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Chen H, Zhang Q. Polypeptides as alternatives to PEGylation of therapeutic agents. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2024; 21:1-12. [PMID: 38116624 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2023.2297937] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Due to the concerns raised by the extensive application of PEGylation, polypeptides have stood out as excellent candidates with adequate biocompatibility and biodegradability with tunable hydrophilicity. AREAS COVERED In this review, polypeptides with the potential to replace PEGylation have been summarized and their application has been reviewed, including XTEN, PASylation, polysarcosine, zwitterion polypeptides, ELPylation, etc. Besides their strengths, the remaining challenges have also been discussed and the future perspectives have been provided. EXPERT OPINION Polypeptides have been applied in the designing of peptide/protein drugs as well as nanomedicines, and some of the pharmaceutics have made it into the clinical trials and got approved. These polypeptides showed similar hydrophilic properties to PEGylation, which increased the hydrodynamic volumes of protein drugs, reduced kidney elimination, decreased protein-polymer interaction and potentially improved the drug delivery efficiency due to the extended circulation time in the system. Moreover, they demonstrated superior biodegradability and biocompatibility, compensating for the deficiencies for polymers such as PEG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huali Chen
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qianyu Zhang
- College of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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2
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Zhu H, Hua H, Dong Y, Zhang J, Xu H, Ge X, Lu Q, Feng J. Long-Term Strategies for Poorly Water-Soluble Peptides: Combining Fatty Acid Modification with PAS Fusion. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:2366-2374. [PMID: 38037956 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Bulevirtide, an entry inhibitor for the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV), is currently available on the European market. However, its clinical application is constrained by its short half-life and poor water solubility, rendering it unsuitable for fatty acid modification, aimed at achieving long-term effects. To address this limitation, we integrated a polypeptide chain consisting of Pro, Ala, and Ser at the C-terminus, which increased its hydrophilicity. To obtain the fusion sequence of A1 and A2, encompassing amino acids 1-47 of Bulevirtide and PAS, we used Escherichia coli fermentation expression. Subsequently, the N-terminal myristoyl groups of A1 and A2 were modified to yield Myr-A1 and Myr-A2, respectively. Five fatty acid moieties with the same hydrophilic spacers and different fatty acids were conjugated to analogs, generating 10 bioconjugations. The bioconjugates were then evaluated for their anti-HBV activity. Among them, HB-10 was selected for pharmacokinetic analysis and demonstrated a significantly prolonged half-life, with 5.88- and 13.18-fold increases in beagle dogs and rats, respectively. Additionally, higher drug doses resulted in substantially elevated liver concentrations. In conclusion, via fatty acid incorporation and PASylation, we successfully developed a novel Bulevirtide bioconjugate, HB-10, that exhibits an extended action duration. This compound holds substantial promise as a prospective long-acting entry inhibitor, warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongxiang Zhu
- China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Haoju Hua
- China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
- Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yanzhen Dong
- China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
- Shanghai Duomirui Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jinhua Zhang
- China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Hongjiang Xu
- Chia tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Xingfeng Ge
- Chia tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Qin Lu
- Chia tai Tianqing Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd., Nanjing 211100, China
| | - Jun Feng
- China State Institute of Pharmaceutical Industry, Shanghai 201203, China
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Nguyen TTK, Pham KY, Yook S. Engineered therapeutic proteins for sustained-release drug delivery systems. Acta Biomater 2023; 171:131-154. [PMID: 37717712 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Proteins play a vital role in diverse biological processes in the human body, and protein therapeutics have been applied to treat different diseases such as cancers, genetic disorders, autoimmunity, and inflammation. Protein therapeutics have demonstrated their advantages, such as specific pharmaceutical effects, low toxicity, and strong solubility. However, several disadvantages arise in clinical applications, including short half-life, immunogenicity, and low permeation, leading to reduced drug effectiveness. The structure of protein therapeutics can be modified to increase molecular size, leading to prolonged stability and increased plasma half-life. Notably, the controlled-release delivery systems for the sustained release of protein drugs and preserving the stability of cargo proteins are envisioned as a potential approach to overcome these challenges. In this review, we summarize recent research progress related to structural modifications (PEGylation, glycosylation, poly amino acid modification, and molecular biology-based strategies) and promising long-term delivery systems, such as polymer-based systems (injectable gel/implants, microparticles, nanoparticles, micro/nanogels, functional polymers), lipid-based systems (liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers), and inorganic nanoparticles exploited for protein therapeutics. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this review, we highlight recent advances concerning modifying proteins directly to enhance their stability and functionality and discuss state-of-the-art methods for the delivery and controlled long-term release of active protein therapeutics to their target site. In terms of drug modifications, four widely used strategies, including PEGylation, poly amino acid modification, glycosylation, and genetic, are discussed. As for drug delivery systems, we emphasize recent progress relating to polymer-based systems, lipid-based systems developed, and inorganic nanoparticles for protein sustained-release delivery. This review points out the areas requiring focused research attention before the full potential of protein therapeutics for human health and disease can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thoa Thi Kim Nguyen
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea
| | - Khang-Yen Pham
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea.
| | - Simmyung Yook
- College of Pharmacy, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol-daero, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu 42601, Republic of Korea; School of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea; Department of Biopharmaceutical Convergence, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea.
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Ji Y, Liu D, Zhu H, Bao L, Chang R, Gao X, Yin J. Unstructured Polypeptides as a Versatile Drug Delivery Technology. Acta Biomater 2023; 164:74-93. [PMID: 37075961 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2023.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Although polyethylene glycol (PEG), or "PEGylation" has become a widely applied approach for improving the efficiency of drug delivery, the immunogenicity and non-biodegradability of this synthetic polymer have prompted an evident need for alternatives. To overcome these caveats and to mimic PEG -or other natural or synthetic polymers- for the purpose of drug half-life extension, unstructured polypeptides are designed. Due to their tunable length, biodegradability, low immunogenicity and easy production, unstructured polypeptides have the potential to replace PEG as the preferred technology for therapeutic protein/peptide delivery. This review provides an overview of the evolution of unstructured polypeptides, starting from natural polypeptides to engineered polypeptides and discusses their characteristics. Then, it is described that unstructured polypeptides have been successfully applied to numerous drugs, including peptides, proteins, antibody fragments, and nanocarriers, for half-life extension. Innovative applications of unstructured peptides as releasable masks, multimolecular adaptors and intracellular delivery carriers are also discussed. Finally, challenges and future perspectives of this promising field are briefly presented. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: : Polypeptide fusion technology simulating PEGylation has become an important topic for the development of long-circulating peptide or protein drugs without reduced activity, complex processes, and kidney injury caused by PEG modification. Here we provide a detailed and in-depth review of the recent advances in unstructured polypeptides. In addition to the application of enhanced pharmacokinetic performance, emphasis is placed on polypeptides as scaffolders for the delivery of multiple drugs, and on the preparation of reasonably designed polypeptides to manipulate the performance of proteins and peptides. This review will provide insight into future application of polypeptides in peptide or protein drug development and the design of novel functional polypeptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Dingkang Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Haichao Zhu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Lichen Bao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Ruilong Chang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China
| | - Xiangdong Gao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Jun Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Druggability of Biopharmaceuticals and State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, China.
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Zhang Y, Sultonova RD, You SH, Choi Y, Kim SY, Lee WS, Seong J, Min JJ, Hong Y. The anticancer effect of PASylated calreticulin-targeting L-ASNase in solid tumor bearing mice with immunogenic cell death-inducing chemotherapy. Biochem Pharmacol 2023; 210:115473. [PMID: 36863616 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2023.115473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
L-Asparaginase (L-ASNase), a bacterial enzyme that degrades asparagine, has been commonly used in combination with several chemical drugs to treat malignant hematopoietic cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In contrast, the enzyme was known to inhibit the growth of solid tumor cells in vitro, but not to be effective in vivo. We previously reported that two novel monobodies (CRT3 and CRT4) bound specifically with calreticulin (CRT) exposed on tumor cells and tissues during immunogenic cell death (ICD). Here, we engineered L-ASNases conjugated with monobodies at the N-termini and PAS200 tags at the C-termini (CRT3LP and CRT4LP). These proteins were expected to possess four monobody and PAS200 tag moieties, which did not disrupt the L-ASNase conformation. These proteins were expressed 3.8-fold more highly in E. coli than those without PASylation. The purified proteins were highly soluble, with much greater apparent molecular weights than expected ones. Their affinity (Kd) against CRT was about 2 nM, 4-fold higher than that of monobodies. Their enzyme activity (∼6.5 IU/nmol) was similar to that of L-ASNase (∼7.2 IU/nmol), and their thermal stability was significantly increased at 55 °C. Their half-life times were > 9 h in mouse sera, about 5-fold longer than that of L-ASNase (∼1.8 h). Moreover, CRT3LP and CRT4LP bound specifically with CRT exposed on tumor cells in vitro, and additively suppressed the tumor growth in CT-26 and MC-38 tumor-bearing mice treated with ICD-inducing drugs (doxorubicin and mitoxantrone) but not with a non-ICD-inducing drug (gemcitabine). All data indicated that PASylated CRT-targeted L-ASNases enhanced the anticancer efficacy of ICD-inducing chemotherapy. Taken together, L-ASNase would be a potential anticancer drug for treating solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Rukhsora D Sultonova
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hwan You
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonjoo Choi
- Combinatorial Tumor Immunotherapy MRC, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - So-Young Kim
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Wan-Sik Lee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyoun Seong
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea; Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Joon Min
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yeongjin Hong
- Institute for Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea; Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea.
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PASylation improves pharmacokinetic of liposomes and attenuates anti-PEG IgM production: An alternative to PEGylation. NANOMEDICINE: NANOTECHNOLOGY, BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2023; 47:102622. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2022.102622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Najjari A, Shahbazmohammadi H, Nojoumi SA, Omidinia E. PASylated Urate Oxidase Enzyme: Enhancing Biocatalytic Activity, Physicochemical Properties, and Plasma Half-Life. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:46118-46130. [PMID: 36570261 PMCID: PMC9773812 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c04071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant urate oxidase (UOX, E.C.1.7.3.3) is an important therapeutic enzyme used in preventing and treating chemotherapy-induced hyperuricemia and severe gout. However, UOX use is limited due to the poor stability and short plasma half-life. To solve this problem, we designed three PASylated variants of Aspergillus flavus UOX with different PAS sequences at the C- or N-terminus. The genes of native and PASylated variants (UOX-PAS20, PAS24-UOX, and UOX-PAS100) were designed and produced in Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3). The expressed recombinant native and PASylated enzymes were compared in terms of biophysical properties, kinetics parameters, and pharmacokinetics behavior using standard methods. PASylation of UOX with PAS100 polymer caused a 1.24-fold reduction in K m to 52.61 μM, and a 3.87-fold increase in K cat/K m for uric acid compared to the native variant. UOX-PAS100 retained its activity in different temperatures (20-55 °C); however, other variants lost nearly 50% of their original activity at 55 °C. UOX-PAS100 exhibited a 1.78-fold increase in hydrodynamic radius and a 1.64-fold larger apparent molecular size in comparison to the native UOX. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy demonstrated that the addition of the PAS tag does not change the secondary structure of the fusion enzyme. The tryptophan fluorescence emission spectra for PASylated enzymes showed a significant modification in the conformational state of UOX by the PAS polymer presence. UOX-PAS100 retained 89.0% of the original activity following 72 h incubation in the presence of plasma at 37 °C. However, only about 61.0%, 57.0%, 50.0%, and 52.0% of activity from PAS24-UOX, UOX-PAS20, native UOX, and rasburicase (Fasturtec, Italy) remained, respectively, at the identical time. UOX-PAS100 had an increased biological half-life (8.21 h) when compared with the rasburicase (3.12 h) and native UOX (2.87 h) after being injected into a rat. Having considering everything, our results suggest that the UOX-PAS100, an A. flavus UOX fused with a C-terminally 100 amino acid PAS-residue, is a proper candidate with enhanced biological activity and extended plasma half-life for clinical therapy in patients suffering from hyperuricemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abbas Najjari
- Enzyme
Technology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Genetic and Metabolism
Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran
| | - Hamid Shahbazmohammadi
- Cellular
and Molecular Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of
Non-Communicable Diseases, Qazvin University
of Medical Sciences, Qazvin 15315-34199, Iran
- Emails
for H.S.: ;
| | - Seyed Ali Nojoumi
- Microbiology
Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran
| | - Eskandar Omidinia
- Enzyme
Technology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Genetic and Metabolism
Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran
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Friedrich L, Kikuchi Y, Matsuda Y, Binder U, Skerra A. Efficient secretory production of proline/alanine/serine (PAS) biopolymers in Corynebacterium glutamicum yielding a monodisperse biological alternative to polyethylene glycol (PEG). Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:227. [PMID: 36307781 PMCID: PMC9616612 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01948-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background PAS biopolymers are recombinant polypeptides comprising the small uncharged l-amino acids Pro, Ala and/or Ser which resemble the widely used poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) in terms of pronounced hydrophilicity. Likewise, their random chain behaviour in physiological solution results in a strongly expanded hydrodynamic volume. Thus, apart from their use as fusion partner for biopharmaceuticals to achieve prolonged half-life in vivo, PAS biopolymers appear attractive as substitute for PEG—or other poorly degradable chemical polymers—in many areas. As a prerequisite for the wide application of PAS biopolymers at affordable cost, we have established their highly efficient biotechnological production in Corynebacterium glutamicum serving as a well characterized bacterial host organism. Results Using the CspA signal sequence, we have secreted two representative PAS biopolymers as polypeptides with ~ 600 and ~ 1200 amino acid residues, respectively. Both PAS biopolymers were purified from the culture supernatant by means of a simple downstream process in a truly monodisperse state as evidenced by ESI–MS. Yields after purification were up to ≥ 4 g per liter culture, with potential for further increase by strain optimization as well as fermentation and bioprocess development. Beyond direct application as hydrocolloids or to exploit their rheological properties, such PAS biopolymers are suitable for site-specific chemical conjugation with pharmacologically active molecules via their unique terminal amino or carboxyl groups. To enable the specific activation of the carboxylate, without interference by the free amino group, we generated a blocked N-terminus for the PAS(1200) polypeptide simply by introducing an N-terminal Gln residue which, after processing of the signal peptide, was cyclised to a chemically inert pyroglutamyl group upon acid treatment. The fact that PAS biopolymers are genetically encoded offers further conjugation strategies via incorporation of amino acids with reactive side chains (e.g., Cys, Lys, Glu/Asp) at defined positions. Conclusions Our new PAS expression platform using Corynex® technology opens the way to applications of PASylation® technology in multiple areas such as the pharmaceutical industry, cosmetics and food technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Friedrich
- XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 30, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Y Kikuchi
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Japan
| | - Y Matsuda
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1 Suzuki-cho, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Japan
| | - U Binder
- XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 30, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - A Skerra
- XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 30, 85354, Freising, Germany. .,Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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Yang B, Dong Y, Xu Z, Li X, Wang F, Zhang Y. Improved stability and pharmacokinetics of wogonin through loading into PASylated ferritin. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 216:112515. [PMID: 35512464 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Wogonin (Wog) plays an important role in human diseases, especially cancer and inflammatory diseases, but its poor solubility, unstable metabolism and low bioavailability greatly limit its application in biomedical fields. Therefore, we developed a temperature-dependent method to encapsulate wogonin into a novel ferritin-based nanocarrier. To improve the loading capacity and stability, the human H chain ferritin (HFtn) was functionalized with a repetitive polypeptide sequence composed of proline (Pro), alanine (Ala), and serine (Ser) in different residues lengths (PAS10 and PAS30). Wogonin loading and release studies demonstrated that the encapsulation efficiency and stability of the PASylated nanocarriers were significantly higher than those of the wild type. PAS-HFtn-Wog exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity to MCF-7 breast cancer cells and HepG2 liver cancer cells. Notably, the PASylated HFtn, especially PAS30-HFtn greatly prolonged the pharmacokinetics of wogonin in the mice bloodstream. Therefore, wogonin-loaded PAS-HFtn may be a promising drug candidate for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingyan Yang
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-Forest Biomass, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Yixin Dong
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-Forest Biomass, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Zicheng Xu
- Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210009, PR China
| | - Xun Li
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-Forest Biomass, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Fei Wang
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-Forest Biomass, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center of Efficient Processing and Utilization of Forest Resources, Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for the Chemistry and Utilization of Agro-Forest Biomass, College of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, PR China.
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Molecular recognition of structurally disordered Pro/Ala-rich sequences (PAS) by antibodies involves an Ala residue at the hot spot of the epitope. J Mol Biol 2021; 433:167113. [PMID: 34161780 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2021.167113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Pro/Ala-rich sequences (PAS) are polypeptides that were developed as a biological alternative to poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) to generate biopharmaceuticals with extended plasma half-life. Like PEG, PAS polypeptides are conformationally disordered and show high solubility in water. Devoid of any charged or prominent hydrophobic side chains, these biosynthetic polymers represent an extreme case of intrinsically disordered proteins. Despite lack of immunogenicity of PAS tags in numerous animal studies we now succeeded in generating monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against three different PAS versions. To this end, mice were immunized with a PAS#1, P/A#1 or APSA 40mer peptide conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin as highly immunogenic carrier protein. In each case, one MAb with high binding activity and specificity towards a particular PAS motif was obtained. The apparent affinity was strongly dependent on the avidity effect and most pronounced for the bivalent MAb when interacting with a long PAS repeat. X-ray structural analysis of four representative anti-PAS Fab fragments in complex with their cognate PAS epitope peptides revealed interactions dominated by hydrogen bond networks involving the peptide backbone as well as multiple Van der Waals contacts arising from intimate shape complementarity. Surprisingly, Ala, the L-amino acid with the smallest side chain, emerged as a crucial feature for epitope recognition, contributing specific contacts at the center of the paratope in several anti-PAS complexes. Apart from these insights into how antibodies can recognize feature-less peptides without secondary structure, the MAbs characterized in this study offer valuable reagents for the preclinical and clinical development of PASylated biologics.
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Liu X, Gao W. Precision Conjugation: An Emerging Tool for Generating Protein–Polymer Conjugates. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202003708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Liu
- Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology Beijing 100081 P. R. China
- Biomedical Engineering Department Peking University Beijing 100191 P. R. China
| | - Weiping Gao
- Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology Beijing 100081 P. R. China
- Biomedical Engineering Department Peking University Beijing 100191 P. R. China
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Schreiter JS, Langer S, Klöting N, Kurow O. Leptin promotes adipocytes survival in non-vascularized fat grafting via perfusion increase. Microvasc Res 2021; 135:104131. [PMID: 33421432 DOI: 10.1016/j.mvr.2021.104131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Though autologous fat transplantation is regularly and successfully performed in plastic surgery, little is known about the factors that contribute to the rise of preadipocytes and how the viability of adipocytes is regulated. As sufficient blood supply is a key parameter for the transplant's survival, we opted to analyse the development of preadipocytes within the fat transplant via stimulation of tissue perfusion with the angiogenesis enhancing hormone leptin. METHODS In a murine (C57BL/6N) model inguinal fat was autologously transplanted into a dorsal skinfold chamber. In the intervention group the fat transplant was treated with local administration of leptin (3 μg/ml) at days 3, 7 and 10 after transplantation. Saline solution was administered respectively in the control group. On the postoperative days 3, 7, 10, and 15 intra vital microscopy was done to assess the functional vessel density, vessel diameter, adipocyte survival and preadipocyte development. The study was completed by histological tissue analysis on days 15 after transplantation. RESULTS Leptin administration leads to an increase of angiogenesis, which starts from day 7 after implantation and elevates perfusion as well as functional vessel density FVD at days 10 and 15 after transplantation. Perfusion develops first from the border zones of the transplant. Histological evaluation showed that the percentage of perilipin positive adipocytes increased markedly in the study group of mice. Moreover, fat transplants of mice of the leptin group disclosed significantly higher Pref-1 positive cells than fat transplants of the control group. The findings reported in this study indicate that the leptin can enhance the survival and the quality of grafted fat tissue, which may be due to induction of angiogenesis. CONCLUSION Leptin administration to fat transplants induced an increase in angiogenesis in the transplanted tissue and may play a role in reducing the resorption rate of lipoaspirates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeannine S Schreiter
- Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Stefan Langer
- Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nora Klöting
- Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research (HI-MAG) of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig and University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Olga Kurow
- Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Leipzig, Germany
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13
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Khodabakhsh F, Salimian M, Ziaee P, Kazemi-Lomedasht F, Behdani M, Ahangari Cohan R. Designing and Development of a Tandem Bivalent Nanobody against VEGF 165. Avicenna J Med Biotechnol 2021; 13:58-64. [PMID: 34012520 PMCID: PMC8112138 DOI: 10.18502/ajmb.v13i2.5519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Inhibition of angiogenesis using monoclonal antibodies is an effective strategy in cancer therapy. However, they could not penetrate sufficiently into solid tumors. Antibody fragments have solved this issue. However, they suffer from short in vivo half-life. In the current study, a tandem bivalent strategy was used to enhance the pharmacokinetic parameters of an anti-VEGF165 nanobody. Methods: Homology modeling and MD simulation were used to check the stability of protein. The cDNA was cloned into pHEN6C vector and the expression was investigated in WK6 Escherichia coli (E. coli) cells by SDS-PAGE and western blot. After purification, the size distribution of tandem bivalent nanobody was investigated by dynamic light scattering. Moreover, in vitro antiproliferative activity and pharmacokinetic study were studied in HUVECs and Balb/c mice, respectively. Results: RMSD analysis revealed the tandem bivalent nanobody had good structural stability after 50 ns of simulation. A hinge region of llama IgG2 was used to fuse the domains. The expression was induced by 1 mM IPTG at 25°C for overnight. A 30 kDa band in 12% polyacrylamide gel and nitrocellulose paper has confirmed the expression. The protein was successfully purified using metal affinity chromatography. MTT assay revealed there is no significant difference between the antiproliferative activity of tandem bivalent nanobody and the native protein. The hydrodynamic radius and terminal half-life of tandem bivalent nanobody increased approximately 2-fold by multivalency compared to the native protein. Conclusion: Our data revealed that the physicochemical as well as in vivo pharmacokinetic parameters of tandem bivalent nanobody was significantly improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Khodabakhsh
- Department of Genetics and Advanced Medical Technology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Morteza Salimian
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Pardis Ziaee
- Department of Biology, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Kazemi-Lomedasht
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahdi Behdani
- Venom and Biotherapeutics Molecules Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Ahangari Cohan
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Cao SJ, Lv ZQ, Guo S, Jiang GP, Liu HL. An update - Prolonging the action of protein and peptide drugs. J Drug Deliv Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2020.102124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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15
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Khodabakhsh F, Salimian M, Hedayati MH, Ahangari Cohan R, Norouzian D. Challenges and advancements in the pharmacokinetic enhancement of therapeutic proteins. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2021; 51:519-529. [PMID: 33459157 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2020.1839907] [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] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Nowadays, proteins are frequently administered as therapeutic agents in human diseases. However, the main challenge regarding the clinical application of therapeutic proteins is short circulating plasma half-life that leads to more frequent injections for maintaining therapeutic plasma levels, increased therapy costs, immunogenic reactions, and low patient compliance. So, the development of novel strategies to enhance the pharmacokinetic profile of therapeutic proteins has attracted great attention in pharmaceuticals. So far, several techniques, each with their pros and cons, have been developed including chemical bonding to polymers, hyper glycosylation, Fc fusion, human serum albumin fusion, and recombinant PEG mimetics. These techniques mainly classify into three strategies; (i) the endosomal recycling of neonatal Fc receptor which is observed for immunoglobulins and albumin, (ii) decrease in receptor-mediated clearance, and (iii) increase in hydrodynamic radius through chemical and genetic modifications. Recently, novel PEG mimetic peptides like proline/alanine/serine repeat sequences are designed to overcome pitfalls associated with the previous technologies. Biodegradability, lack of or low immunogenicity, product homogeneity, and a simple production process, currently make these polypeptides as the preferred technology for plasma half-life extension of therapeutic proteins. In this review, challenges and pitfalls in the pharmacokinetic enhancement of therapeutic proteins using PEG-mimetic peptides will be discussed in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Khodabakhsh
- Department of Genetics and Advanced Medical Technology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Morteza Salimian
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Hedayati
- Department of Quality Control, Research and Production Complex, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Ahangari Cohan
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Dariush Norouzian
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Liu X, Gao W. Precision Conjugation: An Emerging Tool for Generating Protein–Polymer Conjugates. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:11024-11035. [PMID: 32437042 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202003708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Liu
- Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology Beijing 100081 P. R. China
- Biomedical Engineering Department Peking University Beijing 100191 P. R. China
| | - Weiping Gao
- Department of Geriatric Dentistry, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology Beijing 100081 P. R. China
- Biomedical Engineering Department Peking University Beijing 100191 P. R. China
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Binder U, Skerra A. PASylated Thymosin α1: A Long-Acting Immunostimulatory Peptide for Applications in Oncology and Virology. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010124. [PMID: 33374407 PMCID: PMC7795856 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Thymosin α1 (Tα1) is an immunostimulatory peptide for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections and used as an immune enhancer, which also offers prospects in the context of COVID-19 infections and cancer. Manufacturing of this N-terminally acetylated 28-residue peptide is demanding, and its short plasma half-life limits in vivo efficacy and requires frequent dosing. Here, we combined the PASylation technology with enzymatic in situ N-acetylation by RimJ to produce a long-acting version of Tα1 in Escherichia coli at high yield. ESI-MS analysis of the purified fusion protein indicated the expected composition without any signs of proteolysis. SEC analysis revealed a 10-fold expanded hydrodynamic volume resulting from the fusion with a conformationally disordered Pro/Ala/Ser (PAS) polypeptide of 600 residues. This size effect led to a plasma half-life in rats extended by more than a factor 8 compared to the original synthetic peptide due to retarded kidney filtration. Our study provides the basis for therapeutic development of a next generation thymosin α1 with prolonged circulation. Generally, the strategy of producing an N-terminally protected PASylated peptide solves three major problems of peptide drugs: (i) instability in the expression host, (ii) rapid degradation by serum exopeptidases, and (iii) low bioactivity because of fast renal clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uli Binder
- XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Str. 30, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Correspondence: (U.B.); (A.S.)
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany
- Correspondence: (U.B.); (A.S.)
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18
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Mazaheri S, Talebkhan Y, Mahboudi F, Nematollahi L, Cohan RA, Mirabzadeh Ardakani E, Bayat E, Sabzalinejad M, Sardari S, Torkashvand F. Improvement of Certolizumab Fab' properties by PASylation technology. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18464. [PMID: 33116155 PMCID: PMC7595094 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74549-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Certolizumab pegol is a Fab' antibody fragment for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease which is conjugated to a 40 kDa PEG molecule in order to increase the protein half-life. PEGylation may have disadvantages including immunogenicity, hypersensitivity, vacuolation, decreased binding affinity and biological activity of the protein. To overcome these problems, PASylation has been developed as a new approach. The nucleotide sequence encoding 400 amino acid PAS residues was genetically fused to the corresponding nucleotide sequences of both chains of certolizumab. Then, the bioactivity as well as physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of the recombinant PASylated expressed protein was assayed. Circular dichroism spectroscopy demonstrated that the random coil structure of PAS sequences did not change the secondary structure of the PASylated Fab' molecule. It was observed that PASylation influenced the properties of the Fab' molecule by which the hydrodynamic radius and neutralization activity were increased. Also, the antigen binding and binding kinetic parameters improved in comparison to the PEGylated Fab' antibody. Pharmacokinetic studies also showed prolonged terminal half-life and improved pharmacokinetic parameters in PASylated recombinant protein in comparison to the PEGylated and Fab' control molecules. The results reconfirmed the efficiency of PASylation approach as a potential alternative method in increasing the half-life of pharmaceutical proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Somayeh Mazaheri
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yeganeh Talebkhan
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Leila Nematollahi
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Reza Ahangari Cohan
- Department of Nanobiotechnology, Advanced Technology Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Elham Bayat
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Soroush Sardari
- Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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Kjeldsen T, Hogendorf WFJ, Tornøe CW, Anderson J, Hubalek F, Stidsen CE, Sorensen JL, Hoeg-Jensen T. Dually Reactive Long Recombinant Linkers for Bioconjugations as an Alternative to PEG. ACS OMEGA 2020; 5:19827-19833. [PMID: 32803078 PMCID: PMC7424725 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.0c02712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Covalent cross-linking of biomolecules can be useful in pursuit of tissue targeting or dual targeting of two receptors on cell surfaces for avidity effects. Long linkers (>10 kDa) can be advantageous for such purposes, and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) linkers are most commonly used due to the high aqueous solubility of PEG and its relative inertness toward biological targets. However, PEG is non-biodegradable, and available PEG linkers longer than 5 kDa are heterogeneous (polydisperse), which means that conjugates based on such materials will be mixtures. We describe here recombinant linkers of distinct lengths, which can be expressed in yeast, which are polar, and which carry orthogonal reactivity at each end of the linker, thus allowing chemoselective cross-linking of proteins. A conjugate between insulin and either of the two trypsin inhibitor peptides/proteins exemplifies the technology, using a GQAP-based linker of molecular weight of 17 848, having one amine at the N-terminal, and one Cys, at the C-terminal. Notably, yeast-based expression systems typically give products with mixed disulfides when expressing proteins that are equipped with one unpaired Cys, namely, mixed disulfides with glutathione, free Cys amino acid, and/or a protein homodimer. To obtain a homogeneous linker, we worked out conditions for transforming the linker with mixed disulfides into a linker with a homogeneous disulfide, using excess 4-mercaptophenylacetic acid. Subsequently, the N-terminal amine of the linker was transformed into an azide, and the C-terminal Cys disulfide was reduced to a free thiol and reacted with halo-acetyl insulin. The N-terminal azide was finally conjugated to either of the two types of alkyne-containing trypsin inhibitor peptides/proteins. This reaction sequence allowed the cross-linked proteins to carry internal disulfides, as no reduction step was needed after protein conjugations. The insulin-trypsin inhibitor conjugates were shown to be stabilized toward enzymatic digestions and to have partially retained binding to the insulin receptor.
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20
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Khodabakhsh F, Salimian M, Mehdizadeh A, Khosravy MS, Vafabakhsh A, Karami E, Cohan RA. New Proline, Alanine, Serine Repeat Sequence for Pharmacokinetic Enhancement of Anti-VEGF Single-Domain Antibody. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2020; 375:69-75. [PMID: 32669367 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.120.000012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic fragmented antibodies show a poor pharmacokinetic profile that leads to frequent high-dose administration. In the current study, for the first time, a novel proline, alanine, serine (PAS) repeat sequence called PAS#208 was designed to extend the plasma half-life of a nanosized anti-vascular endothelial growth factor-A single-domain antibody. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, circular dichroism, dynamic light scattering, and electrophoretic light scattering were used to assess the physicochemical properties of the newly designed PAS sequence. The effect of PAS#208 on the biologic activity of a single-domain antibody was studied using an in vitro proliferation assay. The pharmacokinetic parameters, including terminal half-life, the volume of distribution, elimination rate constant, and clearance, were determined in mice model and compared with the native protein and PAS#1(200) sequence. The novel PAS repeat sequence showed comparable physicochemical, biologic, and pharmacokinetic features to the previously reported PAS#1(200) sequence. The PAS#208 increased the hydrodynamic radius and decreased significantly the electrophoretic mobility of the native protein without any change in zeta potential. Surprisingly, the fusion of PAS#208 to the single-domain antibody increased the binding potency. In addition, it did not alter the biologic activity and did not show any cytotoxicity on the normal cells. The PAS#208 sequence improved the terminal half-life (14-fold) as well as other pharmacokinetic parameters significantly. The simplicity as well as superior effects on half-life extension make PAS#208 sequence a novel sequence for in vivo pharmacokinetic enhancement of therapeutic fragmented antibodies. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: In the current study, a new proline, alanine, serine (PAS) sequence was developed that showed comparable physicochemical, biological, and pharmacokinetic features to the previously reported PAS#1(200) sequence. The simplicity as well as superior effects on half-life extension make PAS#208 sequence a novel sequence for in vivo pharmacokinetic enhancement of recombinant small proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Khodabakhsh
- Department of Genetics and Advanced Medical Technology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (F.K.); Department of Medical Laboratory, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran (M.S.); Department of Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (A.M.); Department of Rabies, Virology Research Group (S.K.) and Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group (R.A.C.), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; and Department of Biology, School of Basic Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran (A.V., E.K.)
| | - Morteza Salimian
- Department of Genetics and Advanced Medical Technology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (F.K.); Department of Medical Laboratory, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran (M.S.); Department of Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (A.M.); Department of Rabies, Virology Research Group (S.K.) and Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group (R.A.C.), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; and Department of Biology, School of Basic Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran (A.V., E.K.)
| | - Ardavan Mehdizadeh
- Department of Genetics and Advanced Medical Technology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (F.K.); Department of Medical Laboratory, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran (M.S.); Department of Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (A.M.); Department of Rabies, Virology Research Group (S.K.) and Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group (R.A.C.), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; and Department of Biology, School of Basic Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran (A.V., E.K.)
| | - Mohammad Sadeq Khosravy
- Department of Genetics and Advanced Medical Technology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (F.K.); Department of Medical Laboratory, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran (M.S.); Department of Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (A.M.); Department of Rabies, Virology Research Group (S.K.) and Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group (R.A.C.), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; and Department of Biology, School of Basic Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran (A.V., E.K.)
| | - Alireza Vafabakhsh
- Department of Genetics and Advanced Medical Technology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (F.K.); Department of Medical Laboratory, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran (M.S.); Department of Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (A.M.); Department of Rabies, Virology Research Group (S.K.) and Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group (R.A.C.), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; and Department of Biology, School of Basic Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran (A.V., E.K.)
| | - Elmira Karami
- Department of Genetics and Advanced Medical Technology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (F.K.); Department of Medical Laboratory, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran (M.S.); Department of Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (A.M.); Department of Rabies, Virology Research Group (S.K.) and Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group (R.A.C.), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; and Department of Biology, School of Basic Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran (A.V., E.K.)
| | - Reza Ahangari Cohan
- Department of Genetics and Advanced Medical Technology, Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, AJA University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran (F.K.); Department of Medical Laboratory, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran (M.S.); Department of Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran (A.M.); Department of Rabies, Virology Research Group (S.K.) and Department of Nanobiotechnology, New Technologies Research Group (R.A.C.), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; and Department of Biology, School of Basic Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran (A.V., E.K.)
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Shamloo A, Rostami P, Mahmoudi A. PASylation Enhances the Stability, Potency, and Plasma Half-Life of Interferon α-2a: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation. Biotechnol J 2020; 15:e1900385. [PMID: 32277577 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201900385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
In this study, the effectiveness of PASylation in enhancing the potency and plasma half-life of pharmaceutical proteins has been accredited as an alternative technique to the conventional methods such as PEGylation. Proline, alanine, and serine (PAS) chain has shown some advantages including biodegradability improvement and plasma half-life enhancement while lacking immunogenicity or toxicity. Although some experimental studies have been performed to find the mechanism behind PASylation, the detailed mechanism of PAS effects on the pharmaceutical proteins has remained obscure, especially at the molecular level. In this study, the interaction of interferon α-2a (IFN) and PAS chain is investigated using molecular dynamics simulation method. Several important parameters including secondary structure, root-mean-square distance, and solvent accessible surface area to investigate the stability, bioavailability, and bioactivity of the PASylated protein are studied. The results demonstrate that IFN conformation is not affected critically through PASylation while it results in improvement of the protein stability and bioactivity. Therefore, PASylation can be considered as a proper biological alternative technique to increase the plasma half-life of the biopharmaceutical proteins through enlarging apparent volume. The proposed simulation represents a computational approach that would provide a basis for the study of PASylated pharmaceutical proteins for different future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Shamloo
- Department of mechanical engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Ave. 11155-9567, Tehran, Iran
| | - Peyman Rostami
- Department of mechanical engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Ave. 11155-9567, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ashkan Mahmoudi
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Azadi Ave. 11365-11155, Tehran, Iran
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Powers NE, Swartzwelter B, Marchetti C, de Graaf DM, Lerchner A, Schlapschy M, Datar R, Binder U, Edwards CK, Skerra A, Dinarello CA. PASylation of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) retains IL-1 blockade and extends its duration in mouse urate crystal-induced peritonitis. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:868-882. [PMID: 31819009 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra119.010340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a key mediator of inflammation and immunity. Naturally-occurring IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) binds and blocks the IL-1 receptor-1 (IL-1R1), preventing signaling. Anakinra, a recombinant form of IL-1Ra, is used to treat a spectrum of inflammatory diseases. However, anakinra is rapidly cleared from the body and requires daily administration. To create a longer-lasting alternative, PASylated IL-1Ra (PAS-IL-1Ra) has been generated by in-frame fusion of a long, defined-length, N-terminal Pro/Ala/Ser (PAS) random-coil polypeptide with IL-1Ra. Here, we compared the efficacy of two PAS-IL-1Ra molecules, PAS600-IL-1Ra and PAS800-IL-1Ra (carrying 600 and 800 PAS residues, respectively), with that of anakinra in mice. PAS600-IL-1Ra displayed markedly extended blood plasma levels 3 days post-administration, whereas anakinra was undetectable after 24 h. We also studied PAS600-IL-1Ra and PAS800-IL-1Ra for efficacy in monosodium urate (MSU) crystal-induced peritonitis. 5 days post-administration, PAS800-IL-1Ra significantly reduced leukocyte influx and inflammatory markers in MSU-induced peritonitis, whereas equimolar anakinra administered 24 h before MSU challenge was ineffective. The 6-h pretreatment with equimolar anakinra or PAS800-IL-1Ra before MSU challenge similarly reduced inflammatory markers. In cultured A549 lung carcinoma cells, anakinra, PAS600-IL-1Ra, and PAS800-IL-Ra reduced IL-1α-induced IL-6 and IL-8 levels with comparable potency. In human peripheral blood mononuclear cells, these molecules suppressed Candida albicans-induced production of the cancer-promoting cytokine IL-22. Surface plasmon resonance analyses revealed significant binding between PAS-IL-1Ra and IL-1R1, although with a slightly lower affinity than anakinra. These results validate PAS-IL-1Ra as an active IL-1 antagonist with marked in vivo potency and a significantly extended half-life compared with anakinra.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E Powers
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | | | - Carlo Marchetti
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045
| | - Dennis M de Graaf
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045.,Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Martin Schlapschy
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Rajiv Datar
- DNX Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., San Diego, California 92121
| | - Uli Binder
- XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Strasse 30, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Carl K Edwards
- DNX Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., San Diego, California 92121
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Charles A Dinarello
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado 80045.,Department of Internal Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Powers NE, Swartzwelter B, Marchetti C, de Graaf DM, Lerchner A, Schlapschy M, Datar R, Binder U, Edwards CK, Skerra A, Dinarello CA. PASylation of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) retains IL-1 blockade and extends its duration in mouse urate crystal-induced peritonitis. J Biol Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/s0021-9258(17)49941-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
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Varanko A, Saha S, Chilkoti A. Recent trends in protein and peptide-based biomaterials for advanced drug delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2020; 156:133-187. [PMID: 32871201 PMCID: PMC7456198 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Engineering protein and peptide-based materials for drug delivery applications has gained momentum due to their biochemical and biophysical properties over synthetic materials, including biocompatibility, ease of synthesis and purification, tunability, scalability, and lack of toxicity. These biomolecules have been used to develop a host of drug delivery platforms, such as peptide- and protein-drug conjugates, injectable particles, and drug depots to deliver small molecule drugs, therapeutic proteins, and nucleic acids. In this review, we discuss progress in engineering the architecture and biological functions of peptide-based biomaterials -naturally derived, chemically synthesized and recombinant- with a focus on the molecular features that modulate their structure-function relationships for drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ashutosh Chilkoti
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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25
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Mangini V, Maggi V, Trianni A, Melle F, De Luca E, Pennetta A, Del Sole R, Ventura G, Cataldi TRI, Fiammengo R. Directional Immobilization of Proteins on Gold Nanoparticles Is Essential for Their Biological Activity: Leptin as a Case Study. Bioconjug Chem 2019; 31:74-81. [PMID: 31851492 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.9b00748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Gold nanomaterials hold great potential for biomedical applications. While this field is evolving rapidly, little attention has been paid to precise nanoparticle design and functionalization. Here, we show that when using proteins as targeting moieties, it is fundamental to immobilize them directionally to preserve their biological activity. Using full-length leptin as a case study, we have developed two alternative conjugation strategies for protein immobilization based on either a site-selective or a nonselective derivatization approach. We show that only nanoparticles with leptin immobilized site-selectively fully retain the ability to interact with the cognate leptin receptor. These results demonstrate the importance of a specified molecular design when preparing nanoparticles labeled with proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Mangini
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies@UniLe , Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) , Via Barsanti , 73010 Arnesano, Lecce , Italy
| | - Vito Maggi
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies@UniLe , Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) , Via Barsanti , 73010 Arnesano, Lecce , Italy.,Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione , Università del Salento , Via per Monteroni Km 1 , 73100 Lecce , Italy
| | - Alberta Trianni
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies@UniLe , Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) , Via Barsanti , 73010 Arnesano, Lecce , Italy
| | - Francesca Melle
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies@UniLe , Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) , Via Barsanti , 73010 Arnesano, Lecce , Italy
| | - Elisa De Luca
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies@UniLe , Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) , Via Barsanti , 73010 Arnesano, Lecce , Italy
| | - Antonio Pennetta
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione , Università del Salento , Via per Monteroni Km 1 , 73100 Lecce , Italy.,Dipartimento di Beni Culturali , Università del Salento , Via Dalmazio Birago 64 , 73100 Lecce , Italy
| | - Roberta Del Sole
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell'Innovazione , Università del Salento , Via per Monteroni Km 1 , 73100 Lecce , Italy
| | - Giovanni Ventura
- Dipartimento di Chimica , Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , via Orabona 4 , 70126 Bari , Italy
| | - Tommaso R I Cataldi
- Dipartimento di Chimica , Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , via Orabona 4 , 70126 Bari , Italy.,Centro Interdipartimentale SMART , Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro , via Orabona 4 , 70126 Bari , Italy
| | - Roberto Fiammengo
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies@UniLe , Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) , Via Barsanti , 73010 Arnesano, Lecce , Italy
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26
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Thomas OS, Weber W. Overcoming Physiological Barriers to Nanoparticle Delivery-Are We There Yet? Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:415. [PMID: 31921819 PMCID: PMC6928054 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The exploitation of nanosized materials for the delivery of therapeutic agents is already a clinical reality and still holds unrealized potential for the treatment of a variety of diseases. This review discusses physiological barriers a nanocarrier must overcome in order to reach its target, with an emphasis on cancer nanomedicine. Stages of delivery include residence in the blood stream, passive accumulation by virtue of the enhanced permeability and retention effect, diffusion within the tumor lesion, cellular uptake, and arrival at the site of action. We also briefly outline strategies for engineering nanoparticles to more efficiently overcome these challenges: Increasing circulation half-life by shielding with hydrophilic polymers, such as PEG, the limitations of PEG and potential alternatives, targeting and controlled activation approaches. Future developments in these areas will allow us to harness the full potential of nanomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver S. Thomas
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wilfried Weber
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSS, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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27
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Ramos-Nieves JM, Giesy SL, Schwark WS, Gertler A, Boisclair YR. Technical note: Effects of pegylation and route of administration on leptin kinetics in newborn lambs1. J Anim Sci 2019; 97:3768-3775. [PMID: 31250023 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skz218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic energy insufficiency resulting from inadequate feed intake or increased nutrient demand reduces plasma leptin in ruminants. Treatment of energy-deficient ruminants with exogenous leptin has identified some physiological consequences of reduced plasma leptin, but their full complement remains unknown. Additional leptin-dependent responses could be identified by using strategies that interfere with leptin signaling such as administration of leptin mutants that act as competitive antagonists. The effectiveness of these antagonists depends on their fold excess over endogenous leptin, and this condition can be achieved under in vivo conditions by extending the half-life (t1/2) of the antagonist by addition of a polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecule (pegylation). Use of this approach in ruminants, however, is limited by the lack of information on the t1/2 of native and pegylated leptin and on the most effective route of administration. To answer these questions, newborn lambs (n = 3) were injected with an intravenous (i.v.) bolus of 150 µg of human leptin followed by blood sampling over the next 12 h. Analysis of the semilog plasma leptin concentration over time yielded a t1/2 of 43 ± 4.9 min; an i.v. bolus of 276 µg of bovine leptin yielded a comparable t1/2 (P > 0.05). Next, newborn lambs (n = 4) received a single dose of 229 μg/kg of metabolic body weight (BW0.75) of pegylated super human leptin antagonist (PEG-SHLA) via the i.v. or subcutaneous (s.c.) route. Plasma PEG-SHLA concentration reached a peak of 1,528 ± 78 ng/mL after 1 min and a nadir of 71 ± 9 ng/mL after 24 h with the i.v. route versus a peak of 423 ± 43 ng/mL after 300 min and a nadir of 146 ± 22 ng/mL after 24 h for the s.c. route; the t1/2 of PEG-SHLA was 394 ± 29 min for the i.v. route and 433 ± 58 min for the s.c. route. Finally, plasma concentration of PEG-SHLA was modeled when given either i.v. or s.c. at a dose of 229 μg/kg BW0.75 every 12 h. Once a steady state was reached, peak and lowest concentrations PEG-SHLA over the 12-h windows were 2,269 and 403 ng/mL for the i.v. route and 814 and 555 ng/mL for the s.c. route. Weighted PEG-SHLA concentrations over the 12-h period were 1,455 and 713 ng/mL for the i.v. and s.c. route, translating into 364- and 178-fold excess over endogenous plasma leptin. These data confirm the effectiveness of pegylation in extending the t1/2 of leptin antagonists in newborn lambs and in increasing their circulation in fold excess over endogenous leptin.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah L Giesy
- Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Wayne S Schwark
- Department of Molecular Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
| | - Arieh Gertler
- The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
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28
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Tan H, Su W, Zhang W, Wang P, Sattler M, Zou P. Recent Advances in Half-life Extension Strategies for Therapeutic Peptides and Proteins. Curr Pharm Des 2019; 24:4932-4946. [PMID: 30727869 DOI: 10.2174/1381612825666190206105232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Peptides and proteins are two classes of molecules with attractive possibilities for therapeutic applications. However, the bottleneck for the therapeutic application of many peptides and proteins is their short halflives in vivo, typically just a few minutes to hours. Half-life extension strategies have been extensively studied and many of them have been proven to be effective in the generation of long-acting therapeutics with improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in half-life extension strategies, illustrate their potential applications and give some examples, highlighting the strategies that have been used in approved drugs and for drugs in clinical trials. Meanwhile, several novel strategies that are still in the process of discovery or at a preclinical stage are also introduced. In these strategies, the two most frequently used half-life extension methods are the reduction in the rate of renal clearance or the exploitation of the recycling mechanism of FcRn by binding to the albumin or IgG-Fc. Here, we discuss half-life extension strategies of recombinant therapeutic protein via genetic fusion, rather than chemical conjugation such as PEGylation. With the rapid development of genetic engineering and protein engineering, novel strategies for half-life extension have been emerged consistently. Some of these will be evaluated in clinical trials and may become viable alternatives to current strategies for making next-generation biodrugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanbo Tan
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Wencheng Su
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Pengju Wang
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Michael Sattler
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Structural Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich at Chair Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy, Department Chemie, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
| | - Peijian Zou
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Structural Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich at Chair Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy, Department Chemie, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
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29
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Izquierdo AG, Crujeiras AB, Casanueva FF, Carreira MC. Leptin, Obesity, and Leptin Resistance: Where Are We 25 Years Later? Nutrients 2019; 11:nu11112704. [PMID: 31717265 PMCID: PMC6893721 DOI: 10.3390/nu11112704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 243] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Leptin, a hormone that is capable of effectively reducing food intake and body weight, was initially considered for use in the treatment of obesity. However, obese subjects have since been found to have high levels of circulating leptin and to be insensitive to the exogenous administration of leptin. The inability of leptin to exert its anorexigenic effects in obese individuals, and therefore, the lack of clinical utility of leptin in obesity, is defined as leptin resistance. This phenomenon has not yet been adequately characterized. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying leptin resistance is of vital importance for the application of leptin as an effective treatment for obesity. Leptin must cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) to reach the hypothalamus and exert its anorexigenic functions. The mechanisms involved in leptin transportation across the blood–brain barrier continue to be unclear, thereby preventing the clinical application of leptin in the treatment of obesity. In recent years, new strategies have been developed to recover the response to leptin in obesity. We have summarized these strategies in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G. Izquierdo
- Laboratory of Epigenomics in Endocrinology and Nutrition, Epigenomics Unit, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS/SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (A.G.I.); (A.B.C.)
- CIBER de Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBERobn), Instituto Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana B. Crujeiras
- Laboratory of Epigenomics in Endocrinology and Nutrition, Epigenomics Unit, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS/SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; (A.G.I.); (A.B.C.)
- CIBER de Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBERobn), Instituto Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Felipe F. Casanueva
- CIBER de Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBERobn), Instituto Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Molecular Endocrinolgy, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Correspondence: (F.F.C.); (M.C.C.); Tel.: +34-9-8195-6189 (F.F.C.); +34-9-8195-6189 (M.C.C.)
| | - Marcos C. Carreira
- CIBER de Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBERobn), Instituto Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (CHUS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Correspondence: (F.F.C.); (M.C.C.); Tel.: +34-9-8195-6189 (F.F.C.); +34-9-8195-6189 (M.C.C.)
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30
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Griffiths K, Binder U, McDowell W, Tommasi R, Frigerio M, Darby WG, Hosking CG, Renaud L, Machacek M, Lloyd P, Skerra A, Foley M. Half-life extension and non-human primate pharmacokinetic safety studies of i-body AD-114 targeting human CXCR4. MAbs 2019; 11:1331-1340. [PMID: 31156041 PMCID: PMC6748587 DOI: 10.1080/19420862.2019.1626652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Single domain antibodies that combine antigen specificity with high tissue penetration are an attractive alternative to conventional antibodies. However, rapid clearance from the bloodstream owing to their small size can be a limitation of therapeutic single domain antibodies. Here, we describe and evaluate the conjugation of a single domain i-body, AD-114, which targets CXCR4, to a panel of half-life extension technologies including a human serum albumin-binding peptide, linear and branched PEG, and PASylation (PA600). The conjugates were assessed in murine, rat and cynomolgus monkey pharmacokinetic studies and showed that the branched PEG was most effective at extending circulating half-life in mice; however, manufacturing limitations of PEGylated test material precluded scale-up and assessment in larger animals. PA600, by comparison, was amenable to scale-up and afforded considerable half-life improvements in mice, rats and cynomolgus monkeys. In mice, the circulating half-life of AD-114 was extended from 0.18 h to 7.77 h following conjugation to PA600, and in cynomolgus monkeys, the circulating half-life of AD-114-PA600 was 24.27 h. AD-114-PA600 was well tolerated in cynomolgus monkeys at dose rates up to 100 mg/kg with no mortalities or drug-related clinical signs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Griffiths
- The Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University , Bundoora , Melbourne , Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - William G Darby
- The Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University , Bundoora , Melbourne , Australia.,AdAlta Limited , Bundoora , Australia
| | - Chris G Hosking
- The Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University , Bundoora , Melbourne , Australia.,AdAlta Limited , Bundoora , Australia
| | | | | | - Peter Lloyd
- KinDyn Consulting Limited , West Sussex , UK
| | - Arne Skerra
- XL-protein GmbH , Freising , Germany.,Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München , Freising , Germany
| | - Michael Foley
- The Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, La Trobe University , Bundoora , Melbourne , Australia.,AdAlta Limited , Bundoora , Australia
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31
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Surface protein engineering increases the circulation time of a cell membrane-based nanotherapeutic. NANOMEDICINE-NANOTECHNOLOGY BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2019; 18:169-178. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2019.02.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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32
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Xia Y, Schlapschy M, Morath V, Roeder N, Vogt EI, Stadler D, Cheng X, Dittmer U, Sutter K, Heikenwalder M, Skerra A, Protzer U. PASylated interferon α efficiently suppresses hepatitis B virus and induces anti-HBs seroconversion in HBV-transgenic mice. Antiviral Res 2019; 161:134-143. [DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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33
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Zelikin AN, Ehrhardt C, Healy AM. Materials and methods for delivery of biological drugs. Nat Chem 2018; 8:997-1007. [PMID: 27768097 DOI: 10.1038/nchem.2629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Biological drugs generated via recombinant techniques are uniquely positioned due to their high potency and high selectivity of action. The major drawback of this class of therapeutics, however, is their poor stability upon oral administration and during subsequent circulation. As a result, biological drugs have very low bioavailability and short therapeutic half-lives. Fortunately, tools of chemistry and biotechnology have been developed into an elaborate arsenal, which can be applied to improve the pharmacokinetics of biological drugs. Depot-type release systems are available to achieve sustained release of drugs over time. Conjugation to synthetic or biological polymers affords long circulating formulations. Administration of biological drugs through non-parenteral routes shows excellent performance and the first products have reached the market. This Review presents the main accomplishments in this field and illustrates the materials and methods behind existing and upcoming successful formulations and delivery strategies for biological drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander N Zelikin
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark.,iNano Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus C 8000, Denmark
| | - Carsten Ehrhardt
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.,Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Anne Marie Healy
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.,Synthesis and Solid State Pharmaceutical Centre, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.,Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research (AMBER) Centre, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
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34
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A platform for discovery of functional cell-penetrating peptides for efficient multi-cargo intracellular delivery. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12538. [PMID: 30135446 PMCID: PMC6105642 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30790-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) offer great potential to deliver therapeutic molecules to previously inaccessible intracellular targets. However, many CPPs are inefficient and often leave their attached cargo stranded in the cell’s endosome. We report a versatile platform for the isolation of peptides delivering a wide range of cargos into the cytoplasm of cells. We used this screening platform to identify multiple “Phylomer” CPPs, derived from bacterial and viral genomes. These peptides are amenable to conventional sequence optimization and engineering approaches for cell targeting and half-life extension. We demonstrate potent, functional delivery of protein, peptide, and nucleic acid analog cargos into cells using Phylomer CPPs. We validate in vivo activity in the cytoplasm, through successful transport of an oligonucleotide therapeutic fused to a Phylomer CPP in a disease model for Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy. This report thus establishes a discovery platform for identifying novel, functional CPPs to expand the delivery landscape of druggable intracellular targets for biological therapeutics.
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35
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Gebauer M, Skerra A. Prospects of PASylation® for the design of protein and peptide therapeutics with extended half-life and enhanced action. Bioorg Med Chem 2018; 26:2882-2887. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2017.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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36
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Zvonova EA, Tyurin AA, Soloviev AA, Goldenkova-Pavlova IV. Strategies for Modulation of Pharmacokinetics of Recombinant Therapeutic Proteins. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s2079086418020093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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37
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Tan H, Su W, Wang P, Zhang W, Sattler M, Zou P. Expression and purification of a difficult sarcomeric protein: Telethonin. Protein Expr Purif 2017; 140:74-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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38
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Breibeck J, Skerra A. The polypeptide biophysics of proline/alanine-rich sequences (PAS): Recombinant biopolymers with PEG-like properties. Biopolymers 2017; 109. [PMID: 29076532 PMCID: PMC5813227 DOI: 10.1002/bip.23069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PAS polypeptides comprise long repetitive sequences of the small L‐amino acids proline, alanine and/or serine that were developed to expand the hydrodynamic volume of conjugated pharmaceuticals and prolong their plasma half‐life by retarding kidney filtration. Here, we have characterized the polymer properties both of the free polypeptides and in fusion with the biopharmaceutical IL‐1Ra. Data from size exclusion chromatography, dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism spectroscopy and quantification of hydrodynamic and polar properties demonstrate that the biosynthetic PAS polypeptides exhibit random coil behavior in aqueous solution astonishingly similar to the chemical polymer poly‐ethylene glycol (PEG). The solvent‐exposed PAS peptide groups, in the absence of secondary structure, account for strong hydrophilicity, with negligible contribution by the Ser side chains. Notably, PAS polypeptides exceed PEG of comparable molecular mass in hydrophilicity and hydrodynamic volume while exhibiting lower viscosity. Their uniform monodisperse composition as genetically encoded polymers and their biological nature, offering biodegradability, render PAS polypeptides a promising PEG mimetic for biopharmaceutical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joscha Breibeck
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany.,XL-protein GmbH, Lise-Meitner-Str. 30, 85354, Freising, Germany
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39
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Binder U, Skerra A. PASylation®: A versatile technology to extend drug delivery. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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40
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Khodabakhsh F, Norouzian D, Vaziri B, Ahangari Cohan R, Sardari S, Mahboudi F, Behdani M, Mansouri K, Mehdizadeh A. Development of a novel nano-sized anti-VEGFA nanobody with enhanced physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. ARTIFICIAL CELLS NANOMEDICINE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 46:1402-1414. [PMID: 28841807 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2017.1369426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Since physiological and pathological processes occur at nano-environments, nanotechnology has considered as an efficient tool for designing of next generation specific biomolecules with enhanced pharmacodynamic and pharmacodynamic properties. In the current investigation, by control of the size and hydrodynamic volume at the nanoscale, for the first time, physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties of an anti-VEGFA nanobody was remarkably improved by attachment of a Proline-Alanine-Serine (PAS) rich sequence. The results elucidated unexpected impressive effects of PAS sequence on physicochemical properties especially on size, hydrodynamics radius, and even solubility of nanobody. CD analysis revealed an increment in random coil structure of the PASylated protein in comparison to native one without any change in charge state or binding kinetic parameters of nanobody assessed by isoelectric focusing and surface plasmon resonance measurements, respectively. In vitro biological activities of nanobody were not affected by coupling of the PAS sequence. In contrast, the terminal half-life was significantly increased by a factor of 14 for the nanobody-PAS after single dose IV injection to the mice. Our study demonstrated that the control of size in the design of small therapeutic proteins has a promising effect on the stability and solubility, in addition to their physiochemical and pharmacokinetic properties. The designed new anti-VEGFA nanobody could promise a better therapeutic agent with a long administration intervals and lower dose, which in turn leads to a better patient compliance. Size adjustment of an anti-VEGF nanobody at the nanoscale by the attachment of a natural PAS polymer remarkably improves physicochemical properties, as well as a pharmacokinetic profile without any change in biological activity of the miniaturized antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Khodabakhsh
- a Department of Nanobiotechnology , Advanced Technology Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran.,b Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Dariush Norouzian
- a Department of Nanobiotechnology , Advanced Technology Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Behrouz Vaziri
- b Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Reza Ahangari Cohan
- a Department of Nanobiotechnology , Advanced Technology Group, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Soroush Sardari
- c Drug Design and Bioinformatics Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnology , Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Fereidoun Mahboudi
- b Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Mahdi Behdani
- d Venom & Biotherapeutics Molecules Laboratory , Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran , Tehran , Iran
| | - Kamran Mansouri
- e Medical Biology Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences , Kermanshah , Iran
| | - Ardavan Mehdizadeh
- f Department of Civil Engineering , Sharif University of Technology , Tehran , Iran
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Bolze F, Mocek S, Zimmermann A, Klingenspor M. Aminoglycosides, but not PTC124 (Ataluren), rescue nonsense mutations in the leptin receptor and in luciferase reporter genes. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1020. [PMID: 28432296 PMCID: PMC5430635 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01093-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In rare cases, monogenetic obesity is caused by nonsense mutations in genes regulating energy balance. A key factor herein is the leptin receptor. Here, we focus on leptin receptor nonsense variants causing obesity, namely the human W31X, murine Y333X and rat Y763X mutations, and explored their susceptibilities to aminoglycoside and PTC124 mediated translational read-through in vitro. In a luciferase based assay, all mutations - when analysed within the mouse receptor - were prone to aminoglycoside mediated nonsense suppression with the highest susceptibility for W31X, followed by Y763X and Y333X. For the latter, the corresponding rodent models appear valuable for in vivo experiments. When W31X was studied in the human receptor, its superior read-through susceptibility – initially observed in the mouse receptor – was eliminated, likely due to the different nucleotide context surrounding the mutation in the two orthologues. The impact of the surrounding context on the read-through opens the possibility to discover novel sequence elements influencing nonsense suppression. As an alternative to toxic aminoglycosides, PTC124 was indicated as a superior nonsense suppressor but inconsistent data concerning its read-through activity are reported. PTC124 failed to rescue W31X as well as different nonsense mutated luciferase reporters, thus, challenging its ability to induce translational read-through.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Bolze
- ZIEL - Institute for Food and Health, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.,Chair of Molecular Nutritional Medicine, Technical University of Munich, EKFZ - Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Sabine Mocek
- ZIEL - Institute for Food and Health, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.,Chair of Molecular Nutritional Medicine, Technical University of Munich, EKFZ - Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Anika Zimmermann
- ZIEL - Institute for Food and Health, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.,Chair of Molecular Nutritional Medicine, Technical University of Munich, EKFZ - Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Martin Klingenspor
- ZIEL - Institute for Food and Health, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany. .,Chair of Molecular Nutritional Medicine, Technical University of Munich, EKFZ - Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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Yuan D, Yi X, Zhao Y, Poon CD, Bullock KM, Hansen KM, Salameh TS, Farr SA, Banks WA, Kabanov AV. Intranasal delivery of N-terminal modified leptin-pluronic conjugate for treatment of obesity. J Control Release 2017; 263:172-184. [PMID: 28344017 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 03/07/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Leptin is an adipocyte-secreted hormone that is delivered via a specific transport system across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to the brain where it acts on the hypothalamus receptors to control appetite and thermogenesis. Peripheral resistance to leptin due to its impaired brain delivery prevents therapeutic use of leptin in overweight and moderately obese patients. To address this problem, we modified the N-terminal amine of leptin with Pluronic P85 (LepNP85) and administered this conjugate intranasally using the nose-to-brain (INB) route to bypass the BBB. We compared this conjugate with the native leptin, the N-terminal leptin conjugate with poly(ethylene glycol) (LepNPEG5K), and two conjugates of leptin with Pluronic P85 attached randomly to the lysine amino groups of the hormone. Compared to the random conjugates of leptin with P85, LepNP85 has shown higher affinity upon binding with the leptin receptor, and similarly to native hormone activated hypothalamus receptors after direct injection into brain. After INB delivery, LepNP85 conjugate was transported to the brain and accumulated in the hypothalamus and hippocampus to a greater extent than the native leptin and LepNPEG5K and activated leptin receptors in hypothalamus at lower dose than native leptin. Our work suggests that LepNP85 can access the brain directly after INB delivery and confirms our hypothesis that the improvement in brain accumulation of this conjugate is due to its enhanced brain absorption. In conclusion, the LepNP85 with optimized conjugation chemistry is a promising candidate for treatment of obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongfen Yuan
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Xiang Yi
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Yuling Zhao
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Chi-Duen Poon
- Research Computer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kristin M Bullock
- Research and Development, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kim M Hansen
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Therese S Salameh
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Susan A Farr
- Research and Development, VA Medical Center and Division of Geriatrics, School of Medicine, St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - William A Banks
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, USA; Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Alexander V Kabanov
- Center for Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery, Division of Pharmacoengineering and Molecular Pharmaceutics, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA; Laboratory of Chemical Design of Bionanomaterials, Faculty of Chemistry, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119992, Russia.
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PASylation technology improves recombinant interferon-β1b solubility, stability, and biological activity. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 101:1975-1987. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-016-7944-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 09/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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van Witteloostuijn SB, Pedersen SL, Jensen KJ. Half-Life Extension of Biopharmaceuticals using Chemical Methods: Alternatives to PEGylation. ChemMedChem 2016; 11:2474-2495. [DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201600374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Søren B. van Witteloostuijn
- Department of Chemistry; University of Copenhagen; Thorvaldsensvej 40 1871 Frederiksberg C Denmark
- Gubra ApS; Hørsholm Kongevej 11B 2970 Hørsholm Denmark
| | | | - Knud J. Jensen
- Department of Chemistry; University of Copenhagen; Thorvaldsensvej 40 1871 Frederiksberg C Denmark
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Kuhn N, Schmidt CQ, Schlapschy M, Skerra A. PASylated Coversin, a C5-Specific Complement Inhibitor with Extended Pharmacokinetics, Shows Enhanced Anti-Hemolytic Activity in Vitro. Bioconjug Chem 2016; 27:2359-2371. [PMID: 27598771 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.6b00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The Ornithodoros moubata Complement Inhibitor (OmCI) binds complement component 5 (C5) with high affinity and, thus, selectively prevents proteolytic activation of the terminal lytic complement pathway. A recombinant version of OmCI (also known as Coversin and rEV576) has proven efficacious in several animal models of complement-mediated diseases and successfully completed a phase Ia clinical trial. Coversin is a small 17 kDa lipocalin protein which has a very short plasma half-life if not bound to C5; therefore, the drug requires frequent dosing. We have improved the pharmacokinetics of Coversin by N-terminal translational conjugation with a 600 residue polypeptide composed of Pro, Ala, and Ser (PAS) residues. To this end, PAS-Coversin as well as the unmodified Coversin were functionally expressed in the cytoplasm of E. coli and purified to homogeneity. Both versions showed identical affinity to human C5, as determined by surface plasmon resonance measurements, and revealed similar complement inhibitory activity, as measured in ELISAs with human serum. In line with the PEG-like biophysical properties, PASylation dramatically prolonged the plasma half-life of uncomplexed Coversin by a factor ≥50 in mice. In a clinically relevant in vitro model of the complement-mediated disease paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) both versions of Coversin effectively reduced erythrocyte lysis. Unexpectedly, while the IC50 values were comparable, PAS-Coversin reached a substantially lower plateau of residual lysis at saturating inhibitor concentrations. Taken together, our data demonstrate two clinically relevant improvements of PASylated Coversin: markedly increased plasma half-life and considerably reduced background hemolysis of erythrocytes with PNH-induced phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Kuhn
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPS-M) and Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München , Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Christoph Q Schmidt
- Institute of Pharmacology of Natural Products & Clinical Pharmacology, Ulm University , Helmholtzstrasse 20, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Martin Schlapschy
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPS-M) and Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München , Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany.,XL-protein GmbH , Lise-Meitner-Strasse 30, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Arne Skerra
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPS-M) and Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München , Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany.,XL-protein GmbH , Lise-Meitner-Strasse 30, 85354 Freising, Germany
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Bolze F, Bast A, Mocek S, Morath V, Yuan D, Rink N, Schlapschy M, Zimmermann A, Heikenwalder M, Skerra A, Klingenspor M. Treatment of diet-induced lipodystrophic C57BL/6J mice with long-acting PASylated leptin normalises insulin sensitivity and hepatic steatosis by promoting lipid utilisation. Diabetologia 2016; 59:2005-12. [PMID: 27272237 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-016-4004-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS Recombinant leptin offers a viable treatment for lipodystrophy (LD) syndromes. However, due to its short plasma half-life, leptin replacement therapy requires at least daily subcutaneous (s.c.) injections. Here, we optimised this treatment strategy in LD mice by using a novel leptin version with extended plasma half-life using PASylation technology. METHODS A long-acting leptin version was prepared by genetic fusion with a 600 residue polypeptide made of Pro, Ala and Ser (PASylation), which enlarges the hydrodynamic volume and, thus, retards renal filtration, allowing less frequent injection. LD was induced in C57BL/6J mice by feeding a diet supplemented with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Chronic and acute effects of leptin treatment were assessed by evaluating plasma insulin levels, insulin tolerance, histological liver sections, energy expenditure, energy intake and body composition. RESULTS In a cohort of female mice, 4 nmol PAS-leptin (applied via four s.c. injections every 3 days) successfully alleviated the CLA-induced LD phenotype, which was characterised by hyperinsulinaemia, insulin intolerance and hepatosteatosis. The same injection regimen had no measurable effect when unmodified recombinant leptin was administered at an equivalent dose. In a cohort of LD males, a single s.c. injection of PAS-leptin did not affect energy expenditure but inhibited food intake and promoted a shift in fuel selection towards preferential fat oxidation, which mechanistically substantiates the metabolic improvements. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION The excellent pharmacological properties render PASylated leptin an agent of choice for refining both animal studies and therapeutic strategies in the context of LD syndromes and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Bolze
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Ernährungsmedizin and Else Kröner-Fresenius Center, Technische Universität München, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
- Research Center for Nutrition and Food Science (ZIEL), Technische Universität München, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Andrea Bast
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Ernährungsmedizin and Else Kröner-Fresenius Center, Technische Universität München, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
- Research Center for Nutrition and Food Science (ZIEL), Technische Universität München, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Sabine Mocek
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Ernährungsmedizin and Else Kröner-Fresenius Center, Technische Universität München, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
- Research Center for Nutrition and Food Science (ZIEL), Technische Universität München, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Volker Morath
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPS-M) and Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Detian Yuan
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Nadine Rink
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Ernährungsmedizin and Else Kröner-Fresenius Center, Technische Universität München, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
- Research Center for Nutrition and Food Science (ZIEL), Technische Universität München, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Martin Schlapschy
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPS-M) and Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Anika Zimmermann
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Ernährungsmedizin and Else Kröner-Fresenius Center, Technische Universität München, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
- Research Center for Nutrition and Food Science (ZIEL), Technische Universität München, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Mathias Heikenwalder
- Division of Chronic Inflammation and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Arne Skerra
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science (CIPS-M) and Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany.
- XL-protein GmbH, Freising, Germany.
| | - Martin Klingenspor
- Lehrstuhl für Molekulare Ernährungsmedizin and Else Kröner-Fresenius Center, Technische Universität München, Gregor-Mendel-Str. 2, 85354, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany.
- Research Center for Nutrition and Food Science (ZIEL), Technische Universität München, Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany.
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Chhabra KH, Adams JM, Jones GL, Yamashita M, Schlapschy M, Skerra A, Rubinstein M, Low MJ. Reprogramming the body weight set point by a reciprocal interaction of hypothalamic leptin sensitivity and Pomc gene expression reverts extreme obesity. Mol Metab 2016; 5:869-881. [PMID: 27689000 PMCID: PMC5034612 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2016.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective A major challenge for obesity treatment is the maintenance of reduced body weight. Diet-induced obese mice are resistant to achieving normoweight once the obesogenic conditions are reversed, in part because lowered circulating leptin leads to a reduction in metabolic rate and a rebound of hyperphagia that defend the previously elevated body weight set point. Because hypothalamic POMC is a central leptin target, we investigated whether changes in circulating leptin modify Pomc expression to maintain normal energy balance in genetically predisposed obese mice. Methods Mice with reversible Pomc silencing in the arcuate nucleus (ArcPomc−/−) become morbidly obese eating low-fat chow. We measured body composition, food intake, plasma leptin, and leptin sensitivity in ArcPomc−/− mice weight-matched to littermate controls by calorie restriction, either from weaning or after developing obesity. Pomc was reactivated by tamoxifen-dependent Cre recombinase transgenes. Long acting PASylated leptin was administered to weight-reduced ArcPomc−/− mice to mimic the super-elevated leptin levels of obese mice. Results ArcPomc−/− mice had increased adiposity and leptin levels shortly after weaning. Despite chronic calorie restriction to achieve normoweight, ArcPomc−/− mice remained moderately hyperleptinemic and resistant to exogenous leptin's effects to reduce weight and food intake. However, subsequent Pomc reactivation in weight-matched ArcPomc−/− mice normalized plasma leptin, leptin sensitivity, adiposity, and food intake. In contrast, extreme hyperleptinemia induced by PASylated leptin blocked the full restoration of hypothalamic Pomc expression in calorie restricted ArcPomc−/− mice, which consequently regained 30% of their lost body weight and attained a metabolic steady state similar to that of tamoxifen treated obese ArcPomc−/− mice. Conclusions Pomc reactivation in previously obese, calorie-restricted ArcPomc−/− mice normalized energy homeostasis, suggesting that their body weight set point was restored to control levels. In contrast, massively obese and hyperleptinemic ArcPomc−/− mice or those weight-matched and treated with PASylated leptin to maintain extreme hyperleptinemia prior to Pomc reactivation converged to an intermediate set point relative to lean control and obese ArcPomc−/− mice. We conclude that restoration of hypothalamic leptin sensitivity and Pomc expression is necessary for obese ArcPomc−/− mice to achieve and sustain normal metabolic homeostasis; whereas deficits in either parameter set a maladaptive allostatic balance that defends increased adiposity and body weight. Hypothalamic POMC-deficiency increases adiposity and induces leptin resistance. PASylated leptin blocks the normalization of Pomc expression, weight and adiposity. Interactions of leptin sensitivity and Pomc expression dictate body weight set point.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavaljit H Chhabra
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jessica M Adams
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Graham L Jones
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Miho Yamashita
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Martin Schlapschy
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Arne Skerra
- Lehrstuhl für Biologische Chemie, Technische Universität München, Emil-Erlenmeyer-Forum 5, 85354 Freising (Weihenstephan), Germany
| | - Marcelo Rubinstein
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Malcolm J Low
- Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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Zhang P, Sun F, Liu S, Jiang S. Anti-PEG antibodies in the clinic: Current issues and beyond PEGylation. J Control Release 2016; 244:184-193. [PMID: 27369864 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.06.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 401] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The technique of attaching the polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG), or PEGylation, has brought more than ten protein drugs into market. The surface conjugation of PEG on proteins prolongs their blood circulation time and reduces immunogenicity by increasing their hydrodynamic size and masking surface epitopes. Despite this success, an emerging body of literature highlights the presence of antibodies produced by the immune system that specifically recognize and bind to PEG (anti-PEG Abs), including both pre-existing and treatment-induced Abs. More importantly, the existence of anti-PEG Abs has been correlated with loss of therapeutic efficacy and increase in adverse effects in several clinical reports examining different PEGylated therapeutics. To better understand the nature of anti-PEG immunity, we summarize a number of clinical reports and some critical animal studies regarding pre-existing and treatment-induced anti-PEG Abs. Various anti-PEG detection methods used in different studies were provided. Several protein modification technologies beyond PEGylation were also highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Fang Sun
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Sijun Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Shaoyi Jiang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States; Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, United States.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many of the biotherapeutics approved or under development suffer from a short half-life necessitating frequent applications in order to maintain a therapeutic concentration over an extended period of time. The implementation of half-life extension strategies allows the generation of long-lasting therapeutics with improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. AREAS COVERED This review gives an overview of the different half-life extension strategies developed over the past years and their application to generate next-generation biotherapeutics. It focuses on srategies already used in approved drugs and drugs that are in clinical development. These strategies include those aimed at increasing the hydrodynamic radius of the biotherapeutic and strategies which further implement recycling by the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). EXPERT OPINION Half-life extension strategies have become an integral part of development for many biotherapeutics. A diverse set of these strategies is available for the fine-tuning of half-life and adaption to the intended treatment modality and disease. Currently, half-life extension is dominated by strategies utilizing albumin binding or fusion, fusion to an immunoglobulin Fc region and PEGylation. However, a variety of alternative strategies, such as fusion of flexible polypeptide chains as PEG mimetic substitute, have reached advanced stages and offer further alternatives for half-life extension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland E Kontermann
- a Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology , University of Stuttgart , Stuttgart , Germany
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50
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Su T, Yang H, Fan Q, Jia D, Tao Z, Wan L, Lu X. Enhancing the circulating half-life and the antitumor effects of a tumor-selective cytotoxic peptide by exploiting endogenous serum albumin as a drug carrier. Int J Pharm 2016; 499:195-204. [PMID: 26752086 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2015.12.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The elevated expression of bombesin receptors in many of the deadliest cancers has attracted special interest in developing bombesin-directed agents for tumor imaging and therapy. Previously, we constructed the chimeric peptide BB28 by fusing bombesin to a mitochondria-disrupting peptide. BB28 selectively induced the apoptosis of various tumor cells in vitro and showed promising in vivo antitumor effects. In general, a short circulating half-life limits the in vivo effect of peptides. To prolong the half-life of BB28, here, we generated the novel peptide ABB28 by fusing an albumin-binding domain (ABD) to the N-terminus of BB28. ABB28 exhibited much higher binding affinity for albumin than BB28, and this modification extended the peptide half-life from several minutes to 2 h. Optical imaging revealed that ABB28 accumulated in xenografted tumors within 1h post-injection and persisted at an evident level for up to 24 h. ABB28 exerted stronger tumor-suppressive effects than BB28. Significant differences in the tumor volumes (P<0.001) and the tumor weights (P=0.002) were observed between ABB28- and BB28-treated mice. Moreover, ABB28 exhibited tumor suppression comparable to that of PEGylated 5K-BB28 in vivo. These results suggest that half-life extension via ABD fusion represents a useful strategy for optimizing bombesin-directed pharmaceuticals for cancer-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Su
- Key Lab of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, Ministry of Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Key Lab of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, Ministry of Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Qing Fan
- Key Lab of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, Ministry of Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Dianlong Jia
- Key Lab of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, Ministry of Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ze Tao
- Key Lab of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, Ministry of Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Lin Wan
- Key Lab of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, Ministry of Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiaofeng Lu
- Key Lab of Transplant Engineering and Immunology, Ministry of Health, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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