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Harms M, Fabech Hansson R, Gilg A, Almeida-Hernández Y, Löffler J, Rodríguez-Alfonso A, Habib MMW, Albers D, Ahmed NS, Abadi AH, Winter G, Rasche V, Beer AJ, Weidinger G, Preising N, Ständker L, Wiese S, Sanchez-Garcia E, Zelikin AN, Münch J. Development of N-Terminally Modified Variants of the CXCR4-Antagonistic Peptide EPI-X4 for Enhanced Plasma Stability. J Med Chem 2023; 66:15189-15204. [PMID: 37940118 PMCID: PMC10682998 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
EPI-X4, a natural peptide CXCR4 antagonist, shows potential for treating inflammation and cancer, but its short plasma stability limits its clinical application. We aimed to improve the plasma stability of EPI-X4 analogues without compromising CXCR4 antagonism. Our findings revealed that only the peptide N-terminus is prone to degradation. Consequently, incorporating d-amino acids or acetyl groups in this region enhanced peptide stability in plasma. Notably, EPI-X4 leads 5, 27, and 28 not only retained their CXCR4 binding and antagonism but also remained stable in plasma for over 8 h. Molecular dynamic simulations showed that these modified analogues bind similarly to CXCR4 as the original peptide. To further increase their systemic half-lives, we conjugated these stabilized analogues with large polymers and albumin binders. These advances highlight the potential of the optimized EPI-X4 analogues as promising CXCR4-targeted therapeutics and set the stage for more detailed preclinical assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirja Harms
- Institute
of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical
Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Rikke Fabech Hansson
- Department
of Chemistry and iNANO Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Andrea Gilg
- Institute
of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical
Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Yasser Almeida-Hernández
- Department
of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Computational Bioengineering, Emil-Figge Str. 66, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Jessica Löffler
- Department
of Nuclear Medicine, Ulm University Medical
Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Armando Rodríguez-Alfonso
- Core
Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University
Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
- Core Unit
Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Ulm University
Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Monica M. W. Habib
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt
- Pharmaceutical
Chemistry Department, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire Hosted by Global Academic
Foundation, Cairo 11865, Egypt
| | - Dan Albers
- Institute
of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical
Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Nermin S. Ahmed
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Ashraf H. Abadi
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, German University in Cairo, Cairo 11835, Egypt
| | - Gordon Winter
- Department
of Nuclear Medicine, Ulm University Medical
Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Volker Rasche
- Experimental
Cardiovascular Imaging (ExCaVI), Ulm University
Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Ambros J. Beer
- Department
of Nuclear Medicine, Ulm University Medical
Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Gilbert Weidinger
- Institute
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Ulm
University, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Nico Preising
- Core
Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University
Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Ludger Ständker
- Core
Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University
Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Sebastian Wiese
- Core Unit
Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Ulm University
Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
| | - Elsa Sanchez-Garcia
- Department
of Biochemical and Chemical Engineering, Computational Bioengineering, Emil-Figge Str. 66, Dortmund 44227, Germany
| | - Alexander N. Zelikin
- Department
of Chemistry and iNANO Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Jan Münch
- Institute
of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical
Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
- Core
Facility Functional Peptidomics, Ulm University
Medical Center, Ulm 89081, Germany
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Schauenburg D, Zech F, Heck AJ, von Maltitz P, Harms M, Führer S, Alleva N, Münch J, Kuan SL, Kirchhoff F, Weil T. Peptide Bispecifics Inhibiting HIV-1 Infection by an Orthogonal Chemical and Supramolecular Strategy. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:1645-1652. [PMID: 37665137 PMCID: PMC10515486 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Viral infections pose a significant threat to human health, and effective antiviral strategies are urgently needed. Antiviral peptides have emerged as a promising class of therapeutic agents due to their unique properties and mechanisms of action. While effective on their own, combining antiviral peptides may allow us to enhance their potency and to prevent viral resistance. Here, we developed an orthogonal chemical strategy to prepare a heterodimeric peptide conjugate assembled on a protein-based nanoplatform. Specifically, we combined the optimized version of two peptides inhibiting HIV-1 by distinct mechanisms. Virus-inhibitory peptide (VIRIP) is a 20 amino acid fragment of α1-antitrypsin that inhibits HIV-1 by targeting the gp41 fusion peptide. Endogenous peptide inhibitor of CXCR4 (EPI-X4) is a 16-residue fragment of human serum albumin that prevents HIV-1 entry by binding to the viral CXCR4 co-receptor. Optimized forms of both peptides are assembled on supramolecular nanoplatforms through the streptavidin-biotin interaction. We show that the construct consisting of the two different peptides (SAv-VIR-102C9-EPI-X4 JM#173-C) shows increased activity against CCR5- and CXCR4-tropic HIV-1 variants. Our results are a proof of concept that peptides with different modes of action can be assembled on nanoplatforms to enhance their antiviral activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominik Schauenburg
- Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Fabian Zech
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Meyerhofstr. 1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Astrid Johanna Heck
- Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Pascal von Maltitz
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Meyerhofstr. 1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Mirja Harms
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Meyerhofstr. 1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Siska Führer
- Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Nico Alleva
- Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Jan Münch
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Meyerhofstr. 1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Seah Ling Kuan
- Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Frank Kirchhoff
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Meyerhofstr. 1, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Tanja Weil
- Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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3
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Takyo M, Sato Y, Hirata N, Tsuchiya K, Ishida H, Kurohara T, Yanase Y, Ito T, Kanda Y, Yamamoto K, Misawa T, Demizu Y. Oligoarginine-Conjugated Peptide Foldamers Inhibiting Vitamin D Receptor-Mediated Transcription. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:46573-46582. [PMID: 36570290 PMCID: PMC9774327 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c05409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The vitamin D receptor (VDR) is a nuclear receptor, which is involved in several physiological processes, including differentiation and bone homeostasis. The VDR is a promising target for the development of drugs against cancer and bone-related diseases. To date, several VDR antagonists, which bind to the ligand binding domain of the VDR and compete with the endogenous agonist 1α,25(OH)D3, have been reported. However, these ligands contain a secosteroidal skeleton, which is chemically unstable and complicated to synthesize. A few VDR antagonists with a nonsecosteroidal skeleton have been reported. Alternative inhibitors against VDR transactivation that act via different mechanisms are desirable. Here, we developed peptide-based VDR inhibitors capable of disrupting the VDR-coactivator interaction. It was reported that helical SRC2-3 peptides strongly bound to the VDR and competed with the coactivator in vitro. Therefore, we designed and synthesized a series of SRC2-3 derivatives by the introduction of nonproteinogenic amino acids, such as β-amino acids, and by side-chain stapling to stabilize helical structures and provide resistance against digestive enzymes. In addition, conjugation with a cell-penetrating peptide increased the cell membrane permeability and was a promising strategy for intracellular VDR inhibition. The nona-arginine-conjugated peptides 24 with side-chain stapling and 25 with cyclic β-amino acids showed strong intracellular VDR inhibitory activity, resulting in suppression of the target gene expression and inhibition of the cell differentiation of HL-60 cells. Herein, the peptide design, structure-activity relationship (SAR) study, and biological evaluation of the peptides are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mami Takyo
- National
Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
- Graduate
School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama
City University, 1-7-29
Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yumi Sato
- National
Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
- Graduate
School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama
City University, 1-7-29
Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Naoya Hirata
- National
Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tsuchiya
- National
Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
- Graduate
School of Pharmacy, Showa University, 1-5-8 Hatanodai, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Ishida
- Laboratory
of Drug Design and Medicinal Chemistry, Showa Pharmaceutical University, 3-3165 Higashi-Tamagawagakuen, Machidashi, Tokyo 194-8543, Japan
| | - Takashi Kurohara
- National
Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
| | - Yuta Yanase
- National
Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
- Graduate
School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama
City University, 1-7-29
Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Takahito Ito
- National
Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
- Graduate
School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama
City University, 1-7-29
Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yasunari Kanda
- National
Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
| | - Keiko Yamamoto
- Laboratory
of Drug Design and Medicinal Chemistry, Showa Pharmaceutical University, 3-3165 Higashi-Tamagawagakuen, Machidashi, Tokyo 194-8543, Japan
| | - Takashi Misawa
- National
Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
| | - Yosuke Demizu
- National
Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
- Graduate
School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama
City University, 1-7-29
Yokohama, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
- Graduate
School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, 1-1-1 Tsushimanaka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
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Advanced EPI-X4 Derivatives Covalently Bind Human Serum Albumin Resulting in Prolonged Plasma Stability. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315029. [PMID: 36499357 PMCID: PMC9735595 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Advanced derivatives of the Endogenous Peptide Inhibitor of CXCR4 (EPI-X4) have shown therapeutic efficacy upon topical administration in animal models of asthma and dermatitis. Here, we studied the plasma stability of the EPI-X4 lead compounds WSC02 and JM#21, using mass spectrometry to monitor the chemical integrity of the peptides and a functional fluorescence-based assay to determine peptide function in a CXCR4-antibody competition assay. Although mass spectrometry revealed very rapid disappearance of both peptides in human plasma within seconds, the functional assay revealed a significantly higher half-life of 9 min for EPI-X4 WSC02 and 6 min for EPI-X4 JM#21. Further analyses demonstrated that EPI-X4 WSC02 and EPI-X4 JM#21 interact with low molecular weight plasma components and serum albumin. Albumin binding is mediated by the formation of a disulfide bridge between Cys10 in the EPI-X4 peptides and Cys34 in albumin. These covalently linked albumin-peptide complexes have a higher stability in plasma as compared with the non-bound peptides and retain the ability to bind and antagonize CXCR4. Remarkably, chemically synthesized albumin-EPI-X4 conjugates coupled by non-breakable bonds have a drastically increased plasma stability of over 2 h. Thus, covalent coupling of EPI-X4 to albumin in vitro before administration or in vivo post administration may significantly increase the pharmacokinetic properties of this new class of CXCR4 antagonists.
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Bose D, Roy L, Chatterjee S. Peptide therapeutics in the management of metastatic cancers. RSC Adv 2022; 12:21353-21373. [PMID: 35975072 PMCID: PMC9345020 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra02062a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading health concern threatening lives of millions of patients worldwide. Peptide-based drugs provide a valuable alternative to chemotherapeutics as they are highly specific, cheap, less toxic and easier to synthesize compared to other drugs. In this review, we have discussed various modes in which peptides are being used to curb cancer. Our review highlights specially the various anti-metastatic peptide-based agents developed by targeting a plethora of cellular factors. Herein we have given a special focus on integrins as targets for peptide drugs, as these molecules play key roles in metastatic progression. The review also discusses use of peptides as anti-cancer vaccines and their efficiency as drug-delivery tools. We hope this work will give the reader a clear idea of the mechanisms of peptide-based anti-cancer therapeutics and encourage the development of superior drugs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debopriya Bose
- Department of Biophysics Bose Institute Unified Academic Campus EN 80, Sector V, Bidhan Nagar Kolkata 700091 WB India
| | - Laboni Roy
- Department of Biophysics Bose Institute Unified Academic Campus EN 80, Sector V, Bidhan Nagar Kolkata 700091 WB India
| | - Subhrangsu Chatterjee
- Department of Biophysics Bose Institute Unified Academic Campus EN 80, Sector V, Bidhan Nagar Kolkata 700091 WB India
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