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Slezak AJ, Chang K, Beckman TN, Refvik KC, Alpar AT, Lauterbach AL, Solanki A, Kwon JW, Gomes S, Mansurov A, Hubbell JA. Cysteine-binding adjuvant enhances survival and promotes immune function in a murine model of acute myeloid leukemia. Blood Adv 2024; 8:1747-1759. [PMID: 38324726 PMCID: PMC10985806 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023012529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Therapeutic vaccination has long been a promising avenue for cancer immunotherapy but is often limited by tumor heterogeneity. The genetic and molecular diversity between patients often results in variation in the antigens present on cancer cell surfaces. As a result, recent research has focused on personalized cancer vaccines. Although promising, this strategy suffers from time-consuming production, high cost, inaccessibility, and targeting of a limited number of tumor antigens. Instead, we explore an antigen-agnostic polymeric in situ cancer vaccination platform for treating blood malignancies, in our model here with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Rather than immunizing against specific antigens or targeting adjuvant to specific cell-surface markers, this platform leverages a characteristic metabolic and enzymatic dysregulation in cancer cells that produces an excess of free cysteine thiols on their surfaces. These thiols increase in abundance after treatment with cytotoxic agents such as cytarabine, the current standard of care in AML. The resulting free thiols can undergo efficient disulfide exchange with pyridyl disulfide (PDS) moieties on our construct and allow for in situ covalent attachment to cancer cell surfaces and debris. PDS-functionalized monomers are incorporated into a statistical copolymer with pendant mannose groups and TLR7 agonists to target covalently linked antigen and adjuvant to antigen-presenting cells in the liver and spleen after IV administration. There, the compound initiates an anticancer immune response, including T-cell activation and antibody generation, ultimately prolonging survival in cancer-bearing mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J. Slezak
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Kevin Chang
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Taryn N. Beckman
- Committee on Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Kirsten C. Refvik
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Aaron T. Alpar
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Ani Solanki
- Animal Resource Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Jung Woo Kwon
- Department of Pathology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Suzana Gomes
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Aslan Mansurov
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Jeffrey A. Hubbell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Committee on Cancer Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
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Cuesta-Casanovas L, Delgado-Martínez J, Cornet-Masana JM, Carbó JM, Clément-Demange L, Risueño RM. Lysosome-mediated chemoresistance in acute myeloid leukemia. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2022; 5:233-244. [PMID: 35582535 PMCID: PMC8992599 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2021.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Despite the outstanding advances in understanding the biology underlying the pathophysiology of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and the promising preclinical data published lastly, AML treatment still relies on a classic chemotherapy regimen largely unchanged for the past five decades. Recently, new drugs have been approved for AML, but the real clinical benefit is still under evaluation. Nevertheless, primary refractory and relapse AML continue to represent the main clinical challenge, as the majority of AML patients will succumb to the disease despite achieving a complete remission during the induction phase. As such, treatments for chemoresistant AML represent an unmet need in this disease. Although great efforts have been made to decipher the biological basis for leukemogenesis, the mechanism by which AML cells become resistant to chemotherapy is largely unknown. The identification of the signaling pathways involved in resistance may lead to new combinatory therapies or new therapeutic approaches suitable for this subset of patients. Several mechanisms of chemoresistance have been identified, including drug transporters, key secondary messengers, and metabolic regulators. However, no therapeutic approach targeting chemoresistance has succeeded in clinical trials, especially due to broad secondary effects in healthy cells. Recent research has highlighted the importance of lysosomes in this phenomenon. Lysosomes' key role in resistance to chemotherapy includes the potential to sequester drugs, central metabolic signaling role, and gene expression regulation. These results provide further evidence to support the development of new therapeutic approaches that target lysosomes in AML.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Cuesta-Casanovas
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Barcelona 08916, Spain
- Faculty of Biosciences, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès) 08193, Spain
| | - Jennifer Delgado-Martínez
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Barcelona 08916, Spain
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08028, Spain
| | | | - José M. Carbó
- Leukos Biotech, Muntaner, 383, Barcelona 08036, Spain
| | | | - Ruth M. Risueño
- Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (IJC), Barcelona 08916, Spain
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Anti-Proliferative Potential of Secondary Metabolites from the Marine Sponge Theonella sp.: Moving from Correlation toward Causation. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11080532. [PMID: 34436473 PMCID: PMC8400523 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11080532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine sponges have been recognized as a rich source of potential anti-proliferative metabolites. Currently, there are two sponge-derived anti-cancer agents (a macrolide and a nucleoside) isolated from the Porifera phylum, suggesting the great potential of this sponge as a rich source for anti-neoplastic agents. To search for more bioactive metabolites from this phylum, we examined the EtOAc extract of Theonella sp. sponge. We isolated seven compounds (1–7), including four 4-methylene sterols (1–4), two nucleosides (5 and 6), and one macrolide (7). Among them, theonellasterol L (1) was identified for the first time, while 5′-O-acetyl-2′-deoxyuridine (5) and 5′-O-acetylthymidine (6) were the first identified deoxyuridine and thymidine derivatives from the sponge Theonella sp. These structures were elucidated based on their spectroscopic data. The anti-proliferation activity of compounds 1–7 against the MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, T-47D, HCT-116, DLD-1, K562, and Molt 4 cancer cell lines was determined. The results indicated that the 14-/15-oxygenated moiety played an important role in the antiproliferative activity and the macrolide derivatives dominated the anti-proliferative effect of the sponge Theonella sp. The in silico analysis, using a chemical global positioning system for natural products (ChemGPS-NP), indicated an anti-proliferative mode of actions (MOA) suggesting the potential applications of the isolated active metabolites as anti-proliferative agents.
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Cucchi DGJ, Polak TB, Ossenkoppele GJ, Uyl-De Groot CA, Cloos J, Zweegman S, Janssen JJWM. Two decades of targeted therapies in acute myeloid leukemia. Leukemia 2021; 35:651-660. [PMID: 33589753 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01164-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Precision medicine is gaining importance in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Objectively reviewing past and current knowledge aids guiding future research. Therefore, we provide a complete overview of all phase II and phase III trials investigating targeted therapies in AML and their primary endpoints over the past two decades in perspective of their clinical benefit. We assessed whether drugs were primarily designed to treat AML or were repurposed and how successful they were based on progression of distinct drugs from phase II to phase III to FDA-approval. Between January 2000 and September 2020, 167 agents with 96 targets were investigated in 397 phase II trials. Twenty-eight agents were steered towards phase III, after three phase II trials on average. Repurposed drugs less often advanced in clinical development than drugs primarily developed for AML. Composite responses were the most prevalent primary endpoints in phase II. Of the eight FDA-approved drugs, none investigated quality of life at time of approval, and three out of eight have yet to show benefit in overall survival. Returns on targeted therapy research remain lean for AML patients. Future trials should not overlook non-targeted agents and foremost study endpoints proven to predict patient well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G J Cucchi
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Tobias B Polak
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gert J Ossenkoppele
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carin A Uyl-De Groot
- Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jacqueline Cloos
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sonja Zweegman
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J W M Janssen
- Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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