1
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Hofmann S, Dombrowsky C, Happel D, Dessin C, Cermjani E, Cica M, Avrutina O, Sewald N, Neumann H, Kolmar H. Conditional Cell Penetration of Masked CPPs by an ADEPT-like Approach. ACS Chem Biol 2024; 19:1320-1329. [PMID: 38733564 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00149] [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: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
The intracellular delivery of cargos via cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) holds significant promise as a drug delivery vehicle, but a major issue is their lack of cell type specificity, which can lead to detrimental off-target effects. We use an ADEPT-like concept to introduce conditional and selective activation of cellular uptake by using the lysine-rich, cationic, and amphiphilic L17E peptide as a model CPP. By masking the lysine residues of the L17E peptide with enzyme-cleavable acetyl protecting groups, the delivery of the covalently conjugated fluorophore TAMRA to HeLa cells was diminished. Recovery of cellular uptake could be achieved by deacetylation of the masked acetylated L17E peptide using the NAD-dependent sirtuin 2 (SirT2) deacetylase in vitro. Finally, trastuzumab-SirT2 and anti-B7H3-SirT2 antibody-enzyme conjugates were generated for the conditional and selective delivery of a cryptophycin cytotoxin by the L17E peptide. While the masked peptide still demonstrated some cytotoxicity, selective cell killing mediated by the antibody-enzyme conjugates was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Hofmann
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, TU Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Straße 4, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Carolin Dombrowsky
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, TU Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Straße 4, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Dominic Happel
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, TU Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Straße 4, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Cedric Dessin
- Department of Chemistry/Organic Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Centrum für Biotechnologie - CeBiTec, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Egzon Cermjani
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, TU Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Straße 4, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Matijas Cica
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, TU Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Straße 4, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Olga Avrutina
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, TU Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Straße 4, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Norbert Sewald
- Department of Chemistry/Organic Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Centrum für Biotechnologie - CeBiTec, Universitätsstraße 27, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Heinz Neumann
- Department of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Stephanstraße 7, 64295 Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, TU Darmstadt, Peter-Grünberg-Straße 4, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
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2
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Ding GB, Cao H, Zhu C, Chen F, Ye J, Li BC, Yang P, Stauber RH, Qiao M, Li Z. Biosynthesized tumor acidity and MMP dual-responsive plant toxin gelonin for robust cancer therapy. Biomater Sci 2024; 12:346-360. [PMID: 38099814 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm01779f] [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: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Among all kinds of anticancer agents, small molecule drugs produce an unsatisfactory therapeutic effect due to the lack of selectivity, notorious drug resistance and side effects. Therefore, researchers have begun to pay extensive attention to macromolecular drugs with high efficacy and specificity. As a plant toxin, gelonin exerts potent antitumor activity via inhibiting intracellular protein synthesis. However, gelonin lacks a translocation domain, and thus its poor cellular uptake leads to low outcomes of antitumor response. Here, tumor acidity and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) dual-responsive functional gelonin (Trx-PVGLIG-pHLIP-gelonin, TPpG), composed of a thioredoxin (Trx) tag, a pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP), an MMP-responsive motif PVGLIG hexapeptide and gelonin, was innovatively proposed and biologically synthesized by a gene recombination technique. TPpG exhibited good thermal and serum stability, showed MMP responsiveness and could enter tumor cells under weakly acidic conditions, especially for MMP2-overexpressing HT1080 cells. Compared to low MMP2-expressing MCF-7 cells, TPpG displayed enhanced in vitro antitumor efficacy to HT1080 cells at pH 6.5 as determined by different methods. Likewise, TPpG was much more effective in triggering cell apoptosis and inhibiting protein synthesis in HT1080 cells than in MCF-7 cells. Intriguingly, with enhanced stability and pH/MMP dual responsiveness, TPpG notably inhibited subcutaneous HT1080 xenograft growth in mice and no noticeable off-target side effect was observed. This ingeniously designed strategy aims at providing new perspectives for the development of a smart platform that can intelligently respond to a tumor microenvironment for efficient protein delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Bin Ding
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences/School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China.
- Institute of Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Huiyan Cao
- Institute of Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Chenchen Zhu
- Institute of Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Fangyuan Chen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Jiaqi Ye
- Institutes of Biomedical Sciences/School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China.
| | - Bin-Chun Li
- Institute of Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Peng Yang
- Institute of Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Roland H Stauber
- Institute of Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
- Nanobiomedicine Department/ENT, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz 55131, Germany
| | - Mingqiang Qiao
- Institute of Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
| | - Zhuoyu Li
- Institute of Biotechnology, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China.
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3
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Asrorov AM, Wang H, Zhang M, Wang Y, He Y, Sharipov M, Yili A, Huang Y. Cell penetrating peptides: Highlighting points in cancer therapy. Drug Dev Res 2023; 84:1037-1071. [PMID: 37195405 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.22076] [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: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), first identified in HIV a few decades ago, deserved great attention in the last two decades; especially to support the penetration of anticancer drug means. In the drug delivery discipline, they have been involved in various approaches from mixing with hydrophobic drugs to the use of genetically conjugated proteins. The early classification as cationic and amphipathic CPPs has been extended to a few more classes such as hydrophobic and cyclic CPPs so far. Developing potential sequences utilized almost all methods of modern science: choosing high-efficiency peptides from natural protein sequences, sequence-based comparison, amino acid substitution, obtaining chemical and/or genetic conjugations, in silico approaches, in vitro analysis, animal experiments, etc. The bottleneck effect in this discipline reveals the complications that modern science faces in drug delivery research. Most CPP-based drug delivery systems (DDSs) efficiently inhibited tumor volume and weight in mice, but only in rare cases reduced their levels and continued further processes. The integration of chemical synthesis into the development of CPPs made a significant contribution and even reached the clinical stage as a diagnostic tool. But constrained efforts still face serious problems in overcoming biobarriers to reach further achievements. In this work, we reviewed the roles of CPPs in anticancer drug delivery, focusing on their amino acid composition and sequences. As the most suitable point, we relied on significant changes in tumor volume in mice resulting from CPPs. We provide a review of individual CPPs and/or their derivatives in a separate subsection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akmal M Asrorov
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, AS of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Department of Natural Substances Chemistry, National University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Huiyuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yonghui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang He
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Mirkomil Sharipov
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, AS of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
| | - Abulimiti Yili
- The Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Chemistry of Arid Zone, Xinjiang Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yongzhuo Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Zhongshan Institute for Drug Discovery, Institutes of Drug Discovery and Development, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhongshan, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Excipients, Shanghai, China
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4
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Zakany F, Mándity IM, Varga Z, Panyi G, Nagy P, Kovacs T. Effect of the Lipid Landscape on the Efficacy of Cell-Penetrating Peptides. Cells 2023; 12:1700. [PMID: 37443733 PMCID: PMC10340183 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Every cell biological textbook teaches us that the main role of the plasma membrane is to separate cells from their neighborhood to allow for a controlled composition of the intracellular space. The mostly hydrophobic nature of the cell membrane presents an impenetrable barrier for most hydrophilic molecules larger than 1 kDa. On the other hand, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are capable of traversing this barrier without compromising membrane integrity, and they can do so on their own or coupled to cargos. Coupling biologically and medically relevant cargos to CPPs holds great promise of delivering membrane-impermeable drugs into cells. If the cargo is able to interact with certain cell types, uptake of the CPP-drug complex can be tailored to be cell-type-specific. Besides outlining the major membrane penetration pathways of CPPs, this review is aimed at deciphering how properties of the membrane influence the uptake mechanisms of CPPs. By summarizing an extensive body of experimental evidence, we argue that a more ordered, less flexible membrane structure, often present in the very diseases planned to be treated with CPPs, decreases their cellular uptake. These correlations are not only relevant for understanding the cellular biology of CPPs, but also for rationally improving their value in translational or clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florina Zakany
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (F.Z.); (Z.V.); (G.P.)
| | - István M. Mándity
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary;
- TTK Lendület Artificial Transporter Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Varga
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (F.Z.); (Z.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (F.Z.); (Z.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Peter Nagy
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (F.Z.); (Z.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Tamas Kovacs
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (F.Z.); (Z.V.); (G.P.)
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5
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Geng J, Wang J, Wang H. Emerging Landscape of Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Mediated Organelle Restoration and Replacement. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2023; 6:229-244. [PMID: 36798470 PMCID: PMC9926530 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Organelles are specialized subunits within a cell membrane that perform specific roles or functions, and their dysfunction can lead to a variety of pathophysiologies including developmental defects, aging, and diseases (cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases). Recent studies have shown that cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-based pharmacological therapies delivered to organelles or even directly resulting in organelle replacement can restore cell function and improve or prevent disease. In this review, we summarized the current developments in the precise delivery of exogenous cargoes via CPPs at the organelle level, CPP-mediated organelle delivery, and discuss their feasibility as next-generation targeting strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases at the organelle level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingping Geng
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang443002, China
- Interdisciplinary
Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biophysics, Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2c, 02-097Warszawa, Poland
| | - Jing Wang
- Institute
of Cell Engineering, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland21215, United States
| | - Hu Wang
- Department
of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical School, China Three Gorges University, Yichang443002, China
- Institute
of Cell Engineering, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland21215, United States
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6
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Bottens RA, Yamada T. Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) as Therapeutic and Diagnostic Agents for Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14225546. [PMID: 36428639 PMCID: PMC9688740 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14225546] [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: 10/23/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) are short peptides consisting of <30 amino acids. Their ability to translocate through the cell membrane while carrying large cargo biomolecules has been the topic of pre-clinical and clinical trials. The ability to deliver cargo complexes through membranes yields potential for therapeutics and diagnostics for diseases such as cancer. Upon cellular entry, some CPPs have the ability to target specific organelles. CPP-based intracellular targeting strategies hold tremendous potential as they can improve efficacy and reduce toxicities and side effects. Further, recent clinical trials show a significant potential for future CPP-based cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize recent advances in CPPs based on systematic searches in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases until 30 September 2022. We highlight targeted delivery and explore the potential uses for CPPs as diagnostics, drug delivery, and intrinsic anti-cancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan A. Bottens
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Tohru Yamada
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Richard & Loan Hill Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine and Engineering, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Correspondence:
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7
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Polli JR, Balthasar JP. Cell Penetrating Peptides Conjugated to Anti-Carcinoembryonic Antigen "Catch-and-Release" Monoclonal Antibodies Alter Plasma and Tissue Pharmacokinetics in Colorectal Cancer Xenograft Mice. Bioconjug Chem 2022; 33:1456-1466. [PMID: 35867869 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cell penetrating peptides conjugated to delivery vehicles, such as nanoparticles or antibodies, can enhance the cytosolic delivery of macromolecules. The present study examines the effects of conjugation to cell penetrating and endosomal escape peptides (i.e., TAT, GALA, and H6CM18) on the pharmacokinetics and distribution of an anti-carcinoembryonic antigen "catch-and-release" monoclonal antibody, 10H6, in a murine model of colorectal cancer. GALA and TAT were conjugated to 10H6 using SoluLINK technology that allowed the evaluation of peptide-to-antibody ratio by ultraviolet spectroscopy. H6CM18 was conjugated to either NHS or maleimide-modified 10H6 using an azide-modified valine-citrulline linker and copper-free click chemistry. Unmodified and peptide-conjugated 10H6 preparations were administered intravenously at 6.67 nmol/kg to mice-bearing MC38CEA+ tumors. Unconjugated 10H6 demonstrated a clearance of 19.9 ± 1.36 mL/day/kg, with an apparent volume of distribution of 62.4 ± 7.78 mL/kg. All antibody-peptide conjugates exhibited significantly decreased plasma and tissue exposure, increased plasma clearance, and increased distribution volume. Examination of tissue-to-plasma exposure ratios showed an enhanced selectivity of 10H6-TAT for the GI tract (+25%), kidney (+24%), liver (+38%), muscle (+3%), and spleen (+33%). 10H6-GALA and 10H6-H6CM18 conjugates demonstrated decreased exposure in all tissues, relative to unmodified 10H6. All conjugates demonstrated decreased tumor exposure and selectivity; however, differences in tumor selectivity between 10H6 and 10H6-H6CM18 (maleimide) were not statistically significant. Relationships between the predicted peptide conjugate isoelectric point (pI) and pharmacokinetic parameters were bell-shaped, where pI values around 6.8-7 exhibit the slowest plasma clearance and smallest distribution volume. The data and analyses presented in this work may guide future efforts to develop immunoconjugates with cell penetrating and endosomal escape peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Ryan Polli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14215, United States
| | - Joseph P Balthasar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14215, United States
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8
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Zhou M, Zou X, Cheng K, Zhong S, Su Y, Wu T, Tao Y, Cong L, Yan B, Jiang Y. The role of cell-penetrating peptides in potential anti-cancer therapy. Clin Transl Med 2022; 12:e822. [PMID: 35593206 PMCID: PMC9121317 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the complex physiological structure, microenvironment and multiple physiological barriers, traditional anti-cancer drugs are severely restricted from reaching the tumour site. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are typically made up of 5-30 amino acids, and can be utilised as molecular transporters to facilitate the passage of therapeutic drugs across physiological barriers. Up to now, CPPs have widely been used in many anti-cancer treatment strategies, serving as an excellent potential choice for oncology treatment. However, their drawbacks, such as the lack of cell specificity, short duration of action, poor stability in vivo, compatibility problems (i.e. immunogenicity), poor therapeutic efficacy and formation of unwanted metabolites, have limited their further application in cancer treatment. The cellular uptake mechanisms of CPPs involve mainly endocytosis and direct penetration, but still remain highly controversial in academia. The CPPs-based drug delivery strategy could be improved by clever design or chemical modifications to develop the next-generation CPPs with enhanced cell penetration capability, stability and selectivity. In addition, some recent advances in targeted cell penetration that involve CPPs provide some new ideas to optimise CPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Zhou
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xi Zou
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Kexin Cheng
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Suye Zhong
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yangzhou Su
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Tao Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yongguang Tao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Li Cong
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Bin Yan
- Department of Pathology, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yiqun Jiang
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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9
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Unleashing cell-penetrating peptide applications for immunotherapy. Trends Mol Med 2022; 28:482-496. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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10
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Polli JR, Chen P, Bordeau BM, Balthasar JP. Targeted Delivery of Endosomal Escape Peptides to Enhance Immunotoxin Potency and Anti-cancer Efficacy. AAPS J 2022; 24:47. [PMID: 35338415 DOI: 10.1208/s12248-022-00698-x] [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: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
This work describes use of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibodies (10H6, T84.66) for targeted delivery of an endosomal escape peptide (H6CM18) and gelonin, a type I ribosome inactivating protein. The viability of colorectal cancer cells (LS174T, LoVo) was assessed following treatment with gelonin or gelonin immunotoxins, with or without co-treatment with T84.66-H6CM18. Fluorescent microscopy was used to visualize the escape of immunoconjugates from endosomes of treated cells, and efficacy and toxicity were assessed in vivo in xenograft tumor-bearing mice following single- and multiple-dose regimens. Application of 25 pM T84.66-H6CM18 combined with T84.66-gelonin increased gelonin potency by ~ 1,000-fold and by ~ 6,000-fold in LS174T and LoVo cells. Intravenous 10H6-gelonin at 1.0 mg/kg was well tolerated by LS174T tumor-bearing mice, while 10 and 25 mg/kg doses led to signs of toxicity. Single-dose administration of PBS, gelonin conjugated to T84.66 or 10H6, T84.66-H6CM18, or gelonin immunotoxins co-administered with T84.66-H6CM18 were evaluated. The combinations of T84.66-gelonin + 1.0 mg/kg T84.66-H6CM18 and 10H6-gelonin + 0.1 mg/kg T84.66-H6CM18 led to significant delays in LS174T growth. Use of a multiple-dose regimen allowed further anti-tumor effects, significantly extending median survival time by 33% and by 69%, for mice receiving 1 mg/kg 10H6-gelonin + 0.1 mg/kg T84.66-H6CM18 (p = 0.0072) and 1 mg/kg 10H6-gelonin + 1 mg/kg T84.66-H6CM18 (p = 0.0017). Combined administration of gelonin immunoconjugates with antibody-targeted endosomal escape peptides increased the delivery of gelonin to the cytoplasm of targeted cells, increased gelonin cell killing in vitro by 1,000-6,000 fold, and significantly increased in vivo efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Ryan Polli
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 14214, USA
| | - Ping Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 14214, USA
| | - Brandon M Bordeau
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 14214, USA
| | - Joseph P Balthasar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 14214, USA.
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11
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Ding GB, Zhu C, Wang Q, Cao H, Li BC, Yang P, Stauber RH, Nie G, Li Z. Molecularly engineered tumor acidity-responsive plant toxin gelonin for safe and efficient cancer therapy. Bioact Mater 2022; 18:42-55. [PMID: 35387163 PMCID: PMC8961304 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2022.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the unsatisfactory therapeutic efficacy and inexorable side effects of small molecule antineoplastic agents, extensive efforts have been devoted to the development of more potent macromolecular agents with high specificity. Gelonin is a plant-derived protein toxin that exhibits robust antitumor effect via inactivating ribosomes and inhibiting protein synthesis. Nonetheless, its poor internalization ability to tumor cells has compromised the therapeutic promise of gelonin. In this study, a tumor acidity-responsive intracellular protein delivery system ─ functional gelonin (Trx-pHLIP-Gelonin, TpG) composed of a thioredoxin (Trx) tag, a pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP) and gelonin, was designed and obtained by genetic recombination technique for the first time. TpG could effectively enter into tumor cells under weakly acidic conditions and markedly suppress tumor cell proliferation via triggering cell apoptosis and inhibiting protein synthesis. Most importantly, treatment by intravenous injection into subcutaneous SKOV3 solid tumors in a mouse model showed that TpG was much more effective than gelonin in curtailing tumor growth rates with negligible toxicity. Collectively, our present work suggests that the tumor acidity-targeted delivery manner endowed by pHLIP offers a new avenue for efficient delivery of other bioactive substances to acidic diseased tissues. A pH-responsive gelonin delivery platform — TpG was molecularly engineered. TpG exhibited good thermal stability and excellent serum stability. TpG enabled an efficient intracellular translocation of gelonin at pH 6.5. TpG exerted pronounced anti-proliferative effect via inducing massive apoptosis. TpG significantly delayed tumor growth with favorable in vivo biosafety profile.
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12
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Zorko M, Jones S, Langel Ü. Cell-penetrating peptides in protein mimicry and cancer therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 180:114044. [PMID: 34774552 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Extensive research has been undertaken in the pursuit of anticancer therapeutics. Many anticancer drugs require specificity of delivery to cancer cells, whilst sparing healthy tissue. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), now well established as facilitators of intracellular delivery, have in recent years advanced to incorporate target specificity and thus possess great potential for the targeted delivery of anticancer cargoes. Though none have yet been approved for clinical use, this novel technology has already entered clinical trials. In this review we present CPPs, discuss their classification, mechanisms of cargo internalization and highlight strategies for conjugation to anticancer moieties including their incorporation into therapeutic proteins. As the mainstay of this review, strategies to build specificity into tumor targeting CPP constructs through exploitation of the tumor microenvironment and the use of tumor homing peptides are discussed, whilst acknowledging the extensive contribution made by CPP constructs to target specific protein-protein interactions integral to intracellular signaling pathways associated with tumor cell survival and progression. Finally, antibody/antigen CPP conjugates and their potential roles in cancer immunotherapy and diagnostics are considered. In summary, this review aims to harness the potential of CPP-aided drug delivery for future cancer therapies and diagnostics whilst highlighting some of the most recent achievements in selective delivery of anticancer drugs, including cytostatic drugs, to a range of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Zorko
- University of Ljubljana, Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sarah Jones
- University of Wolverhampton, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science & Engineering, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK.
| | - Ülo Langel
- University of Stockholm, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu, Estonia 50411, Estonia.
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Sanz L, Ibáñez-Pérez R, Guerrero-Ochoa P, Lacadena J, Anel A. Antibody-Based Immunotoxins for Colorectal Cancer Therapy. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1729. [PMID: 34829955 PMCID: PMC8615520 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are included among the treatment options for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, while these mAbs effectively target cancer cells, they may have limited clinical activity. A strategy to improve their therapeutic potential is arming them with a toxic payload. Immunotoxins (ITX) combining the cell-killing ability of a toxin with the specificity of a mAb constitute a promising strategy for CRC therapy. However, several important challenges in optimizing ITX remain, including suboptimal pharmacokinetics and especially the immunogenicity of the toxin moiety. Nonetheless, ongoing research is working to solve these limitations and expand CRC patients' therapeutic armory. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of targets and toxins employed in the design of ITX for CRC and highlight a wide selection of ITX tested in CRC patients as well as preclinical candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sanz
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, 28222 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Ibáñez-Pérez
- Apoptosis, Immunity and Cancer Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS-Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (R.I.-P.); (P.G.-O.)
| | - Patricia Guerrero-Ochoa
- Apoptosis, Immunity and Cancer Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS-Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (R.I.-P.); (P.G.-O.)
| | - Javier Lacadena
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Anel
- Apoptosis, Immunity and Cancer Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS-Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (R.I.-P.); (P.G.-O.)
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14
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TAT for Enzyme/Protein Delivery to Restore or Destroy Cell Activity in Human Diseases. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:life11090924. [PMID: 34575072 PMCID: PMC8466028 DOI: 10.3390/life11090924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Much effort has been dedicated in the recent decades to find novel protein/enzyme-based therapies for human diseases, the major challenge of such therapies being the intracellular delivery and reaching sub-cellular organelles. One promising approach is the use of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) for delivering enzymes/proteins into cells. In this review, we describe the potential therapeutic usages of CPPs (mainly trans-activator of transcription protein, TAT) in enabling the uptake of biologically active proteins/enzymes needed in cases of protein/enzyme deficiency, concentrating on mitochondrial diseases and on the import of enzymes or peptides in order to destroy pathogenic cells, focusing on cancer cells.
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Hemmati S, Behzadipour Y, Haddad M. Decoding the proteome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) for cell-penetrating peptides involved in pathogenesis or applicable as drug delivery vectors. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2020; 85:104474. [PMID: 32712315 PMCID: PMC7378008 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic or natural derived cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are vastly investigated as tools for the intracellular delivery of membrane-impermeable molecules. As viruses are intracellular obligate parasites, viral originated CPPs have been considered as suitable intracellular shuttling vectors for cargo transportation. A total of 310 CPPs were identified in the proteome of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Screening the proteome of the cause of COVID-19 reveals that SARS-CoV-2 CPPs (SCV2-CPPs) span the regions involved in replication, protein-nucleotide and protein-protein interaction, protein-metal ion interaction, and stabilization of homo/hetero-oligomers. However, to find the most appropriate peptides as drug delivery vectors, one might face several hurdles. Computational analyses showed that 94.3% of the identified SCV2-CPPs are non-toxins, and 38% are neither antigenic nor allergenic. Interestingly, 36.70% of SCV2-CPPs were resistant to all four groups of protease families. Nearly 1/3 of SCV2-CPPs had sufficient inherent or induced helix and sheet conformation leading to increased uptake efficiency. Heliquest lipid-binding discrimination factor revealed that 44.30% of the helical SCV2-CPPs are lipid-binding helices. Although Cys-rich derived CPPs of helicase (NSP13) can potentially fold into a cyclic conformation in endosomes with a higher rate of endosomal release, the most optimal SCV2-CPP candidates as vectors for drug delivery were SCV2-CPP118, SCV2-CPP119, SCV2-CPP122, and SCV2-CPP129 of NSP12 (RdRp). Ten experimentally validated viral-derived CPPs were also used as the positive control to check the scalability and reliability of our protocol in SCV2-CPP retrieval. Some peptides with a cell-penetration ability known as bioactive peptides are adopted as biotherapeutics themselves. Therefore, 59.60%, 29.63%, and 32.32% of SCV2-CPPs were identified as potential antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungals, respectively. While 63.64% of SCV2-CPPs had immuno-modulatory properties, 21.89% were recognized as anti-cancers. Conclusively, the workflow of this study provides a platform for profound screening of viral proteomes as a rich source of biotherapeutics or drug delivery carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiva Hemmati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Biotechnology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran; Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Yasaman Behzadipour
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mahdi Haddad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Cell-penetrating peptides in oncologic pharmacotherapy: A review. Pharmacol Res 2020; 162:105231. [PMID: 33027717 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world and its treatment is extremely challenging, mainly due to its complexity. Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) are peptides that can transport into the cell a wide variety of biologically active conjugates (or cargoes), and are, therefore, promising in the treatment and in the diagnosis of several types of cancer. Some notable examples are TAT and Penetratin, capable of penetrating the central nervous system (CNS) and, therefore, acting in cancers of this system, such as Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). These above-mentioned peptides, conjugated with traditional chemotherapeutic such as Doxorubicin (DOX) and Paclitaxel (PTX), have also been shown to induce apoptosis of breast and liver cancer cells, as well as in lung cancer cells, respectively. In other cancers, such as esophageal cancer, the attachment of Magainin 2 (MG2) to Bombesin (MG2B), another CPP, led to pronounced anticancer effects. Other examples are CopA3, that selectively decreased the viability of gastric cancer cells, and the CPP p28. Furthermore, in preclinical tests, the anti-tumor efficacy of this peptide was evaluated on human breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and melanoma cells in vitro, leading to high expression of p53 and promoting cell cycle arrest. Despite the numerous in vitro and in vivo studies with promising results, and the increasing number of clinical trials using CPPs, few treatments reach the expected clinical efficacy. Usually, their clinical application is limited by its poor aqueous solubility, immunogenicity issues and dose-limiting toxicity. This review describes the most recent advances and innovations in the use of CPPs in several types of cancer, highlighting their crucial importance for various purposes, from therapeutic to diagnosis. Further clinical trials with these peptides are warranted to examine its effects on various types of cancer.
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Asrorov AM, Gu Z, Min KA, Shin MC, Huang Y. Advances on Tumor-Targeting Delivery of Cytotoxic Proteins. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2019; 3:107-118. [PMID: 32259092 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.9b00087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Great attention has been paid to cytotoxic proteins (e.g., ribosome-inactivating proteins, RIPs) possessing high anticancer activities; unlike small drugs, cytotoxic proteins can effectively retain inside the cells and avoid drug efflux mediated by multidrug resistance transporters due to the large-size effect. However, the clinical translation of these proteins is severely limited because of various biobarriers that hamper their effective delivery to tumor cells. Hence, in order to overcome these barriers, many smart drug delivery systems (DDS) have been developed. In this review, we will introduce two representative type I RIPs, trichosanthin (TCS) and gelonin (Gel), and overview the major biobarriers for protein-based cancer therapy. Finally, we outline advances on the development of smart DDS for effective delivery of these cytotoxic proteins for various applications in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akmal M Asrorov
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 501 Haike Road, Shanghai 201203, China.,Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, 83, M. Ulughbek Street, Tashkent 100125, Uzbekistan
| | - Zeyun Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 501 Haike Road, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Kyoung Ah Min
- College of Pharmacy and Inje Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Inje University, 197 Injero, Gimhae, Gyeongnam 50834, Korea
| | - Meong Cheol Shin
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju Daero, Jinju, Gyeongnam 52828, Korea
| | - Yongzhuo Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 501 Haike Road, Shanghai 201203, China
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18
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Critical Issues in the Development of Immunotoxins for Anticancer Therapy. J Pharm Sci 2019; 109:104-115. [PMID: 31669121 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2019.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Immunotoxins (ITs) are attractive anticancer modalities aimed at cancer-specific delivery of highly potent cytotoxic protein toxins. An IT consists of a targeting domain (an antibody, cytokine, or another cell-binding protein) chemically conjugated or recombinantly fused to a highly cytotoxic payload (a bacterial and plant toxin or human cytotoxic protein). The mode of action of ITs is killing designated cancer cells through the effector function of toxins in the cytosol after cellular internalization via the targeted cell-specific receptor-mediated endocytosis. Although numerous ITs of diverse structures have been tested in the past decades, only 3 ITs-denileukin diftitox, tagraxofusp, and moxetumomab pasudotox-have been clinically approved for treating hematological cancers. No ITs against solid tumors have been approved for clinical use. In this review, we discuss critical research and development issues associated with ITs that limit their clinical success as well as strategies to overcome these obstacles. The issues include off-target and on-target toxicities, immunogenicity, human cytotoxic proteins, antigen target selection, cytosolic delivery efficacy, solid-tumor targeting, and developability. To realize the therapeutic promise of ITs, novel strategies for safe and effective cytosolic delivery into designated tumors, including solid tumors, are urgently needed.
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Chen Y, Zhang M, Min KA, Wang H, Shin MC, Li F, Yang VC, Huang Y. Improved Protein Toxin Delivery Based on ATTEMPTS Systems. Curr Drug Targets 2019; 19:380-392. [PMID: 28260497 DOI: 10.2174/1389450118666170302094758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2015] [Revised: 03/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) are wildly found in multiple species of plants, bacteria and fungi. As a special family of protein toxins, RIPs can inhibit protein synthesis and induce cell death via inactivating ribosome in eukaryotic cells. Thus, RIPs have been applied for anti-tumor therapy in the past two decades. However, because of poor cell permeability, nonselective mode of action for tumor cells, poor pharmacokinetic profiles and immunogenicity, their clinical application has been severely constrained. As an effort to overcome these obstacles, tumor-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have been conjugated to RIPs (forming so called "immunotoxins") specifically to increase their cytotoxicity and provide tumor targeting. Nevertheless, immunotoxins yet have not fully resolved all the issues and critical challenges still remain, such as immunogenicity and inability to penetrate into the deep site of tumor. OBJECTIVE To overcome the constrain of immunotoxins, the novel cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)- modified ATTEMPTS systems based on combination of CPP-mediated penetration and antibodymediated tumor targeting, with triggerable drug release function, were developed to achieve effective and safe delivery of protein toxin. RESULTS The CPP-modified ATTEMPTS systems showed effective protamine-triggered CPP-toxin release and thus enhanced CPP-mediated cellular uptake and cytotoxicity. It also showed antibodymediated in vivo tumor targeting and significantly increased in vivo tumor growth suppression with limited systematic toxicity. CONCLUSION The CPP-modified ATTEMPTS systems were developed and demonstrated as a proof-ofconcept for CPP-based protein toxin delivery with triggerable antibody targeting to improve the druggability of protein toxin drugs. The systems showed the potential application of protein toxin clinical translation in anticancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingzhi Chen
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Zhang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Kyoung Ah Min
- Inje University College of Pharmacy and Inje Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Gimhae, Gyeongnam, China
| | - Huiyuan Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Meong Cheol Shin
- Gyeongsang National University College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jinju, Gyeongnam, Korea.,University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Feng Li
- Hampton University School of Pharmacy, Hampton, VA, United States
| | - Victor C Yang
- University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Yongzhuo Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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Gu LQ, Cui PF, Xing L, He YJ, Chang X, Zhou TJ, Liu Y, Li L, Jiang HL. An energy-blocking nanoparticle decorated with anti-VEGF antibody to reverse chemotherapeutic drug resistance. RSC Adv 2019; 9:12110-12123. [PMID: 35548379 PMCID: PMC9087936 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra01356c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Multi-drug resistance (MDR) of tumor cells has greatly hindered the therapeutic efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs, resulting in chemotherapy failure, while overexpression of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters in cell membranes is the leading cause of MDR. In this study, we reported novel self-assembled triphenylphosphine-quercetin-polyethylene glycol-monoclonal antibody nanoparticles (TQ-PEG-mAb NPs) for overcoming MDR primarily through mitochondrial damage to block ATP supply to ABC transporters both in vitro and in vivo. The doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded NPs (TQ/DOX-PEG-mAb) were composed of two drugs (TQ and DOX) and an outer shielding shell of the PEG-mAb conjugate. Besides, the outer shell could be acid-responsively detached to expose the positive charge of TQ inside the NPs to enhance cellular uptake. TQ was proved to effectively induce mitochondrial damage with increased ROS levels and depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), leading to prominently reduced ATP supply to ABC transporters. Moreover, the involvement of the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mAb was not only for efficient targeting but also for combined therapy. Consequently, TQ/DOX-PEG-mAb showed that the internalized amount of DOX was largely improved while the efflux amount was dramatically inhibited on MCF-7/ADR cells, indicating excellent reversal of DOX resistance. Importantly, the growth of DOX-resistant breast tumors was significantly inhibited with no evident systemic toxicity. Therefore, the employment of TQ-PEG-mAb is believed to be a new approach to improve the efficacy of chemotherapeutic drugs in MDR tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu-Qing Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China +86-25-83271027 +86-25-83271027
| | - Peng-Fei Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China +86-25-83271027 +86-25-83271027
| | - Lei Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China +86-25-83271027 +86-25-83271027
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
| | - Yu-Jing He
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China +86-25-83271027 +86-25-83271027
| | - Xin Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China +86-25-83271027 +86-25-83271027
| | - Tian-Jiao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China +86-25-83271027 +86-25-83271027
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China +86-25-83271019 +86-25-83271543
| | - Ling Li
- Department of Endocrinology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University Nanjing 210009 China +86-25-83272011 +86-25-83272012
| | - Hu-Lin Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China +86-25-83271027 +86-25-83271027
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Diseases, China Pharmaceutical University Nanjing 210009 China
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Habault J, Poyet JL. Recent Advances in Cell Penetrating Peptide-Based Anticancer Therapies. Molecules 2019; 24:E927. [PMID: 30866424 PMCID: PMC6429072 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24050927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2019] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-penetrating-peptides (CPPs) are small amino-acid sequences characterized by their ability to cross cellular membranes. They can transport various bioactive cargos inside cells including nucleic acids, large proteins, and other chemical compounds. Since 1988, natural and synthetic CPPs have been developed for applications ranging from fundamental to applied biology (cell imaging, gene editing, therapeutics delivery). In recent years, a great number of studies reported the potential of CPPs as carriers for the treatment of various diseases. Apart from a good efficacy due to a rapid and potent delivery, a crucial advantage of CPP-based therapies is the peptides low toxicity compared to most drug carriers. On the other hand, they are quite unstable and lack specificity. Higher specificity can be obtained using a cell-specific CPP to transport the therapeutic agent or using a non-specific CPP to transport a cargo with a targeted activity. CPP-cargo complexes can also be conjugated to another moiety that brings cell- or tissue-specificity. Studies based on all these approaches are showing promising results. Here, we focus on recent advances in the potential usage of CPPs in the context of cancer therapy, with a particular interest in CPP-mediated delivery of anti-tumoral proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Habault
- INSERM U976, Institut de Recherche St Louis, 1 avenue Claude Vellefaux, 75010 Paris, France.
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75013 Paris, France.
| | - Jean-Luc Poyet
- INSERM U976, Institut de Recherche St Louis, 1 avenue Claude Vellefaux, 75010 Paris, France.
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75013 Paris, France.
- c-Dithem, Inserm Consortium for Discovery and Innovation in Therapy and Medicine, 75013 Paris, France.
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Ding GB, Wu G, Li B, Yang P, Li Z. High-yield expression in Escherichia coli, biophysical characterization, and biological evaluation of plant toxin gelonin. 3 Biotech 2019; 9:19. [PMID: 30622857 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-018-1559-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Gelonin is a plant toxin that exerts potent cytotoxic activity by inactivation of the 60S ribosomal subunit. The high-level expression of soluble gelonin still remains a great challenge and there was no detailed biophysical analysis of gelonin from Escherichia coli (E. coli) yet. In this study, the soluble and high-yield expression of recombinant gelonin (rGel) was achieved in E. coli BL21 (DE3) for the first time, with a yield of 6.03 mg/L medium. Circular dichroism (CD) analysis indicated that rGel consisted of 21.7% α-helix, 26.3% β-sheet, 18.5% β-turn, and 32.3% random coil, and it could maintain its secondary structure up to 60 °C. The antitumor activity of rGel was evaluated in two colon cancer cell lines-HCT116 and HCT-8, and it was clearly demonstrated that rGel exerted antiproliferative activity against these two cell lines by inhibiting cellular protein synthesis. These findings provide insights for researchers involved in the expression of similar biotoxins, and the biophysical characterizations of gelonin will favor its further therapeutic applications.
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PEP-1-PEA15 suppresses inflammatory responses by regulation of MAPK in macrophages and animal models. Immunobiology 2018; 223:709-717. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imbio.2018.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Park T, Min KA, Cheong H, Moon C, Shin MC. Genetic engineering and characterisation of chlorotoxin-fused gelonin for enhanced glioblastoma therapy. J Drug Target 2018; 27:950-958. [DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2018.1516221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Taehoon Park
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung Ah Min
- College of Pharmacy and Inje Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research, Inje University, Gimhae, Gyeongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Heesun Cheong
- Division of Cancer Biology, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheol Moon
- College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Suncheon, Jeonnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Meong Cheol Shin
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Gyeongnam, Republic of Korea
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He Y, Li F, Huang Y. Smart Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Based Techniques for Intracellular Delivery of Therapeutic Macromolecules. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2018; 112:183-220. [PMID: 29680237 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Many therapeutic macromolecules must enter cells to take their action. However, their treatment outcomes are often hampered by their poor transportation into target cells. Therefore, efficient intracellular delivery of these macromolecules is critical for improving their therapeutic efficacy. Cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-based approaches are one of the most efficient methods for intracellular delivery of macromolecular therapeutics. Nevertheless, poor specificity is a significant concern for systemic administrated CPP-based delivery systems. This chapter will review recent advances in CPP-mediated macromolecule delivery with a focus on various smart strategies which not only enhance the intracellular delivery but also improve the targeting specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang He
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Feng Li
- Harrison School of Pharmacy, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United states.
| | - Yongzhuo Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Borrelli A, Tornesello AL, Tornesello ML, Buonaguro FM. Cell Penetrating Peptides as Molecular Carriers for Anti-Cancer Agents. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23020295. [PMID: 29385037 PMCID: PMC6017757 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23020295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell membranes with their selective permeability play important functions in the tight control of molecular exchanges between the cytosol and the extracellular environment as the intracellular membranes do within the internal compartments. For this reason the plasma membranes often represent a challenging obstacle to the intracellular delivery of many anti-cancer molecules. The active transport of drugs through such barrier often requires specific carriers able to cross the lipid bilayer. Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) are generally 5–30 amino acids long which, for their ability to cross cell membranes, are widely used to deliver proteins, plasmid DNA, RNA, oligonucleotides, liposomes and anti-cancer drugs inside the cells. In this review, we describe the several types of CPPs, the chemical modifications to improve their cellular uptake, the different mechanisms to cross cell membranes and their biological properties upon conjugation with specific molecules. Special emphasis has been given to those with promising application in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Borrelli
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Anna Lucia Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Maria Lina Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy.
| | - Franco M Buonaguro
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale, 80131 Naples, Italy.
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Wang J, Xie L, Wang T, Wu F, Meng J, Liu J, Xu H. Visible light-switched cytosol release of siRNA by amphiphilic fullerene derivative to enhance RNAi efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Acta Biomater 2017; 59:158-169. [PMID: 28511875 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 05/10/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Cationic macromolecules are attractive for use as small interfering RNA (siRNA) carriers due to their performance in non-immunological reactions, customization during synthesis, and low costs compared to viral carriers. However, their low transfection efficiency substantially hinders their application in both clinical practices and academic research, which is mostly attributable to the low capacity of siRNA/cationic macromolecule complexes to escape lysosomes. To address this challenge, we designed an amphiphilic fullerene derivative (C60-Dex-NH2) for efficient and controllable siRNA delivery. To synthesize C60-Dex-NH2, terminally aminated dextran was conjugated to C60. The conjugate was further cationized by covalently introducing ethylenediamine to the dextran. The physicochemical characteristics of C60-Dex-NH2 was examined with elemental analyses, gel permeation chromatography, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (13C, HPDEC), agarose gel electrophoresis, and dynamic light scattering. The cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, intracellular distribution, and in vitro RNA interference (RNAi) of siRNA/C60-Dex-NH2 complex was evaluated in the human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. The RNAi efficiencies mediated by C60-Dex-NH2in vivo was evaluated in subcutaneous tumor-bearing mice. The results showed that C60-Dex-NH2 has a specific amphiphilic skeleton and could form micelle-like aggregate structures in water, which could prevent siRNA from destroying by reactive oxygen species (ROS). When exposed to visible light, C60-Dex-NH2 could trigger controllable ROS generation which could destroy the lysosome membrane, promote the lysosomal escape, and enhance the gene silencing efficiency of siRNA in vitro and in vivo. The gene silencing efficiency could reach a maximum of 53% in the MDA-MB-231-EGFP cells and 69% in the 4T1-GFP-Luc2 tumor-bearing mice. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE We designed a novel photosensitive amphiphilic carrier (C60-Dex-NH2) for efficient and controllable siRNA delivery, which can be used in gene therapy. We showed that C60-Dex-NH2 could destroy lysosome membrane via controllable generation of ROS when exposed to light, which can help siRNA to escape from lysosome before degradation. This can enhance the gene silencing efficiency significantly and provides a useful way to regulate RNAi efficiency by light. One advantage for C60-Dex-NH2 system is C60 has broad absorbance spectrum and can be activated by weak visible light; Furthermore, C60-Dex-NH2 has a specific amphiphilic structure, which may prevent siRNA from degrading and allows C60-Dex-NH2 to embed into the lipid membrane of lysosome to improve the ROS induced lysosomal disturbance after internalization.
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Gao L, Han L, Ding X, Xu J, Wang J, Zhu J, Lu W, Sun J, Yu L, Yan Z, Wang Y. An effective intracellular delivery system of monoclonal antibody for treatment of tumors: erythrocyte membrane-coated self-associated antibody nanoparticles. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 28:335101. [PMID: 28657549 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aa7c43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Antibody-based drugs have attracted much attention for their targeting ability, high efficacy and low toxicity. But it is difficult for those intrabodies, a kind of antibody whose targets are intracellular biomarkers, to become effective drugs due to the lack of intracellular delivery strategy and their short circulation time in blood. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), an important biomarker for tumors, is expressed only in cytoplasm instead of on cell membrane. In this study, the anti-hTERT blocking monoclonal antibody (mAb), as the model intrabody, was used to prepare nanoparticles (NPs), followed by the encapsulation of erythrocyte membrane (EM), to obtain the EM-coated anti-hTERT mAb NPs delivery system. The final NPs showed a z-average hydrodynamic diameter of about 197.3 nm. The in vitro cellular uptake by HeLa cells confirmed that compared with free anti-hTERT mAb, the EM-coated anti-hTERT mAb NPs exhibited a significantly increased uptake by tumor cells. Besides, the pharmacokinetic study confirmed that the EM encapsulation can remarkably prolong the circulation time and increase the area under curve (AUC) of NPs in blood. The EM-coated anti-hTERT mAb NPs exhibited a remarkably decreased uptake by macrophages than uncoated NPs, which may be responsible for the prolonged circulation time and increased AUC. Furthermore, the frozen section of tumor tissue was performed and proved that the EM-coated anti-hTERT mAb NPs can be more effectively accumulated in tumor tissues than the free mAb and uncoated NPs. In summary, this study indicated that EM-coated anti-hTERT mAb NPs are an effective delivery system for the long circulation and intracellular delivery of an intrabody, and make it possible for the intracellular biomarkers to become the potential targets of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lipeng Gao
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, People's Republic of China
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Molecular tumor targeting of gelonin by fusion with F3 peptide. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2017; 38:897-906. [PMID: 28414205 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2017.20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutically potent macromolecular drugs have shown great promise for overcoming the limitations of small-molecule anti-cancer drugs. But tumor cell-selective intracellular delivery of the macromolecules remains a major hurdle for their successful clinical application. To overcome this challenge, we engineered a novel genetic fusion protein (F3-Gel) that composed of F3 peptide, a tumor-homing peptide, and gelonin, a plant-derived ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP), and then evaluated its anti-cancer activity in vitro and in vivo. The F3-Gel-encoding gene was synthesized by genetic recombination, and F3-Gel was successfully expressed in E coli. The anti-cancer activity of the produced F3-Gel was evaluated by various in vitro assays, which revealed that F3-Gel maintained equipotent protein synthesis inhibition activity (IC50=11 pmol/L) as unmodified gelonin (IC50=10 pmol/L). Furthermore, F3-Gel displayed enhanced cellular uptake into cancer cells (U87 MG, HeLa, LnCaP and 9L) than noncancerous cells (293 HEK and SVGp12). Compared with gelonin, F3-Gel exerted significantly higher cytotoxicity against these cancer cells. F3-Gel displayed significantly greater inhibition of protein translation in U87 MG cells: F3-Gel (0.5 μmol/L) was able to reduce the protein level to less than 50%, while gelonin (1 μmol/L) did not affect the intracellular protein level. In a U87 MG xenograft tumor-bearing mouse model, F3-Gel was accumulated in the tumor site at much higher levels and maintained for a prolonged time compared with gelonin. Administration of F3-Gel (0.5, 0.75 mol/kg, iv) caused 36% and 66%, respectively, inhibition of tumor growth in U87 MG xenograft mice, suggesting that it is a promising candidate drug for cancer treatment. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that fusion of F3 peptide to a potent macromolecule could provides an effective method for targeting tumors and eventually could improve their druggability.
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Glycosylated Triterpenoids as Endosomal Escape Enhancers in Targeted Tumor Therapies. Biomedicines 2017; 5:biomedicines5020014. [PMID: 28536357 PMCID: PMC5489800 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines5020014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein-based targeted toxins play an increasingly important role in targeted tumor therapies. In spite of their high intrinsic toxicity, their efficacy in animal models is low. A major reason for this is the limited entry of the toxin into the cytosol of the target cell, which is required to mediate the fatal effect. Target receptor bound and internalized toxins are mostly either recycled back to the cell surface or lysosomally degraded. This might explain why no antibody-targeted protein toxin has been approved for tumor therapeutic applications by the authorities to date although more than 500 targeted toxins have been developed within the last decades. To overcome the problem of insufficient endosomal escape, a number of strategies that make use of diverse chemicals, cell-penetrating or fusogenic peptides, and light-induced techniques were designed to weaken the membrane integrity of endosomes. This review focuses on glycosylated triterpenoids as endosomal escape enhancers and throws light on their structure, the mechanism of action, and on their efficacy in cell culture and animal models. Obstacles, challenges, opportunities, and future prospects are discussed.
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Wang H, Moon C, Shin MC, Wang Y, He H, Yang VC, Huang Y. Heparin-Regulated Prodrug-Type Macromolecular Theranostic Systems for Cancer Therapy. Nanotheranostics 2017; 1:114-130. [PMID: 29071181 PMCID: PMC5646728 DOI: 10.7150/ntno.18292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Heparin is a kind of naturally occurring polymer with excellent biocompatibility and solubility. It is characterized by dense of negative charge, higher than any endogenous components. Heparin can bind with various cationic peptides and proteins, thereby providing a useful noncovalent linkage for building a drug delivery system. As a case in point, heparin/cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) interaction is strong, and remains stable in vivo. They can be used to modify different proteins, respectively, and subsequently, by simply mixing the modified proteins, a protein-protein conjugate can be form via the stable heparin/CPP linkage. This linkage could not be broken unless addition of protamine that bears higher cationic charge density than CPP, and CPP thus can be substituted and released. Of note, heparin is a potent antagonist of CPP, and their binding naturally inhibits CPP-mediated drug cell penetration. Based on this method, we developed a heparin-regulated macromolecular prodrug-type system, termed ATTEMPTS, for drug targeting delivery. In this review article, we mainly summary the application of ATTEMPTS in delivery of various macromolecular drugs for cancer therapy, and also introduce the heparin-regulated nanoprobes for tumor imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiyuan Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Cheol Moon
- College of Pharmacy, Sunchon National University, Republic of Korea
| | - Meong Cheol Shin
- College of Pharmacy and Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Gyeongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Yaping Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnosis, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Huining He
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnosis, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Victor C Yang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnosis, School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University Tianjin 300070, China.,University of Michigan, College of Pharmacy, MI 48109-1065, USA
| | - Yongzhuo Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, China
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Wang RH, Bai J, Deng J, Fang CJ, Chen X. TAT-Modified Gold Nanoparticle Carrier with Enhanced Anticancer Activity and Size Effect on Overcoming Multidrug Resistance. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2017; 9:5828-5837. [PMID: 28124900 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b15200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Highly efficient targeted delivery is crucial for successful anticancer chemotherapy. In this study, we developed a drug delivery system ANS-TAT-AuNP that loads anticancer molecule 2-(9-anthracenylmethylene)-hydrazinecarbothioamide (ANS) via conjugation with cell-penetrating peptide TAT modified AuNPs. The in vitro study showed that the IC50 value of ANS-TAT-AuNPs3.8 nm reduced by 11.28- (24 h) and 12.64-fold (48 h) after incubation with liver hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells compared to that of free ANS, suggesting that TAT modified AuNPs could enhance the antiproliferative activity of ANS. Also, ANS-TAT-AuNPs showed a size effect on overcoming multidrug resistance (MDR). The potential of ANS-TAT-AuNPs in overcoming MDR was assessed with MCF-7/ADR drug-resistant cell line, the drug resistance index (DRI) of which was extremely high (>190). The DRI of ANS-TAT-AuNPs22.1 nm decreased dramatically to 1.48 (24 h) and 2.20 (48 h), while that of ANS-TAT-AuNPs3.8 nm decreased to 7.64 (24 h) and 7.77 (48 h), indicating that ANS-TAT-AuNPs22.1 nm could treat extremely resistant MCF-7/ADR cancer cells as drug sensitive ones. The data suggest that the larger AuNPs had more profound effect on overcoming MDR, which could effectively prevent drug efflux due to their size being much larger than that of the p-glycoprotein channel (9-25 Å).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Xiaoyuan Chen
- Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health , Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
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Tan MJ, Cao XW, Li PF, Zhai YZ, Zhou Y, Liu YJ, Zhao J, Wang FJ. Effectively enhancing cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of alpha-momorcharin by integrating a heparin-binding peptide. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2017; 64:918-926. [PMID: 28090686 DOI: 10.1002/bab.1553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Alpha-momorcharin (α-MMC), a type I ribosome-inactivating protein, has attracted a great deal of attention because of its antitumor activity. However, the cytotoxicity of α-MMC is limited due to insufficient cellular internalization in cancer cells. To enhance the cytotoxicity of α-MMC, a heparin-binding domain derived from heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (named heparin-binding peptide [HBP]) was used as a cell-penetrating peptide and fused to the C-terminus of α-MMC. This novel α-MMC-HBP fusion protein was expressed and purified with a Ni2+ -resin. The N-glycosidase activity and DNase activity assay indicated that the introduction of HBP did not interfere with the intrinsic bioactivities of α-MMC. HBP was able to efficiently carry α-MMC into the tested cancer cells and significantly enhance the cytotoxic effects of α-MMC in a dose-dependent manner. This enhanced cytotoxic ability occurred due to the higher level of cell apoptosis induced by α-MMC-HBP, which was demonstrated in western blot analysis in which α-MMC-HBP triggered caspase 8, caspase 9, casapase 3, and PARP more intensely than α-MMC alone. α-MMC-HBP led to an upregulation of cleaved PARP and an increase in the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Our study provided a new practical way to greatly improve the antitumor activity of α-MMC, which could significantly expand the pharmaceutical applications of α-MMC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Jie Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Xue-Wei Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng-Fei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi-Zhou Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye-Jun Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Fu-Jun Wang
- Zhejiang Reachall Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shanghai University of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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Feni L, Neundorf I. The Current Role of Cell-Penetrating Peptides in Cancer Therapy. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 1030:279-295. [PMID: 29081059 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-66095-0_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are a heterogeneous class of peptides with the ability to translocate across the plasma membrane and to carry attached cargos inside the cell. Two main entry pathways are discussed, as direct translocation and endocytosis , whereas the latter is often favored when bulky cargos are added to the CPP. Attachment to the CPP can be achieved by means of covalent coupling or non-covalent complex formation, depending on the chemical nature of the cargo. Owing to their striking abilities the further development and application of CPP-based delivery strategies has steadily emerged during the past years. However, one main pitfall when using CPPs is their non-selective uptake in nearly all types of cells. Thus, one particular interest lies in the design of targeting strategies that help to circumvent this drawback but still benefit from the potent delivery abilities of CPPs. The following review aims to summarize some of these very recent concepts and to highlight the current role of CPPs in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Feni
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Zuelpicherstr. 47a, D-50674, Cologne, Germany
| | - Ines Neundorf
- Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Zuelpicherstr. 47a, D-50674, Cologne, Germany.
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CPP-Assisted Intracellular Drug Delivery, What Is Next? Int J Mol Sci 2016; 17:ijms17111892. [PMID: 27854260 PMCID: PMC5133891 DOI: 10.3390/ijms17111892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2016] [Revised: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
For the past 20 years, we have witnessed an unprecedented and, indeed, rather miraculous event of how cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), the naturally originated penetrating enhancers, help overcome the membrane barrier that has hindered the access of bio-macromolecular compounds such as genes and proteins into cells, thereby denying their clinical potential to become potent anti-cancer drugs. By taking the advantage of the unique cell-translocation property of these short peptides, various payloads of proteins, nucleic acids, or even nanoparticle-based carriers were delivered into all cell types with unparalleled efficiency. However, non-specific CPP-mediated cell penetration into normal tissues can lead to widespread organ distribution of the payloads, thereby reducing the therapeutic efficacy of the drug and at the same time increasing the drug-induced toxic effects. In view of these challenges, we present herein a review of the new designs of CPP-linked vehicles and strategies to achieve highly effective yet less toxic chemotherapy in combating tumor oncology.
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36
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Augmenting the Efficacy of Immunotoxins and Other Targeted Protein Toxins by Endosomal Escape Enhancers. Toxins (Basel) 2016; 8:toxins8070200. [PMID: 27376327 PMCID: PMC4963833 DOI: 10.3390/toxins8070200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The toxic moiety of almost all protein-based targeted toxins must enter the cytosol of the target cell to mediate its fatal effect. Although more than 500 targeted toxins have been investigated in the past decades, no antibody-targeted protein toxin has been approved for tumor therapeutic applications by the authorities to date. Missing efficacy can be attributed in many cases to insufficient endosomal escape and therefore subsequent lysosomal degradation of the endocytosed toxins. To overcome this drawback, many strategies have been described to weaken the membrane integrity of endosomes. This comprises the use of lysosomotropic amines, carboxylic ionophores, calcium channel antagonists, various cell-penetrating peptides of viral, bacterial, plant, animal, human and synthetic origin, other organic molecules and light-induced techniques. Although the efficacy of the targeted toxins was typically augmented in cell culture hundred or thousand fold, in exceptional cases more than million fold, the combination of several substances harbors new problems including additional side effects, loss of target specificity, difficulties to determine the therapeutic window and cell type-dependent variations. This review critically scrutinizes the chances and challenges of endosomal escape enhancers and their potential role in future developments.
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Lu YZ, Li PF, Li YZ, Luo F, Guo C, Lin B, Cao XW, Zhao J, Wang FJ. Enhanced anti-tumor activity of trichosanthin after combination with a human-derived cell-penetrating peptide, and a possible mechanism of activity. Fitoterapia 2016; 112:183-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fitote.2016.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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38
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Construction and characterization of gelonin and saporin plasmids for toxic gene-based cancer therapy. Arch Pharm Res 2016; 39:677-86. [PMID: 27008027 DOI: 10.1007/s12272-016-0739-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Toxic gene therapy (or suicidal gene therapy) is gaining enormous interest, specifically for the treatment of cancer. The success of this therapy lies in several crucial factors, including the potency of gene products to kill the transfected tumor cells and the transfection ability of the transfection vehicles. To address the potency problem, in the present study, we engineered two separate mammalian transfection plasmids (pSAP and pGEL) containing genes encoding ribosome inactivating proteins (RIPs), gelonin and saporin. After the successful preparation and amplification of the plasmids, they were tested on various cancer cell lines (HeLa, U87, 9L, and MDA-MB-435) and a noncancerous cell line (293 HEK) using polyethyleneimine (PEI) as the transfection agent. Transfection studies performed under varying gene concentration, incubation time, and gene-to-PEI ratios revealed that, compared to the treatment of pGFP (GFP expression plasmid)/PEI, both pGEL/PEI and pSAP/PEI complexes could induce significantly augmented cytotoxic effects at only 2 μg/mL gene concentration. Importantly, these cytotoxic effects were observed universally in all tested cancer cell lines. Overall, this study demonstrated the potential of pGEL and pSAP as effective gene candidates for the toxic gene-based cancer therapy.
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Kurrikoff K, Gestin M, Langel Ü. Recentin vivoadvances in cell-penetrating peptide-assisted drug delivery. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2015; 13:373-87. [DOI: 10.1517/17425247.2016.1125879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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40
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Zaro JL, Shen WC. Cationic and amphipathic cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs): Their structures and in vivo studies in drug delivery. Front Chem Sci Eng 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s11705-015-1538-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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41
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Raucher D, Ryu JS. Cell-penetrating peptides: strategies for anticancer treatment. Trends Mol Med 2015; 21:560-70. [PMID: 26186888 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2015.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) provide an efficient strategy for the intracellular delivery of bioactive molecules in various biomedical applications. This review focuses on recent advances in the use of CPPs to deliver anticancer therapeutics and imaging reagents to cancer cells, along with CPP contributions to novel tumor-targeting techniques. CPPs are now used extensively to deliver a variety of therapeutics, despite lacking cell specificity and having a short duration of action. Resolution of these shortcomings to enable increased cancer cell and/or tumor specificity could improve CPP-based drug delivery strategies, expand combined drug delivery possibilities, and strengthen future clinical applications of these peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drazen Raucher
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA.
| | - Jung Su Ryu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA
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PTD-Modified ATTEMPTS for Enhanced Toxin-based Cancer Therapy: An In Vivo Proof-of-Concept Study. Pharm Res 2015; 32:2690-703. [PMID: 25701313 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-015-1653-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To investigate the feasibility of applying PTD-modified ATTEMPTS (Antibody Targeted Triggered Electrically Modified Prodrug-Type Strategy) for enhanced toxin therapy for the treatment of cancer. METHODS A heparin-functionalized murine anti-CEA monoclonal antibody (mAb), T84.66-heparin (T84.66-Hep), was chemically synthesized and characterized for specific binding to CEA overexpressed cells. The T84.66-Hep was then applied to the PTD-modified ATTEMPTS approach and the crucial features of the drug delivery system (DDS), 'antibody targeting' and 'heparin/protamine-based prodrug', were evaluated in vitro to examine whether it could selective delivery a PTD-modified toxin, recombinant TAT-gelonin chimera (TAT-Gel), to CEA high expression cancer cells (LS174T). Furthermore, the feasibility of the drug delivery system (DDS) was assessed in vivo by biodistribution and efficacy studies using LS174T s.c. xenograft tumor bearing mice. RESULTS T84.66-Hep displayed specific binding, but limited internalization (35% after 48 h incubation) to CEA high expression LS174T cells over low expression HCT116 cells. When mixed together with TAT-Gel, the T84.66-Hep formed a strong yet reversible complex. This complex formation provided an effective means of active tumor targeting of TAT-Gel, by 1) directing the TAT-Gel to CEA overexpressed tumor cells and 2) preventing nonspecific cell transduction to non-targeted normal cells. The cell transduction of TAT-Gel could, however, be efficiently reversed by addition of protamine. Feasibility of in vivo tumor targeting and "protamine-induced release" of TAT-Gel from the T84.66-Hep counterpart was confirmed by biodistribution and preliminary efficacy studies. CONCLUSIONS This study successfully demonstrated in vitro and in vivo the applicability of PTD-modified ATTEMPTS for toxin-based cancer therapy.
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15 years of ATTEMPTS: a macromolecular drug delivery system based on the CPP-mediated intracellular drug delivery and antibody targeting. J Control Release 2014; 205:58-69. [PMID: 25483423 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2014.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 11/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Traditionally, any drug intended for combating the tumor would distribute profoundly to other organs and tissues as lack of targeting specificity, thus resulting in limited therapeutic effects toward the tumor but severe drug-induced toxic side effects. To prevail over this obstacle of drug-induced systemic toxicity, a novel approach termed "ATTEMPTS" (antibody targeted triggered electrically modified prodrug type strategy) was designed, which directly introduces both of the targeting and prodrug features onto the protein drugs. The ATTEMPTS system is composed of the antibody targeting component consisting of antibodies linked with heparin, and the cell penetrating peptide (CPP) modified drug component. The two components mentioned above self-assembled into a tight complex via the charge to charge interaction between the anionic heparin and cationic CPP. Once accumulated at the targeting site, the CPP modified drug is released from the blockage by a second triggering agent, while remaining inactive in the circulation during tumor targeting thus aborting its effect on normal tissues. We utilized the heparin-induced inhibition on the cell-penetrating activity of CPP to create the prodrug feature, and subsequently the protamine-induced reversal of heparin inhibition to resume cell transduction of the protein drug via the CPP function. Our approach is the first known system to overcome this selectivity issue, enabling CPP-mediated cellular drug delivery to be practically applicable clinically. In this review, we thoroughly discussed the historical and novel progress of the "ATTEMPTS" system.
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