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Eliasof A, Liu-Chen LY, Li Y. Peptide-derived ligands for the discovery of safer opioid analgesics. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:103950. [PMID: 38514040 PMCID: PMC11127667 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.103950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Drugs targeting the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) remain the most efficacious analgesics for the treatment of pain, but activation of MOR with current opioid analgesics also produces harmful side effects, notably physical dependence, addiction, and respiratory depression. Opioid peptides have been accepted as promising candidates for the development of safer and more efficacious analgesics. To develop peptide-based opioid analgesics, strategies such as modification of endogenous opioid peptides, development of multifunctional opioid peptides, G protein-biased opioid peptides, and peripherally restricted opioid peptides have been reported. This review seeks to provide an overview of the opioid peptides that produce potent antinociception with much reduced side effects in animal models and highlight the potential advantages of peptides as safer opioid analgesics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbe Eliasof
- College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Lee-Yuan Liu-Chen
- Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Yangmei Li
- College of Pharmacy, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
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Wang Y, Ma MT, Wang J, Han CZY, Li K, Ru QM, Li N, Liu X, Wang R. Peripheral Administration of an Opioid Peptide Analog Ameliorates Morphine-Produced Hyperalgesia in a Spared Nerve Injury Model. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10319-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Wei S, Han CZY, Wang J, Li K, Ru QM, Wang Y, Ma MT, Wang LQ, Liu X, Wang R. Repeated Endomorphin Analogue MEL-0614 Reduces Tolerance and Improves Chronic Postoperative Pain without Modulating the P2X7R Signaling Pathway. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:3124-3139. [PMID: 34351126 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.1c00418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The clinical treatment of chronic postoperative pain (CPSP) remains challenging. The side effects of chronic morphine treatment limit its clinical application. MEL-0614, a novel endomorphin analogue that is highly selective and agonistic for μ opioid receptor (MOR), produces a more powerful analgesic effect than that of morphine. In this study, we explored the difference in antinociceptive tolerance and related mechanisms between MEL-0614 and morphine in CPSP induced in a skin/muscle incision and retraction (SMIR) mice model. We found that acute administration of MEL-0614 (1, 3, 5, and 10 nmol, i.t.) produced a dose-dependent analgesic effect that was superior to that of morphine in the SMIR mice model. Long-term MEL-0614 treatment (10 nmol, i.t.) did not induce tolerance compared with morphine. Notably, tolerance induced by morphine could be greatly prevented and/or inhibited via cross-administration or coadministration between MEL-0614 and morphine. In addition, MEL-0614 accelerated the recovery of postoperative pain, whereas morphine aggravated postoperative pain and prolonged its recovery time regardless of preoperative or postoperative treatment. In addition, MEL-0614 did not activate microglia and the P2X7R signaling pathway and showed reduced expression iba1 and P2X7R compared with that observed after morphine administration. Release of inflammatory factors was induced by continued administration of morphine during SMIR surgery, but MEL-0614 did not promote the activation of inflammatory factors. Our results showed that MEL-0614 has superior analgesic effects in CPSP and leads to tolerance to a lesser degree than morphine. Further, MEL-0614 may be used as a promising treatment option for the long-term treatment in CPSP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Wei
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Chao-Zhen-Yi Han
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Kai Li
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Qiao-Min Ru
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Meng-Tao Ma
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Lin-Qing Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Xin Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Bagheri-Ziari S, Shahbazzadeh D, Sardari S, Sabatier JM, Pooshang Bagheri K. Discovery of a New Analgesic Peptide, Leptucin, from the Iranian Scorpion, Hemiscorpius lepturus. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26092580. [PMID: 33925223 PMCID: PMC8124257 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26092580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemiscorpius lepturus scorpion stings do not induce considerable pain based on epidemiological surveys conducted in the southwest part of Iran. Accordingly, this study was aimed to identify the analgesic molecule in H. lepturus venom by analyzing a cDNA library of the scorpion venom gland looking for sequences having homology with known animal venom analgesic peptides. The analgesic molecule is a cysteine rich peptide of 55 amino acids. the synthetic peptide was deprotected and refolded. RP-HPLC, Ellman's, and DLS assays confirmed the refolding accuracy. Circular dichroism (CD) showed helix and beta sheet contents. This peptide, called leptucin, demonstrated 95% analgesic activity at the dose of 0.48 mg/kg in hot plate assay. Leptucin at the doses of 0.32, 0.48, and 0.64 mg/kg showed 100% activity in thermal tail flick test. No hemolysis or cytotoxicity was observed at 8 and 16 µg. Histopathology evaluations indicated no hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and cardiotoxicity. We thus report that leptucin is the analgesic agent of H. lepturus venom. Regarding the high in vivo efficacy of leptucin and the fact it shows no observable toxicity, it could be suggested as a drug lead in a preclinical study of acute pain as well as the study of its mechanism of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sedigheh Bagheri-Ziari
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Laboratory, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran; (S.B.-Z.); (D.S.)
| | - Delavar Shahbazzadeh
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Laboratory, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran; (S.B.-Z.); (D.S.)
| | - Soroush Sardari
- Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran;
| | - Jean-Marc Sabatier
- Institute of NeuroPhysiopathology (INP), Faculté de Pharmacie, Université d’Aix-Marseille, UMR 7051, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, CEDEX, 13385 Marseille, France;
| | - Kamran Pooshang Bagheri
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Laboratory, Medical Biotechnology Department, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran; (S.B.-Z.); (D.S.)
- Correspondence:
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Chen JJ, Ren YL, Shu CJ, Zhang Y, Chen MJ, Xu J, Li J, Li AP, Chen DY, He JD, Shu YQ, Zhou JW. JP3, an antiangiogenic peptide, inhibits growth and metastasis of gastric cancer through TRIM25/SP1/MMP2 axis. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2020; 39:118. [PMID: 32576271 PMCID: PMC7310436 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-020-01617-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer (GC) is the most prevalent gastrointestinal tumor with an unfavorable clinical prognosis. GC patients are largely threatened owing to metastasis and drug resistance. Tumor angiogenesis plays an important role in the development of gastric cancer and is a challenge in the treatment of gastric cancer. METHODS Mouse xenograft models were used for screening of therapeutic peptides on GC growth and metastasis. Routine laboratory experimental methods including conditional cell culture, tube formation assay, qRT-PCR, Western blotting, immunohistochemistry (IHC), ubiquitination assay, and immunofluorescence (IF) were used in mechanism investigation; protein docking analysis and coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP) were used for prediction and confirmation of interactions between JP3/SP1 and TRIM25/MEK1/2. RESULTS We identified an MMP2-targeted peptide JP3 that plays inhibiting roles in modulating growth and metastasis of GC in vivo and has no observable toxic side effects. JP3 reduced tumor microvessel density (MVD) in vivo and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) tube formation in vitro. Mechanistic studies revealed that JP3 reduces polyubiquitination-mediated degradation of TRIM25 by increasing the stability of TRIM25 through phosphorylating it at Ser12. TRIM25, as an E3 ubiquitin ligase, promoted the ubiquitin of SP1 at K610, further suppressed expression of MMP2 and inhibited angiogenesis in GC. Importantly, the inversely association between TRIM25 and SP1 protein level was further verified in human GC tissues. Decreased TRIM25 expression and increased SP1 expression in tumor tissues were positively correlated with poor prognosis of GC patients. CONCLUSIONS MMP2-targeted peptide JP3 plays a therapeutic role in GC through anti-angiogenesis by modulating TRIM25/SP1/MMP2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Jie Chen
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology & Toxicology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Yan-Lin Ren
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology & Toxicology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Chuan-Jun Shu
- Department of Bioinformatics, School of Biomedical Engineering and Informatics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology & Toxicology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Min-Juan Chen
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology & Toxicology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Jin Xu
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology & Toxicology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Jin Li
- Department of Oncology, the affiliated Huaian No. 1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huaian, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ai-Ping Li
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology & Toxicology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Dong-Yin Chen
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Jing-Dong He
- Department of Oncology, the affiliated Huaian No. 1 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huaian, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yong-Qian Shu
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Jian-Wei Zhou
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology & Toxicology, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
- Jiangsu Key Lab of Cancer Biomarkers, Prevention and Treatment, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
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