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Kim H, Taslakjian B, Kim S, Tirrell MV, Guler MO. Therapeutic Peptides, Proteins and their Nanostructures for Drug Delivery and Precision Medicine. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202300831. [PMID: 38408302 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300831] [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: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Peptide and protein nanostructures with tunable structural features, multifunctionality, biocompatibility and biomolecular recognition capacity enable development of efficient targeted drug delivery tools for precision medicine applications. In this review article, we present various techniques employed for the synthesis and self-assembly of peptides and proteins into nanostructures. We discuss design strategies utilized to enhance their stability, drug-loading capacity, and controlled release properties, in addition to the mechanisms by which peptide nanostructures interact with target cells, including receptor-mediated endocytosis and cell-penetrating capabilities. We also explore the potential of peptide and protein nanostructures for precision medicine, focusing on applications in personalized therapies and disease-specific targeting for diagnostics and therapeutics in diseases such as cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- HaRam Kim
- The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, 60637, IL, USA
| | - Boghos Taslakjian
- The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, 60637, IL, USA
| | - Sarah Kim
- The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, 60637, IL, USA
| | - Matthew V Tirrell
- The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, 60637, IL, USA
| | - Mustafa O Guler
- The Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, 5640 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, 60637, IL, USA
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Biniari G, Markatos C, Nteli A, Tzoupis H, Simal C, Vlamis-Gardikas A, Karageorgos V, Pirmettis I, Petrou P, Venihaki M, Liapakis G, Tselios T. Rational Design, Synthesis and Binding Affinity Studies of Anthraquinone Derivatives Conjugated to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Analogues towards Selective Immunosuppression of Hormone-Dependent Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15232. [PMID: 37894912 PMCID: PMC10607160 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015232] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is pivotal in regulating human reproduction and fertility through its specific receptors. Among these, gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor type I (GnRHR I), which is a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor family, is expressed on the surface of both healthy and malignant cells. Its presence in cancer cells has positioned this receptor as a primary target for the development of novel anti-cancer agents. Moreover, the extensive regulatory functions of GnRH have underscored decapeptide as a prominent vehicle for targeted drug delivery, which is accomplished through the design of appropriate conjugates. On this basis, a rationally designed series of anthraquinone/mitoxantrone-GnRH conjugates (con1-con8) has been synthesized herein. Their in vitro binding affinities range from 0.06 to 3.42 nM, with six of them (con2-con7) demonstrating higher affinities for GnRH than the established drug leuprolide (0.64 nM). Among the mitoxantrone based GnRH conjugates, con3 and con7 show the highest affinities at 0.07 and 0.06 nM, respectively, while the disulfide bond present in the conjugates is found to be readily reduced by the thioredoxin (Trx) system. These findings are promising for further pharmacological evaluation of the synthesized conjugates with the prospect of performing future clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Biniari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
| | - Christos Markatos
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (C.M.); (V.K.)
| | - Agathi Nteli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
| | - Haralambos Tzoupis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
| | - Carmen Simal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
| | - Alexios Vlamis-Gardikas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
| | - Vlasios Karageorgos
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (C.M.); (V.K.)
| | - Ioannis Pirmettis
- Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15341 Athens, Greece; (I.P.); (P.P.)
| | - Panagiota Petrou
- Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15341 Athens, Greece; (I.P.); (P.P.)
| | - Maria Venihaki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece;
| | - George Liapakis
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (C.M.); (V.K.)
| | - Theodore Tselios
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
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3
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Zhong W, Zhang X, Duan X, Liu H, Fang Y, Luo M, Fang Z, Miao C, Lin D, Wu J. Redox-responsive self-assembled polymeric nanoprodrug for delivery of gemcitabine in B-cell lymphoma therapy. Acta Biomater 2022; 144:67-80. [PMID: 35331940 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Gemcitabine, as a standard and classic strategy for B-cell lymphoma in the clinic, is limited by its poor pharmacodynamics. Although stimuli-responsive polymeric nanodelivery systems have been widely investigated in the past decade, issues such as complicated procedures, low loading capacity, and uncontrollable release kinetics still hinder their clinical translation. In view of the above considerations, we attempt to construct hyperbranched polyprodrug micelles with considerable drug loading via simple procedures and make use of the particularity of the tumor microenvironment to ensure that the micelles are "inactivated" in normal tissues and "activated" in the tumor microenvironment. Hence, in this work, a redox-responsive polymeric gemcitabine-prodrug (GEM-S-S-PEG) was one-pot synthesized via facile esterification and acylation. The self-assembled subsize (< 100 nm) GEM-S-S-PEG (GSP NPs) with considerable loading capacity (≈ 24.6%) exhibited on-demand and accurate control of gemcitabine release under a simulated tumor microenvironment and thus significantly induced the apoptosis of B-cell lymphoma in vitro. Moreover, in the A20 tumor xenograft murine model, GSP NPs efficiently decreased the expansion of tumor tissues with minimal systemic toxicity. In summary, these redox-responsive and self-assembling GSP NPs with a facile one-pot synthesis procedure may hold great potency in clinical translation for enhanced chemotherapy of B-cell lymphoma. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: A redox-responsive polymeric gemcitabine-prodrug (GEM-S-S-PEG) was one-pot synthesized via facile esterification and acylation. The self-assembled subsize (< 100 nm) GEM-S-S-PEG (GSP NPs) exhibited significant tumor therapeutic effects in vitro and in vivo. The polyprodrug GEM-S-S-PEG prepared in this study shows the great potential of redox-responsive nanodrugs for antitumor activity, which provides a reference value for the optimization of the design of functional polyprodrugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Zhong
- Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Xiao Duan
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Heping Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, The Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi 046000, China
| | - Hengyu Liu
- Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Yifen Fang
- The Affiliated TCM Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 511436, China
| | - Moucheng Luo
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Zhengwen Fang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Congxiu Miao
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Heping Hospital of Changzhi Medical College, The Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research Center, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi 046000, China.
| | - Dongjun Lin
- Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
| | - Jun Wu
- Department of Hematology, The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China; School of Biomedical Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China.
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Kyrkou SG, Vrettos EI, Gorpas D, Crook T, Syed N, Tzakos AG. Design Principles Governing the Development of Theranostic Anticancer Agents and Their Nanoformulations with Photoacoustic Properties. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:362. [PMID: 35214094 PMCID: PMC8877540 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The unmet need to develop novel approaches for cancer diagnosis and treatment has led to the evolution of theranostic agents, which usually include, in addition to the anticancer drug, an imaging agent based mostly on fluorescent agents. Over the past few years, a non-invasive photoacoustic imaging modality has been effectively integrated into theranostic agents. Herein, we shed light on the design principles governing the development of theranostic agents with photoacoustic properties, which can be formulated into nanocarriers to enhance their potency. Specifically, we provide an extensive analysis of their individual constituents including the imaging dyes, drugs, linkers, targeting moieties, and their formulation into nanocarriers. Along these lines, we present numerous relevant paradigms. Finally, we discuss the clinical relevance of the specific strategy, as also the limitations and future perspectives, and through this review, we envisage paving the way for the development of theranostic agents endowed with photoacoustic properties as effective anticancer medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stavroula G. Kyrkou
- Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (S.G.K.); (E.I.V.)
| | - Eirinaios I. Vrettos
- Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (S.G.K.); (E.I.V.)
| | - Dimitris Gorpas
- Institute of Biological and Medical Imaging, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, D-85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany;
- Chair of Biological Imaging, Technische Universität München, D-81675 Munich, Germany
| | - Timothy Crook
- John Fulcher Neuro-Oncology Laboratory, Department of Brain Sciences, Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Nelofer Syed
- John Fulcher Neuro-Oncology Laboratory, Department of Brain Sciences, Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Andreas G. Tzakos
- Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece; (S.G.K.); (E.I.V.)
- Institute of Materials Science and Computing, University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), 45110 Ioannina, Greece
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Pereira M, Vale N. Two Possible Strategies for Drug Modification of Gemcitabine and Future Contributions to Personalized Medicine. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27010291. [PMID: 35011522 PMCID: PMC8746447 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27010291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Drug repurposing is an emerging strategy, which uses already approved drugs for new medical indications. One such drug is gemcitabine, an anticancer drug that only works at high doses since a portion is deactivated in the serum, which causes toxicity. In this review, two methods were discussed that could improve the anticancer effect of gemcitabine. The first is a chemical modification by conjugation with cell-penetrating peptides, namely penetratin, pVEC, and different kinds of CPP6, which mostly all showed an increased anticancer effect. The other method is combining gemcitabine with repurposed drugs, namely itraconazole, which also showed great cancer cell inhibition growth. Besides these two strategies, physiologically based pharmacokinetic models (PBPK models) are also the key for predicting drug distribution based on physiological data, which is very important for personalized medicine, so that the correct drug and dosage regimen can be administered according to each patient’s physiology. Taking all of this into consideration, it is believed that gemcitabine can be repurposed to have better anticancer effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Pereira
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
| | - Nuno Vale
- OncoPharma Research Group, Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal;
- Department of Community Medicine, Health Information and Decision (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Professor Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-220-426-537
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7
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Kougioumtzi A, Chatziathanasiadou MV, Vrettos EI, Sayyad N, Sakka M, Stathopoulos P, Mantzaris MD, Ganai AM, Karpoormath R, Vartholomatos G, Tsikaris V, Lazarides T, Murphy C, Tzakos AG. Development of novel GnRH and Tat 48-60 based luminescent probes with enhanced cellular uptake and bioimaging profile. Dalton Trans 2021; 50:9215-9224. [PMID: 34125130 DOI: 10.1039/d1dt00060h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
There is a clear need to develop photostable chromophores for bioimaging with respect to the classically utilized green fluorescent dye fluorescein. Along these lines, we utilized a phosphorescent carboxy-substituted ruthenium(ii) polypyridyl [Ru(bipy)2(mcb)]2+ (bipy = 2,2'-bipyridyl and mcb = 4-carboxy-4'-methyl-2,2'-bipyridyl) complex. We developed two luminescent peptide conjugates of the cell-penetrating peptide Tat48-60 consisting of either [Ru(bipy)2(mcb)]2+ or 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (5(6)-FAM) tethered on the Lys50 of the peptide through amide bond. We confirmed the efficient cellular uptake of both bioconjugates in HeLa cells by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry and proved that the ruthenium-based chromophore possesses enhanced photostability compared to a 5(6)-FAM-based peptide, after continuous laser scanning. Furthermore, we designed and developed a luminescent agent with high photostability, based on the ruthenium core, that could be selectively localized in cancer cells overexpressing the GnRH receptor (GnRH-R). To achieve this, we took advantage of the tumor-homing character of d-Lys6-GnRH which selectively recognizes the GnRH-R. The [Ru(bipy)2(mcb)]2+-d-Lys6-GnRH peptide conjugate was synthesized, and its cellular uptake was evaluated through flow cytometric analysis and live-cell imaging in HeLa and T24 bladder cancer cells as negative and positive controls of GnRH-R, respectively. Besides the selective targeting that the specific conjugate could offer, we also recorded high internalization levels in T24 bladder cancer cells. The ruthenium(ii) polypyridyl peptide-based conjugates we developed is an intriguing approach that offers targeted cell imaging in the Near Infrared region, and simultaneously paves the way for further advancements in the dynamic studies on cellular imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kougioumtzi
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas, Department of Biomedical Research, University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Maria V Chatziathanasiadou
- University of Ioannina, Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Eirinaios I Vrettos
- University of Ioannina, Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Nisar Sayyad
- University of Ioannina, Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Mariana Sakka
- University of Ioannina, Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Panagiotis Stathopoulos
- University of Ioannina, Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Michalis D Mantzaris
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas, Department of Biomedical Research, University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Ab Majeed Ganai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Rajshekhar Karpoormath
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville), Durban 4000, South Africa
| | - Georgios Vartholomatos
- Hematology Laboratory, Unit of Molecular Biology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, 45110 Greece
| | - Vassilios Tsikaris
- University of Ioannina, Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 45110, Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Theodore Lazarides
- Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Carol Murphy
- Institute of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Foundation of Research and Technology-Hellas, Department of Biomedical Research, University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Andreas G Tzakos
- University of Ioannina, Department of Chemistry, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, 45110, Ioannina, Greece. and University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), Institute of Materials Science and Computing, Ioannina, Greece
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Fontana F, Limonta P. Dissecting the Hormonal Signaling Landscape in Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer. Cells 2021; 10:1133. [PMID: 34067217 PMCID: PMC8151003 DOI: 10.3390/cells10051133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying prostate cancer (PCa) progression towards its most aggressive, castration-resistant (CRPC) stage is urgently needed to improve the therapeutic options for this almost incurable pathology. Interestingly, CRPC is known to be characterized by a peculiar hormonal landscape. It is now well established that the androgen/androgen receptor (AR) axis is still active in CRPC cells. The persistent activity of this axis in PCa progression has been shown to be related to different mechanisms, such as intratumoral androgen synthesis, AR amplification and mutations, AR mRNA alternative splicing, increased expression/activity of AR-related transcription factors and coregulators. The hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), by binding to its specific receptors (GnRH-Rs) at the pituitary level, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of the reproductive functions. GnRH and GnRH-R are also expressed in different types of tumors, including PCa. Specifically, it has been demonstrated that, in CRPC cells, the activation of GnRH-Rs is associated with a significant antiproliferative/proapoptotic, antimetastatic and antiangiogenic activity. This antitumor activity is mainly mediated by the GnRH-R-associated Gαi/cAMP signaling pathway. In this review, we dissect the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of the androgen/AR and GnRH/GnRH-R axes in CRPC progression and the possible therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrizia Limonta
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy;
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Immunotherapy Combined with Metronomic Dosing: An Effective Approach for the Treatment of NSCLC. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13081901. [PMID: 33920884 PMCID: PMC8071233 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13081901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) claims almost 80% of the total lung cancer cases, with the late-stage disease having an estimated median survival time of up to five years. Patients with NSCLC benefit from traditional maximum tolerated dose (MTD) chemotherapy alone or combined with immunotherapy. However, efficacious such treatment options lead to side effects and poor patient quality of life. We show that metronomic (MTR) chemotherapy—based on the daily administration of chemotherapeutics in low, nontoxic doses—could potentially supplement MTD treatment options and indirectly prevent tumor growth leading to efficacy and less toxicity. Importantly when MTR chemotherapy is combined with an immunotherapy anti-PD1 agent, the anticipated efficacy is achieved with less toxicity, thus providing new options for the treatment of NSCLC. Abstract Pioneering studies on tumor and immune cell interactions have highlighted immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) as revolutionizing interventions for the management of NSCLC, typically combined with traditional MTD chemotherapies, which usually lead to toxicities and resistance to treatment. Alternatively, MTR chemotherapy is based on the daily low dose administration of chemotherapeutics, preventing tumor growth indirectly by targeting the tumor microenvironment. The effects of MTR administration of an oral prodrug of gemcitabine (OralGem), alone or with anti-PD1, were evaluated. Relevant in vitro and in vivo models were developed to investigate the efficacy of MTR alone or with immunotherapy and the potential toxicities associated with each dosing scheme. MTR OralGem restricted tumor angiogenesis by regulating thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) expression. MTR OralGem enhanced antitumor immunity by increasing T effector responses and cytokine release, concomitant with dampening regulatory T cell populations. Promising pharmacokinetic properties afforded minimized blood and thymus toxicity and favorable bioavailability upon MTR administration compared to MTD. The combination of MTR OralGem with immunotherapy was shown to be highly efficacious and tolerable, illuminating it as a strong candidate therapeutic scheme for the treatment of NSCLC.
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Abbas N, Matada GSP, Dhiwar PS, Patel S, Devasahayam G. Fused and Substituted Pyrimidine Derivatives as Profound Anti-Cancer Agents. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2021; 21:861-893. [PMID: 32698738 DOI: 10.2174/1871520620666200721104431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The rationale behind drug design is the strategic utilization of heterocyclic fragments with specific physicochemical properties to form molecular targeted agents. Among the heterocyclic molecules, pyrimidine has proved to be a privileged pharmacophore for various biological cancer targets. The anti-cancer potential of small molecules with fused and substituted pyrimidines can be enhanced through bioisosteric replacements and altering their ADME parameters. Although several small molecules are used in cancer chemotherapy, oncology therapeutics has various limitations, especially in their routes of administration and their concurrent side effects. Such pernicious effects may be overcome, via selective biological targeting. In this review, the biological targets, to inhibit cancer, have been discussed. The structural activity relationship of fused and substituted pyrimidines was studied. Eco-friendly synthetic approaches for pyrimidine derivatives have also been discussed. This review will give an insight to scientists and researchers of medicinal chemistry discipline to design small molecules having a pyrimidine scaffold with high anti-cancer potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahid Abbas
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Acharya & BM Reddy College of Pharmacy, Bangalore 560107, India
| | | | - Prasad S Dhiwar
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Acharya & BM Reddy College of Pharmacy, Bangalore 560107, India
| | - Shilpa Patel
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Acharya & BM Reddy College of Pharmacy, Bangalore 560107, India
| | - Giles Devasahayam
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Acharya & BM Reddy College of Pharmacy, Bangalore 560107, India
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11
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Cohen L, Livney YD, Assaraf YG. Targeted nanomedicine modalities for prostate cancer treatment. Drug Resist Updat 2021; 56:100762. [PMID: 33857756 DOI: 10.1016/j.drup.2021.100762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most common cause of death amongst men in the USA. Therapy of PC has been transformed in the past decade by introducing novel therapeutics, advanced functional imaging and diagnostic approaches, next generation sequencing, as well as improved application of existing therapies in localized PC. Treatment of PC at the different stages of the disease may include surgery, androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), chemotherapy and radiation therapy. However, although ADT has proven efficacious in PC treatment, its effectiveness may be temporary, as these tumors frequently develop molecular mechanisms of therapy resistance, which allow them to survive and proliferate even under conditions of testosterone deprivation, inhibition of androgen receptor signaling, or cytotoxic drug treatment. Importantly, ADT was found to induce key alterations which frequently result in the formation of metastatic tumors displaying a therapy refractory phenotype. Hence, to overcome these serious therapeutic impediments, novel PC cell-targeted therapeutic strategies are being developed. These include diverse platforms enabling specific enhanced antitumor drug uptake and increased intracellular accumulation. Studies have shown that these novel treatment modalities lead to enhanced antitumor activity and diminished systemic toxicity due to the use of selective targeting and decreased drug doses. The underlying mechanism of targeting and internalization is based upon the interaction between a selective ligand, conjugated to a drug-loaded nanoparticle or directly to an anti-cancer drug, and a specific plasma membrane biomarker, uniquely overexpressed on the surface of PC cells. Another targeted therapeutic approach is the delivery of unique anti-oncogenic signaling pathway-based therapeutic drugs, which are selectively cytotoxic to PC cells. The current paper reviews PC targeted modalities reported in the past 6 years, and discusses both the advantages and limitations of the various targeted treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lital Cohen
- The Laboratory of Biopolymers for Food and Health, Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel
| | - Yoav D Livney
- The Laboratory of Biopolymers for Food and Health, Department of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel.
| | - Yehuda G Assaraf
- The Fred Wyszkowski Cancer Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 3200003, Israel.
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12
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Hawryłkiewicz A, Ptaszyńska N. Gemcitabine Peptide-Based Conjugates and Their Application in Targeted Tumor Therapy. Molecules 2021; 26:E364. [PMID: 33445797 PMCID: PMC7828243 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26020364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A major obstacle in tumor treatment is associated with the poor penetration of a therapeutic agent into the tumor tissue and with their adverse influence on healthy cells, which limits the dose of drug that can be safely administered to cancer patients. Gemcitabine is an anticancer drug used to treat a wide range of solid tumors and is a first-line treatment for pancreatic cancer. The effect of gemcitabine is significantly weakened by its rapid plasma degradation. In addition, the systemic toxicity and drug resistance significantly reduce its chemotherapeutic efficacy. Up to now, many approaches have been made to improve the therapeutic index of gemcitabine. One of the recently developed approaches to improve conventional chemotherapy is based on the direct targeting of chemotherapeutics to cancer cells using the drug-peptide conjugates. In this work, we summarize recently published gemcitabine peptide-based conjugates and their efficacy in anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalia Ptaszyńska
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Gdańsk, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland;
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13
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Construction of Peptide-Drug Conjugates for Selective Targeting of Malignant Tumor Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2207:327-338. [PMID: 33113145 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0920-0_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cancer constitutes a major threat to humanity, while its incidence and mortality rates are increasing rapidly worldwide. To tackle cancer, numerous strategies have been exploited, including the development of peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), which are considered an appealing approach to selectively populate malignant tumors with toxic substances. The general architecture of a PDC usually includes three parts: the tumor-targeting peptide, the cytotoxic drug, and the biodegradable linker. Due to the fact that peptides possess fast renal clearance, affecting the bioavailability of the PDC, a nanodrug formation concept can be exploited to ameliorate this pitfall. Herein, we present methodologies to develop PDCs, along with certain basic principles governing such constructs. In addition, we highlight possible problems that may appear during the synthesis of PDCs, as also solutions to overcome them.
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14
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Alas M, Saghaeidehkordi A, Kaur K. Peptide-Drug Conjugates with Different Linkers for Cancer Therapy. J Med Chem 2020; 64:216-232. [PMID: 33382619 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Drug conjugates are chemotherapeutic or cytotoxic agents covalently linked to targeting ligands such as an antibody or a peptide via a linker. While antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are now clinically established for cancer therapy, peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) are gaining recognition as a new modality for targeted drug delivery with improved efficacy and reduced side effects for cancer treatment. The linker in a drug conjugate plays a key role in the circulation time of the conjugate and release of the drug for full activity at the target site. Herein, we highlight the main linker chemistries utilized in the design of PDCs and discuss representative examples of PDCs with different linker chemistries with the related outcome in cell and animal studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Alas
- Chapman University School of Pharmacy (CUSP), Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Chapman University, Irvine, California 92618-1908, United States
| | - Azam Saghaeidehkordi
- Chapman University School of Pharmacy (CUSP), Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Chapman University, Irvine, California 92618-1908, United States
| | - Kamaljit Kaur
- Chapman University School of Pharmacy (CUSP), Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, Chapman University, Irvine, California 92618-1908, United States
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15
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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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16
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Miao H, Chen X, Luan Y. Small Molecular Gemcitabine Prodrugs for Cancer Therapy. Curr Med Chem 2020; 27:5562-5582. [PMID: 31419928 DOI: 10.2174/0929867326666190816230650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Gemcitabine as a pyrimidine nucleoside analog anticancer drug has high efficacy for a broad spectrum of solid tumors. Gemcitabine is activated within tumor cells by sequential phosphorylation carried out by deoxycytidine kinase to mono-, di-, and triphosphate nucleotides with the last one as the active form. But the instability, drug resistance and toxicity severely limited its utilization in clinics. In the field of medicinal chemistry, prodrugs have proven to be a very effective means for elevating drug stability and decrease undesirable side effects including the nucleoside anticancer drug such as gemcitabine. Many works have been accomplished in design and synthesis of gemcitabine prodrugs, majority of which were summarized in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Miao
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Shandong Province, Qingdao, China
| | - Xuehong Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Basic Medicine, Qingdao University, Shandong Province, Qingdao, China
| | - Yepeng Luan
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Shandong Province, Qingdao, China
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17
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Tsiailanis AD, Renziehausen A, Kiriakidi S, Vrettos EI, Markopoulos GS, Sayyad N, Hirmiz B, Aguilar MI, Del Borgo MP, Kolettas E, Widdop RE, Mavromoustakos T, Crook T, Syed N, Tzakos AG. Enhancement of glioblastoma multiforme therapy through a novel Quercetin-Losartan hybrid. Free Radic Biol Med 2020; 160:391-402. [PMID: 32822744 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2020.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary malignant brain tumor. Maximal surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and concomitant chemotherapy with temozolomide remains the first-line therapy, prolonging the survival of patients by an average of only 2.5 months. There is therefore an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies to improve clinical outcomes. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are an important contributor to GBM development. Here, we describe the rational design and synthesis of a stable hybrid molecule tethering two ROS regulating moieties, with the aim of constructing a chemopreventive and anticancer chemical entity that retains the properties of the parent compounds. We utilized the selective AT1R antagonist losartan, leading to the inhibition of ROS levels, and the antioxidant flavonoid quercetin. In GBM cells, we show that this hybrid retains the binding potential of losartan to the AT1R through competition-binding experiments and simultaneously exhibits ROS inhibition and antioxidant capacity similar to native quercetin. In addition, we demonstrate that the hybrid is able to alter the cell cycle distribution of GBM cells, leading to cell cycle arrest and to the induction of cytotoxic effects. Last, the hybrid significantly and selectively reduces cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis in primary GBM cultures with respect to the isolated parent components or their simple combination, further emphasizing the potential utility of the current hybridization approach in GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonis D Tsiailanis
- University of Ioannina, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Alexander Renziehausen
- John Fulcher Neuro-Oncology Laboratory, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
| | - Sofia Kiriakidi
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Chemistry, Athens, Greece
| | - Eirinaios I Vrettos
- University of Ioannina, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Georgios S Markopoulos
- University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Biology, University Campus, 45110, Ioannina, Greece; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Biomedical Research Division, 45115, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Nisar Sayyad
- University of Ioannina, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Baydaa Hirmiz
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Marie-Isabel Aguilar
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Mark P Del Borgo
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Evangelos Kolettas
- University of Ioannina, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Laboratory of Biology, University Campus, 45110, Ioannina, Greece; Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology, Biomedical Research Division, 45115, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Robert E Widdop
- Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Pharmacology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Thomas Mavromoustakos
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Chemistry, Athens, Greece
| | - Tim Crook
- John Fulcher Neuro-Oncology Laboratory, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
| | - Nelofer Syed
- John Fulcher Neuro-Oncology Laboratory, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
| | - Andreas G Tzakos
- University of Ioannina, Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, Ioannina, Greece; University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), Institute of Materials Science and Computing, Ioannina, Greece.
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18
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Vrettos EI, Karampelas T, Sayyad N, Kougioumtzi A, Syed N, Crook T, Murphy C, Tamvakopoulos C, Tzakos AG. Development of programmable gemcitabine-GnRH pro-drugs bearing linker controllable "click" oxime bond tethers and preclinical evaluation against prostate cancer. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 211:113018. [PMID: 33223264 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.113018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) are gaining considerable attention as anti-neoplastic agents. However, their development is often laborious and time-consuming. Herein, we have developed and preclinically evaluated three PDCs with gemcitabine as the anticancer cytotoxic unit and D-Lys6-GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone; GnRH) as the cancer-targeting unit. These units were tethered via acid-labile programmable linkers to guide a differential drug release rate from the PDC through a combination of ester or amide and "click" type oxime ligations. The pro-drugs were designed to enable the selective targeting of malignant tumor cells with linker guided differential drug release rates. We exploited the oxime bond responsiveness against the acidic pH of the tumor microenvironment and the GnRH endocytosis via the GnRH-R GPCR which is overexpressed on cancer cells. The challenging metabolic properties of gemcitabine were addressed during design of the PDCs. We developed a rapid (1 hour) and cost-effective "click" oxime bond ligation platform to assemble in one-pot the 3 desired PDCs that does not require purification, surpassing traditional time-ineffective and low yield methods. The internalization of the tumor-homing peptide unit in cancer cells, overexpressing the GnRH-R, was first validated through confocal laser microscopy and flow cytometry analysis. Subsequently, the three PDCs were evaluated for their in vitro antiproliferative effect in prostate cancer cells. Their stability and the release of gemcitabine over time were monitored in vitro in cell culture and in human plasma using LC-MS/MS. We then assessed the ability of the developed PDCs to internalize in prostate cancer cells and to release gemcitabine. The most potent analog, designated GOXG1, was used for pharmacokinetic studies in mice. The metabolism of GOXG1 was examined in liver microsomes, as well as in buffers mimicking the pH of intracellular organelles, resulting in the identification of two metabolites. The major metabolite at low pH emanated from the cleavage of the pH-labile oxime bond, validating our design approach. NMR spectroscopy and in vitro radioligand binding assays were exploited for GOXG1 to validate that upon conjugating the drug to the peptide, the peptide microenvironment responsible for its GnRH-R binding is not perturbed and to confirm its high binding potency to the GnRH-R. Finally, the binding of GOXG1 to the GnRH-R and the associated elicitation of testosterone release in mice were also determined. The facile platform established herein for the rapid assembly of PDCs with linker controllable characteristics from aldehyde and aminooxy units through rapid "click" oxime ligation, that does not require purification steps, could pave the way for a new generation of potent cancer therapeutics, diagnostics and theranostics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Theodoros Karampelas
- Division of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation ofthe Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nisar Sayyad
- Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GR-45110, Greece
| | - Anastasia Kougioumtzi
- Department of Biomedical Research, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology - Forth, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Nelofer Syed
- John Fulcher Neuro-oncology Laboratory, Dept of Brain Sciences, Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Timothy Crook
- John Fulcher Neuro-oncology Laboratory, Dept of Brain Sciences, Division of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Carol Murphy
- Department of Biomedical Research, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology - Forth, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Constantin Tamvakopoulos
- Division of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Center for Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation ofthe Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Andreas G Tzakos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, GR-45110, Greece; University Research Center of Ioannina (URCI), Institute of Materials Science and Computing, Ioannina, Greece.
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19
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Correia C, Xavier CPR, Duarte D, Ferreira A, Moreira S, Vasconcelos MH, Vale N. Development of potent CPP6-gemcitabine conjugates against human prostate cancer cell line (PC-3). RSC Med Chem 2020; 11:268-273. [PMID: 33479633 DOI: 10.1039/c9md00489k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Gemcitabine (dFdC) is a nucleoside analogue used in the treatment of various cancers, being a standard treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer. The effect of gemcitabine is severely compromised due to its rapid plasma degradation, systemic toxicity and drug resistance, which restricts its therapeutic efficacy. Our main goal was to develop new active conjugates of dFdC with novel cell-penetrating hexapeptides (CPP6) to facilitate intracellular delivery of this drug. All new peptides were prepared by solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), purified and characterized by HPLC and LC-MS. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) contain a considerably high ratio of positively charged amino acids, imparting them with cationic character. Tumor cells are characterized by an increased anionic nature of their membrane surface, a property that could be used by CPP to target these cells. The BxPC-3, MCF-7 and PC-3 cancer cell lines were used to evaluate the in vitro cytotoxicity of conjugates and the results showed that conjugating dFdC with CPP6 significantly enhanced cell growth inhibitory activity on PC-3 cells, with IC50 between 14 and 15 nM. These new conjugates have potential to become new therapeutic tools for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiana Correia
- Laboratory of Pharmacology , Department of Drug Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal . .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal
| | - Cristina P R Xavier
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal
| | - Diana Duarte
- Laboratory of Pharmacology , Department of Drug Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal . .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal
| | - Abigail Ferreira
- Laboratory of Pharmacology , Department of Drug Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal . .,LAQV/REQUIMTE , Department of Chemical Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal
| | - Sara Moreira
- Laboratory of Pharmacology , Department of Drug Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal . .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal
| | - M Helena Vasconcelos
- Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Laboratory of Microbiology , Department of Biological Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal
| | - Nuno Vale
- Laboratory of Pharmacology , Department of Drug Sciences , Faculty of Pharmacy , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal . .,Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto (IPATIMUP) , Rua Júlio Amaral de Carvalho , 45 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S) , University of Porto , Rua Alfredo Allen, 208 , 4200-135 Porto , Portugal.,Department of Molecular Pathology and Immunology , Abel Salazar Biomedical Sciences Institute (ICBAS) , University of Porto , Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228 , 4050-313 Porto , Portugal
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Murányi J, Varga A, Gyulavári P, Pénzes K, Németh CE, Csala M, Pethő L, Csámpai A, Halmos G, Peták I, Vályi-Nagy I. Novel Crizotinib-GnRH Conjugates Revealed the Significance of Lysosomal Trapping in GnRH-Based Drug Delivery Systems. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20225590. [PMID: 31717403 PMCID: PMC6888004 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20225590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Several promising anti-cancer drug–GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone) conjugates have been developed in the last two decades, although none of them have been approved for clinical use yet. Crizotinib is an effective multi-target kinase inhibitor, approved against anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)- or ROS proto-oncogene 1 (ROS-1)-positive non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC); however, its application is accompanied by serious side effects. In order to deliver crizotinib selectively into the tumor cells, we synthesized novel crizotinib analogues and conjugated them to a [d-Lys6]–GnRH-I targeting peptide. Our most prominent crizotinib–GnRH conjugates, the amide-bond-containing [d-Lys6(crizotinib*)]–GnRH-I and the ester-bond-containing [d-Lys6(MJ55*)]–GnRH-I, were able to bind to GnRH-receptor (GnRHR) and exert a potent c-Met kinase inhibitory effect. The efficacy of compounds was tested on the MET-amplified and GnRHR-expressing EBC-1 NSCLC cells. In vitro pharmacological profiling led to the conclusion that that crizotinib–GnRH conjugates are transported directly into lysosomes, where the membrane permeability of crizotinib is diminished. As a consequence of GnRHR-mediated endocytosis, GnRH-conjugated crizotinib bypasses its molecular targets—the ATP-binding site of RTKs— and is sequestered in the lysosomes. These results explained the lower efficacy of crizotinib–GnRH conjugates in EBC-1 cells, and led to the conclusion that drug escape from the lysosomes is a major challenge in the development of clinically relevant anti-cancer drug–GnRH conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Murányi
- MTA-SE Pathobiochemistry Research Group, Tűzoltó St. 37-47, H1094 Budapest, Hungary; (A.V.); (P.G.); (K.P.)
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, H1094 Budapest, Hungary; (C.E.N.); (M.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Attila Varga
- MTA-SE Pathobiochemistry Research Group, Tűzoltó St. 37-47, H1094 Budapest, Hungary; (A.V.); (P.G.); (K.P.)
| | - Pál Gyulavári
- MTA-SE Pathobiochemistry Research Group, Tűzoltó St. 37-47, H1094 Budapest, Hungary; (A.V.); (P.G.); (K.P.)
| | - Kinga Pénzes
- MTA-SE Pathobiochemistry Research Group, Tűzoltó St. 37-47, H1094 Budapest, Hungary; (A.V.); (P.G.); (K.P.)
| | - Csilla E. Németh
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, H1094 Budapest, Hungary; (C.E.N.); (M.C.)
| | - Miklós Csala
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, H1094 Budapest, Hungary; (C.E.N.); (M.C.)
| | - Lilla Pethő
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, H1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Antal Csámpai
- Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, H1117 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - Gábor Halmos
- Department of Biopharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, H4032 Debrecen, Hungary;
| | - István Peták
- Oncompass Medicine Hungary Ltd., H1024 Budapest, Hungary;
| | - István Vályi-Nagy
- Central Hospital of Southern Pest National Institute of Hematology and Infectious Diseases, H1097 Budapest, Hungary;
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21
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Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel substituted purine isosters as EGFR kinase inhibitors, with promising pharmacokinetic profile and in vivo efficacy. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 176:393-409. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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Synthesis and Evaluation of 18F-Labeled Peptide for Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Imaging. CONTRAST MEDIA & MOLECULAR IMAGING 2019; 2019:5635269. [PMID: 30983920 PMCID: PMC6431521 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5635269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor is overexpressed in the majority of tumors of the human reproductive system. The purpose of this study was to develop an 18F-labeled peptide for tumor GnRH receptor imaging. In this study, the GnRH (pGlu1-His2-Trp3-Ser4-Tyr5-Gly6-Leu7-Arg8-Pro9-Gly10-NH2) peptide analogues FP-d-Lys6-GnRH (FP = 2-fluoropropanoyl) and NOTA-P-d-Lys6-GnRH (P = ethylene glycol) were designed and synthesized. The IC50 values of FP-d-Lys6-GnRH and NOTA-P-d-Lys6-GnRH were 2.0 nM and 56.2 nM, respectively. 4-Nitrophenyl-2-[18F]fluoropropionate was conjugated to the ε-amino group of the d-lysine side chain of d-Lys6-GnRH to yield the new tracer [18F]FP-d-Lys6-GnRH with a decay-corrected yield of 8 ± 3% and a specific activity of 20−100 GBq/µmol (n=6). Cell uptake studies of [18F]FP-d-Lys6-GnRH in GnRH receptor-positive PC-3 cells and GnRH receptor-negative CHO-K1 cells indicated receptor-specific accumulation. Biodistribution and PET studies in nude mice bearing PC-3 xenografted tumors showed that [18F]FP-d-Lys6-GnRH was localized in tumors with a higher uptake than in surrounding muscle and heart tissues. Furthermore, the metabolic stability of [18F]FP-d-Lys6-GnRH was determined in mouse blood and PC-3 tumor homogenates at 1 h after tracer injection. The presented results indicated a potential of the novel tracer [18F]FP-d-Lys6-GnRH for tumor GnRH receptor imaging.
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23
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Sayyad N, Vrettos EI, Karampelas T, Chatzigiannis CM, Spyridaki K, Liapakis G, Tamvakopoulos C, Tzakos AG. Development of bioactive gemcitabine-D-Lys6-GnRH prodrugs with linker-controllable drug release rate and enhanced biopharmaceutical profile. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 166:256-266. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.01.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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24
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Roy J, Kaake M, Low PS. Small molecule targeted NIR dye conjugate for imaging LHRH receptor positive cancers. Oncotarget 2019; 10:152-160. [PMID: 30719210 PMCID: PMC6349437 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Overexpression of Luteinizing Hormone Releasing Hormone Receptor (LHRH-R) in various cancers and restricted expression of the receptor in healthy cells qualifies it as a valuable cancer biomarker. Previously, LHRH-R targeted peptides have been utilized to deliver attached payloads to LHRH-R expressing cancers. We report here for the first time the utilization of a small molecule non-peptidic ligand (BOEPL) of LHRH-R to deliver attached payloads to LHRH-R positive tumors. For this purpose, we linked the BOEPL ligand to a near infrared dye via various linkers. In vitro, these conjugates demonstrated low nanomolar binding affinity and in vivo they exhibited receptor-mediated uptake specifically in tumor tissue. Moreover, tumor uptake could be blocked by administration of excess unlabeled conjugate, and time course experiments showed retention of the dye conjugate in the tumor up to 12 h post injection. Because uptake of BOEPL-targeted NIR dye conjugates by nonmalignant organs/tissues was negligible and since the transient presence of targeted NIR dye in the kidneys was a result of clearance mechanism, we suggest that a BOEPL-targeted NIR dye might constitute a useful agent for fluorescence-guided surgery of LHRH-R positive cancers. Moreover, our results also provide proof of concept that BOEPL can be successfully used to deliver attached payloads to LHRH-R positive tumors in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Roy
- Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Miranda Kaake
- Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Philip S Low
- Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.,Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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25
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Li S, Zhao H, Chang X, Wang J, Zhao E, Yin Z, Mao X, Deng S, Hao T, Wang H, Yang Y. Synthesis, in vitro stability, and antiproliferative effect of d-cysteine modified GnRH-doxorubicin conjugates. J Pept Sci 2018; 25:e3135. [PMID: 30467919 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 09/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Overexpression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) receptor in many tumors but not in normal tissues makes it possible to use GnRH analogs as targeting peptides for selective delivery of cytotoxic agents, which may help to enhance the uptake of anticancer drugs by cancer cells and reduce toxicity to normal cells. The GnRH analogs [d-Cys6 , desGly10 , Pro9 -NH2 ]-GnRH, [d-Cys6 , desGly10 , Pro9 -NHEt]-GnRH, and [d-Cys6 , α-aza-Gly10 -NH2 ]-GnRH were conjugated with doxorubicin (Dox), respectively, through N-succinimidyl-3-maleimidopropionate as a linker to afford three new GnRH-Dox conjugates. The metabolic stability of these conjugates in human serum was determined by RP-HPLC. The antiproliferative activity of the conjugates was examined in GnRH receptor-positive MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line by MTT assay. The three GnRH-Dox conjugates showed improved metabolic stability in human serum in comparison with AN-152. The antiproliferative effect of conjugate II ([d-Cys6 , desGly10 , Pro9 -NHEt]-GnRH-Dox) on MCF-7 cells was higher than that of conjugate I ([d-Cys6 , desGly10 , Pro9 -NH2 ]-GnRH-Dox) and conjugate III ([d-Cys6 , α-aza-Gly10 -NH2 ]-GnRH-Dox), and the cytotoxicity of conjugate II against GnRH receptor-negative 3T3 mouse embryo fibroblast cells was decreased in comparison with free Dox. GnRH receptor inhibition test suggested that the antiproliferative activity of conjugate II might be due to the cellular uptake mediated by the targeting binding of [d-Cys6 -des-Gly10 -Pro9 -NHEt]-GnRH to GnRH receptors. Our study indicates that targeting delivery of conjugate II mediated by [d-Cys6 -des-Gly10 -Pro9 -NHEt]-GnRH is a promising strategy for chemotherapy of tumors that overexpress GnRH receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songtao Li
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
| | - Hongling Zhao
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
| | - Xiaomin Chang
- Department of Immunology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
| | - Jianping Wang
- Department of Immunology, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
| | - Enhong Zhao
- The Third Department of Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
| | - Zhifeng Yin
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
| | - Xiaoxia Mao
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
| | - Shuhua Deng
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
| | - Ting Hao
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
| | - Huina Wang
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
| | - Yaqi Yang
- Hebei Province Key Laboratory of Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, Hebei, 067000, China
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26
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Abstract
There is a growing interest for the discovery of new cancer-targeted delivery systems for drug delivery and diagnosis. A synopsis of the bibliographic data will be presented on bombesin, neurotensin, octreotide, Arg-Gly-Asp, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone and other peptides. Many of them have reached the clinics for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes, and have been utilized as carriers of known cytotoxic agents such as doxorubicin, paclitaxel, cisplatin, methotrexate or dyes and radioisotopes. In our article, recent advances in the development of peptides as carriers of cytotoxic drugs or radiometals will be analyzed.
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27
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Roy J, Kaake M, Srinivasarao M, Low PS. Targeted Tubulysin B Hydrazide Conjugate for the Treatment of Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone Receptor-Positive Cancers. Bioconjug Chem 2018; 29:2208-2214. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.8b00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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28
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Gaonkar RH, Baishya R, Paul B, Dewanjee S, Ganguly S, Debnath MC, Ganguly S. Development of a peptide-based bifunctional chelator conjugated to a cytotoxic drug for the treatment of melanotic melanoma. MEDCHEMCOMM 2018; 9:812-826. [PMID: 30108970 PMCID: PMC6071751 DOI: 10.1039/c7md00638a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The cytotoxic drug gemcitabine (GEM) has been conjugated to receptor-binding peptides to target melanoma tumors. A hexapeptide having a Lys-Gly-His-Lys sequence (pep-1), an octapeptide with an Arg-Gly-Asp-Lys-Gly-His-Lys sequence (pep-2), a GEM-conjugated Lys-Gly-His-Lys peptide (GEM-pep-3) and a GEM-conjugated Asp-Gly-Arg peptide (GEM-pep-4) were synthesized and characterized. In vitro uptake of fluorescently labeled GEM-pep-3 and GEM-pep-4 on B16F10 cells was investigated. Fluorescence microscopy studies demonstrated significant uptake of GEM-pep-3 in the B16F10 mouse melanoma cell line. The peptides and GEM-coupled peptides were radiolabeled with [99mTc(CO)3(H2O)3]+ and examined for in vitro cell binding in the B16F10 melanoma cell line and in vivo biodistribution and scintigraphic studies in a B16F10 melanoma tumor-bearing mice model. In vitro cellular uptake studies and biological evaluation confirmed significant deposition of GEM-pep-3 at the melanoma tumor site. The MTT assay depicted higher cytotoxic behaviour of GEM-pep-3 than free GEM. A considerable amount of cell apoptosis was also observed in B16F10 cells. Finally, the in vivo therapeutic efficacy study revealed a significant decrease in tumor growth in the GEM-pep-3-treated animal model. These studies reveal enough potentiality of GEM-pep-3 to treat melanoma and underline the need for further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghuvir H Gaonkar
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division , CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology , Kolkata , India .
| | - Rinku Baishya
- Natural Product Chemistry Group , Chemical Science and Technology Division , North East Institute of Science and Technology , Assam , India
| | - Brahamacharry Paul
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division , CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology , Kolkata , India .
| | - Saikat Dewanjee
- Advanced Pharmacognosy Research Laboratory , Department of Pharmaceutical Technology , Jadavpur University , Kolkata , India
| | - Shantanu Ganguly
- Regional Radiation Medicine Center , Thakurpukur Cancer Center and Welfare Home Campus , Kolkata , India
| | - Mita C Debnath
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division , CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology , Kolkata , India .
| | - Soumya Ganguly
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division , CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology , Kolkata , India .
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29
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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: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [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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30
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Argyros O, Karampelas T, Varela A, Asvos X, Papakyriakou A, Agalou A, Beis D, Davos CH, Fokas D, Tamvakopoulos C. Targeting of the breast cancer microenvironment with a potent and linkable oxindole based antiangiogenic small molecule. Oncotarget 2018; 8:37250-37262. [PMID: 28422745 PMCID: PMC5514907 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The clinical efficacy of antiangiogenic small molecules (e.g., sunitinib) in breast carcinoma has largely failed with substantial off-target toxicity. We rationally designed and evaluated preclinically a novel sunitinib analogue, SAP, with favourable pharmacological properties and the ability to be readily conjugated to a targeting peptide or antibody for active tumour targeting. SAP was evaluated in silico and in vitro in order to verify target engagement (e.g., VEGFR2). Pharmacokinetic and biodistribution parameters were determined in mice using LC-MS/MS. SAP efficacy was tested in two breast cancer xenograft and two syngeneic animal models and pharmacodynamic evaluation was accomplished using phosphokinase assays and immunohistochemistry. Cardiac and blood toxicity of SAP were also monitored. SAP retained the antiangiogenic and cytotoxic properties of the parental molecule with an increased blood exposure and tumor accumulation compared to sunitinib. SAP proved efficacious in all animal models. Tumors from SAP treated animals had significantly decreased Ki-67 and CD31 markers and reduced levels of phosphorylated AKT, ERK and S6 compared to vehicle treated animals. In mice dosed with SAP there was negligible hematotoxicity, while cardiac function measurements showed a reduction in the percentage left ventricular fractional shortening compared to vehicle treated animals. In conclusion, SAP is a novel rationally designed conjugatable small antiangiogenic molecule, efficacious in preclinical models of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orestis Argyros
- Division of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Theodoros Karampelas
- Division of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Aimilia Varela
- Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Xenophon Asvos
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, 45110, Greece
| | - Athanasios Papakyriakou
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology of Natural Products and Designed Molecules, Institute of Physical Chemistry, N.C.S.R "Demokritos", Athens, 15310, Greece
| | - Adamantia Agalou
- Developmental Biology, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Dimitris Beis
- Developmental Biology, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Constantinos H Davos
- Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Clinical, Experimental Surgery and Translational Research Center, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece
| | - Demosthenes Fokas
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, 45110, Greece
| | - Constantin Tamvakopoulos
- Division of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, Athens, 11527, Greece
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31
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Efthimiadou EK, Fragogeorgi E, Palamaris L, Karampelas T, Lelovas P, Loudos G, Tamvakopoulos C, Kostomitsopoulos N, Kordas G. Versatile quarto stimuli nanostructure based on Trojan Horse approach for cancer therapy: Synthesis, characterization, in vitro and in vivo studies. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2017. [PMID: 28629059 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2017.05.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Nanostructured delivery and diagnostic systems that induces specific targeting properties by exploiting the local physicochemical tumour characteristics will be evaluated is the present work. It is well known that cancer cells have specific physicochemical characteristics, which can be taken into consideration for the design of a broad spectrum of drug delivery systems (DDS). Some of those characteristics including the different temperature environment their susceptibility when temperature ranges between 40 and 43°C where cell apoptosis is induced, the intra- and extra-cellular pH which varies from 6.0 to 6.8, for cancer cells, and 6.5 to 7.4 for normal cells respectively, (lysosomes acidic pH ranges 4-5). Additional significant factors are the overexpressed receptors on the tumour surface. Loading and release studies were carried out by using the anthracycline drug Doxorubicin and their cytotoxicity was evaluated by using the MTT assay in healthy and diseased cell lines. The highlight of this work is the in vitro and in vivo studies which were performed in order to evaluate different nanostructures as for their biodistribution, pharmacokinetic and toxicity per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni K Efthimiadou
- Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, NCSR "Demokritos", 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attikis, Greece.
| | - Eirini Fragogeorgi
- Radiochemical/Radiopharmacological Quality Control Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. 'Demokritos', 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Greece; Department of Medical Instruments Technology, Technological Educational Institute, GR 12210 Athens, Greece
| | - Lazaros Palamaris
- Department of Medical Instruments Technology, Technological Educational Institute, GR 12210 Athens, Greece
| | - Theodoros Karampelas
- Division of Pharmacology, Clinical, Experimental Surgery, & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens (BRFAA), Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Pavlos Lelovas
- Clinical, Experimental Surgery, & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens (BRFAA), Athens 11527, Greece
| | - George Loudos
- Radiochemical/Radiopharmacological Quality Control Laboratory, Institute of Nuclear and Radiological Sciences and Technology, Energy & Safety, N.C.S.R. 'Demokritos', 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Greece; Department of Medical Instruments Technology, Technological Educational Institute, GR 12210 Athens, Greece
| | - Constantin Tamvakopoulos
- Division of Pharmacology, Clinical, Experimental Surgery, & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens (BRFAA), Athens 11527, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Kostomitsopoulos
- Clinical, Experimental Surgery, & Translational Research, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens (BRFAA), Athens 11527, Greece
| | - George Kordas
- Institute for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, NCSR "Demokritos", 15310 Aghia Paraskevi, Attikis, Greece.
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32
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Gemcitabine anti-proliferative activity significantly enhanced upon conjugation with cell-penetrating peptides. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2017; 27:2898-2901. [PMID: 28495087 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.04.086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Gemcitabine proven efficiency against a wide range of solid tumors and undergoes deamination to its inactive uridine metabolite, which underlies its low bioavailability, and tumour resistance was also associated with nucleoside transporter alterations. Hence, we have conjugated gemcitabine to cell-penetrating peptides (CPP), in an effort to both mask its aniline moiety and facilitate its delivery into cancer cells. Two CPP-drug conjugates have been synthesized and studied regarding both the time-dependent kinetics of gemcitabine release and their anti-proliferative activity on three different human cancer cell lines. Results obtained reveal a dramatic increase in the anti-proliferative activity of gemcitabine in vitro, upon conjugation with the CPPs. As such, CPP-gemcitabine conjugates emerge as promising leads for cancer therapy.
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33
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Murányi J, Varga A, Gurbi B, Gyulavári P, Mező G, Vántus T. In Vitro Imaging and Quantification of the Drug Targeting Efficiency of Fluorescently Labeled GnRH Analogues. J Vis Exp 2017. [PMID: 28362408 DOI: 10.3791/55529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
GnRH analogues are effective targeting moieties and able to deliver anticancer agents selectively into malignant tumor cells which highly express GnRH receptors. However, the quantitative analysis of GnRH analogues' cellular uptake and the investigated cell types in GnRH-based drug delivery systems are currently limited. Previously introduced, selectively labeled fluorescent GnRH I, -II and -III derivatives provide great detectability, and they have suitable chemical properties for reproducible and robust experiments. We also found that the appropriate up-to-date methods with these labeled GnRH analogues could offer novel information about the GnRH-based drug delivery systems. This manuscript introduces some simple and fast experiments regarding the cellular uptake of [D-Lys6(FITC)]-GnRH-I, [D-Lys6(FITC)]-GnRH-II and [Lys8(FITC)]-GnRH-III on the EBC-1 (lung), the BxPC-3 (pancreas) and on the Detroit-562- (pharynx) malignant tumor cells. In parallel with these GnRH-FITC conjugates, the cell surface level of GnRH-I receptors was also examined on these cell lines before and after the GnRH treatment by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The cellular uptake of GnRH-FITC conjugates was quantified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. In these experiments minor differences among GnRH analogues and major differences among cell types was observed. The significant differences among cell lines are correlated with their distinct level of cell surface GnRH-I receptors. The introduced experiments contain practical methods to visualize, quantify and compare the uptake efficiency of GnRH-FITC conjugates in a time- and concentration-dependent manner on various adherent cell cultures. These results could predict the drug targeting efficiency of GnRH conjugates on the given cell culture, and offer a good basis for further experiments in the examination of GnRH-based drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- József Murányi
- MTA-SE Pathobiochemistry Research Group, Semmelweis University; Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University;
| | - Attila Varga
- MTA-SE Pathobiochemistry Research Group, Semmelweis University
| | - Bianka Gurbi
- MTA-SE Pathobiochemistry Research Group, Semmelweis University
| | - Pál Gyulavári
- MTA-SE Pathobiochemistry Research Group, Semmelweis University
| | - Gábor Mező
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University
| | - Tibor Vántus
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University
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34
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Karampelas T, Skavatsou E, Argyros O, Fokas D, Tamvakopoulos C. Gemcitabine Based Peptide Conjugate with Improved Metabolic Properties and Dual Mode of Efficacy. Mol Pharm 2017; 14:674-685. [PMID: 28099809 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.6b00961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Gemcitabine is a clinically established anticancer agent potent in various solid tumors but limited by its rapid metabolic inactivation and off-target toxicity. We have previously generated a metabolically superior to gemcitabine molecule (GSG) by conjugating gemcitabine to a gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor (GnRH-R) ligand peptide and showed that GSG was efficacious in a castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) animal model. The current article provides an in-depth metabolic and mechanistic study of GSG, coupled with toxicity assays that strengthen the potential role of GSG in the clinic. LC-MS/MS based approaches were employed to delineate the metabolism of GSG, its mechanistic cellular uptake, and release of gemcitabine and to quantitate the intracellular levels of gemcitabine and its metabolites (active dFdCTP and inactive dFdU) resulting from GSG. The GnRH-R agonistic potential of GSG was investigated by quantifying the testosterone levels in animals dosed daily with GSG, while an in vitro colony forming assay together with in vivo whole blood measurements were performed to elucidate the hematotoxicity profile of GSG. Stability showed that the major metabolite of GSG is a more stable nonapeptide that could prolong gemcitabine's bioavailability. GSG acted as a prodrug and offered a metabolic advantage compared to gemcitabine by generating higher and steadier levels of dFdCTP/dFdU ratio, while intracellular release of gemcitabine from GSG in DU145 CRPC cells depended on nucleoside transporters. Daily administrations in mice showed that GSG is a potent GnRH-R agonist that can also cause testosterone ablation without any observed hematotoxicity. In summary, GSG could offer a powerful and unique pharmacological approach to prostate cancer treatment: a single nontoxic molecule that can be used to reach the tumor site selectively with superior to gemcitabine metabolism, biodistribution, and safety while also agonistically ablating testosterone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodoros Karampelas
- Division of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens , 4 Soranou Ephessiou Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Skavatsou
- Division of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens , 4 Soranou Ephessiou Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Orestis Argyros
- Division of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens , 4 Soranou Ephessiou Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Demosthenes Fokas
- Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Ioannina , 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Constantin Tamvakopoulos
- Division of Pharmacology-Pharmacotechnology, Biomedical Research Foundation, Academy of Athens , 4 Soranou Ephessiou Street, 11527 Athens, Greece
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35
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Vrettos EI, Sayyad N, Mavrogiannaki EM, Stylos E, Kostagianni AD, Papas S, Mavromoustakos T, Theodorou V, Tzakos AG. Unveiling and tackling guanidinium peptide coupling reagent side reactions towards the development of peptide-drug conjugates. RSC Adv 2017. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ra06655d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Discovery of uncharted guanidinium peptide coupling reagent side reactions during peptide-drug conjugates synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirinaios I. Vrettos
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Ioannina
- Ioannina GR-45110
- Greece
| | - Nisar Sayyad
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Ioannina
- Ioannina GR-45110
- Greece
| | - Eftychia M. Mavrogiannaki
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Ioannina
- Ioannina GR-45110
- Greece
| | - Evgenios Stylos
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Ioannina
- Ioannina GR-45110
- Greece
| | - Androniki D. Kostagianni
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Ioannina
- Ioannina GR-45110
- Greece
| | - Serafim Papas
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Ioannina
- Ioannina GR-45110
- Greece
| | - Thomas Mavromoustakos
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Ioannina
- Ioannina GR-45110
- Greece
| | - Vassiliki Theodorou
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Ioannina
- Ioannina GR-45110
- Greece
| | - Andreas G. Tzakos
- Section of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- Department of Chemistry
- University of Ioannina
- Ioannina GR-45110
- Greece
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36
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Design and synthesis of novel 7-aminosubstituted pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazines exhibiting anti-breast cancer activity. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 126:954-968. [PMID: 28006668 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer (BrCa) remains an unmet medical need despite the revolutionary development of antibody treatments and protein kinase inhibitors. In the current study, a series of novel substituted pyridopyrazine derivatives have been rationally designed and evaluated as multi-kinase inhibitors in the PI3K pathway. The target compounds were prepared from 6-amino-2-picoline, which upon nitration and selective reduction was converted to suitably substituted 6-methyl-7-aminopyrido[2,3-b]pyrazines. Suitable manipulation of the former amines provided the designed analogues, which were then assessed in vitro against several BrCa cell lines using the MTT cytotoxicity assay. The most potent compounds underwent evaluation in a broad spectrum of protein kinases, while their pharmacokinetic parameters were measured by LC-MS/MS. In vivo evaluation of a hit compound (14a) was performed in a HER2 amplified BrCa xenograft model (HCC1954) and efficacy was determined using Western blot based phosphokinase assays and immunohistochemistry. This derivative showed low micromolar cytotoxic potency in all BrCa cell lines, a mild inhibition of the PI3Kα wild type and H1047R mutated enzyme and excellent pharmacokinetic parameters following oral and intraperitoneal administration at the designed dose of 10 mg/kg, with absence of in vivo phenotypic toxicity. Interestingly, compound 14a inhibited the growth of xenografted tumors. Analysis of excised tumors from the treated animals showed a significantly reduced population of Ki-67 positive cells, as well as downregulated levels of phosphorylated AKT, ERK1/2 and SRC compared to vehicle treated animals. Finally, the specificity of 14a was assessed in a panel of 31 kinases where a mild, but direct, inhibition of the MET receptor tyrosine kinase was observed.
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Argyros O, Karampelas T, Asvos X, Varela A, Sayyad N, Papakyriakou A, Davos CH, Tzakos AG, Fokas D, Tamvakopoulos C. Peptide–Drug Conjugate GnRH–Sunitinib Targets Angiogenesis Selectively at the Site of Action to Inhibit Tumor Growth. Cancer Res 2015; 76:1181-92. [DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-15-2138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Regioselective chemical and rapid enzymatic synthesis of a novel redox – Antiproliferative molecular hybrid. Eur J Med Chem 2015; 96:47-57. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2015.03.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Revised: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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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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