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Gach-Janczak K, Biernat M, Kuczer M, Adamska-Bartłomiejczyk A, Kluczyk A. Analgesic Peptides: From Natural Diversity to Rational Design. Molecules 2024; 29:1544. [PMID: 38611824 PMCID: PMC11013236 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29071544] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Pain affects one-third of the global population and is a significant public health issue. The use of opioid drugs, which are the strongest painkillers, is associated with several side effects, such as tolerance, addiction, overdose, and even death. An increasing demand for novel, safer analgesic agents is a driving force for exploring natural sources of bioactive peptides with antinociceptive activity. Since the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a crucial role in pain modulation, the discovery of new peptide ligands for GPCRs is a significant challenge for novel drug development. The aim of this review is to present peptides of human and animal origin with antinociceptive potential and to show the possibilities of their modification, as well as the design of novel structures. The study presents the current knowledge on structure-activity relationship in the design of peptide-based biomimetic compounds, the modification strategies directed at increasing the antinociceptive activity, and improvement of metabolic stability and pharmacodynamic profile. The procedures employed in prolonged drug delivery of emerging compounds are also discussed. The work summarizes the conditions leading to the development of potential morphine replacements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Gach-Janczak
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215 Lodz, Poland; (K.G.-J.); (A.A.-B.)
| | - Monika Biernat
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wroclaw, Poland; (M.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Mariola Kuczer
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wroclaw, Poland; (M.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Anna Adamska-Bartłomiejczyk
- Department of Biomolecular Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Mazowiecka 6/8, 92-215 Lodz, Poland; (K.G.-J.); (A.A.-B.)
| | - Alicja Kluczyk
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383 Wroclaw, Poland; (M.B.); (M.K.)
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Oyadomari WY, Anthero GL, Silva MRDA, Porta LC, Oliveira V, Reid PF, Sant'Anna OA, Alves WA, Nani JV, Hayashi MAF. Evaluation of tumor growth remission in a murine model for subcutaneous solid tumors - Benefits of associating the antitumor agent crotamine with mesoporous nanosilica particles to achieve improved dosing frequency and efficacy. Int J Pharm 2023; 646:123420. [PMID: 37778514 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Crotamine is a highly cationic polypeptide first isolated from South American rattlesnake venom, which exhibits affinity for acidic lysosomal vesicles and proliferating cells. This cationic nature is pivotal for its in vitro cytotoxicity and in vivo anticancer actions. This study aimed to enhance the antitumor efficacy of crotamine by associating it with the mesoporous SBA-15 silica, known for its controlled release of various chemical agents, including large proteins. This association aimed to mitigate the toxic effects while amplifying the pharmacological potency of several compounds. Comprehensive characterization, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and zeta potential analysis, confirmed the successful association of crotamine with the non-toxic SBA-15 nanoparticles. The TEM imaging revealed nanoparticles with a nearly spherical shape and variations in uniformity upon crotamine association. Furthermore, DLS showed a narrow unimodal size distribution, emphasizing the formation of small aggregates. Zeta potential measurements indicated a distinct shift from negative to positive values upon crotamine association, underscoring its effective adsorption onto SBA-15. Intraperitoneal or oral administration of crotamine:SBA-15 in a murine melanoma model suggested the potential to reduce the frequency of crotamine doses without compromising efficacy. Interestingly, while the oral route enhanced the antitumor efficacy of crotamine, pH-dependent release from SBA-15 was observed. Thus, associating crotamine with SBA-15 could reduce the overall required dose to inhibit solid tumor growth, bolstering the prospect of crotamine as a potent anticancer agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Yoshio Oyadomari
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil; Departamento de Biofísica, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
| | - Gabriel Lessa Anthero
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
| | - Marcos R de A Silva
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), Brazil.
| | - Lucas C Porta
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
| | - Vitor Oliveira
- Departamento de Biofísica, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
| | | | | | - Wendel A Alves
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC), Brazil.
| | - João V Nani
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
| | - Mirian Akemi Furuie Hayashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil.
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Campos PC, Oliveira HCD, Ortolani PL, Amaral de Melo L, Fontes MRM, Fortes-Dias CL. Mapping possible interaction sites for crotoxin in CNF, a gamma PLA 2 inhibitor from Crotalus durissus terrificus rattle snake, using SPOT synthesis. Toxicon 2023; 234:107267. [PMID: 37661064 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxicon.2023.107267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) are main components of snake venoms. Several snake species possess endogenous PLA2 inhibitors in their circulating blood, which are generally known as sbPLIs (an acronym for snake blood phospholipase A2inhibitors). The sbPLIs are categorized in three classes (alpha, beta or gamma) depending on the existence of distinguishing protein domains in their structure. The Crotalus durrissus terrificus venom has a highly neurotoxic PLA2 - crotoxin (CTX) - in its composition and the self-protection of the snake is mainly ensured by a sbγPLI named CNF (standing for Crotalusneutralizing factor). In an attempt to find smaller molecules able to inhibit the catalytic activity of CTX, in the present study we used linear peptide arrays to identify CNF segments possibly involved in the interaction with the toxin. Five reacting segments were identified as possible interacting regions. The target peptides were synthesized and located in the in silico CNF structure. Although all of them are exposed to the solvent, high concentrations were needed to inhibit the PLA2 activity of the whole venom or CTX. Limitations of the methodology employed and particular characteristics of CTX inhibition by CNF are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Cota Campos
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Hamine Cristina de Oliveira
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paula Ladeira Ortolani
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lutiana Amaral de Melo
- Diretoria de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Marcos R M Fontes
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil; Instituto de Estudos Avançados do Mar (IEAMar), Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil
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de Paula Faria D, D'Arc Campeiro J, de Souza Junqueira M, Real CC, Marques FLN, Hayashi MAF, Sapienza MT. [ 18F]FDG and [ 11C]PK11195 PET imaging in the evaluation of brown adipose tissue - effects of cold and pharmacological stimuli and their association with crotamine intake in a male mouse model. Nucl Med Biol 2023; 122-123:108362. [PMID: 37356164 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2023.108362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the role of positron emission tomography (PET) with [11C]PK11195 and [18F]FDG in the characterization of brown adipose tissue (BAT). METHODS Male C57BL/6 mice were studied with the glucose analogue [18F]FDG (n = 21) and the TSPO mitochondrial tracer [11C]PK11195 (n = 28), without stimulus and after cold (6-9 °C) or beta-agonist (CL316243) stimuli. PET studies were performed at baseline and after 21 days of daily treatment with crotamine, which is a peptide described to induce adipocyte tissue browning and to increase BAT metabolism. Tracer uptake (SUVmax) was measured in the interscapular BAT and translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS The cold stimulus increased [18F]FDG uptake compared to no-stimulus (5.21 ± 1.05 vs. 2.03 ± 0.21, p < 0.0001) and to beta-agonist stimulus (2.65 ± 0.39, p = 0.0003). After 21 days of treatment with crotamine, there was no significant difference in the [18F]FDG uptake compared to the baseline in the no-stimulus group and in the cold-stimulus group, with a significant increase in uptake after CL stimulus (baseline: 2.65 ± 0.39; 21 days crotamine: 4.77 ± 0.81, p = 0.0003). Evaluation of [11C]PK11195 at baseline shows that CL stimulus increases the BAT uptake compared to no-stimulus (4.47 ± 0.66 vs. 3.36 ± 0.68, p = 0.014). After 21 days of treatment with crotamine, there was no significant difference in the [11C]PK11195 uptake compared to the baseline in the no-stimulus group (2.94 ± 0.58, p = 0.7864) and also after CL stimulus (3.55 ± 0.79, p = 0.085). TSPO expression correlated with [11C]PK11195 uptake (r = 0.83, p = 0.018) but not with [18F]FDG uptake (r = 0.40, p = 0.516). CONCLUSIONS [11C]PK11195 allowed the identification of BAT under thermoneutral conditions or after beta3-adrenergic stimulation in a direct correlation with TSPO expression. The beta-adrenergic stimulus, despite presenting a lower intensity of glycolytic activation compared to cold at baseline, allowed the observation of an increase in BAT uptake of [18F]FDG after 21 days of crotamine administration. Although some limitations were observed for the metabolic changes induced by crotamine, this study reinforced the potential of using [11C]PK11195 and/or [18F]FDG-PET to monitor the activation of BAT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele de Paula Faria
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine (LIM 43), Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Joana D'Arc Campeiro
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mara de Souza Junqueira
- Centro de Investigação Translacional em Oncologia (CTO), Instituto do Cancer do Estado de Sao Paulo (ICESP), Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Cristiano Real
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine (LIM 43), Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Department of Nuclear Medicine and PET Center, Aarhus University Hospital, DK-8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Fabio Luiz Navarro Marques
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine (LIM 43), Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mirian Akemi Furuie Hayashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Tatit Sapienza
- Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine (LIM 43), Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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Ferreira Junior RS, Morales MM, Barretti P, Barraviera B. Launching a CDMO in Brazil aiming to develop biopharmaceuticals for clinical trials. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2022; 28:e20220017. [PMID: 35721790 PMCID: PMC9171928 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2022-0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The innovation timeline is expensive, risky, competitive, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. In order to overcome such challenges and optimize financial resources, pharmaceutical companies nowadays hire contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMO) to help them. Based on the experience acquired first from the development of two biopharmaceuticals, the Heterologous Fibrin Sealant and the Apilic Antivenom, and more recently, during their respective clinical trials; the Center for the Study of Venoms and Venomous Animals (CEVAP) proposed to the Ministry of Health the creation of the first Brazilian CDMO. This groundbreaking venture will assist in converting a candidate molecule - from its discovery, proof of concept, product development, up to pilot batch production - into a product. The CDMO impact and legacy will be immense, offering service provision to the public and private sector by producing validated samples for clinical trials and academic training on translational research for those seeking a position in pharmaceutical industries and manufacturing platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcelo Marcos Morales
- Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Brazil
| | - Pasqual Barretti
- São Paulo State University, Brazil; São Paulo State University, Brazil
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