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Double-PEGylated Cyclopeptidic Photosensitizer Prodrug Improves Drug Uptake from In Vitro to Hen's Egg Chorioallantoic Membrane Model. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26206241. [PMID: 34684822 PMCID: PMC8540087 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26206241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclopeptidic photosensitizer prodrugs (cPPPs) are compounds designed to specifically target overexpressed hydrolases such as serine proteases, resulting in their specific activation in close proximity to tumor cells. In this study, we explored a series of conjugates that can be selectively activated by the urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA). They differ from each other by their pheophorbide a (Pha) loading, their number of PEG chains and the eventual presence of black hole quenchers (BHQ3). The involvement of a peptidic linker between the drugs and the cyclopeptidic carrier allows specific cleavage by uPA. Restoration of the photophysical activity was observed in vitro on A549 lung and MCF7 breast cancer cells that exhibited an increase in red fluorescence emission up to 5.1-fold and 7.8-fold, respectively for uPA-cPPQ2+2/5. While these cPPP conjugates do not show dark toxicity, they revealed their phototoxic potential in both cell lines at 5 µM of Phaeq and a blue light fluence of 12.7 J/cm2 that resulted in complete cell death with almost all conjugates. This suggests, in addition to the promising use for cancer diagnosis, a use as a PDT agent. Intravenous injection of tetrasubstituted conjugates in fertilized hen eggs bearing a lung cancer nodule (A549) showed that a double PEGylation was favorable for the selective accumulation of the unquenched Pha moieties in the tumor nodules. Indeed, the diPEGylated uPA-cPPP4/52 induced a 5.2-fold increase in fluorescence, while the monoPEGylated uPA-cPPP4/5 or uPA-cPPQ2+2/5 led to a 0.4-fold increase only.
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Arora K, Herroon M, Al-Afyouni MH, Toupin NP, Rohrabaugh TN, Loftus LM, Podgorski I, Turro C, Kodanko JJ. Catch and Release Photosensitizers: Combining Dual-Action Ruthenium Complexes with Protease Inactivation for Targeting Invasive Cancers. J Am Chem Soc 2018; 140:14367-14380. [PMID: 30278123 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.8b08853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Dual action agents containing a cysteine protease inhibitor and Ru-based photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT) were designed, synthesized, and validated in 2D culture and 3D functional imaging assays of triple-negative human breast cancer (TNBC). These combination agents deliver and release Ru-based PDT agents to tumor cells and cause cancer cell death upon irradiation with visible light, while at the same time inactivating cathespin B (CTSB), a cysteine protease strongly associated with invasive and metastatic behavior. In total five Ru-based complexes were synthesized with the formula [Ru(bpy)2(1)](O2CCF3)2 (3), where bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine and 1 = a bipyridine-based epoxysuccinyl inhibitor; [Ru(tpy)(NN)(2)](PF6)2, where tpy = terpiridine, 2 = a pyridine-based epoxysuccinyl inhibitor and NN = 2,2'-bipyridine (4); 6,6'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine (5); benzo[ i]dipyrido[3,2- a:2',3'- c]phenazine (6); and 3,6-dimethylbenzo[ i]dipyrido[3,2- a:2',3'- c]phenazine (7). Compound 3 contains a [Ru(bpy)3]2+ fluorophore and was designed to track the subcellular localization of the conjugates, whereas compounds 4-7 were designed to undergo either photoactivated ligand dissociation and/or singlet oxygen generation. Photochemical studies confirmed that complexes 5 and 7 undergo photoactivated ligand dissociation, whereas 6 and 7 generate singlet oxygen. Inhibitors 1-7 all potently and irreversibly inhibit CTSB. Compounds 4-7 were evaluated against MDA-MB-231 TNBC and MCF-10A breast epithelial cells in 2D and 3D culture for effects on proteolysis and cell viability under dark and light conditions. Collectively, these data reveal that 4-7 potently inhibit dye-quenched (DQ) collagen degradation, whereas only compound 7 causes efficient cell death under light conditions, consistent with its ability to release a Ru(II)-based photosensitizer and to also generate 1O2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan Arora
- Department of Chemistry , Wayne State University , 5101 Cass Avenue , Detroit , Michigan 48202 , United States
| | - Mackenzie Herroon
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine , Wayne State University , Detroit , Michigan 48201 , United States
| | - Malik H Al-Afyouni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The Ohio State University , Columbus , Ohio 43210 , United States
| | - Nicholas P Toupin
- Department of Chemistry , Wayne State University , 5101 Cass Avenue , Detroit , Michigan 48202 , United States
| | - Thomas N Rohrabaugh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The Ohio State University , Columbus , Ohio 43210 , United States
| | - Lauren M Loftus
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The Ohio State University , Columbus , Ohio 43210 , United States
| | - Izabela Podgorski
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine , Wayne State University , Detroit , Michigan 48201 , United States.,Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute , Detroit , Michigan 48201 , United States
| | - Claudia Turro
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry , The Ohio State University , Columbus , Ohio 43210 , United States
| | - Jeremy J Kodanko
- Department of Chemistry , Wayne State University , 5101 Cass Avenue , Detroit , Michigan 48202 , United States.,Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute , Detroit , Michigan 48201 , United States
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Tamiaki H, Tanaka T, Wang XF. Photophysical properties of synthetic monomer, dimer, trimer, and tetramer of chlorophyll derivatives and their application to organic solar cells. J Photochem Photobiol A Chem 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotochem.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Zuluaga MF, Sekkat N, Gabriel D, van den Bergh H, Lange N. Selective Photodetection and Photodynamic Therapy for Prostate Cancer through Targeting of Proteolytic Activity. Mol Cancer Ther 2012; 12:306-13. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-12-0780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Zuluaga MF, Gabriel D, Lange N. Enhanced prostate cancer targeting by modified protease sensitive photosensitizer prodrugs. Mol Pharm 2012; 9:1570-9. [PMID: 22548315 DOI: 10.1021/mp2005774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Prodrugs combining macromolecular delivery systems with site-selective drug release represent a powerful strategy to increase selectivity of anticancer agents. We have adapted this strategy to develop new polymeric photosensitizer prodrugs (PPP) sensitive to urokinase-like plasminogen activator (uPA). In these compounds (to be referred to as uPA-PPPs) multiple copies of pheophorbide a are attached to a polymeric carrier via peptide linkers that can be cleaved by uPA, a protease overexpressed in prostate cancer (PCa). uPA-PPPs are non-phototoxic in their native state but become fluorescent and produce singlet oxygen after uPA-mediated activation. In the present work, we studied the influence of side-chain modifications, molecular weight, and overall charge on the photoactivity and pharmacokinetics of uPA-PPPs. An in vitro promising candidate with convertible phototoxicity was then further investigated in vivo. Systemic administration resulted in a selective accumulation and activation of the prodrug in luciferase transfected PC-3 xenografts, resulting in a 4-fold increase in fluorescence emission over time. Irradiation of fluorescent tumors induced immediate tumor cell eradication as shown by whole animal bioluminescence imaging. PDT with uPA-PPP could therefore provide a more selective treatment of localized PCa and reduce side effects associated with current radical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Fernanda Zuluaga
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Geneva, University of Lausanne, 30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet, 1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland
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Sève A, Couleaud P, Lux F, Tillement O, Arnoux P, André JC, Frochot C. Long-distance energy transfer photosensitizers arising in hybrid nanoparticles leading to fluorescence emission and singlet oxygen luminescence quenching. Photochem Photobiol Sci 2012; 11:803-11. [PMID: 22362130 DOI: 10.1039/c2pp05324a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents energy transfer occurring in small organically modified core-shell nanoparticles (core lanthanide oxide, shell polysiloxane) (diameter < 10 nm) conjugated with photosensitizers designed for photodynamic therapy applications. These nanoparticles covalently encapsulate a photosensitizing PDT drug in different concentrations. Stable dispersions of the nanoparticles were prepared and the photophysical properties of the photosensitizers were studied and compared to those of the photosensitizers in solution. Increasing the photosensitizer concentration in the nanoparticles was not found to cause any changes in the absorption properties while fluorescence and singlet oxygen quantum yields decreased. As a possible explanation, we have suggested that both long distance energy transfer such as FRET and self-quenching could occur into the nanoparticles. A simple "trend" model of this kind of energy transfer complies with results of experiments on steady state fluorescence and singlet oxygen luminescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aymeric Sève
- LRGP, Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, UPR 3349 CNRS, Nancy, France
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Gabriel D, Busso N, So A, van den Bergh H, Gurny R, Lange N. Thrombin-sensitive photodynamic agents: a novel strategy for selective synovectomy in rheumatoid arthritis. J Control Release 2009; 138:225-34. [PMID: 19445983 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2009.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2009] [Revised: 05/07/2009] [Accepted: 05/08/2009] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Protease-sensitive macromolecular prodrugs have attracted interest for bio-responsive drug delivery to sites with up-regulated proteolytic activities such as inflammatory or cancerous lesions. Here we report the development of a novel polymeric photosensitizer prodrug (T-PS) to target thrombin, a protease up-regulated in synovial tissues of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, for minimally invasive photodynamic synovectomy. In T-PS, multiple photosensitizer units are tethered to a polymeric backbone via short, thrombin-cleavable peptide linkers. Photoactivity of the prodrug is efficiently impaired due to energy transfer between neighbouring photosensitizer units. T-PS activation by exogenous and endogenous thrombin induced an increase in fluorescence emission by a factor of 16 after in vitro digestion and a selective fluorescence enhancement in arthritic lesions in vivo, in a collagen-induced arthritis mouse model. In vitro studies on primary human synoviocytes showed a phototoxic effect only after enzymatic digestion of the prodrug and light irradiation, thus demonstrating the functionality of T-PS induced PDT. The developed photosensitizer prodrugs combine the passive targeting capacity of macromolecular drug delivery systems with site-selective photosensitizer release and activation. They illuminate lesions with pathologically enhanced proteolytic activity and induce cell death, subsequent to irradiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris Gabriel
- Laboratory of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, Section of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Lausanne, University of Geneva, 30 Quai Ernest-Ansermet, CH-1211, Geneva, Switzerland
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