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Wang Y, Kim M, Buckley C, Maynard HD, Langley RJ, Perry JK. Growth hormone receptor agonists and antagonists: From protein expression and purification to long-acting formulations. Protein Sci 2023; 32:e4727. [PMID: 37428391 PMCID: PMC10443362 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4727] [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: 03/20/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) and GH receptor antagonists (GHAs) are used clinically to treat a range of disorders associated with GH deficiency or hypersecretion, respectively. However, these biotherapeutics can be difficult and expensive to manufacture with multiple challenges from recombinant protein generation through to the development of long-acting formulations required to improve the circulating half-life of the drug. In this review, we summarize methodologies and approaches used for making and purifying recombinant GH and GHA proteins, and strategies to improve pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, including PEGylation and fusion proteins. Therapeutics that are in clinical use or are currently under development are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- Liggins Institute, University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular BiodiscoveryAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Minah Kim
- Liggins Institute, University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Chantal Buckley
- Liggins Institute, University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Heather D. Maynard
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the California NanoSystems InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ries J. Langley
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular BiodiscoveryAucklandNew Zealand
- Department of Molecular Medicine and PathologyUniversity of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Jo K. Perry
- Liggins Institute, University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular BiodiscoveryAucklandNew Zealand
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Basu R, Brody R, Sandbhor U, Kulkarni P, Davis E, Swegan D, Caggiano LJ, Brenya E, Neggers S, Kopchick JJ. Structure and function of a dual antagonist of the human growth hormone and prolactin receptors with site-specific PEG conjugates. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105030. [PMID: 37442239 PMCID: PMC10410519 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105030] [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: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Human growth hormone (hGH) is a pituitary-derived endocrine protein that regulates several critical postnatal physiologic processes including growth, organ development, and metabolism. Following adulthood, GH is also a regulator of multiple pathologies like fibrosis, cancer, and diabetes. Therefore, there is a significant pharmaceutical interest in developing antagonists of hGH action. Currently, there is a single FDA-approved antagonist of the hGH receptor (hGHR) prescribed for treating patients with acromegaly and discovered in our laboratory almost 3 decades ago. Here, we present the first data on the structure and function of a new set of protein antagonists with the full range of hGH actions-dual antagonists of hGH binding to the GHR as well as that of hGH binding to the prolactin receptor. We describe the site-specific PEG conjugation, purification, and subsequent characterization using MALDI-TOF, size-exclusion chromatography, thermostability, and biochemical activity in terms of ELISA-based binding affinities with GHR and prolactin receptor. Moreover, these novel hGHR antagonists display distinct antagonism of GH-induced GHR intracellular signaling in vitro and marked reduction in hepatic insulin-like growth factor 1 output in vivo. Lastly, we observed potent anticancer biological efficacies of these novel hGHR antagonists against human cancer cell lines. In conclusion, we propose that these new GHR antagonists have potential for development towards multiple clinical applications related to GH-associated pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reetobrata Basu
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | | | | | - Prateek Kulkarni
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - Emily Davis
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - Deborah Swegan
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - Lydia J Caggiano
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA; Honors Tutorial College, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - Edward Brenya
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA
| | - Sebastian Neggers
- Department of Medicine, Endocrinology, Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - John J Kopchick
- Edison Biotechnology Institute, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA; Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA; Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, USA.
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Wang Y, Langley RJ, Tamshen K, Harms J, Middleditch MJ, Maynard HD, Jamieson SMF, Perry JK. Enhanced Bioactivity of a Human GHR Antagonist Generated by Solid-Phase Site-Specific PEGylation. Biomacromolecules 2020; 22:299-308. [PMID: 33295758 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Growth hormone (GH) has been implicated in cancer progression andis a potential target for anticancer therapy. Currently, pegvisomant is the only GH receptor (GHR) antagonist approved for clinical use. Pegvisomant is a mutated GH molecule (B2036) which is PEGylated on amine groups to extend serum half-life. However, PEGylation significantly reduces the bioactivity of the antagonist in mice. To improve bioactivity, we generated a series of B2036 conjugates with the site-specific attachment of 20, 30, or 40 kDa methoxyPEG maleimide (mPEG maleimide) by introduction of a cysteine residue at amino acid 144 (S144C). Recombinant B2036-S144C was expressed in Escherichia coli, purified, and then PEGylated using cysteine-specific conjugation chemistry. To avoid issues with dimerization due to the introduced cysteine, B2036-S144C was PEGylated while immobilized on an Ni-nitrilotriacetic (Ni-NTA) acid column, which effectively reduced disulfide-mediated dimer formation and allowed efficient conjugation to mPEG maleimide. Following PEGylation, the IC50 values for the 20, 30, and 40 kDa mPEG maleimide B2036-S144C conjugates were 66.2 ± 3.8, 106.1 ± 7.1, and 127.4 ± 3.6 nM, respectively. The circulating half-life of the 40 kDa mPEG conjugate was 58.3 h in mice. Subcutaneous administration of the 40 kDa mPEG conjugate (10 mg/kg/day) reduced serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations by 50.6%. This in vivo reduction in serum IGF-I was at a considerably lower dose compared to the higher doses required to observe comparable activity in studies with pegvisomant. In conclusion, we have generated a novel PEGylated GHR antagonist by the solid-phase site-specific attachment of mPEG maleimide at an introduced cysteine residue, which effectively reduces serum IGF-I in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wang
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Ries J Langley
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Kyle Tamshen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles 90095-1569, California, United States
| | - Julia Harms
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.,Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Martin J Middleditch
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Heather D Maynard
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles 90095-1569, California, United States.,California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles 90095-1569, California, United States
| | - Stephen M F Jamieson
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.,Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.,Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Jo K Perry
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand.,Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
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Tamshen K, Wang Y, Jamieson SM, Perry JK, Maynard HD. Genetic Code Expansion Enables Site-Specific PEGylation of a Human Growth Hormone Receptor Antagonist through Click Chemistry. Bioconjug Chem 2020; 31:2179-2190. [PMID: 32786367 PMCID: PMC8291075 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.0c00365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Regulation of human growth hormone (GH) signaling has important applications in the remediation of several diseases including acromegaly and cancer. Growth hormone receptor (GHR) antagonists currently provide the most effective means for suppression of GH signaling. However, these small 22 kDa recombinantly engineered GH analogues exhibit short plasma circulation times. To improve clinical viability, between four and six molecules of 5 kDa poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) are nonspecifically conjugated to the nine amines of the GHR antagonist designated as B2036 in the FDA-approved therapeutic pegvisomant. PEGylation increases the molecular weight of B2036 and considerably extends its circulation time, but also dramatically reduces its bioactivity, contributing to high dosing requirements and increased cost. As an alternative to nonspecific PEGylation, we report the use of genetic code expansion technology to site-specifically incorporate the unnatural amino acid propargyl tyrosine (pglY) into B2036 with the goal of producing site-specific protein-polymer conjugates. Substitution of tyrosine 35 with pglY yielded a B2036 variant containing an alkyne functional group without compromising bioactivity, as verified by a cellular assay. Subsequent conjugation of 5, 10, and 20 kDa azide-containing PEGs via the copper-catalyzed click reaction yielded high purity, site-specific conjugates with >89% conjugation efficiencies. Site-specific attachment of PEG to B2036 is associated with substantially improved in vitro bioactivity values compared to pegvisomant, with an inverse relationship between polymer size and activity observed. Notably, the B2036-20 kDa PEG conjugate has a molecular weight comparable to pegvisomant, while exhibiting a 12.5 fold improvement in half-maximal inhibitory concentration in GHR-expressing Ba/F3 cells (103.3 nM vs 1289 nM). We expect that this straightforward route to achieve site-specific GHR antagonists will be useful for GH signal regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Tamshen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
| | - Yue Wang
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1203, New Zealand
| | - Stephen M.F. Jamieson
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Jo K. Perry
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1203, New Zealand
- Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
| | - Heather D. Maynard
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095-1569, United States
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