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Mező G, Gomena J, Ranđelović I, Dókus EL, Kiss K, Pethő L, Schuster S, Vári B, Vári-Mező D, Lajkó E, Polgár L, Kőhidai L, Tóvári J, Szabó I. Oxime-Linked Peptide-Daunomycin Conjugates as Good Tools for Selection of Suitable Homing Devices in Targeted Tumor Therapy: An Overview. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1864. [PMID: 38339141 PMCID: PMC10855781 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031864] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy is still one of the main therapeutic approaches in cancer therapy. Nevertheless, its poor selectivity causes severe toxic side effects that, together with the development of drug resistance in tumor cells, results in a limitation for its application. Tumor-targeted drug delivery is a possible choice to overcome these drawbacks. As well as monoclonal antibodies, peptides are promising targeting moieties for drug delivery. However, the development of peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) is still a big challenge. The main reason is that the conjugates have to be stable in circulation, but the drug or its active metabolite should be released efficiently in the tumor cells. For this purpose, suitable linker systems are needed that connect the drug molecule with the homing peptide. The applied linker systems are commonly categorized as cleavable and non-cleavable linkers. Both the groups possess advantages and disadvantages that are summarized briefly in this manuscript. Moreover, in this review paper, we highlight the benefit of oxime-linked anthracycline-peptide conjugates in the development of PDCs. For instance, straightforward synthesis as well as a conjugation reaction proceed in excellent yields, and the autofluorescence of anthracyclines provides a good tool to select the appropriate homing peptides. Furthermore, we demonstrate that these conjugates can be used properly in in vivo studies. The results indicate that the oxime-linked PDCs are potential candidates for targeted tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gábor Mező
- HUN-REN-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (J.G.); (E.L.D.); (L.P.); (S.S.); (D.V.-M.); (I.S.)
- Institute of Chemistry, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Jacopo Gomena
- HUN-REN-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (J.G.); (E.L.D.); (L.P.); (S.S.); (D.V.-M.); (I.S.)
- Institute of Chemistry, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ivan Ranđelović
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary; (I.R.); (B.V.); (J.T.)
| | - Endre Levente Dókus
- HUN-REN-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (J.G.); (E.L.D.); (L.P.); (S.S.); (D.V.-M.); (I.S.)
| | - Krisztina Kiss
- HUN-REN-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (J.G.); (E.L.D.); (L.P.); (S.S.); (D.V.-M.); (I.S.)
- Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lilla Pethő
- HUN-REN-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (J.G.); (E.L.D.); (L.P.); (S.S.); (D.V.-M.); (I.S.)
| | - Sabine Schuster
- HUN-REN-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (J.G.); (E.L.D.); (L.P.); (S.S.); (D.V.-M.); (I.S.)
- Institute of Chemistry, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Vári
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary; (I.R.); (B.V.); (J.T.)
- School of Ph.D. Studies, Doctoral School of Pathological Sciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Diána Vári-Mező
- HUN-REN-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (J.G.); (E.L.D.); (L.P.); (S.S.); (D.V.-M.); (I.S.)
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary; (I.R.); (B.V.); (J.T.)
- School of Ph.D. Studies, Doctoral School of Pathological Sciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Eszter Lajkó
- Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, 1089 Budapest, Hungary; (E.L.); (L.P.); (L.K.)
| | - Lívia Polgár
- Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, 1089 Budapest, Hungary; (E.L.); (L.P.); (L.K.)
| | - László Kőhidai
- Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, 1089 Budapest, Hungary; (E.L.); (L.P.); (L.K.)
| | - József Tóvári
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology and the National Tumor Biology Laboratory, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary; (I.R.); (B.V.); (J.T.)
- School of Ph.D. Studies, Doctoral School of Pathological Sciences, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ildikó Szabó
- HUN-REN-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (J.G.); (E.L.D.); (L.P.); (S.S.); (D.V.-M.); (I.S.)
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Schuster S, Juhász É, Halmos G, Neundorf I, Gennari C, Mező G. Development and Biochemical Characterization of Self-Immolative Linker Containing GnRH-III-Drug Conjugates. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23095071. [PMID: 35563462 PMCID: PMC9105102 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23095071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The human gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH-I) and its sea lamprey analogue GnRH-III specifically bind to GnRH receptors on cancer cells and can be used as targeting moieties for targeted tumor therapy. Considering that the selective release of drugs in cancer cells is of high relevance, we were encouraged to develop cleavable, self-immolative GnRH-III-drug conjugates which consist of a p-aminobenzyloxycarbonlyl (PABC) spacer between a cathepsin B-cleavable dipeptide (Val-Ala, Val-Cit) and the classical anticancer drugs daunorubicin (Dau) and paclitaxel (PTX). Alongside these compounds, non-cleavable GnRH-III-drug conjugates were also synthesized, and all compounds were analyzed for their antiproliferative activity. The cleavable GnRH-III bioconjugates revealed a growth inhibitory effect on GnRH receptor-expressing A2780 ovarian cancer cells, while their activity was reduced on Panc-1 pancreatic cancer cells exhibiting a lower GnRH receptor level. Moreover, the antiproliferative activity of the non-cleavable counterparts was strongly reduced. Additionally, the efficient cleavage of the Val-Ala linker and the subsequent release of the drugs could be verified by lysosomal degradation studies, while radioligand binding studies ensured that the GnRH-III-drug conjugates bound to the GnRH receptor with high affinity. Our results underline the high value of GnRH-III-based homing devices and the application of cathepsin B-cleavable linker systems for the development of small molecule drug conjugates (SMDCs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Schuster
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary;
- ELKH-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Éva Juhász
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Gábor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - Ines Neundorf
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Cologne, 50674 Cologne, Germany;
| | - Cesare Gennari
- Dipartimento di Chimica, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy;
| | - Gábor Mező
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary;
- ELKH-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-1-372-2500
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Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptors in Prostate Cancer: Molecular Aspects and Biological Functions. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21249511. [PMID: 33327545 PMCID: PMC7765031 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21249511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pituitary Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone receptors (GnRH-R) mediate the activity of the hypothalamic decapeptide GnRH, thus playing a key role in the regulation of the reproductive axis. Early-stage prostate cancer (PCa) is dependent on serum androgen levels, and androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT), based on GnRH agonists and antagonists, represents the standard therapeutic approach for PCa patients. Unfortunately, the tumor often progresses towards the more aggressive castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) stage. GnRH receptors are also expressed in CRPC tissues, where their binding to both GnRH agonists and antagonists is associated with significant antiproliferative/proapoptotic, antimetastatic and antiangiogenic effects, mediated by the Gαi/cAMP signaling cascade. GnRH agonists and antagonists are now considered as an effective therapeutic strategy for CRPC patients with many clinical trials demonstrating that the combined use of these drugs with standard therapies (i.e., docetaxel, enzalutamide, abiraterone) significantly improves disease-free survival. In this context, GnRH-based bioconjugates (cytotoxic drugs covalently linked to a GnRH-based decapeptide) have been recently developed. The rationale of this treatment is that the GnRH peptide selectively binds to its receptors, delivering the cytotoxic drug to CRPC cells while sparing nontumor cells. Some of these compounds have already entered clinical trials.
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Phage Display-Based Homing Peptide-Daunomycin Conjugates for Selective Drug Targeting to PANC-1 Pancreatic Cancer. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:pharmaceutics12060576. [PMID: 32580307 PMCID: PMC7355684 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12060576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive and dangerous cancerous diseases, leading to a high rate of mortality. Therefore, the development of new, more efficient treatment approaches is necessary to cure this illness. Peptide-based drug targeting provides a new tool for this purpose. Previously, a hexapeptide Cys-Lys-Ala-Ala-Lys-Asn (CKAAKN) was applied efficiently as the homing device for drug-loaded nanostructures in PDAC cells. In this research, Cys was replaced by Ser in the sequence and this new SKAAKN targeting moiety was used in conjugates containing daunomycin (Dau). Five different structures were developed and tested. The results indicated that linear versions with one Dau were not effective on PANC-1 cells in vitro; however, branched conjugates with two Dau molecules showed significant antitumor activity. Differences in the antitumor effect of the conjugates could be explained with the different cellular uptake and lysosomal degradation. The most efficient conjugate was Dau=Aoa-GFLG-K(Dau=Aoa)SKAAKN-OH (conjugate 4) that also showed significant tumor growth inhibition on s.c. implanted PANC-1 tumor-bearing mice with negligible side effects. Our novel results suggest that peptide-based drug delivery systems could be a promising tool for the treatment of pancreatic cancers.
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Ranđelović I, Schuster S, Kapuvári B, Fossati G, Steinkühler C, Mező G, Tóvári J. Improved In Vivo Anti-Tumor and Anti-Metastatic Effect of GnRH-III-Daunorubicin Analogs on Colorectal and Breast Carcinoma Bearing Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4763. [PMID: 31557968 PMCID: PMC6801585 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Among various homing devices, gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III (GnRH-III) peptide represents a suitable targeting moiety for drug delivery systems. The anti-tumor activity of the previously developed GnRH-III-[4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau=Aoa)] conjugate and the novel synthesized GnRH-III-[2ΔHis,3d-Tic,4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau=Aoa)] conjugate, containing the anti-cancer drug daunorubicin, were evaluated. Here, we demonstrate that both GnRH-III-Dau conjugates possess an efficient growth inhibitory effect on more than 20 cancer cell lines, whereby the biological activity is strongly connected to the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors (GnRH-R). The novel conjugate showed a higher in vitro anti-proliferative activity and a higher uptake capacity. Moreover, the treatment with GnRH-III-Dau conjugates cause a significant in vivo tumor growth and metastases inhibitory effect in three different orthotopic models, including 4T1 mice and MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma, as well as HT-29 human colorectal cancer bearing BALB/s and SCID mice, while toxic side-effects were substantially reduced in comparison to the treatment with the free drug. These findings illustrate that our novel lead compound is a highly promising candidate for targeted tumor therapy in both colon cancer and metastatic breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Ranđelović
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Sabine Schuster
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Bence Kapuvári
- Department of Biochemistry, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Gianluca Fossati
- Preclinical R&D, Italfarmaco SpA, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo (Milan), Italy.
| | | | - Gábor Mező
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - József Tóvári
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary.
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Apoptotic Effects of Drug Targeting Conjugates Containing Different GnRH Analogs on Colon Carcinoma Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20184421. [PMID: 31500399 PMCID: PMC6769516 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20184421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The wide range of cellular target reactions (e.g., antitumor) of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) variants provides the possibility to develop multifunctional GnRH conjugates. The aim of our work was to compare the cytotoxic/apoptotic activity of different GnRH-based, daunorubicin (Dau)-linked conjugates with or without butyrated Lys in position 4 (4Lys(Bu)) at a molecular level in a human colorectal carcinoma cell line. Cell viability was measured by impedimetry, cellular uptake and apoptosis were studied by flow cytometry, and the expression of apoptosis-related genes was analyzed by qRT-PCR. The modification with 4Lys(Bu) resulted in an increased cytotoxic and apoptotic effects and cellular uptake of the GnRH-I and GnRH-III conjugates. Depending on the GnRH isoform and the presence of 4Lys(Bu), the conjugates could regulate the expression of several apoptosis-related genes, especially tumor necrosis factor (TNF), tumor protein p53 (TP53) and the members of growth-factor signaling. The stronger cytotoxicity of GnRH-I and GnRH-III conjugates containing 4Lys(Bu) was associated with a stronger inhibitory effect on the expression of growth-factor signaling elements in comparison with their 4Ser counterparts, in which the upregulation of TP53 and caspases (e.g., CASP9) seemed to play a more important role. We were able to provide further evidence that targeting the GnRH receptor could serve as a successful therapeutic approach in colon cancer, and GnRH-III-[4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau=Aoa)] proved to be the best candidate for this purpose.
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Dai Y, Yue N, Liu C, Cai X, Su X, Bi X, Li Q, Li C, Huang W, Qian H. Synthesis and evaluation of redox-sensitive gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor-targeting peptide conjugates. Bioorg Chem 2019; 88:102945. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2019.102945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Feni L, Parente S, Robert C, Gazzola S, Arosio D, Piarulli U, Neundorf I. Kiss and Run: Promoting Effective and Targeted Cellular Uptake of a Drug Delivery Vehicle Composed of an Integrin-Targeting Diketopiperazine Peptidomimetic and a Cell-Penetrating Peptide. Bioconjug Chem 2019; 30:2011-2022. [PMID: 31243977 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have emerged as powerful tools in terms of drug delivery. Those short, often cationic peptides are characterized by their usually low toxicity and their ability to transport diverse cargos inside almost any kinds of cells. Still, one major drawback is their nonselective uptake making their application in targeted cancer therapies questionable. In this work, we aimed to combine the power of a CPP (sC18) with an integrin-targeting unit (c[DKP-f3-RGD]). The latter is composed of the Arg-Gly-Asp peptide sequence cyclized via a diketopiperazine scaffold and is characterized by its high selectivity toward integrin αvβ3. The two parts were linked via copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide click reaction (CuAAC), while the CPP was additionally functionalized with either a fluorescent dye or the anticancer drug daunorubicin. Both functionalities allowed a careful biological evaluation of these novel peptide-conjugates regarding their cellular uptake mechanism, as well as cytotoxicity in αvβ3 integrin receptor expressing cells versus cells that do not express αvβ3. Our results show that the uptake follows a "kiss-and-run"-like model, in which the conjugates first target and recognize the receptor, but translocate mainly by CPP mediation. Thereby, we observed significantly more pronounced toxic effects in αvβ3 expressing U87 cells compared to HT-29 and MCF-7 cells, when the cells were exposed to the substances with only very short contact times (15 min). All in all, we present new concepts for the design of cancer selective peptide-drug conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Feni
- University of Cologne , Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry , Zülpicher Strasse 47a , D-50674 Cologne , Germany
| | - Sara Parente
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia , Università degli Studi dell'Insubria , Via Valleggio 11 , 22100 , Como , Italy
| | - Clémence Robert
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia , Università degli Studi dell'Insubria , Via Valleggio 11 , 22100 , Como , Italy
| | - Silvia Gazzola
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia , Università degli Studi dell'Insubria , Via Valleggio 11 , 22100 , Como , Italy
| | - Daniela Arosio
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari (ISTM), National Research Council (CNR) , Via G.Golgi 19 , 20133 , Milan , Italy
| | - Umberto Piarulli
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia , Università degli Studi dell'Insubria , Via Valleggio 11 , 22100 , Como , Italy
| | - Ines Neundorf
- University of Cologne , Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry , Zülpicher Strasse 47a , D-50674 Cologne , Germany
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Schuster S, Biri-Kovács B, Szeder B, Buday L, Gardi J, Szabó Z, Halmos G, Mező G. Enhanced In Vitro Antitumor Activity of GnRH-III-Daunorubicin Bioconjugates Influenced by Sequence Modification. Pharmaceutics 2018; 10:E223. [PMID: 30423956 PMCID: PMC6320914 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics10040223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Receptors for gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) are highly expressed in various human cancers including breast, ovarian, endometrial, prostate and colorectal cancer. Ligands like human GnRH-I or the sea lamprey analogue GnRH-III represent a promising approach for the development of efficient drug delivery systems for targeted tumor therapy. Here, we report on the synthesis and cytostatic effect of 14 oxime bond-linked daunorubicin GnRH-III conjugates containing a variety of unnatural amino acids within the peptide sequence. All compounds demonstrated a reduced cell viability in vitro on estrogen receptor α (ERα) positive and ERα negative cancer cells. The best candidate revealed an increased cancer cell growth inhibitory effect compared to our lead-compound GnRH-III-[⁴Lys(Bu),⁸Lys(Dau=Aoa)]. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy studies showed that the cellular uptake of the novel conjugate is substantially improved leading to an accelerated delivery of the drug to its site of action. However, the release of the active drug-metabolite by lysosomal enzymes was not negatively affected by amino acid substitution, while the compound provided a high stability in human blood plasma. Receptor binding studies were carried out to ensure a high binding affinity of the new compound for the GnRH-receptor. It was demonstrated that GnRH-III-[²ΔHis,³d-Tic,⁴Lys(Bu),⁸Lys(Dau=Aoa)] is a highly potent and promising anticancer drug delivery system for targeted tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Schuster
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Beáta Biri-Kovács
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Bálint Szeder
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - László Buday
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - János Gardi
- First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary.
| | - Zsuzsanna Szabó
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
| | - Gábor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary.
| | - Gábor Mező
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
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Lajkó E, Spring S, Hegedüs R, Biri-Kovács B, Ingebrandt S, Mező G, Kőhidai L. Comparative cell biological study of in vitro antitumor and antimetastatic activity on melanoma cells of GnRH-III-containing conjugates modified with short-chain fatty acids. Beilstein J Org Chem 2018; 14:2495-2509. [PMID: 30344773 PMCID: PMC6178282 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.14.226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Peptide hormone-based targeted tumor therapy is an approved strategy to selectively block the tumor growth and spreading. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors (GnRH-R) overexpressed on different tumors (e.g., melanoma) could be utilized for drug-targeting by application of a GnRH analog as a carrier to deliver a covalently linked chemotherapeutic drug directly to the tumor cells. In this study our aim was (i) to analyze the effects of GnRH-drug conjugates on melanoma cell proliferation, adhesion and migration, (ii) to study the mechanisms of tumor cell responses, and (iii) to compare the activities of conjugates with the free drug. Results: In the tested conjugates, daunorubicin (Dau) was coupled to 8Lys of GnRH-III (GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa)) or its derivatives modified with 4Lys acylated with short-chain fatty acids (acetyl group in [4Lys(Ac)]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa) and butyryl group in [4Lys(Bu)]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa)). The uptake of conjugates by A2058 melanoma model cells proved to be time dependent. Impedance-based proliferation measurements with xCELLigence SP system showed that all conjugates elicited irreversible tumor growth inhibitory effects mediated via a phosphoinositide 3-kinase-dependent signaling. GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa) and [4Lys(Ac)]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa) were shown to be blockers of the cell cycle in the G2/M phase, while [4Lys(Bu)]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa) rather induced apoptosis. In short-term, the melanoma cell adhesion was significantly increased by all the tested conjugates. The modification of the GnRH-III in position 4 was accompanied by an increased cellular uptake, higher cytotoxic and cell adhesion inducer activity. By studying the cell movement of A2058 cells with a holographic microscope, it was found that the migratory behavior of melanoma cells was increased by [4Lys(Ac)]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa), while the GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa) and [4Lys(Bu)]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa) decreased this activity. Conclusion: Internalization and cytotoxicity of the conjugates showed that GnRH-III peptides could guard Dau to melanoma cells and promote antitumor activity. [4Lys(Bu)]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa) possessing the butyryl side chain acting as a “second drug” proved to be the best candidate for targeted tumor therapy due to its cytotoxicity and immobilizing effect on tumor cell spreading. The applicability of impedimetry and holographic phase imaging for characterizing cancer cell behavior and effects of targeted chemotherapeutics with small structural differences (e.g., length of the side chain in 4Lys) was also clearly suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Lajkó
- Department Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4., 1089 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sarah Spring
- Department Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4., 1089 Budapest, Hungary.,Department of Informatics and Microsystem Technology, University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Amerikastraße 1, 66482 Zweibrücken, Germany
| | - Rózsa Hegedüs
- Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beáta Biri-Kovács
- Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sven Ingebrandt
- Department of Informatics and Microsystem Technology, University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Amerikastraße 1, 66482 Zweibrücken, Germany
| | - Gábor Mező
- Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Kőhidai
- Department Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4., 1089 Budapest, Hungary
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11
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Polgár L, Lajkó E, Soós P, Láng O, Manea M, Merkely B, Mező G, Kőhidai L. Drug targeting to decrease cardiotoxicity - determination of the cytotoxic effect of GnRH-based conjugates containing doxorubicin, daunorubicin and methotrexate on human cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells. Beilstein J Org Chem 2018; 14:1583-1594. [PMID: 30013686 PMCID: PMC6037002 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.14.136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Cardiomyopathy induced by the chemotherapeutic agents doxorubicin and daunorubicin is a major limiting factor for their application in cancer therapy. Chemotactic drug targeting potentially increases the tumor selectivity of drugs and decreases their cardiotoxicity. Increased expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptors on the surface of tumor cells has been reported. Thus, the attachment of the aforementioned chemotherapeutic drugs to GnRH-based peptides may result in compounds with increased therapeutic efficacy. The objective of the present study was to examine the cytotoxic effect of anticancer drug–GnRH-conjugates against two essential cardiovascular cell types, such as cardiomyocytes and endothelial cells. Sixteen different previously developed GnRH-conjugates containing doxorubicin, daunorubicin and methotrexate were investigated in this study. Their cytotoxicity was determined on primary human cardiac myocytes (HCM) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) using the xCELLigence SP system, which measures impedance changes caused by adhering cells on golden electrode arrays placed at the bottom of the wells. Slopes of impedance–time curves were calculated and for the quantitative determination of cytotoxicity, the difference to the control was analysed. Results: Doxorubicin and daunorubicin exhibited a cytotoxic effect on both cell types, at the highest concentrations tested. Doxorubicin-based conjugates (AN-152, GnRH-III(Dox-O-glut), GnRH-III(Dox-glut-GFLG) and GnRH-III(Dox=Aoa-GFLG) showed the same cytotoxic effect on cardiomyocytes. Among the daunorubicin-based conjugates, [4Lys(Ac)]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa), GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa-YRRL), {GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa-YRRL-C)}2 and {[4N-MeSer]-GnRH-III(Dau-C)}2 had a significant but decreased cytotoxic effect, while the other conjugates – GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa), GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa-K(Dau=Aoa)), [4Lys(Dau=Aoa)]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa), GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa-GFLG), {GnRH-III(Dau-C)}2 and [4N-MeSer]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa) – exerted no cytotoxic effect on cardiomyocytes. Mixed conjugates containing methotrexate and daunorubicin – GnRH-III(Mtx-K(Dau=Aoa)) and [4Lys(Mtx)]-GnRH-III(Dau=Aoa) – showed no cytotoxic effect on cardiomyocytes, as well. Conclusion: Based on these results, anticancer drug–GnRH-based conjugates with no cytotoxic effect on cardiomyocytes were identified. In the future, these compounds could provide a more targeted antitumor therapy with no cardiotoxic adverse effects. Moreover, impedimetric cytotoxicity analysis could be a valuable technique to determine the effect of drugs on cardiomyocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Polgár
- Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, Városmajor u. 68., Budapest, 1122, Hungary.,Chemotaxis Research Group, Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4., Budapest, 1089, Hungary
| | - Eszter Lajkó
- Chemotaxis Research Group, Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4., Budapest, 1089, Hungary
| | - Pál Soós
- Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, Városmajor u. 68., Budapest, 1122, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Láng
- Chemotaxis Research Group, Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4., Budapest, 1089, Hungary
| | - Marilena Manea
- University of Konstanz, Department of Chemistry and Zukunftskolleg, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Béla Merkely
- Heart and Vascular Center, Semmelweis University, Városmajor u. 68., Budapest, 1122, Hungary
| | - Gábor Mező
- Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Pázmány P. stny 1/A Budapest, 1117, Hungary.,MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Pázmány P. stny 1/A, Hungarian Academy of Science, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - László Kőhidai
- Chemotaxis Research Group, Department of Genetics, Cell- and Immunobiology, Semmelweis University, Nagyvárad tér 4., Budapest, 1089, Hungary
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12
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Vrettos EI, Mező G, Tzakos AG. On the design principles of peptide-drug conjugates for targeted drug delivery to the malignant tumor site. Beilstein J Org Chem 2018; 14:930-954. [PMID: 29765474 PMCID: PMC5942387 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.14.80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death affecting nearly one in two people, and the appearance of new cases is projected to rise by >70% by 2030. To effectively combat the menace of cancer, a variety of strategies have been exploited. Among them, the development of peptide–drug conjugates (PDCs) is considered as an inextricable part of this armamentarium and is continuously explored as a viable approach to target malignant tumors. The general architecture of PDCs consists of three building blocks: the tumor-homing peptide, the cytotoxic agent and the biodegradable connecting linker. The aim of the current review is to provide a spherical perspective on the basic principles governing PDCs, as also the methodology to construct them. We aim to offer basic and integral knowledge on the rational design towards the construction of PDCs through analyzing each building block, as also to highlight the overall progress of this rapidly growing field. Therefore, we focus on several intriguing examples from the recent literature, including important PDCs that have progressed to phase III clinical trials. Last, we address possible difficulties that may emerge during the synthesis of PDCs, as also report ways to overcome them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirinaios I Vrettos
- University of Ioannina, Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ioannina, GR-45110, Greece
| | - Gábor Mező
- Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Pázmány P. stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.,MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány P. stny. 1/A, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Andreas G Tzakos
- University of Ioannina, Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Ioannina, GR-45110, Greece
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13
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Schuster S, Biri-Kovács B, Szeder B, Farkas V, Buday L, Szabó Z, Halmos G, Mező G. Synthesis and in vitro biochemical evaluation of oxime bond-linked daunorubicin-GnRH-III conjugates developed for targeted drug delivery. Beilstein J Org Chem 2018; 14:756-771. [PMID: 29719573 PMCID: PMC5905287 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.14.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadotropin releasing hormone-III (GnRH-III), a native isoform of the human GnRH isolated from sea lamprey, specifically binds to GnRH receptors on cancer cells enabling its application as targeting moieties for anticancer drugs. Recently, we reported on the identification of a novel daunorubicin–GnRH-III conjugate (GnRH-III–[4Lys(Bu), 8Lys(Dau=Aoa)] with efficient in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity. To get a deeper insight into the mechanism of action of our lead compound, the cellular uptake was followed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Hereby, the drug daunorubicin could be visualized in different subcellular compartments by following the localization of the drug in a time-dependent manner. Colocalization studies were carried out to prove the presence of the drug in lysosomes (early stage) and on its site of action (nuclei after 10 min). Additional flow cytometry studies demonstrated that the cellular uptake of the bioconjugate was inhibited in the presence of the competitive ligand triptorelin indicating a receptor-mediated pathway. For comparative purpose, six novel daunorubicin–GnRH-III bioconjugates have been synthesized and biochemically characterized in which 6Asp was replaced by D-Asp, D-Glu and D-Trp. In addition to the analysis of the in vitro cytostatic effect and cellular uptake, receptor binding studies with 125I-triptorelin as radiotracer and degradation of the GnRH-III conjugates in the presence of rat liver lysosomal homogenate have been performed. All derivatives showed high binding affinities to GnRH receptors and displayed in vitro cytostatic effects on HT-29 and MCF-7 cancer cells with IC50 values in a low micromolar range. Moreover, we found that the release of the active drug metabolite and the cellular uptake of the bioconjugates were strongly affected by the amino acid exchange which in turn had an impact on the antitumor activity of the bioconjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Schuster
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös L. University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös L. University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Beáta Biri-Kovács
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös L. University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös L. University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bálint Szeder
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Viktor Farkas
- MTA-ELTE Protein Modelling Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös L. University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Buday
- Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Institute of Enzymology, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Szabó
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gábor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Gábor Mező
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös L. University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.,Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös L. University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
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14
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Hegedüs R, Pauschert A, Orbán E, Szabó I, Andreu D, Marquardt A, Mező G, Manea M. Modification of daunorubicin-GnRH-III bioconjugates with oligoethylene glycol derivatives to improve solubility and bioavailability for targeted cancer chemotherapy. Biopolymers 2016; 104:167-77. [PMID: 25753049 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Daunorubicin-GnRH-III bioconjugates have recently been developed as drug delivery systems with potential applications in targeted cancer chemotherapy. In order to improve their biochemical properties, several strategies have been pursued: (1) incorporation of an enzymatic cleavable spacer between the anticancer drug and the peptide-based targeting moiety, (2) peptide modification by short chain fatty acids, or (3) attachment of two anticancer drugs to the same GnRH-III derivative. Although these modifications led to more potent bioconjugates, a decrease in their solubility was observed. Here we report on the design, synthesis and biochemical characterization of daunorubicin-GnRH-III bioconjugates with increased solubility, which could be achieved by incorporating oligoethylene glycol-based spacers in their structure. First, we have evaluated the effect of an oligoethylene glycol-based spacer on the solubility, enzymatic stability/degradation, cellular uptake, and in vitro cytostatic effect of a bioconjugate containing only one daunorubicin attached through a GFLG tetrapeptide spacer to the GnRH-III targeting moiety. Thereafter, more complex compounds containing two copies of daunorubicin, GFLG spacers as well as Lys(nBu) in position 4 of GnRH-III were synthesized and biochemically characterized. Our results indicated that all synthesized oligoethylene glycol-containing bioconjugates had higher solubility in cell culture medium than the unmodified analogs. They were degraded in the presence of rat liver lysosomal homogenate leading to the formation of small drug containing metabolites. In the case of bioconjugates containing two copies of daunorubicin, the incorporation of oligoethylene glycol-based spacers led to increased in vitro cytostatic effect on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rózsa Hegedüs
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Eötvös L. University, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Aline Pauschert
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Erika Orbán
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Eötvös L. University, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ildikó Szabó
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Eötvös L. University, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - David Andreu
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andreas Marquardt
- Proteomics Facility, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Gábor Mező
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Eötvös L. University, 1117, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Marilena Manea
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany.,Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, 78457, Konstanz, Germany
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15
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Kapuvári B, Hegedüs R, Schulcz Á, Manea M, Tóvári J, Gacs A, Vincze B, Mező G. Improved in vivo antitumor effect of a daunorubicin - GnRH-III bioconjugate modified by apoptosis inducing agent butyric acid on colorectal carcinoma bearing mice. Invest New Drugs 2016; 34:416-23. [PMID: 27146514 PMCID: PMC4919375 DOI: 10.1007/s10637-016-0354-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Compared to classical chemotherapy, peptide-based drug targeting is a promising therapeutic approach for cancer, which can provide increased selectivity and decreased side effects to anticancer drugs. Among various homing devices, gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III (GnRH-III) peptide represents a suitable targeting moiety, in particular in the treatment of hormone independent tumors that highly express GnRH receptors (e.g. colon carcinoma). We have previously shown that GnRH-III[4Lys(Ac),8Lys(Dau = Aoa)] bioconjugate, in which daunorubicin was attached via oxime linkage to the 8Lys of a GnRH-III derivative, exerted significant in vivo antitumor effect on subcutaneously developed HT-29 colon tumor. In contrast, results of the study reported here indicated that this compound was not active on an orthotopically developed tumor. However, if Lys in position 4 was acylated with butyric acid instead of acetic acid, the resulting bioconjugate GnRH-III[4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau = Aoa)] had significant tumor growth inhibitory effect. Furthermore, it prevented tumor neovascularization, without detectable side effects. Nevertheless, the development of metastases could not be inhibited by the bioconjugate; therefore, its application in combination with a metastasis preventive agent might be necessary in order to achieve complete tumor remission. In spite of this result, the treatment with GnRH-III[4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau = Aoa)] bioconjugate proved to have significant benefits over the administration of free daunorubicin, which was used at the maximum tolerated dose.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rózsa Hegedüs
- MTA-ELTE, Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Pázmány P. stny. 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Ákos Schulcz
- National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, 1122, Hungary
| | - Marilena Manea
- Department of Chemistry and Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, 78457, Constance, Germany
| | - József Tóvári
- National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, 1122, Hungary
| | | | | | - Gábor Mező
- MTA-ELTE, Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Pázmány P. stny. 1/A, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
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16
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Gunnoo SB, Madder A. Bioconjugation – using selective chemistry to enhance the properties of proteins and peptides as therapeutics and carriers. Org Biomol Chem 2016; 14:8002-13. [DOI: 10.1039/c6ob00808a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Both peptide and protein therapeutics are becoming increasingly important for treating a wide range of diseases. Functionalisation of theseviasite-selective chemical modification leads to enhancement of their therapeutic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smita B. Gunnoo
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group
- Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry
- Ghent University
- Ghent
- Belgium
| | - Annemieke Madder
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group
- Department of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry
- Ghent University
- Ghent
- Belgium
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17
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Böhme D, Beck-Sickinger AG. Drug delivery and release systems for targeted tumor therapy. J Pept Sci 2015; 21:186-200. [PMID: 25703117 DOI: 10.1002/psc.2753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Most toxic agents currently used for chemotherapy show a narrow therapeutic window, because of their inability to distinguish between healthy and cancer cells. Targeted drug delivery offers the possibility to overcome this issue by selectively addressing structures on the surface of cancer cells, therefore reducing undesired side effects. In this broad field, peptide-drug conjugates linked by intracellular cleavable structures have evolved as highly promising agents. They can specifically deliver toxophores to tumor cells by targeting distinct receptors overexpressed in cancer. In this review, we focus on these compounds and describe important factors to develop a highly efficient peptide-drug conjugate. The necessary properties of tumor-targeting peptides are described, and the different options for cleavable linkers used to connect toxic agents and peptides are discussed, and synthetic considerations for the introduction of these structures are reported. Furthermore, recent examples and current developments of peptide-drug conjugates are critically evaluated with a special focus on the applied linker structures and their future use in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Böhme
- Institute of Biochemistry, Universität Leipzig, Brüderstraße 34, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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18
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Torok S, Vegvari A, Rezeli M, Fehniger TE, Tovari J, Paku S, Laszlo V, Hegedus B, Rozsas A, Dome B, Marko-Varga G. Localization of sunitinib, its metabolites and its target receptors in tumour-bearing mice: a MALDI-MS imaging study. Br J Pharmacol 2015; 172:1148-63. [PMID: 25363319 DOI: 10.1111/bph.12990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Revised: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The clinical effects of anti-angiogenic agents remain controversial. Therefore, elucidating the pharmacological properties of these compounds is a pivotal issue. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH The effects of treatment with sunitinib on tumour and normal tissues of mice bearing C-26 adenocarcinoma cells were analysed by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization MS imaging (MALDI-MSI). Expression of the key targets of sunitinib--angiogenic receptors--was studied by immunofluorescent labelling. KEY RESULTS MALDI-MS assays showed that sunitinib and its fragment ions were present throughout tumour and normal tissues. Major metabolites were identified in blood and solid tissues, while minor drug metabolites were detectable only in blood. Tumour growth and intratumour VEGF receptor-2 expressions were significantly reduced in sunitinib-treated mice, while the expression of the other targeted receptors, PDGF receptor -α or -β and fibroblast growth factor receptor-1, remained unaffected. Within tumour tissue, the close proximity of sunitinib metabolites to the precursor ion suggested in situ metabolism of the administered drug. There were intratumour areas where the signal intensity of sunitinib correlated with expression of VEGF receptor-2. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This is the first study that demonstrates MALDI-MSI is a versatile platform to study the intratumour localization of an unlabelled anti-angiogenic drug. The combination of MALDI-MSI and immunofluorescence analysis can provide further insights into the molecular interaction of drug compounds and their targets within tumour tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Torok
- Department of tumor Biology, National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology, Budapest, Hungary; Division of Thoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Clinical Protein Science and Imaging, Biomedical Center, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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19
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Connell JJ, Sugihara Y, Török S, Döme B, Tóvári J, Fehniger TE, Marko-Varga G, Végvári Á. Localization of sunitinib in in vivo animal and in vitro experimental models by MALDI mass spectrometry imaging. Anal Bioanal Chem 2014; 407:2245-53. [PMID: 25424181 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-014-8350-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Revised: 11/13/2014] [Accepted: 11/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The spatial distribution of an anticancer drug and its intended target within a tumor plays a major role on determining how effective the drug can be at tackling the tumor. This study provides data regarding the lateral distribution of sunitinib, an oral antiangiogenic receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor using an in vitro animal model as well as an in vitro experimental model that involved deposition of a solution of sunitinib onto tissue sections. All tumor sections were analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging and compared with subsequent histology staining. Six tumors at four different time points after commencement of in vivo sunitinib treatment were examined to observe the patterns of drug uptake. The levels of sunitinib present in in vivo treated tumor sections increased continuously until day 7, but a decrease was observed at day 10. Furthermore, the in vitro experimental model was adjustable to produce a drug level similar to that obtained in the in vivo model experiments. The distribution of sunitinib in tissue sections treated in vitro appeared to agree with the histological structure of tumors, suggesting that this approach may be useful for testing drug update.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Connell
- Clinical Protein Science & Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Lund University, Biomedical Center D13, 221 84, Lund, Sweden
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20
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Montagnani Marelli M, Manea M, Moretti RM, Marzagalli M, Limonta P. Oxime bond-linked daunorubicin-GnRH-III bioconjugates exert antitumor activity in castration-resistant prostate cancer cells via the type I GnRH receptor. Int J Oncol 2014; 46:243-53. [PMID: 25351635 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2014.2730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well established that gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors (GnRH-R) are expressed in different types of cancers, including castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and mediate the antiproliferative effect of GnRH analogs. Thus, these compounds are employed as targeting moieties to selectively deliver chemotherapeutic agents to cancer cells. GnRH-III, the decapeptide isolated from the sea lamprey brain, has lower potency than GnRH in stimulating gonadotropin secretion, but it exerts antiproliferative effects on many tumors expressing the GnRH-R. GnRH-III-based peptides are considered promising targeting moieties for the preparation of anticancer drug delivery systems. These studies were aimed at i) evaluating the antitumor activity of two cytotoxic oxime bond-linked daunorubicin (Dau)-GnRH-III derivative bioconjugates (Dau-GnRH-III, in which daunorubicin was coupled to the 8Lys in the native form of GnRH-III, and Dau-[4Lys(Ac)]-GnRH-III, in which daunorubicin was attached to the 8Lys of a GnRH-III derivative where 4Ser was replaced by an acetylated lysine) on CRPC cells; and ii) to elucidate the involvement of the classical GnRH-R (type I GnRH-R) in this antitumor activity. Our results demonstrated that both Dau-GnRH-III and Dau-[4Lys(Ac)]-GnRH-III were rapidly internalized into DU145 prostate cancer cells and exerted a significant cytostatic effect. Both bioconjugates increased the levels of the active form of caspase-3, indicating the involvement of apoptosis in their antitumor activity. The antiproliferative effect of both Dau-GnRH-III and Dau-[4Lys(Ac)]-GnRH-III was counteracted by the simultaneous treatment of the cells with Antide, an antagonist of the GnRH-R. Moreover, after silencing the type I GnRH-R the antitumor activity of both bioconjugates was completely abolished. These data demonstrate that in CRPC cells, daunorubicin-GnRH-III derivative bioconjugates: i) inhibit tumor cell proliferation, by triggering the apoptosis process; ii) exert their antitumor effect through the activation of the type I GnRH-R expressed on these cells. Cytotoxic-GnRH-III derivative may represent promising targeted chemotherapeutics for the treatment of CRPC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marilena Manea
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, D-78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Roberta M Moretti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, I-20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Marzagalli
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, I-20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Patrizia Limonta
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, I-20133 Milan, Italy
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21
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Yao JF, Zhou N, Bai L, Xu PX, Liu KL, Xue M. Simultaneous determination of five novel luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone antagonists by LC-MS and pharmacokinetics in rats following cassette dosing. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2014; 962:94-101. [PMID: 24911546 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2014.05.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Revised: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 05/17/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Long acting luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) antagonists designed to be protease-resistant were a series of novel decapeptides structurally similar to LHRH. In the present work, a high-throughput method based on a LC-MS/MS has been developed for the simultaneous determination of pharmacokinetics of five LHRH antagonists in rat via cassette dosing. The method was performed under selected reaction monitoring (SRM) in positive ion mode. The analytes were extracted from rat plasma by liquid-liquid extraction with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation of the analytes was successfully achieved on a Hypersil Gold (100mm×2.1mm, 3μm) using a mobile phase composed of acetonitrile-water (30:70) containing 0.05% (v/v) formic acid. The result showed good linearity and selectivity were obtained for all antagonists. The limits of quantification of the five LHRH antagonists were from 5 to 10ng/mL. The average extract recoveries in the rat plasma were all over 72%. The intra-day and inter-day precisions (R.S.D. %) were all within 10% and the accuracy was ranged from 92.54 to 109.05%. This method has been successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic studies of the five LHRH antagonists. The results indicated that the plasma drug concentrations versus time curves after intravenous injection of five antagonists via cassette dosing were all fitted to a two-compartment model. The pharmacokinetic parameters of five LHRH antagonists suggested that LY616 could be the more stable candidate drugs and optimized as the candidate drug for further study. Our studies enabled high-throughput rapid screening for pharmacokinetic assessment of new peptide candidates, and provided abundant information on the metabolic properties of these LHRH antagonists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Feng Yao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China; Yanjing Medical College, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101300, China
| | - Ning Zhou
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Lu Bai
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China; Beijing Laboratory for Biomedical Detection Technology and Instrument, Beijing, China
| | - Ping-Xiang Xu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China; Beijing Laboratory for Biomedical Detection Technology and Instrument, Beijing, China
| | - Ke-Liang Liu
- Beijing Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Ming Xue
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China; Beijing Laboratory for Biomedical Detection Technology and Instrument, Beijing, China.
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22
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Schreier VN, Pethő L, Orbán E, Marquardt A, Petre BA, Mező G, Manea M. Protein expression profile of HT-29 human colon cancer cells after treatment with a cytotoxic daunorubicin-GnRH-III derivative bioconjugate. PLoS One 2014; 9:e94041. [PMID: 24718594 PMCID: PMC3981732 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2013] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents is a new approach for the treatment of cancer, which provides increased selectivity and decreased systemic toxicity. We have recently developed a promising drug delivery system, in which the anticancer drug daunorubicin (Dau) was attached via oxime bond to a gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III (GnRH-III) derivative used as a targeting moiety (Glp-His-Trp-Lys(Ac)-His-Asp-Trp-Lys(Dau = Aoa)-Pro-Gly-NH2; Glp = pyroglutamic acid, Ac = acetyl; Aoa = aminooxyacetyl). This bioconjugate exerted in vitro cytostatic/cytotoxic effect on human breast, prostate and colon cancer cells, as well as significant in vivo tumor growth inhibitory effect on colon carcinoma bearing mice. In our previous studies, H-Lys(Dau = Aoa)-OH was identified as the smallest metabolite produced in the presence of rat liver lysosomal homogenate, which was able to bind to DNA in vitro. To get a deeper insight into the mechanism of action of the bioconjugate, changes in the protein expression profile of HT-29 human colon cancer cells after treatment with the bioconjugate or free daunorubicin were investigated by mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Our results indicate that several metabolism-related proteins, molecular chaperons and proteins involved in signaling are differently expressed after targeted chemotherapeutic treatment, leading to the conclusion that the bioconjugate exerts its cytotoxic action by interfering with multiple intracellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lilla Pethő
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Erika Orbán
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | | | - Gábor Mező
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Marilena Manea
- Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- * E-mail:
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23
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Karampelas T, Argyros O, Sayyad N, Spyridaki K, Pappas C, Morgan K, Kolios G, Millar RP, Liapakis G, Tzakos AG, Fokas D, Tamvakopoulos C. GnRH-Gemcitabine Conjugates for the Treatment of Androgen-Independent Prostate Cancer: Pharmacokinetic Enhancements Combined with Targeted Drug Delivery. Bioconjug Chem 2014; 25:813-23. [DOI: 10.1021/bc500081g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Karampelas
- Division
of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation
of the Academy of Athens, Soranou Ephessiou Street 4, Athens GR-11527, Greece
| | - Orestis Argyros
- Division
of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation
of the Academy of Athens, Soranou Ephessiou Street 4, Athens GR-11527, Greece
| | | | - Katerina Spyridaki
- Department
of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, GR-71003, Greece
| | | | - Kevin Morgan
- Respiratory
Medicine, Castle Hill Hospital, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, Yorkshire HU6 7RX, United Kingdom
| | - George Kolios
- Laboratory
of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, GR-68100, Greece
| | - Robert P Millar
- Mammal
Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0002, South Africa
- UCT/MRC
Receptor Biology Group, Institute for Infectious Diseases and Molecular
Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa
- Centre
for Integrative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9YL, Scotland
| | - George Liapakis
- Department
of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, GR-71003, Greece
| | | | | | - Constantin Tamvakopoulos
- Division
of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation
of the Academy of Athens, Soranou Ephessiou Street 4, Athens GR-11527, Greece
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24
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Limonta P, Manea M. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors as molecular therapeutic targets in prostate cancer: Current options and emerging strategies. Cancer Treat Rev 2013; 39:647-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2012.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2012] [Accepted: 12/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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25
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Schreier VN, Mező G, Orbán E, Dürr C, Marquardt A, Manea M. Synthesis, enzymatic stability and in vitro cytostatic effect of Daunorubicin-GnRH-III derivative dimers. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2013; 23:2145-50. [PMID: 23434423 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2013.01.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2012] [Revised: 01/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Bioconjugates containing chemotherapeutic agents attached to peptide hormones, such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), are developed as drug delivery systems for targeted cancer chemotherapy. We report here the synthesis and biochemical characterization of disulfide bond-linked dimeric bioconjugates in which daunorubicin was coupled via an oxime linkage to aminooxyacetylated GnRH-III ([Glp-His-Trp-Ser-His-Asp-Trp-Lys(DauAoa-Cys)-Pro-Gly-NH2]2; where Glp is pyroglutamic acid and Aoa is aminooxyacetyl) and its derivatives modified in position four by N-Me-Ser and Lys(Ac). The in vitro stability/degradation of the bioconjugates was determined in human serum, as well as in the presence of rat liver lysosomal homogenate and digestive enzymes. All compounds were stable at least for 24h in human serum and in the presence of pepsin and trypsin, while they were degraded by lysosomal enzymes. The daunorubicin-GnRH-III derivative dimers were partly digested by α-chymotrypsin; however, they had increased stability compared to the corresponding monomers, making them potential candidates for oral administration. The in vitro cytostatic effect of the compounds was determined on MCF-7 human breast cancer cells by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. All daunorubicin-GnRH-III derivative dimers exerted slightly increased in vitro cytostatic effect (IC50 values in low μM range) than the corresponding monomeric bioconjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena Natalie Schreier
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Biopolymer Structure Analysis, Department of Chemistry, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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26
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Enhanced cellular uptake and in vitro antitumor activity of short-chain fatty acid acylated daunorubicin-GnRH-III bioconjugates. Eur J Med Chem 2012; 56:155-65. [PMID: 22967796 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2012.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2012] [Revised: 07/13/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Here we report on the synthesis and biochemical characterization (enzymatic stability, cellular uptake, in vitro antitumor activity, membrane interaction and GnRH-receptor binding affinity) of novel short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) acylated daunorubicin-GnRH-III bioconjugates, which may serve as drug delivery systems for targeted cancer chemotherapy. Ser in position 4 of GnRH-III was replaced by Lys, followed by the acylation of its ε-amino group with various fatty acids. SCFAs are potentially chemoprotective agents by suppressing the growth of cancer cells and therefore may enhance the antitumor activity of the bioconjugates. We found that all synthesized bioconjugates had high cytostatic effect in vitro, were stable in cell culture medium for 6 h and degraded in the presence of rat liver lysosomal homogenate leading to the formation of an oxime bond-linked daunorubicin-Lys as the smallest active metabolite. In the presence of α-chymotrypsin, all compounds were digested, the degradation rate strongly depending on the type of fatty acid. The bioconjugate containing Lys(nBu) in position 4 was taken up most efficiently by the cancer cells and exerted higher in vitro cytostatic effect than the previously developed GnRH-III((4)Lys(Ac), (8)Lys(Dau = Aoa)) or the parent GnRH-III(Dau = Aoa) bioconjugate. Our results could be explained by the increased binding affinity of the newly developed compound containing Lys(nBu) to the GnRH receptors.
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27
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Leurs U, Lajkó E, Mező G, Orbán E, Öhlschläger P, Marquardt A, Kőhidai L, Manea M. GnRH-III based multifunctional drug delivery systems containing daunorubicin and methotrexate. Eur J Med Chem 2012; 52:173-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2012.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2012] [Revised: 03/05/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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28
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Yao JF, Zhou N, Lv YJ, Zhang R, Liu KL, Xue M. Metabolic stability of long-acting luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone antagonists. Amino Acids 2012; 43:1557-66. [PMID: 22327511 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-012-1231-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2011] [Accepted: 01/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Long-acting luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) antagonists designed to be protease resistant consisted of a series of novel decapeptides structurally similar to LHRH. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro metabolic stability of the LHRH decapeptides using pancreatin and homogenates models and identify the metabolites in rat liver homogenate for the purpose of illustrating the metabolic features of the decapeptides. The major metabolites in rat liver homogenate were identified by LC-ESI-MS(n). The half-lives of the 11 LHRH decapeptides were from 44 to 330 min in the pancreatin model. The half-lives of the five decapeptides in rat liver, kidney and lung homogenates were between 8 and 462 min. The most stable decapeptides were the LY616 and LY608 peptides with half-lives of 36 min in liver homogenate. Two major cleavage sites were found by analysing the metabolites of the LY618 peptide in rat liver homogenate, between the Pal(3)-Ser(4) and the Leu(7)-Ilys(8) peptide bonds. The major metabolites were produced via cleavages of peptide bonds at these sites, and further metabolic reactions such as hydroxylation, oxidative dechlorination, alcohol dehydration and isopropyl dealkylation were also observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Feng Yao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Capital Medical University, No. 10 Xitoutiao, You An Men, Beijing, 100069, China
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