutics have become effective clinical applications for cancers. Applications of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to de-activate the PD-1-PD-L1 pathway could effectively reverse the phenotype of depleted activated thymocytes (T cells) to recover their anti-tumoral activities. High-resolution structures of the complexes of the therapeutic monoclonal antibodies with PD-1 or PD-L1 have revealed the key inter-molecular interactions and provided valuable insights into the fundamental mechanisms by which these antibodies inhibit PD-L1-PD-1 binding. Each anti-PD-1 mAb exhibits a unique blockade mechanism, such as interference with large PD-1-PD-L1 contacting interfaces, steric hindrance by overlapping a small area of this site, or binding to an N-glycosylated site. In contrast, all therapeutic anti-PD-L1 mAbs bind to a similar area of PD-L1. Here, we summarized advances in the structural characterization of the complexes of commercial mAbs that target PD-1 or PD-L1. In particular, we focus on the unique characteristics of those mAb structures, epitopes, and blockade mechanisms. It is well known that the use of antibodies as anti-tumor drugs has increased recently and both PD-1 and PD-L1 have attracted substantial attention as target for antibodies derived from new technologies. By focusing on structural characterization, this review aims to aid the development of novel antibodies targeting PD-1 or PD-L1 in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengzhen Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Man Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Guodi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiawen Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Lixin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Shenlin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, China
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30
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Jin Y, Deng Z, Zhu T. Membrane protein trafficking in the anti-tumor immune response: work of endosomal-lysosomal system. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:413. [PMID: 36528587 PMCID: PMC9759898 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02805-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has changed the treatment landscape for multiple cancer types. In the recent decade, great progress has been made in immunotherapy, including immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive T-cell therapy, and cancer vaccines. ICIs work by reversing tumor-induced immunosuppression, resulting in robust activation of the immune system and lasting immune responses. Whereas, their clinical use faces several challenges, especially the low response rate in most patients. As an increasing number of studies have focused on membrane immune checkpoint protein trafficking and degradation, which interferes with response to immunotherapy, it is necessary to summarize the mechanism regulating those transmembrane domain proteins translocated into the cytoplasm and degraded via lysosome. In addition, other immune-related transmembrane domain proteins such as T-cell receptor and major histocompatibility are associated with neoantigen presentation. The endosomal-lysosomal system can also regulate TCR and neoantigen-MHC complexes on the membrane to affect the efficacy of adoptive T-cell therapy and cancer vaccines. In conclusion, we discuss the process of surface delivery, internalization, recycling, and degradation of immune checkpoint proteins, TCR, and neoantigen-MHC complexes on the endosomal-lysosomal system in biology for optimizing cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Jin
- grid.412632.00000 0004 1758 2270Cancer Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060 China
| | - Zhifeng Deng
- grid.412632.00000 0004 1758 2270Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060 China
| | - Ting Zhu
- grid.412632.00000 0004 1758 2270Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060 China
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31
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Anti-Tumor Effects of Engineered VNP20009-Abvec-Igκ-mPD-1 Strain in Melanoma Mice via Combining the Oncolytic Therapy and Immunotherapy. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14122789. [PMID: 36559282 PMCID: PMC9781615 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14122789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death protein 1/Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) immune checkpoint inhibitors are the most promising treatments for malignant tumors currently, but the low response rate limits their further clinical utilization. To address this problem, our group constructed an engineered strain of VNP20009-Abvec-Igκ-mPD-1 [V-A-mPD-1 (mPD-1, murine PD-1)] to combine oncolytic bacterial therapy with immunotherapy. Further, we evaluated its growth performance and mPD-1 expression ability in vitro while establishing the melanoma mice model to explore its potential anti-cancer effects in tumor therapy. Our results indicated that the V-A-mPD-1 strain has superior growth performance and can invade B16F10 melanoma cells and express PD-1. In addition, in the melanoma mice model, we observed a marked reduction in tumor volume and the formation of a larger necrotic area. V-A-mPD-1 administration resulted in a high expression of mPD-1 at the tumor site, inhibiting tumor cell proliferation via the down-regulation of the expression of rat sarcoma (Ras), phosphorylated mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-MEK)/MEK, and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK)/ERK expression significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation. Tumor cell apoptosis was promoted by down-regulating phosphoinositide 3 kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathways, as evidenced by an increased Bcl-2-associated X protein/B cell lymphoma-2 (Bax/Bcl-2) expression ratio. Meanwhile, the expression levels of systemic inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were substantially reduced. In conclusion, our research demonstrated that V-A-mPD-1 has an excellent anti-tumor effect, prompting that the combined application of microbial therapy and immunotherapy is a feasible cancer treatment strategy.
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32
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Effects of small molecule-induced dimerization on the programmed death ligand 1 protein life cycle. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21286. [PMID: 36494467 PMCID: PMC9734112 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25417-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The programmed death 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) checkpoint blockade is central to Immuno-Oncology based therapies, and alternatives to antibody blockers of this interaction are an active area of research due to antibody related toxicities. Recently, small molecule compounds that induce PD-L1 dimerization and occlusion of PD-1 binding site have been identified and developed for clinical trials. This mechanism invokes an oligomeric state of PD-L1 not observed in cells previously, as PD-L1 is generally believed to function as a monomer. Therefore, understanding the cellular lifecycle of the induced PD-L1 dimer is of keen interest. Our report describes a moderate but consistent increase in the PD-L1 rate of degradation observed upon protein dimerization as compared to the monomer counterpart. This subtle change, while not resolved by measuring total PD-L1 cellular levels by western blotting, triggered investigations of the overall protein distribution across various cellular compartments. We show that PD-L1 dimerization does not lead to rapid internalization of neither transfected nor endogenously expressed protein forms. Instead, evidence is presented that dimerization results in retention of PD-L1 intracellularly, which concomitantly correlates with its reduction on the cell surface. Therefore, the obtained data for the first time points to the ability of small molecules to induce dimerization of the newly synthesized PD-L1 in addition to the protein already present on the plasma membrane. Overall, this work serves to improve our understanding of this important target on a molecular level in order to guide advances in drug development.
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33
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Sun C, Cheng Y, Liu X, Wang G, Min W, Wang X, Yuan K, Hou Y, Li J, Zhang H, Dong H, Wang L, Lou C, Sun Y, Yu X, Deng H, Xiao Y, Yang P. Novel phthalimides regulating PD-1/PD-L1 interaction as potential immunotherapy agents. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:4446-4457. [PMID: 36561991 PMCID: PMC9764071 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Programmed cell death 1(PD-1)/programmed cell death ligand 1(PD-L1) have emerged as one of the most promising immune checkpoint targets for cancer immunotherapy. Despite the inherent advantages of small-molecule inhibitors over antibodies, the discovery of small-molecule inhibitors has fallen behind that of antibody drugs. Based on docking studies between small molecule inhibitor and PD-L1 protein, changing the chemical linker of inhibitor from a flexible chain to an aromatic ring may improve its binding capacity to PD-L1 protein, which was not reported before. A series of novel phthalimide derivatives from structure-based rational design was synthesized. P39 was identified as the best inhibitor with promising activity, which not only inhibited PD-1/PD-L1 interaction (IC50 = 8.9 nmol/L), but also enhanced killing efficacy of immune cells on cancer cells. Co-crystal data demonstrated that P39 induced the dimerization of PD-L1 proteins, thereby blocking the binding of PD-1/PD-L1. Moreover, P39 exhibited a favorable safety profile with a LD50 > 5000 mg/kg and showed significant in vivo antitumor activity through promoting CD8+ T cell activation. All these data suggest that P39 acts as a promising small chemical inhibitor against the PD-1/PD-L1 axis and has the potential to improve the immunotherapy efficacy of T-cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengliang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Yao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Xiaojia Liu
- Beijing Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Gefei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Wenjian Min
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Xiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Kai Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Yi Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Jiaxing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Haolin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Haojie Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Liping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Chenguang Lou
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Yanze Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Xinmiao Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China
| | - Hongbin Deng
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China,Corresponding authors.
| | - Yibei Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China,Corresponding authors.
| | - Peng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Design and Optimization, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China,Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China,Corresponding authors.
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Wu Y, Yang Z, Cheng K, Bi H, Chen J. Small molecule-based immunomodulators for cancer therapy. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:4287-4308. [PMID: 36562003 PMCID: PMC9764074 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotherapy has led to a paradigm shift in the treatment of cancer. Current cancer immunotherapies are mostly antibody-based, thus possessing advantages in regard to pharmacodynamics (e.g., specificity and efficacy). However, they have limitations in terms of pharmacokinetics including long half-lives, poor tissue/tumor penetration, and little/no oral bioavailability. In addition, therapeutic antibodies are immunogenic, thus may cause unwanted adverse effects. Therefore, researchers have shifted their efforts towards the development of small molecule-based cancer immunotherapy, as small molecules may overcome the above disadvantages associated with antibodies. Further, small molecule-based immunomodulators and therapeutic antibodies are complementary modalities for cancer treatment, and may be combined to elicit synergistic effects. Recent years have witnessed the rapid development of small molecule-based cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we describe the current progress in small molecule-based immunomodulators (inhibitors/agonists/degraders) for cancer therapy, including those targeting PD-1/PD-L1, chemokine receptors, stimulator of interferon genes (STING), Toll-like receptor (TLR), etc. The tumorigenesis mechanism of various targets and their respective modulators that have entered clinical trials are also summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kui Cheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Huichang Bi
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
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35
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Yang J, Zhu Q, Wu Y, Qu X, Liu H, Jiang B, Ge D, Song X. Utilization of macrocyclic peptides to target protein-protein interactions in cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:992171. [PMID: 36465350 PMCID: PMC9714258 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.992171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play vital roles in normal cellular processes. Dysregulated PPIs are involved in the process of various diseases, including cancer. Thus, these PPIs may serve as potential therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. However, despite rapid advances in small-molecule drugs and biologics, it is still hard to target PPIs, especially for those intracellular PPIs. Macrocyclic peptides have gained growing attention for their therapeutic properties in targeting dysregulated PPIs. Macrocyclic peptides have some unique features, such as moderate sizes, high selectivity, and high binding affinities, which make them good drug candidates. In addition, some oncology macrocyclic peptide drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use. Here, we reviewed the recent development of macrocyclic peptides in cancer treatment. The opportunities and challenges were also discussed to inspire new perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawen Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiaoliang Zhu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifan Wu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojuan Qu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haixia Liu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Biao Jiang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Ge
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoling Song
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
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36
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Quach HT, Hou Z, Bellis RY, Saini JK, Amador-Molina A, Adusumilli PS, Xiong Y. Next-generation immunotherapy for solid tumors: combination immunotherapy with crosstalk blockade of TGFβ and PD-1/PD-L1. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2022; 31:1187-1202. [PMID: 36448335 PMCID: PMC10085570 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2022.2152323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In solid tumor immunotherapy, less than 20% of patients respond to anti-programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) agents. The role of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) in diverse immunity is well-established; however, systemic blockade of TGFβ is associated with toxicity. Accumulating evidence suggests the role of crosstalk between TGFβ and PD-1/PD-L1 pathways. AREAS COVERED We focus on TGFβ and PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway crosstalk and the determinant role of TGFβ in the resistance of immune checkpoint blockade. We provide the rationale for combination anti-TGFβ and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies for solid tumors and discuss the current status of dual blockade therapy in preclinical and clinical studies. EXPERT OPINION The heterogeneity of tumor microenvironment across solid tumors complicates patient selection, treatment regimens, and response and toxicity assessment for investigation of dual blockade agents. However, clinical knowledge from single-agent studies provides infrastructure to translate dual blockade therapies. Dual TGFβ and PD-1/PD-L1 blockade results in enhanced T-cell infiltration into tumors, a primary requisite for successful immunotherapy. A bifunctional fusion protein specifically targets TGFβ in the tumor microenvironment, avoiding systemic toxicity, and prevents interaction of PD-1+ cytotoxic cells with PD-L1+ tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hue Tu Quach
- Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Zhaohua Hou
- Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Rebecca Y. Bellis
- Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jasmeen K. Saini
- Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Alfredo Amador-Molina
- Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Prasad S. Adusumilli
- Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- Director, Mesothelioma Program; Head, Center for Cell Engineering, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Yuquan Xiong
- Thoracic Service, Department of Surgery, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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37
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Gould Rothberg BE, Quest TE, Yeung SCJ, Pelosof LC, Gerber DE, Seltzer JA, Bischof JJ, Thomas CR, Akhter N, Mamtani M, Stutman RE, Baugh CW, Anantharaman V, Pettit NR, Klotz AD, Gibbs MA, Kyriacou DN. Oncologic emergencies and urgencies: A comprehensive review. CA Cancer J Clin 2022; 72:570-593. [PMID: 35653456 DOI: 10.3322/caac.21727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with advanced cancer generate 4 million visits annually to emergency departments (EDs) and other dedicated, high-acuity oncology urgent care centers. Because of both the increasing complexity of systemic treatments overall and the higher rates of active therapy in the geriatric population, many patients experiencing acute decompensations are frail and acutely ill. This article comprehensively reviews the spectrum of oncologic emergencies and urgencies typically encountered in acute care settings. Presentation, underlying etiology, and up-to-date clinical pathways are discussed. Criteria for either a safe discharge to home or a transition of care to the inpatient oncology hospitalist team are emphasized. This review extends beyond familiar conditions such as febrile neutropenia, hypercalcemia, tumor lysis syndrome, malignant spinal cord compression, mechanical bowel obstruction, and breakthrough pain crises to include a broader spectrum of topics encompassing the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion, venous thromboembolism and malignant effusions, as well as chemotherapy-induced mucositis, cardiomyopathy, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Emergent and urgent complications associated with targeted therapeutics, including small molecules, naked and drug-conjugated monoclonal antibodies, as well as immune checkpoint inhibitors and chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, are summarized. Finally, strategies for facilitating same-day direct admission to hospice from the ED are discussed. This article not only can serve as a point-of-care reference for the ED physician but also can assist outpatient oncologists as well as inpatient hospitalists in coordinating care around the ED visit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie E Gould Rothberg
- Yale Cancer Center Innovations Laboratory, Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Tammie E Quest
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Sai-Ching J Yeung
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Lorraine C Pelosof
- Office of Oncologic Diseases, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland
| | - David E Gerber
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas
| | - Justin A Seltzer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Jason J Bischof
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Charles R Thomas
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Norris Cotton Cancer Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire
| | - Nausheen Akhter
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Mira Mamtani
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Robin E Stutman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Urgent Care Services, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Christopher W Baugh
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Venkataraman Anantharaman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, SingHealth Duke-National University of Singapore Academic Medical Center, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nicholas R Pettit
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Adam D Klotz
- Department of Medicine, Division of Urgent Care Services, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
| | - Michael A Gibbs
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Atrium Health-Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
| | - Demetrios N Kyriacou
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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38
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Liu C, Yang M, Zhang D, Chen M, Zhu D. Clinical cancer immunotherapy: Current progress and prospects. Front Immunol 2022; 13:961805. [PMID: 36304470 PMCID: PMC9592930 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.961805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immune checkpoint therapy via PD-1 antibodies has shown exciting clinical value and robust therapeutic potential in clinical practice. It can significantly improve progression-free survival and overall survival. Following surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, cancer treatment has now entered the age of immunotherapy. Although cancer immunotherapy has shown remarkable efficacy, it also suffers from limitations such as irAEs, cytokine storm, low response rate, etc. In this review, we discuss the basic classification, research progress, and limitations of cancer immunotherapy. Besides, by combining cancer immunotherapy resistance mechanism with analysis of combination therapy, we give our insights into the development of new anticancer immunotherapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenglong Liu
- Minhang Hospital and Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengxuan Yang
- Minhang Hospital and Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Daizhou Zhang
- New Drug Evaluation Center, Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Science, Jinan, China
| | - Ming Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Affiliated Taixing Hospital of Bengbu Medical College, Taizhou, China
| | - Di Zhu
- Minhang Hospital and Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- New Drug Evaluation Center, Shandong Academy of Pharmaceutical Science, Jinan, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of ImmunoTherapeutics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Di Zhu,
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39
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Zhang Y, Ranaei Pirmardan E, Barakat A, Naseri M, Hafezi-Moghadam A. Nanoarchitectonics for Photo-Controlled Intracellular Drug Release in Immune Modulation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:42976-42987. [PMID: 36103264 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c12440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Local stimuli differentiate monocytes into M2-like macrophages that mechanistically drive the pathologies in cancer and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A photo-controlled nanodrug that halts macrophage polarization through Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) inhibition was developed. A small-molecule ROCK inhibitor, fasudil, was conjugated to a photo-responsive group and a short poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain. This resulted in the novel amphiphilic prodrug, PEG-2-(4'-(di(prop-2-yn-1-yl)amino)-4-nitro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-yl)propan-1-ol (PANBP)-Fasudil, that spontaneously formed micelles. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of PEG-PANBP-Fasudil nanoparticles rapidly released fasudil. For visualization of linker degradation, a reporter nanoprobe was synthesized, in which 2-Me-4-OMe TokyoGreen (TG), a fluorophore that does not fluoresce in conjugation, was incorporated. Irradiation of nanoprobe-laden monocytes activated the reporter fluorophore. Cytokine stimulation differentiated monocytes into macrophages, while UV irradiation prevented polarization of PEG-PANBP-Fasudil nanoparticle-laden monocytes. Nanoarchitectonics-based design opens new possibilities for intracellular drug delivery and precise spatiotemporal immune cell modulation toward the development of new therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanlin Zhang
- Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Thorn Research Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Ehsan Ranaei Pirmardan
- Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Thorn Research Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Aliaa Barakat
- Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Thorn Research Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Marzieh Naseri
- Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Thorn Research Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department of Developmental, Molecular and Chemical Biology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, United States
| | - Ali Hafezi-Moghadam
- Molecular Biomarkers Nano-Imaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St., Thorn Research Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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40
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Biphenyl-based small molecule inhibitors: Novel cancer immunotherapeutic agents targeting PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 73:117001. [PMID: 36126447 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.117001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The immune checkpoint proteins are those key to the body's immunity which can either boost the immune system to protect the body from pathogens; or suppress the body's immunity system for the goal of self-tolerance. Cancer cells have evolved some mechanisms to boost the immuno-inhibitory checkpoints to bypass the immune system of the body. The binding of Programmed Cell Death-1 (PD-1) protein with its ligand Programmed Cell Death Ligand-1 (PD-L1) promotes this kind of immune-inhibitory signal. The discovery of immune checkpoint inhibitors was started in the early 21st century; with some success through monoclonal antibodies, peptides, and small molecules. Being the most reliable and safest way to target immune checkpoints, the scientific community is exploring possibilities to develop small molecule inhibitors. Among the different scaffolds of the small molecule, the most exposed and researched core molecule is Biphenyl-based scaffolds. We have described all of the possible biphenyl-based small molecules in this article, as well as their interactions with various amino acids in the binding cavity. The link between the in silico, in vitro, and in vivo activities of the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are well connected. The Tyr56, Met115, Ala121, and Asp122 were detected as the crucial amino acids of the PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition. Additionally, a detailed binding pocket analysis of the PD-L1 receptor was carried out, where it was observed and confirmed that the binding pocket is tunnel-shaped and hydrophobic in nature. Finally, the structure-activity relationship of the biphenyl-based small molecule inhibitors was developed based on their activity and the binding interactions.
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41
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Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Vaccine Improvements: Current Status and New Approaches. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14081721. [PMID: 36015348 PMCID: PMC9415890 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in combination with approved or experimental vaccines has proven to be a promising approach to improve vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy. This strategy seeks to overcome the immunosuppressive mechanisms associated with the vaccine response, thereby achieving increased immunogenicity and efficacy. Most of the information on the use of ICIs combined with vaccines derives from studies on certain anti-tumor vaccines combined with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against either cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), or programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). However, over the past few years, emerging strategies to use new-generation ICIs as molecular adjuvants are paving the way for future advances in vaccine research. Here, we review the current state and future directions of the use of ICIs in experimental and clinical settings, including mAbs and alternative new approaches using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small non-coding RNAs, aptamers, peptides, and other small molecules for improving vaccine efficacy. The scope of this review mainly includes the use of ICIs in therapeutic antitumor vaccines, although recent research on anti-infective vaccines will also be addressed.
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42
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Lv B, Wang Y, Ma D, Cheng W, Liu J, Yong T, Chen H, Wang C. Immunotherapy: Reshape the Tumor Immune Microenvironment. Front Immunol 2022; 13:844142. [PMID: 35874717 PMCID: PMC9299092 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.844142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) include tumor cells, immune cells, cytokines, etc. The interactions between these components, which are divided into anti-tumor and pro-tumor, determine the trend of anti-tumor immunity. Although the immune system can eliminate tumor through the cancer-immune cycle, tumors appear to eventually evade from immune surveillance by shaping an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Immunotherapy reshapes the TIME and restores the tumor killing ability of anti-tumor immune cells. Herein, we review the function of immune cells within the TIME and discuss the contribution of current mainstream immunotherapeutic approaches to remolding the TIME. Changes in the immune microenvironment in different forms under the intervention of immunotherapy can shed light on better combination treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingzhe Lv
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.,The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yunpeng Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.,The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Dongjiang Ma
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.,The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.,The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.,The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Tao Yong
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.,The Second Clinical Medical College, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.,Department of Surgical Oncology, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China.,Key Laboratory of Digestive System Tumors of Gansu Province, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, China
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43
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He B, Li B, Chen X, Zhang Q, Lu C, Yang S, Long J, Ning L, Chen H, Huang J. PDL1Binder: Identifying programmed cell death ligand 1 binding peptides by incorporating next-generation phage display data and different peptide descriptors. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:928774. [PMID: 35910615 PMCID: PMC9335124 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.928774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibody drugs targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway have showed efficacy in the treatment of cancer patients, however, they have many intrinsic limitations and inevitable drawbacks. Peptide inhibitors as alternatives might compensate for the drawbacks of current PD-1/PD-L1 interaction blockers. Identifying PD-L1 binding peptides by random peptide library screening is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. Machine learning-based computational models enable rapid discovery of peptide candidates targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. In this study, we first employed next-generation phage display (NGPD) biopanning to isolate PD-L1 binding peptides. Different peptide descriptors and feature selection methods as well as diverse machine learning methods were then incorporated to implement predictive models of PD-L1 binding. Finally, we proposed PDL1Binder, an ensemble computational model for efficiently obtaining PD-L1 binding peptides. Our results suggest that predictive models of PD-L1 binding can be learned from deep sequencing data and provide a new path to discover PD-L1 binding peptides. A web server was implemented for PDL1Binder, which is freely available at http://i.uestc.edu.cn/pdl1binder/cgi-bin/PDL1Binder.pl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bifang He
- Medical College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Bowen Li
- Medical College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Xue Chen
- Medical College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | | | - Chunying Lu
- Medical College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | | | - Jinjin Long
- Medical College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Lin Ning
- School of Healthcare Technology, Chengdu Neusoft University, Chengdu, China
| | - Heng Chen
- Medical College, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
- *Correspondence: Heng Chen,
| | - Jian Huang
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Jian Huang,
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44
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Microscale Thermophoresis as a Tool to Study Protein Interactions and Their Implication in Human Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147672. [PMID: 35887019 PMCID: PMC9315744 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The review highlights how protein–protein interactions (PPIs) have determining roles in most life processes and how interactions between protein partners are involved in various human diseases. The study of PPIs and binding interactions as well as their understanding, quantification and pharmacological regulation are crucial for therapeutic purposes. Diverse computational and analytical methods, combined with high-throughput screening (HTS), have been extensively used to characterize multiple types of PPIs, but these procedures are generally laborious, long and expensive. Rapid, robust and efficient alternative methods are proposed, including the use of Microscale Thermophoresis (MST), which has emerged as the technology of choice in drug discovery programs in recent years. This review summarizes selected case studies pertaining to the use of MST to detect therapeutically pertinent proteins and highlights the biological importance of binding interactions, implicated in various human diseases. The benefits and limitations of MST to study PPIs and to identify regulators are discussed.
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45
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Urban VA, Nazarenko PS, Perepechko SA, Veresov VG. Using PD-L1 full-length structure, enhanced induced fit docking and molecular dynamics simulations for structural insights into inhibition of PD-1/PD-L1 interaction by small-molecule ligands. MOLECULAR SIMULATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/08927022.2022.2080824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Viktor A. Urban
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of NAS of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
| | | | | | - Valery G. Veresov
- Department of Immunology and Cell Biophysics, Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering of NAS of Belarus, Minsk, Belarus
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46
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Mittal L, Tonk R, Awasthi A, Asthana S. Traversing through the Dynamic Protein-Protein Interaction Landscape and Conformational Plasticity of PD-1 for Small-Molecule Discovery. J Med Chem 2022; 65:5941-5953. [PMID: 35420421 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 interface have shown remarkable success in treating malignancies, but they may also initiate lethal immune-related adverse events. Small molecules may circumvent the mAb limitations; however, none has entered clinical trials targeting PD-1. Its complex protein-protein interaction interfaces necessitate an atomic-level understanding of recognition and binding mechanisms. Hence, we have aimed to highlight the PD-1's sequence-structure-dynamic-function link with its cognate ligands and diversely reported inhibitors. We focus primarily on the anti-PD-1 mAbs, their mode of actions, and interactions with PD-1 epitopes. The comparison of co-crystals showed that these ligands/inhibitors harness the PD-1's conformational plasticity and structural determinants differentially. The relationship between modulator binding patterns and biological activity is demonstrated using interaction fingerprinting of all reported human PD-1 co-crystals. The significant dynamical events and hot-spot residues underpinned from crystallographic wealth and computational studies have been highlighted to expedite small-molecule discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lovika Mittal
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Haryana 121001, India.,Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), Delhi 110017, India
| | - Rajiv Tonk
- Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU), Delhi 110017, India
| | - Amit Awasthi
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Haryana 121001, India
| | - Shailendra Asthana
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Haryana 121001, India
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47
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Lu L, Qi Z, Wang T, Zhang X, Zhang K, Wang K, Cheng Y, Xiao Y, Li Z, Jiang S. Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of PD-1/PD-L1 Antagonists Bearing a Benzamide Scaffold. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:586-592. [PMID: 35450381 PMCID: PMC9014519 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.1c00646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Several antibodies targeting programmed cell death-1 (PD-1)/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for cancer therapy. Although many small-molecule inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway have been reported, no small-molecule inhibitors have been approved for cancer treatment. In this work, a series of novel benzamide derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated to find effective inhibitors of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. The most potent compound D2 exhibited better activity than that of BMS202, with an IC50 of 16.17 nM. D2 could activate the antitumor immunity of T cells efficiently in PBMCs. The proposed binding mode of compound D2 was investigated by docking analysis. These results indicate that compound D2 is a promising lead compound that can be used for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zhihao Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiangyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Kuojun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Kaizhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Yibei Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Center for Bioenergetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, 6670 Bertner, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
| | - Sheng Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Department of Biomedical Engineering, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
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48
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Jouini N, Cardinale J, Mindt TL. Evaluation of a Radiolabelled Macrocyclic Peptide as Potential PET Imaging Probe for PD-L1. ChemMedChem 2022; 17:e202200091. [PMID: 35388635 PMCID: PMC9320808 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between the immune checkpoint PD‐1 and PD−L1 promotes T‐cell deactivation and cancer proliferation. Therefore, immune checkpoint inhibition therapy, which relies on prior assessment of the target, has been widely used for many cancers. As a non‐invasive molecular imaging tool, radiotracers bring novel information on the in vivo expression of biomarkers (e. g., PD−L1), enabling a personalized treatment of patients. Our work aimed at the development of a PD−L1‐specific, peptide‐based PET radiotracer. We synthesized and evaluated a radiolabeled macrocyclic peptide adapted from a patent by Bristol Myers Squibb. Synthesis of [68Ga]Ga‐NJMP1 yielded a product with a radiochemical purity>95 % that was evaluated in vitro. However, experiments on CHO−K1 hPD−L1 cells showed very low cell binding and internalization rates of [68Ga]Ga‐NJMP1 in comparison to a control radiopeptide (WL12). Non‐radioactive cellular assays using time‐resolved fluorescence energy transfer confirmed the low affinity of the reported parent peptide and the DOTA‐derivatives towards PD−L1. The results of our studies indicate that the macrocyclic peptide scaffold reported in the patent literature is not suitable for radiotracer development due to insufficient affinity towards PD−L1 and that C‐terminal modifications of the macrocyclic peptide interfere with important ligand/receptor interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nedra Jouini
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Applied Diagnostics, Imaging Biomarkers, AUSTRIA
| | - Jens Cardinale
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Applied Diagnostics, Imaging Biomarker, AUSTRIA
| | - Thomas L Mindt
- Ludwig Boltzmann Institute Applied Diagnostics, Imaging Biomarker, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, AKH, c/o Sekretariat Nuklearmedizin, 1090, Vienna, AUSTRIA
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49
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Molecular glues modulate protein functions by inducing protein aggregation: A promising therapeutic strategy of small molecules for disease treatment. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:3548-3566. [PMID: 36176907 PMCID: PMC9513498 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular glues can specifically induce aggregation between two or more proteins to modulate biological functions. In recent years, molecular glues have been widely used as protein degraders. In addition, however, molecular glues play a variety of vital roles, such as complex stabilization, interactome modulation and transporter inhibition, enabling challenging therapeutic targets to be druggable and offering an exciting novel approach for drug discovery. Since most molecular glues are identified serendipitously, exploration of their systematic discovery and rational design are important. In this review, representative examples of molecular glues with various physiological functions are divided into those mediating homo-dimerization, homo-polymerization and hetero-dimerization according to their aggregation modes, and we attempt to elucidate their mechanisms of action. In particular, we aim to highlight some biochemical techniques typically exploited within these representative studies and classify them in terms of three stages of molecular glue development: starting point, optimization and identification.
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Kraus RF, Gruber MA. Neutrophils-From Bone Marrow to First-Line Defense of the Innate Immune System. Front Immunol 2022; 12:767175. [PMID: 35003081 PMCID: PMC8732951 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.767175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neutrophils (polymorphonuclear cells; PMNs) form a first line of defense against pathogens and are therefore an important component of the innate immune response. As a result of poorly controlled activation, however, PMNs can also mediate tissue damage in numerous diseases, often by increasing tissue inflammation and injury. According to current knowledge, PMNs are not only part of the pathogenesis of infectious and autoimmune diseases but also of conditions with disturbed tissue homeostasis such as trauma and shock. Scientific advances in the past two decades have changed the role of neutrophils from that of solely immune defense cells to cells that are responsible for the general integrity of the body, even in the absence of pathogens. To better understand PMN function in the human organism, our review outlines the role of PMNs within the innate immune system. This review provides an overview of the migration of PMNs from the vascular compartment to the target tissue as well as their chemotactic processes and illuminates crucial neutrophil immune properties at the site of the lesion. The review is focused on the formation of chemotactic gradients in interaction with the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the influence of the ECM on PMN function. In addition, our review summarizes current knowledge about the phenomenon of bidirectional and reverse PMN migration, neutrophil microtubules, and the microtubule organizing center in PMN migration. As a conclusive feature, we review and discuss new findings about neutrophil behavior in cancer environment and tumor tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Felix Kraus
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
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