1
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Jiao F, Meng L, Du K, Li X. The autophagy-lysosome pathway: a potential target in the chemical and gene therapeutic strategies for Parkinson's disease. Neural Regen Res 2025; 20:139-158. [PMID: 38767483 PMCID: PMC11246151 DOI: 10.4103/nrr.nrr-d-23-01195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a common neurodegenerative disease with movement disorders associated with the intracytoplasmic deposition of aggregate proteins such as α-synuclein in neurons. As one of the major intracellular degradation pathways, the autophagy-lysosome pathway plays an important role in eliminating these proteins. Accumulating evidence has shown that upregulation of the autophagy-lysosome pathway may contribute to the clearance of α-synuclein aggregates and protect against degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease. Moreover, multiple genes associated with the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease are intimately linked to alterations in the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Thus, this pathway appears to be a promising therapeutic target for treatment of Parkinson's disease. In this review, we briefly introduce the machinery of autophagy. Then, we provide a description of the effects of Parkinson's disease-related genes on the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Finally, we highlight the potential chemical and genetic therapeutic strategies targeting the autophagy-lysosome pathway and their applications in Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengjuan Jiao
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China
- Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis, Treatment and Behavioral Interventions of Mental Disorders, Institute of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China
| | - Lingyan Meng
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China
| | - Kang Du
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China
| | - Xuezhi Li
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China
- Shandong Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis, Treatment and Behavioral Interventions of Mental Disorders, Institute of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong Province, China
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2
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Crook ZR, Sevilla GP, Young P, Girard EJ, Phi TD, Howard ML, Price J, Olson JM, Nairn NW. CYpHER: catalytic extracellular targeted protein degradation with high potency and durable effect. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8731. [PMID: 39384759 PMCID: PMC11464628 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52975-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 09/27/2024] [Indexed: 10/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Many disease-causing proteins have multiple pathogenic mechanisms, and conventional inhibitors struggle to reliably disrupt more than one. Targeted protein degradation (TPD) can eliminate the protein, and thus all its functions, by directing a cell's protein turnover machinery towards it. Two established strategies either engage catalytic E3 ligases or drive uptake towards the endolysosomal pathway. Here we describe CYpHER (CatalYtic pH-dependent Endolysosomal delivery with Recycling) technology with potency and durability from a catalytic mechanism that shares the specificity and straightforward modular design of endolysosomal uptake. By bestowing pH-dependent release on the target engager and using the rapid-cycling transferrin receptor as the uptake receptor, CYpHER induces endolysosomal delivery of surface and extracellular targets while re-using drug, potentially yielding increased potency and reduced off-target tissue exposure risks. The TfR-based approach allows targeting to tumors that overexpress this receptor and offers the potential for transport to the CNS. CYpHER function was demonstrated in vitro with EGFR and PD-L1, and in vivo with EGFR in a model of EGFR-driven non-small cell lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R Crook
- Cyclera Therapeutics Inc, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA
- Blaze Bioscience Inc, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Gregory P Sevilla
- Cyclera Therapeutics Inc, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA
- Blaze Bioscience Inc, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | | | - Emily J Girard
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | | | | | - Jason Price
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Research Center, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Natalie W Nairn
- Cyclera Therapeutics Inc, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA.
- Blaze Bioscience Inc, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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3
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Zhou Y, Li C, Chen X, Zhao Y, Liao Y, Huang P, Wu W, Nieto NS, Li L, Tang W. Development of folate receptor targeting chimeras for cancer selective degradation of extracellular proteins. Nat Commun 2024; 15:8695. [PMID: 39379374 PMCID: PMC11461649 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-52685-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation has emerged as a novel therapeutic modality to treat human diseases by utilizing the cell's own disposal systems to remove protein target. Significant clinical benefits have been observed for degrading many intracellular proteins. Recently, the degradation of extracellular proteins in the lysosome has been developed. However, there have been limited successes in selectively degrading protein targets in disease-relevant cells or tissues, which would greatly enhance the development of precision medicine. Additionally, most degraders are not readily available due to their complexity. We report a class of easily accessible Folate Receptor TArgeting Chimeras (FRTACs) to recruit the folate receptor, primarily expressed on malignant cells, to degrade extracellular soluble and membrane cancer-related proteins in vitro and in vivo. Our results indicate that FRTAC is a general platform for developing more precise and effective chemical probes and therapeutics for the study and treatment of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaxian Zhou
- Lachman Institute of Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Chunrong Li
- Lachman Institute of Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Xuankun Chen
- Lachman Institute of Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Yuan Zhao
- Lachman Institute of Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Yaxian Liao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Penghsuan Huang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Wenxin Wu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Nicholas S Nieto
- Lachman Institute of Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Lingjun Li
- Lachman Institute of Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA
| | - Weiping Tang
- Lachman Institute of Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA.
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4
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Yun C, Li N, Zhang Y, Fang T, Ma J, Zheng Z, Zhou S, Cai X. Glucose Transporter-Targeting Chimeras Enabling Tumor-Selective Degradation of Secreted and Membrane Proteins. ACS Chem Biol 2024. [PMID: 39374326 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/09/2024]
Abstract
Tumor-selective degradation of target proteins has the potential to offer superior therapeutic benefits with maximized therapeutic windows and minimized off-target effects. However, the development of effective lysosome-targeted degradation platforms for achieving selective protein degradation in tumors remains a substantial challenge. Cancer cells depend on certain solute carrier (SLC) transporters to acquire extracellular nutrients to sustain their metabolism and growth. This current study exploits facilitative glucose transporters (GLUTs), a group of SLC transporters widely overexpressed in numerous types of cancer, to drive the endocytosis and lysosomal degradation of target proteins in tumor cells. GLUT-targeting chimeras (GTACs) were generated by conjugating multiple glucose ligands to an antibody specific for the target protein. We demonstrate that the constructed GTACs can induce the internalization and lysosomal degradation of the extracellular and membrane proteins streptavidin, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Compared with the parent antibody, the GTAC exhibited higher potency in inhibiting the growth of tumor cells in vitro and enhanced tumor-targeting capacity in a tumor-bearing mouse model. Thus, the GTAC platform represents a novel degradation strategy that harnesses an SLC transporter for tumor-selective depletion of secreted and membrane proteins of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyu Yun
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 East Outer Ring Road, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Na Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 East Outer Ring Road, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yishu Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 East Outer Ring Road, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Tong Fang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 East Outer Ring Road, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jing Ma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 East Outer Ring Road, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhenting Zheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 East Outer Ring Road, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Subing Zhou
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 East Outer Ring Road, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xiaoqing Cai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, 132 East Outer Ring Road, Guangzhou 510006, China
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Chen Z, Li X, Liu Q, Li W, Wang T, Ding D. Recent advances in AIE-based platforms for cancer immunotherapy. J Control Release 2024; 376:1-19. [PMID: 39343142 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.09.041] [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: 08/03/2024] [Revised: 09/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/24/2024] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens) possess the unique property of enhanced fluorescence and photostability in aggregated states, making them exceptional materials for the convergence of imaging and phototherapy. With their inherent advantages, AIEgens are propelling the field of nanomedicine into a vibrant frontier in the phototheranostics of a spectrum of diseases, particularly in the realm of cancer immunotherapy. AIEgens-based therapeutics enhance the cancer immune response through a variety of approaches, including real-time image-guided precise therapy, induction of programmed cell death, metabolic reprogramming, and modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, they contribute to the synergistic effect of immune checkpoint inhibition, a pivotal aspect of modern cancer immunotherapy strategies. This review offers a comprehensive overview of the integration of AIEgens in nanomedicine and their role in immune adaptation, highlighting the advantages, basic action mechanisms, and recent advancement of AIEgens as promising therapeutic platform for cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Chen
- Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Xueping Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Key Laboratory of Biomaterials and Nanotechnology for Cancer Immunotherapy, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Department of Urology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Wen Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Key Laboratory of Biomaterials and Nanotechnology for Cancer Immunotherapy, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China.
| | - Tianjiao Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Key Laboratory of Biomaterials and Nanotechnology for Cancer Immunotherapy, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin 300192, China.
| | - Dan Ding
- Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Key Laboratory of Bioactive Materials, Ministry of Education, and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China; Nankai International Advanced Research Institute, Futian District, Shenzhen 518045, China; Jiangsu Center for the Collaboration and Innovation of Cancer Biotherapy, Cancer Institute, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou 221002, Jiangsu, China.
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Xing Y, Yang J, Peng A, Qian Y, Liu Y, Pan P, Liu Q. Lysosome Targeted Nanoparticle Aggregation Reverses Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment for Cancer Immunotherapy. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2412730. [PMID: 39358936 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202412730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2024] [Revised: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024]
Abstract
Nanotechnology has proven its enormous application value in clinical practice. However, current research on nanomedicines mainly focuses on developing nanoparticles as delivery carriers to maximize the bioavailability of therapeutic agents, with little attention on exploring their potential to directly regulate physiological processes. In this study, inspired by the lysosomal swelling caused by excessive accumulation of undegraded substances, this work presents a lysosomal-targeting aggregated nanoparticle (LTANP) for cancer treatment. By rationally engineering surface composition, properties, and interparticle interactions, LTANP achieves efficient tumor accumulation and selective targeted aggregation in lysosomes of cancer cells, leading to unrelievable lysosomal swelling, and ultimately inducing lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) of cancer cells. Further analysis shows that nanoparticle aggregation-mediated LMP can effectively trigger immunogenic cell death (ICD) by impairing autophagy-lysosome pathway, evoking robust antitumor immune responses and reversing tumor immunogenicity from "cold" to "hot" in a melanoma model. Additionally, LTANP can combine with clinically approved programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) antibodies to further unleash T cell-mediated antitumor immunity, significantly enhancing antitumor performance, inhibiting tumor recurrence and metastasis. This work demonstrates the potential of rationally engineered nanostructures in directly combating cancer and provides novel insights for the development of advanced nanoparticle-based cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeng Xing
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, P. R. China
| | - Jianhui Yang
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
| | - Ao Peng
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
| | - Yujing Qian
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P. R. China
| | - Pei Pan
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
| | - Qi Liu
- Research Center for Translational Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, P. R. China
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7
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Du J, Han S, Zhou H, Wang J, Wang F, Zhao M, Song R, Li K, Zhu H, Zhang W, Yang Z, Liu Z. Targeted protein degradation combined with PET imaging reveals the role of host PD-L1 in determining anti-PD-1 therapy efficacy. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2024; 51:3559-3571. [PMID: 38910165 DOI: 10.1007/s00259-024-06804-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Immunohistochemical staining of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) in tumor biopsies acquired through invasive procedures is routinely employed in clinical practice to identify patients who are most likely to benefit from anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) therapy. Nevertheless, PD-L1 expression is observed in various cellular subsets within tumors and their microenvironments, including tumor cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. The impact of PD-L1 expression across these different cell types on the responsiveness to anti-PD-1 treatment is yet to be fully understood. METHODS We synthesized polymer-based lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs) that incorporate both PD-L1-targeting motifs and liver cell-specific asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR) recognition elements. Small-animal positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of PD-L1 expression was also conducted using a PD-L1-specific radiotracer 89Zr-αPD-L1/Fab. RESULTS The PD-L1 LYTAC platform was capable of specifically degrading PD-L1 expressed on liver cancer cells through the lysosomal degradation pathway via ASGPR without impacting the PD-L1 expression on host cells. When coupled with whole-body PD-L1 PET imaging, our studies revealed that host cell PD-L1, rather than tumor cell PD-L1, is pivotal in the antitumor response to anti-PD-1 therapy in a mouse model of liver cancer. CONCLUSION The LYTAC strategy, enhanced by PET imaging, has the potential to surmount the limitations of knockout mouse models and to provide a versatile approach for the selective degradation of target proteins in vivo. This could significantly aid in the investigation of the roles and mechanisms of protein functions associated with specific cell subsets in living subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinhong Du
- Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Shu Han
- Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Haoyi Zhou
- Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jianze Wang
- Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Feng Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Meixin Zhao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Rui Song
- Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Kui Li
- Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hua Zhu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Weifang Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Zhi Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China.
| | - Zhaofei Liu
- Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Radiopharmaceuticals, Peking University Cancer Hospital and Institute, Beijing, 100142, China.
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, 100191, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Vascular Homeostasis and Remodeling, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
- Peking University-Yunnan Baiyao International Medical Research Center, Beijing, 100191, China.
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8
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Fang T, Zheng Z, Li N, Zhang Y, Ma J, Yun C, Cai X. Lysosome-targeting chimeras containing an endocytic signaling motif trigger endocytosis and lysosomal degradation of cell-surface proteins. Chem Sci 2024:d4sc05093b. [PMID: 39391383 PMCID: PMC11459673 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc05093b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 10/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Lysosome-targeting degradation technologies have emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for the selective depletion of target extracellular and cell-surface proteins by harnessing a cell-surface effector protein such as lysosome-targeting receptors (LTRs) or transmembrane E3 ligases that direct lysosomal degradation. We recently developed a lysosome-targeting degradation platform termed signal-mediated lysosome-targeting chimeras (SignalTACs) that functions independently of an LTR or E3 ligase; these are engineered fusion proteins comprising a target binder, a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), and a lysosomal sorting signal motif (P1). Herein, we present the next-generation SignalTACs containing a single endocytic signal that bypasses the need for a CPP. We demonstrate that the fusion with a 10-amino acid endocytic signaling peptide (P3) derived from the cation-independent mannose-6-phosphate receptor (CI-M6PR) induces robust internalization and lysosomal degradation of the target protein. The P3-based SignalTAC exhibited enhanced antitumor efficacy compared to the parent antibody. We envision that the fusion of the endocytic signaling peptide P3 to a target binder may allow the construction of an effective degrader for membrane-associated targets. Furthermore, mechanistic studies identified different drivers for the activities of the P3- and P1-based SignalTACs, which is expected to provide crucial insights toward the harnessing of the intrinsic signaling pathways to direct protein trafficking and degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Fang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Zhenting Zheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Na Li
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Yishu Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Jing Ma
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Chengyu Yun
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Xiaoqing Cai
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China
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9
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Schnider ST, Vigano MA, Affolter M, Aguilar G. Functionalized Protein Binders in Developmental Biology. Annu Rev Cell Dev Biol 2024; 40:119-142. [PMID: 39038471 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cellbio-112122-025214] [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] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Developmental biology has greatly profited from genetic and reverse genetic approaches to indirectly studying protein function. More recently, nanobodies and other protein binders derived from different synthetic scaffolds have been used to directly dissect protein function. Protein binders have been fused to functional domains, such as to lead to protein degradation, relocalization, visualization, or posttranslational modification of the target protein upon binding. The use of such functionalized protein binders has allowed the study of the proteome during development in an unprecedented manner. In the coming years, the advent of the computational design of protein binders, together with further advances in scaffold engineering and synthetic biology, will fuel the development of novel protein binder-based technologies. Studying the proteome with increased precision will contribute to a better understanding of the immense molecular complexities hidden in each step along the way to generate form and function during development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Gustavo Aguilar
- Current affiliation: Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA;
- Biozentrum, Universität Basel, Basel, Switzerland;
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10
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Chen Y, Liu F, Pal S, Hu Q. Proteolysis-targeting drug delivery system (ProDDS): integrating targeted protein degradation concepts into formulation design. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:9582-9608. [PMID: 39171633 DOI: 10.1039/d4cs00411f] [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: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a revolutionary paradigm in drug discovery and development, offering a promising avenue to tackle challenging therapeutic targets. Unlike traditional drug discovery approaches that focus on inhibiting protein function, TPD aims to eliminate proteins of interest (POIs) using modular chimeric structures. This is achieved through the utilization of proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), which redirect POIs to E3 ubiquitin ligases, rendering them for degradation by the cellular ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). Additionally, other TPD technologies such as lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs) and autophagy-based protein degraders facilitate the transportation of proteins to endo-lysosomal or autophagy-lysosomal pathways for degradation, respectively. Despite significant growth in preclinical TPD research, many chimeras fail to progress beyond this stage in the drug development. Various factors contribute to the limited success of TPD agents, including a significant hurdle of inadequate delivery to the target site. Integrating TPD into delivery platforms could surmount the challenges of in vivo applications of TPD strategies by reshaping their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamic profiles. These proteolysis-targeting drug delivery systems (ProDDSs) exhibit superior delivery performance, enhanced targetability, and reduced off-tissue side effects. In this review, we will survey the latest progress in TPD-inspired drug delivery systems, highlight the importance of introducing delivery ideas or technologies to the development of protein degraders, outline design principles of protein degrader-inspired delivery systems, discuss the current challenges, and provide an outlook on future opportunities in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Chen
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
- Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystems, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Fengyuan Liu
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Samira Pal
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
| | - Quanyin Hu
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
- Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystems, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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11
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Murphy PV, Dhara A, Fitzgerald LS, Hever E, Konda S, Mandal K. Small lectin ligands as a basis for applications in glycoscience and glycomedicine. Chem Soc Rev 2024; 53:9428-9445. [PMID: 39162695 DOI: 10.1039/d4cs00642a] [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: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Glycan recognition by lectins mediates important biological events. This Tutorial Review aims to introduce lectin-ligand interactions and show how these molecular recognition events inspire innovations such as: (i) glycomimetic ligands; (ii) multivalent ligand agonists/antagonists; (iii) ligands for precision delivery of therapies to cells, where therapies include vaccines, siRNA and LYTACs (iv) development of diagnostics. A small number of case studies are selected to demonstrate principles for development of new ligands for applications inspired by knowledge of natural glycan ligand structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul V Murphy
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland.
- SSPC, SFI Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland
- CÚRAM, SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland
| | - Ashis Dhara
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland.
- SSPC, SFI Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland
| | - Liam S Fitzgerald
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland.
- SSPC, SFI Research Centre for Pharmaceuticals, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland
- CÚRAM, SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices, University of Galway, University Road, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland
| | - Eoin Hever
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland.
| | - Saidulu Konda
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland.
| | - Kishan Mandal
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Galway, H91TK33, Ireland.
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12
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Zhou W, Yang W, Jiang P, Gou S. A Lysosome-Targeting hNEU1 Inhibitor Treats Myocardial Infarction: A Potential Therapeutic Breakthrough. J Med Chem 2024; 67:16899-16911. [PMID: 39253767 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
The overexpression of NEU1 has recently been certified as being associated with myocardial infarction. However, the pursuit of an efficacious human NEU1 (hNEU1) inhibitor remains challenging, and viral NEU1 (viNEU1) inhibitor drugs are significantly weaker in terms of hNEU1 inhibition. Recognizing that hNEU1 is located within the lysosome, we designed a series of lysosome-targeting compounds, derived from oseltamivir, aimed at hNEU1 inhibition. Among these compounds, OsMo exhibits the most potent activity. Our findings reveal that OsMo accumulates within lysosomes and releases its pharmacophore via enzymatic catalysis. OsMo enhances hNEU1 inhibition by accumulating pharmacophores at the target site. OsMo exhibits improved regulation of abnormal autophagy during myocardial injury, demonstrating superior efficacy in treating myocardial infarction in vivo. Furthermore, OsMo exhibits acceptable pharmacokinetic parameters. Importantly, the development of molecules with lysosome-targeting abilities represents a promising avenue for addressing myocardial injuries linked to hNEU1 overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Zhou
- Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Wanxiang Yang
- Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Ping Jiang
- Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Shaohua Gou
- Pharmaceutical Research Center and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
- Jiangsu Province Hi-Tech Key Laboratory for Biomedical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
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13
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Vidyakina AA, Silonov SA, Govdi AI, Ivanov AY, Podolskaya EP, Balova IA, Bräse S, Danilkina NA. Key role of cycloalkyne nature in alkyne-dye reagents for enhanced specificity of intracellular imaging by bioorthogonal bioconjugation. Org Biomol Chem 2024; 22:7637-7642. [PMID: 38973457 DOI: 10.1039/d4ob01032a] [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: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
Conjugates of benzothiophene-fused azacyclononyne BT9N-NH2 with fluorescent dyes were developed to visualise azidoglycans intracellularly. The significance of the cycloalkyne core was demonstrated by comparing new reagents with DBCO- and BCN-dye conjugates. To reduce non-specificity during intracellular bioconjugation using SPAAC, less reactive BT9N-dye reagents are preferred over highly reactive DBCO- and BCN-dye conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra A Vidyakina
- Institute of Chemistry, Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU), Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
| | - Sergey A Silonov
- Institute of Chemistry, Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU), Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
- Laboratory of Structural Dynamics, Stability and Folding of Proteins, Institute of Cytology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 194064, Russia
| | - Anastasia I Govdi
- Institute of Chemistry, Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU), Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
| | - Alexander Yu Ivanov
- Center for Magnetic Resonance, Research Park, Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU), Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | | | - Irina A Balova
- Institute of Chemistry, Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU), Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
| | - Stefan Bräse
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany.
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems - Functional Molecular Systems (IBCS-FMS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Natalia A Danilkina
- Institute of Chemistry, Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU), Saint Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
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14
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Huang B, Abedi M, Ahn G, Coventry B, Sappington I, Tang C, Wang R, Schlichthaerle T, Zhang JZ, Wang Y, Goreshnik I, Chiu CW, Chazin-Gray A, Chan S, Gerben S, Murray A, Wang S, O'Neill J, Yi L, Yeh R, Misquith A, Wolf A, Tomasovic LM, Piraner DI, Duran Gonzalez MJ, Bennett NR, Venkatesh P, Ahlrichs M, Dobbins C, Yang W, Wang X, Sahtoe DD, Vafeados D, Mout R, Shivaei S, Cao L, Carter L, Stewart L, Spangler JB, Roybal KT, Greisen PJ, Li X, Bernardes GJL, Bertozzi CR, Baker D. Designed endocytosis-inducing proteins degrade targets and amplify signals. Nature 2024:10.1038/s41586-024-07948-2. [PMID: 39322662 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07948-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
Endocytosis and lysosomal trafficking of cell surface receptors can be triggered by endogenous ligands. Therapeutic approaches such as lysosome-targeting chimaeras1,2 (LYTACs) and cytokine receptor-targeting chimeras3 (KineTACs) have used this to target specific proteins for degradation by fusing modified native ligands to target binding proteins. Although powerful, these approaches can be limited by competition with native ligands and requirements for chemical modification that limit genetic encodability and can complicate manufacturing, and, more generally, there may be no native ligands that stimulate endocytosis through a given receptor. Here we describe computational design approaches for endocytosis-triggering binding proteins (EndoTags) that overcome these challenges. We present EndoTags for insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R) and asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR), sortilin and transferrin receptors, and show that fusing these tags to soluble or transmembrane target protein binders leads to lysosomal trafficking and target degradation. As these receptors have different tissue distributions, the different EndoTags could enable targeting of degradation to different tissues. EndoTag fusion to a PD-L1 antibody considerably increases efficacy in a mouse tumour model compared to antibody alone. The modularity and genetic encodability of EndoTags enables AND gate control for higher-specificity targeted degradation, and the localized secretion of degraders from engineered cells. By promoting endocytosis, EndoTag fusion increases signalling through an engineered ligand-receptor system by nearly 100-fold. EndoTags have considerable therapeutic potential as targeted degradation inducers, signalling activators for endocytosis-dependent pathways, and cellular uptake inducers for targeted antibody-drug and antibody-RNA conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Buwei Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mohamad Abedi
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Green Ahn
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Brian Coventry
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Isaac Sappington
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cong Tang
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Thomas Schlichthaerle
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jason Z Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yujia Wang
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Inna Goreshnik
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ching Wen Chiu
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adam Chazin-Gray
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sidney Chan
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Stacey Gerben
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Analisa Murray
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shunzhi Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Li Yi
- Novo Nordisk, Måløv, Denmark
| | | | | | | | - Luke M Tomasovic
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dan I Piraner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Maria J Duran Gonzalez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Nathaniel R Bennett
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Preetham Venkatesh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Maggie Ahlrichs
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Craig Dobbins
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xinru Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Dionne Vafeados
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rubul Mout
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shirin Shivaei
- Division of Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Longxing Cao
- School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lauren Carter
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lance Stewart
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Kole T Roybal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Xiaochun Li
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Gonçalo J L Bernardes
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
- Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carolyn R Bertozzi
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA, USA
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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15
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Zhang D, Duque-Jimenez J, Facchinetti F, Brixi G, Rhee K, Feng WW, Jänne PA, Zhou X. Transferrin receptor targeting chimeras for membrane protein degradation. Nature 2024:10.1038/s41586-024-07947-3. [PMID: 39322661 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07947-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
Cancer cells require high levels of iron for rapid proliferation, leading to significant upregulation of cell-surface transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1), which mediates iron uptake by binding to the iron-carrying protein transferrin1-3. Leveraging this phenomenon and the fast endocytosis rate of TfR1 (refs. 4,5), we developed transferrin receptor targeting chimeras (TransTACs), a heterobispecific antibody modality for membrane protein degradation. TransTACs are engineered to drive rapid co-internalization of a target protein of interest and TfR1 from the cell surface, and to enable target protein entry into the lysosomal degradation pathway. We show that TransTACs can efficiently degrade a diverse range of single-pass, multi-pass, native or synthetic membrane proteins, including epidermal growth factor receptor, programmed cell death 1 ligand 1, cluster of differentiation 20 and chimeric antigen receptor. In example applications, TransTACs enabled the reversible control of human primary chimeric antigen receptor T cells and the targeting of drug-resistant epidermal growth factor receptor-driven lung cancer with the exon 19 deletion/T790M/C797S mutations in a mouse xenograft model. TransTACs represent a promising new family of bifunctional antibodies for precise manipulation of membrane proteins and targeted cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingpeng Zhang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Francesco Facchinetti
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Kaitlin Rhee
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William W Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pasi A Jänne
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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16
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Venkatesan J, Murugan D, Lakshminarayanan K, Smith AR, Vasanthakumari Thirumalaiswamy H, Kandhasamy H, Zender B, Zheng G, Rangasamy L. Powering up targeted protein degradation through active and passive tumour-targeting strategies: Current and future scopes. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 263:108725. [PMID: 39322067 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108725] [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: 06/01/2024] [Revised: 08/31/2024] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as a prominent and vital strategy for therapeutic intervention of cancers and other diseases. One such approach involves the exploration of proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) for the selective elimination of disease-causing proteins through the innate ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Due to the unprecedented achievements of various PROTAC molecules in clinical trials, researchers have moved towards other physiological protein degradation approaches for the targeted degradation of abnormal proteins, including lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs), autophagy-targeting chimeras (AUTACs), autophagosome-tethering compounds (ATTECs), molecular glue degraders, and other derivatives for their precise mode of action. Despite numerous advantages, these molecules face challenges in solubility, permeability, bioavailability, and potential off-target or on-target off-tissue effects. Thus, an urgent need arises to direct the action of these degrader molecules specifically against cancer cells, leaving the proteins of non-cancerous cells intact. Recent advancements in TPD have led to innovative delivery methods that ensure the degraders are delivered in a cell- or tissue-specific manner to achieve cell/tissue-selective degradation of target proteins. Such receptor-specific active delivery or nano-based passive delivery of the PROTACs could be achieved by conjugating them with targeting ligands (antibodies, aptamers, peptides, or small molecule ligands) or nano-based carriers. These techniques help to achieve precise delivery of PROTAC payloads to the target sites. Notably, the successful entry of a Degrader Antibody Conjugate (DAC), ORM-5029, into a phase 1 clinical trial underscores the therapeutic potential of these conjugates, including LYTAC-antibody conjugates (LACs) and aptamer-based targeted protein degraders. Further, using bispecific antibody-based degraders (AbTACs) and delivering the PROTAC pre-fused with E3 ligases provides a solution for cell type-specific protein degradation. Here, we highlighted the current advancements and challenges associated with developing new tumour-specific protein degrader approaches and summarized their potential as single agents or combination therapeutics for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janarthanan Venkatesan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Advanced Sciences (SAS), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, India; Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular and Molecular Theranostics (CBCMT), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, India
| | - Dhanashree Murugan
- Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular and Molecular Theranostics (CBCMT), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, India; School of Biosciences and Technology (SBST), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, India
| | - Kalaiarasu Lakshminarayanan
- Department of Chemistry, School of Advanced Sciences (SAS), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, India; Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular and Molecular Theranostics (CBCMT), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, India
| | - Alexis R Smith
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Harashkumar Vasanthakumari Thirumalaiswamy
- Department of Chemistry, School of Advanced Sciences (SAS), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, India; Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular and Molecular Theranostics (CBCMT), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, India
| | - Hariprasath Kandhasamy
- Department of Chemistry, School of Advanced Sciences (SAS), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, India
| | - Boutheina Zender
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Bahçeşehir University, Istanbul 34353, Turkey
| | - Guangrong Zheng
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA; University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
| | - Loganathan Rangasamy
- Drug Discovery Unit (DDU), Centre for Biomaterials, Cellular and Molecular Theranostics (CBCMT), Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore 632014, India.
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17
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Tan X, Huang Z, Pei H, Jia Z, Zheng J. Molecular glue-mediated targeted protein degradation: A novel strategy in small-molecule drug development. iScience 2024; 27:110712. [PMID: 39297173 PMCID: PMC11409024 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110712] [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] [Indexed: 09/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Small-molecule drugs are effective and thus most widely used. However, their applications are limited by their reliance on active high-affinity binding sites, restricting their target options. A breakthrough approach involves molecular glues, a novel class of small-molecule compounds capable of inducing protein-protein interactions (PPIs). This opens avenues to target conventionally undruggable proteins, overcoming limitations seen in conventional small-molecule drugs. Molecular glues play a key role in targeted protein degradation (TPD) techniques, including ubiquitin-proteasome system-based approaches such as proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and molecular glue degraders and recently emergent lysosome system-based techniques like molecular degraders of extracellular proteins through the asialoglycoprotein receptors (MoDE-As) and macroautophagy degradation targeting chimeras (MADTACs). These techniques enable an innovative targeted degradation strategy for prolonged inhibition of pathology-associated proteins. This review provides an overview of them, emphasizing the clinical potential of molecular glues and guiding the development of molecular-glue-mediated TPD techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqiang Tan
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zuyi Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Hairun Pei
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Food Nutrition and Human Health, Beijing Technology & Business University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Zongchao Jia
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Jimin Zheng
- Department of Chemistry, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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18
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Jurcau MC, Jurcau A, Diaconu RG, Hogea VO, Nunkoo VS. A Systematic Review of Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, and Therapeutic Attempts. Neurol Int 2024; 16:1039-1065. [PMID: 39311352 PMCID: PMC11417857 DOI: 10.3390/neurolint16050079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2024] [Revised: 09/09/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is a rare neurodegenerative and invariably fatal disease with a fulminant course once the first clinical symptoms emerge. Its incidence appears to be rising, although the increasing figures may be related to the improved diagnostic tools. Due to the highly variable clinical picture at onset, many specialty physicians should be aware of this disease and refer the patient to a neurologist for complete evaluation. The diagnostic criteria have been changed based on the considerable progress made in research on the pathogenesis and on the identification of reliable biomarkers. Moreover, accumulated knowledge on pathogenesis led to the identification of a series of possible therapeutic targets, although, given the low incidence and very rapid course, the evaluation of safety and efficacy of these therapeutic strategies is challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carolina Jurcau
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania; (M.C.J.)
| | - Anamaria Jurcau
- Department of Psycho-Neurosciences and Rehabilitation, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania
| | - Razvan Gabriel Diaconu
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania; (M.C.J.)
| | - Vlad Octavian Hogea
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Oradea, 410087 Oradea, Romania; (M.C.J.)
| | - Vharoon Sharma Nunkoo
- Neurorehabilitation Ward, Clinical Emergency County Hospital Bihor, 410169 Oradea, Romania
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19
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Castagna D, Gourdet B, Hjerpe R, MacFaul P, Novak A, Revol G, Rochette E, Jordan A. To homeostasis and beyond! Recent advances in the medicinal chemistry of heterobifunctional derivatives. PROGRESS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2024; 63:61-160. [PMID: 39370242 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmch.2024.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
The field of induced proximity therapeutics has expanded dramatically over the past 3 years, and heterobifunctional derivatives continue to form a significant component of the activities in this field. Here, we review recent advances in the field from the perspective of the medicinal chemist, with a particular focus upon informative case studies, alongside a review of emerging topics such as Direct-To-Biology (D2B) methodology and utilities for heterobifunctional compounds beyond E3 ligase mediated degradation. We also include a critical evaluation of the latest thinking around the optimisation of physicochemical and pharmacokinetic attributes of these beyond Role of Five molecules, to deliver appropriate therapeutic exposure in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Allan Jordan
- Sygnature Discovery, Nottingham, United Kingdom; Sygnature Discovery, Macclesfield, United Kingdom.
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20
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Zheng R, Prasad A, Satyabola D, Xu Y, Yan H. DNA-templated spatially controlled proteolysis targeting chimeras for CyclinD1-CDK4/6 complex protein degradation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.18.613743. [PMID: 39345505 PMCID: PMC11429973 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.18.613743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Constraining proximity-based drugs, such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs), into its bioactive conformation can significantly impact their selectivity and potency. However, traditional methods for achieving this often involve complex and time-consuming synthetic procedures. Here, we introduced an alternative approach by demonstrating DNA-templated spatially controlled PROTACs (DTACs), which leverage the programmability of nucleic-acid based self-assembly for efficient synthesis, providing precise control over inhibitors' spacing and orientation. The resulting constructs revealed distance- and orientation-dependent selectivity and degradation potency for the CyclinD1-CDK4/6 protein complex in cancer cells. Notably, an optimal construct DTAC-V1 demonstrated the unprecedented synchronous degradation of entire CyclinD1-CDK4/6 complex. This resulted in the effective cell cycle arrest in G1 phase, and further therapeutic studies showed its potent anti-tumor effects compared to inhibitors alone. These findings present a novel framework for PROTACs design, offering critical insights that may inform the development of other proximity-induced therapeutic modalities.
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21
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Chaturantabut S, Oliver S, Frederick DT, Kim J, Robinson FP, Sinopoli A, Song TY, Rodriguez DJ, Chang L, Kesar D, He Y, Ching M, Dzvurumi R, Atari A, Tseng YY, Bardeesy N, Sellers WR. Identification of potent biparatopic antibodies targeting FGFR2 fusion driven cholangiocarcinoma. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.16.613045. [PMID: 39345400 PMCID: PMC11429734 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.16.613045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Translocations involving FGFR2 gene fusions are common in cholangiocarcinoma and predict response to FGFR kinase inhibitors. However, the rate and durability of response are limited due to the emergence of resistance, typically involving acquired FGFR2 kinase domain mutations, and to sub-optimal dosing, relating to drug adverse effects. Here, we report the development of biparatopic antibodies targeting the FGFR2 extracellular domain (ECD), as candidate therapeutics. Biparatopic antibodies can overcome drawbacks of standard bivalent monoparatopic antibodies, which often show poor inhibitory or even agonist activity against oncogenic receptors. We show that oncogenic transformation by FGFR2 fusions requires an intact ECD. Moreover, by systematically generating biparatopic antibodies that target distinct epitope pairs along the FGFR2 ECD, we identified antibodies that effectively block signaling and malignant growth driven by FGFR2-fusions. Importantly, these antibodies demonstrate efficacy in vivo, synergy with FGFR inhibitors, and activity against FGFR2 fusions harboring kinase domain mutations. Thus, biparatopic antibodies may serve as new treatment options for patients with FGFR2-altered cholangiocarcinoma. Summary We identify biparatopic FGFR2 antibodies that are effective against FGFR2 fusion driven cholangiocarcinoma.
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22
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Yu S, Shi T, Li C, Xie C, Wang F, Liu X. Programming DNA Nanoassemblies into Polyvalent Lysosomal Degraders for Potent Degradation of Pathogenic Membrane Proteins. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:11573-11580. [PMID: 39225423 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c03102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Lysosome-targeting chimera (LYTAC) shows great promise for protein-based therapeutics by targeted degradation of disease-associated membrane or extracellular proteins, yet its efficiency is constrained by the limited binding affinity between LYTAC reagents and designated proteins. Here, we established a programmable and multivalent LYTAC system by tandem assembly of DNA into a high-affinity protein degrader, a heterodimer aptamer nanostructure targeting both pathogenic membrane protein and lysosome-targeting receptor (insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor, IGF2R) with adjustable spatial distribution or organization pattern. The DNA-based multivalent LYTACs showed enhanced efficacy in removing immune-checkpoint protein programmable death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) in tumor cell membrane that respectively motivated a significant increase in T cell activity and a potent effect on cancer cell growth inhibition. With high programmability and versatility, this multivalent LYTAC system holds considerable promise for realizing protein therapeutics with enhanced activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyi Yu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Tianhui Shi
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Chenbiao Li
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Chongyu Xie
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Fuan Wang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Beijing Life Science Academy, Beijing 102209, China
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23
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Sun W, Zhang H, Xie W, Ma L, Dang Y, Liu Y, Li L, Qu F, Tan W. Development of Integrin-Facilitated Bispecific Aptamer Chimeras for Membrane Protein Degradation. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:25490-25500. [PMID: 39226482 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c04794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of lysosome-targeting chimeras (LYTACs), which represents a promising strategy for membrane protein degradation based on lysosomal pathways, has attracted much attention in disease intervention and treatment. However, the expression level of commonly used lysosome-targeting receptors (LTRs) varies in different cell lines, thus limiting the broad applications of LYTACs. To overcome this difficulty, we herein report the development of integrin α3β1 (ITGA3B1)-facilitated bispecific aptamer chimeras (ITGBACs) as a platform for the degradation of membrane proteins. ITGBACs consist of two aptamers, one targeting ITGA3B1 and another binding to the membrane-associated protein of interest (POI), effectively transporting the POI into lysosomes for degradation. Our findings demonstrate that ITGBACs effectively eliminate pathological membrane proteins, such as CD71 and PTK7, inducing significant cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis and markedly inhibiting tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice models. Therefore, this work provides a novel and versatile membrane protein degradation platform, offering a promising targeted therapy based on tumor-specific LTRs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weidi Sun
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- School of Molecular Medicine, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Wanlin Xie
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Lele Ma
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Yang Dang
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- School of Molecular Medicine, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Ling Li
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Fengli Qu
- Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- School of Molecular Medicine, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study, UCAS, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310024, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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24
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Ning Y, Li B, Liu Y, Lu Y, Huang X, Liu B. Nanomotor-Driven Targeting Chimeras as Accelerators for the Degradation of Extracellular Proteins. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024:e2405209. [PMID: 39268797 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202405209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is emerging as a therapeutic paradigm and a serviceable research tool in chemical biology and disease treatment. However, without driving sources, most targeting chimeras (TACs) lack the capability of self-diffusion and active searching in biological environments, which significantly impedes degradation efficiency. Herein, nanomotor-driven targeting chimeras (MotorTACs) are ingeniously designed to achieve effective internalization and degradation of extracellular platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), a driver to cancer invasion and metastasis. Catalyzed by endogenous H2O2, MotorTACs diffused rapidly and searched actively in living cells, as visualized at the single-particle level under the dark-field mode. Hydrolysis efficiency is significantly enhanced as target protein degradation is complete in only 4 h. Furthermore, MotorTACs-mediated degradation of PDGF is found to be via the lysosome and ubiquitin-proteasome dual-degradation pathways. Taking advantage of the properties, it is anticipated that MotorTACs provide a unique strategy against extracellular undruggable proteins, thus advancing the development of therapeutic interventions in chemical biology and disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujun Ning
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Bin Li
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yixin Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Yanwei Lu
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Xuedong Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
| | - Baohong Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Shanghai Stomatological Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, P. R. China
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25
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Winter GE. Extrapolating Lessons from Targeted Protein Degradation to Other Proximity-Inducing Drugs. ACS Chem Biol 2024. [PMID: 39264973 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.4c00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) is an emerging pharmacologic strategy. It relies on small-molecule "degraders" that induce proximity of a component of an E3 ubiquitin ligase complex and a target protein to induce target ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Essentially, degraders thus expand the function of E3 ligases, allowing them to degrade proteins they would not recognize in the absence of the small molecule. Over the past decade, insights gained from identifying, designing, and characterizing various degraders have significantly enhanced our understanding of TPD mechanisms, precipitating in rational degrader discovery strategies. In this Account, I aim to explore how these insights can be extrapolated to anticipate both opportunities and challenges of utilizing the overarching concept of proximity-inducing pharmacology to manipulate other cellular circuits for the dissection of biological mechanisms and for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georg E Winter
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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26
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Pliatsika D, Blatter C, Riedl R. Targeted protein degradation: current molecular targets, localization, and strategies. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:104178. [PMID: 39276920 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2024.104178] [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: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 08/23/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/17/2024]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has revolutionized drug discovery by selectively eliminating specific proteins within and outside the cellular context. Over the past two decades, TPD has expanded its focus beyond well-established targets, exploring diverse proteins beyond cancer-related ones. This evolution extends the potential of TPD to various diseases. Notably, TPD can target proteins at demanding locations, such as the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cellular membranes, presenting both opportunities and challenges for future research. In this review, we comprehensively examine the exciting opportunities in the burgeoning field of TPD, highlighting different targets, their cellular environment, and innovative strategies for modern drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimanthi Pliatsika
- Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Competence Center for Drug Discovery, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Cindy Blatter
- Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Competence Center for Drug Discovery, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Rainer Riedl
- Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Competence Center for Drug Discovery, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, CH-8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.
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27
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Chen S, Wang W, Chen Z, Li R, Wu Z, Dong G, Sheng C. Peptide-Mediated Small Molecule Lysosome-Targeting Chimeras for Targeted Degradation of Membrane and Intracellular Proteins. J Med Chem 2024; 67:15807-15815. [PMID: 39146536 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c01449] [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: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation through the lysosomal pathway has attracted increasing attention and expanded the scope of degradable proteins. However, the endogenous lysosomal degradation strategies are mainly based on antibodies or nanobodies. Effective small molecule lysosomal degraders are still rather rare. Herein, a new lysosomal degradation approach, termed peptide-mediated small molecule lysosome-targeting chimeras (PSMLTACs), was developed by the incorporation of small molecule ligands with a lysosome-sorting NPGY motif containing the cell-penetrating peptide. PSMLTACs were successfully applied to degrade both membrane and intracellular targets. In particular, the PSMLTAC strategy demonstrated higher degradation efficiency on membrane target PD-L1 and intracellular target PDEδ than corresponding PROTAC degraders. Taken together, this proof-of-concept provides a convenient and effective strategy for targeted protein degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuqiang Chen
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Zhipeng Chen
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Ruyan Li
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Zhe Wu
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Guoqiang Dong
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
| | - Chunquan Sheng
- The Center for Basic Research and Innovation of Medicine and Pharmacy (MOE), School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University (Naval Medical University), Shanghai 200433, P.R. China
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28
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Tsai JM, Nowak RP, Ebert BL, Fischer ES. Targeted protein degradation: from mechanisms to clinic. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:740-757. [PMID: 38684868 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-024-00729-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation refers to the use of small molecules to induce the selective degradation of proteins. In its most common form, this degradation is achieved through ligand-mediated neo-interactions between ubiquitin E3 ligases - the principal waste disposal machines of a cell - and the protein targets of interest, resulting in ubiquitylation and subsequent proteasomal degradation. Notable advances have been made in biological and mechanistic understanding of serendipitously discovered degraders. This improved understanding and novel chemistry has not only provided clinical proof of concept for targeted protein degradation but has also led to rapid growth of the field, with dozens of investigational drugs in active clinical trials. Two distinct classes of protein degradation therapeutics are being widely explored: bifunctional PROTACs and molecular glue degraders, both of which have their unique advantages and challenges. Here, we review the current landscape of targeted protein degradation approaches and how they have parallels in biological processes. We also outline the ongoing clinical exploration of novel degraders and provide some perspectives on the directions the field might take.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan M Tsai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Radosław P Nowak
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute of Structural Biology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Benjamin L Ebert
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Eric S Fischer
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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29
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Li Z, Yu X, Yuan Z, Li L, Yin P. New horizons in the mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for PD-L1 protein degradation in cancer. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189152. [PMID: 38992509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2024.189152] [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: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) has become a crucial focus in cancer immunotherapy considering it is found in many different cells. Cancer cells enhance the suppressive impact of programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) through elevating PD-L1 expression, which allows them to escape immune detection. Although there have been significant improvements, the effectiveness of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment is still limited to a specific group of patients. An important advancement in cancer immunotherapy involves improving the PD-L1 protein degradation. This review thoroughly examined the processes by which PD-L1 breaks down, including the intracellular pathways of ubiquitination-proteasome and autophagy-lysosome. In addition, the analysis revealed changes that affect PD-L1 stability, such as phosphorylation and glycosylation. The significant consequences of these procedures on cancer immunotherapy and their potential role in innovative therapeutic approaches are emphasised. Our future efforts will focus on understanding new ways in which PD-L1 degradation is controlled and developing innovative treatments, such as proteolysis-targeting chimeras designed specifically to degrade PD-L1. It is crucial to have a thorough comprehension of these pathways in order to improve cancer immunotherapy strategies and hopefully improve therapeutic effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Li
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China; Department of General surgery, Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Umbilical Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China
| | - Xi Yu
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Zeting Yuan
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
| | - Lei Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, China.
| | - Peihao Yin
- Interventional Cancer Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine, Putuo Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200062, China.
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30
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Zhang F, Yu Q, Wu C, Sun S, Wang Y, Wang R, Chen Z, Zhang H, Xiong X, Awadasseid A, Rao G, Zhao X, Zhang W. Design, synthesis, anti-tumor activity and mechanism of novel PROTACs as degraders of PD-L1 and inhibitors of PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. Bioorg Med Chem 2024; 111:117867. [PMID: 39121678 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2024.117867] [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: 05/31/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024]
Abstract
Currently, antibody drugs targeting programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) have achieved promising results in cancer treatment, while the development of small-molecule drugs lags behind. In this study, we designed and synthesized a series of PD-L1-degrading agents based on the PROTAC design principle, utilizing the PD-L1 inhibitor A56. Through systematic screening of ligands and linkers and investigating the structure-activity relationship of the degraders, we identified two highly active compounds, 9i and 9j. These compounds enhance levels of CD4+, CD8+, granzyme B, and perforin, demonstrating significant in vivo antitumor effects with a tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of up to 57.35 %. Both compounds facilitate the internalization of PD-L1 from the cell surface and promote its degradation through proteasomal and lysosomal pathways, while also maintaining inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction. In summary, our findings provide a novel strategy and mechanism for developing biphenyl-based PROTAC antitumor drugs targeting and degrading PD-L1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China
| | - Qimeng Yu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China
| | - Caiyun Wu
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China
| | - Shishi Sun
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China
| | - Yu Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China
| | - Rui Wang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China
| | - Zejie Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China
| | - Hua Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China
| | - Xuqiong Xiong
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China
| | - Annoor Awadasseid
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Moganshan Institute, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313200, China
| | - Guowu Rao
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China.
| | - Xiaoyin Zhao
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China.
| | - Wen Zhang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Institute of Drug Development & Chemical Biology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Deqing 313299, China; Zhejiang Jieyuan Med-Tech Co., Ltd., Hangzhou 311113, China.
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31
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Su H, Rong G, Li L, Cheng Y. Subcellular targeting strategies for protein and peptide delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 212:115387. [PMID: 38964543 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115387] [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: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Cytosolic delivery of proteins and peptides provides opportunities for effective disease treatment, as they can specifically modulate intracellular processes. However, most of protein-based therapeutics only have extracellular targets and are cell-membrane impermeable due to relatively large size and hydrophilicity. The use of organelle-targeting strategy offers great potential to overcome extracellular and cell membrane barriers, and enables localization of protein and peptide therapeutics in the organelles. Although progresses have been made in the recent years, organelle-targeted protein and peptide delivery is still challenging and under exploration. We reviewed recent advances in subcellular targeted delivery of proteins/peptides with a focus on targeting mechanisms and strategies, and highlight recent examples of active and passive organelle-specific protein and peptide delivery systems. This emerging platform could open a new avenue to develop more effective protein and peptide therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Su
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China.
| | - Guangyu Rong
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, Shanghai Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Longjie Li
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
| | - Yiyun Cheng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
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32
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Wang Q, Zhu Y, Pei J. Targeting EGFR with molecular degraders as a promising strategy to overcome resistance to EGFR inhibitors. Future Med Chem 2024; 16:1923-1944. [PMID: 39206853 DOI: 10.1080/17568919.2024.2389764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Abnormal activation of EGFR is often associated with various malignant tumors, making it an important target for antitumor therapy. However, traditional targeted inhibitors have several limitations, such as drug resistance and side effects. Many studies have focused on the development of EGFR degraders to overcome this resistance and enhance the therapeutic effect on tumors. Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTAC) and Lysosome-based degradation techniques have made significant progress in degrading EGFR. This review provides a summary of the structural and function of EGFR, the resistance, particularly the research progress and activity of EGFR degraders via the proteasome and lysosome. Furthermore, this review aims to provide insights for the development of the novel EGFR degraders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangfeng Wang
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310003, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yumeng Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy & Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Junping Pei
- Shandong Laboratory of Yantai Drug Discovery, Bohai Rim Advanced Research Institute for Drug Discovery, Yantai, Shandong, 264117, China
- Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
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33
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Yamada W, Tomoshige S, Nakamura S, Sato S, Ishikawa M. Targeted protein degradation in the mitochondrial matrix and its application to chemical control of mitochondrial morphology. Chem Sci 2024:d4sc03145h. [PMID: 39246353 PMCID: PMC11376192 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc03145h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of mitochondria is implicated in various diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, but drug discovery targeting mitochondria and mitochondrial proteins has so far made limited progress. Targeted protein degradation (TPD) technologies represented by proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are potentially applicable for this purpose, but most existing TPD approaches leverage the ubiquitin-proteasome system or lysosomes, which are absent in mitochondria, and TPD in mitochondria (mitoTPD) remains little explored. Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of a bifunctional molecule comprising TR79, an activator of the mitochondrial protease complex caseinolytic protease P (ClpP), linked to desthiobiotin. This compound successfully induced the degradation of monomeric streptavidin (mSA) and its fusion proteins localized to the mitochondrial matrix. Furthermore, in cells overexpressing mSA fused to short transmembrane protein 1 (mSA-STMP1), which enhances mitochondrial fission, our mitochondrial mSA degrader restored the mitochondrial morphology by reducing the level of mSA-STMP1. A preliminary structure-activity relationship study indicated that a longer linker length enhances the degradation activity towards mSA. These findings highlight the potential of mitoTPD as a tool for drug discovery targeting mitochondria and for research in mitochondrial biology, as well as the utility of mSA as a degradation tag for mitochondrial protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wakana Yamada
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai Miyagi 980-8577 Japan
| | - Shusuke Tomoshige
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai Miyagi 980-8577 Japan
| | - Sho Nakamura
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai Miyagi 980-8577 Japan
| | - Shinichi Sato
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai Miyagi 980-8577 Japan
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University 6-3 Aramaki Aza-Aoba, Aoba-ku Sendai-shi Miyagi 980-8578 Japan
| | - Minoru Ishikawa
- Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku Sendai Miyagi 980-8577 Japan
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34
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Lu H, Guan P, Xu S, Han Y, Liu Z. Boosting Cancer Immunotherapy via Reversing PD-L1-Mediated Immunosuppression with a Molecularly Imprinted Lysosomal Nanodegrader. ACS NANO 2024; 18:23553-23565. [PMID: 39137395 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c07416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint blockade therapy has achieved important clinical advances in several types of tumors, particularly via targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. However, existing therapeutic strategies that suppress the PD-1/PD-L1 signal pathway usually experience low treatment efficacy and the risk of causing autoimmune diseases. Herein, we report a cancer cell-targeted molecularly imprinted lysosomal nanodegrader (MILND) for boosting immune checkpoint blockade therapy against tumors. The MILND, imprinted with the N-terminal epitope of PD-L1 as an imprinting template, could specifically target the PD-L1 on tumor cells to promote cellular uptake. This process further induces the transport of PD-L1 into lysosomes for degradation, ultimately resulting in the downregulation of PD-L1 expression levels on tumor cells. As a result, a T cell-mediated immune response in the body was activated via the blockade of the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway, which triggered a durable antitumor efficacy. In vivo experiments demonstrated that the MILND could effectively accumulate in tumor sites and exhibit strong tumor growth suppression efficacy in a xenograft tumor model without obvious side effects. Therefore, the MILND provides not only a promising strategy for boosting cancer immunotherapy but also insights for developing molecular imprinting-empowered nanomedicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haifeng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Peixin Guan
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Shuxin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Yanjie Han
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Zhen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing 210023, China
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35
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Zhang GR, Zhang C, Fu T, Tan W, Wang XQ. An Aptamer Glue Enables Hyperefficient Targeted Membrane Protein Degradation. JACS AU 2024; 4:2907-2914. [PMID: 39211579 PMCID: PMC11350568 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Targeted membrane protein degradation (TMPD) offers significant therapeutic potential by enabling the removal of harmful membrane-anchored proteins and facilitating detailed studies of complex biological pathways. However, existing TMPD methodologies face challenges such as complex molecular architectures, scarce availability, and cumbersome construction requirements. To address these issues, this study presents a highly efficient TMPD system (TMPDS) that integrates an optimized bivalent aptamer glue with a potent protein transport shuttle. Utilizing this approach, we successfully degraded both the highly expressed protein tyrosine kinase 7 in CCRF-CEM cells and the poorly expressed PTK7 in MV-411 cells. This system represents significant advancement in the field of molecular medicine, offering a new avenue for targeted therapeutic interventions and the exploration of cellular mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Rong Zhang
- Molecular
Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of
Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Molecular
Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of
Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Ting Fu
- The
Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics,
Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute
of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular
Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of
Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- The
Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics,
Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute
of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- Institute
of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, College
of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai
Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Xue-Qiang Wang
- Molecular
Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of
Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical
Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- The
Key Laboratory of Zhejiang Province for Aptamers and Theranostics,
Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute
of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
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36
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Yao S, Wang Y, Tang Q, Yin Y, Geng Y, Xu L, Liang S, Xiang J, Fan J, Tang J, Liu J, Shao S, Shen Y. A plug-and-play monofunctional platform for targeted degradation of extracellular proteins and vesicles. Nat Commun 2024; 15:7237. [PMID: 39174543 PMCID: PMC11341853 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51720-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Existing strategies use bifunctional chimaeras to mediate extracellular protein degradation. However, these strategies rely on specific lysosome-trafficking receptors to facilitate lysosomal delivery, which may raise resistance concerns due to intrinsic cell-to-cell variation in receptor expression and mutations or downregulation of the receptors. Another challenge is establishing a universal platform applicable in multiple scenarios. Here, we develop MONOTAB (MOdified NanOparticle with TArgeting Binders), a plug-and-play monofunctional degradation platform that can drag extracellular targets into lysosomes for degradation. MONOTAB harnesses the inherent lysosome-targeting ability of certain nanoparticles to obviate specific receptor dependency and the hook effect. To achieve high modularity and programmable target specificity, we utilize the streptavidin-biotin interaction to immobilize antibodies or other targeting molecules on nanoparticles, through an antibody mounting approach or by direct binding. Our study reveals that MONOTAB can induce efficient degradation of diverse therapeutic targets, including membrane proteins, secreted proteins, and even extracellular vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Yao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, 311215, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi Wang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, 311215, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qian Tang
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), and Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310029, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Yujie Yin
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, 311215, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yu Geng
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 322000, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Xu
- The Fourth Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 322000, Yiwu, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shifu Liang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, 311215, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiajia Xiang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Jiaqi Fan
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, 311215, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jianbin Tang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, 311215, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Zhejiang University-University of Edinburgh Institute (ZJU-UoE Institute), and Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 310029, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- Edinburgh Medical School: Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Biomedical and Heath Translational Research Center of Zhejiang Province, 314400, Haining, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Shiqun Shao
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, 311215, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Youqing Shen
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Smart Biomaterials and Center for Bionanoengineering, College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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37
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Feng Y, Hu X, Wang X. Targeted protein degradation in hematologic malignancies: clinical progression towards novel therapeutics. Biomark Res 2024; 12:85. [PMID: 39169396 PMCID: PMC11340087 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-024-00638-1] [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: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Targeted therapies, such as small molecule kinase inhibitors, have made significant progress in the treatment of hematologic malignancies by directly modulating protein activity. However, issues such as drug toxicity, drug resistance due to target mutations, and the absence of key active sites limit the therapeutic efficacy of these drugs. Targeted protein degradation (TPD) presents an emergent and rapidly evolving therapeutic approach that selectively targets proteins of interest (POI) based on endogenous degradation processes. With an event-driven pharmacology of action, TPD achieves efficacy with catalytic amounts, avoiding drug-related toxicity. Furthermore, TPD has the unique mode of degrading the entire POI, such that resistance derived from mutations in the targeted protein has less impact on its degradation function. Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) and molecular glue degraders (MGDs) are the most maturely developed TPD techniques. In this review, we focus on both preclinical experiments and clinical trials to provide a comprehensive summary of the safety and clinical effectiveness of PROTACs and MGDs in hematologic malignancies over the past two decades. In addition, we also delineate the challenges and opportunities associated with these burgeoning degradation techniques. TPD, as an approach to the precise degradation of specific proteins, provides an important impetus for its future application in the treatment of patients with hematologic malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yupiao Feng
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, No.324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China
| | - Xinting Hu
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, No.324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No.324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong University, No.324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
- Department of Hematology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, No.324, Jingwu Road, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
- Taishan Scholars Program of Shandong Province, Jinan, Shandong, 250021, China.
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38
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Zhou P, Zhang S, Li L, Zhang R, Guo G, Zhang Y, Wang R, Liu M, Wang Z, Zhao H, Yang G, Xie S, Ran J. Targeted degradation of VEGF with bispecific aptamer-based LYTACs ameliorates pathological retinal angiogenesis. Theranostics 2024; 14:4983-5000. [PMID: 39267779 PMCID: PMC11388081 DOI: 10.7150/thno.98467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Neovascular ocular diseases (NODs) represent the leading cause of visual impairment globally. Despite significant advances in anti-angiogenic therapies targeting vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), persistent challenges remain prevalent. As a proof-of-concept study, we herein demonstrate the effectiveness of targeted degradation of VEGF with bispecific aptamer-based lysosome-targeting chimeras (referred to as VED-LYTACs). Methods: VED-LYTACs were constructed with three distinct modules: a mannose-6-phosphate receptor (M6PR)-binding motif containing an M6PR aptamer, a VEGF-binding module with an aptamer targeting VEGF, and a linker essential for bridging and stabilizing the two-aptamer structure. The degradation efficiency of VED-LYTACs via the autophagy-lysosome system was examined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence staining. Subsequently, the anti-angiogenic effects of VED-LYTACs were evaluated using in vitro wound healing assay, tube formation assay, three-dimensional sprouting assay, and ex vivo aortic ring sprouting assay. Finally, the potential therapeutic effects of VED-LYTACs on pathological retinal neovascularization and vascular leakage were tested by employing mouse models of NODs. Results: The engineered VED-LYTACs promote the interaction between M6PR and VEGF, consequently facilitating the translocation and degradation of VEGF through the lysosome. Our data show that treatment with VED-LYTACs significantly suppresses VEGF-induced angiogenic activities both in vitro and ex vivo. In addition, intravitreal injection of VED-LYTACs remarkably ameliorates abnormal vascular proliferation and leakage in mouse models of NODs. Conclusion: Our findings present a novel strategy for targeting VEGF degradation with an aptamer-based LYTAC system, effectively ameliorating pathological retinal angiogenesis. These results suggest that VED-LYTACs have potential as therapeutic agents for managing NODs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Zhou
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Sai Zhang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Lin Li
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Renshuai Zhang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Guizhi Guo
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Yufei Zhang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Runa Wang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Miaoyuan Liu
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Zhiyi Wang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Huijie Zhao
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Guiwen Yang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Songbo Xie
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
| | - Jie Ran
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China
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39
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Kim M, Bhargava HK, Shavey GE, Lim WA, El-Samad H, Ng AH. Degron-Based bioPROTACs for Controlling Signaling in CAR T Cells. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:2313-2327. [PMID: 38991546 PMCID: PMC11334183 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.4c00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have made a tremendous impact in the clinic, but potent signaling through the CAR can be detrimental to treatment safety and efficacy. The use of protein degradation to control CAR signaling can address these issues in preclinical models. Existing strategies for regulating CAR stability rely on small molecules to induce systemic degradation. In contrast to small molecule regulation, genetic circuits offer a more precise method to control CAR signaling in an autonomous cell-by-cell fashion. Here, we describe a programmable protein degradation tool that adopts the framework of bioPROTACs, heterobifunctional proteins that are composed of a target recognition domain fused to a domain that recruits the endogenous ubiquitin proteasome system. We develop novel bioPROTACs that utilize a compact four-residue degron and demonstrate degradation of cytosolic and membrane protein targets using either a nanobody or synthetic leucine zipper as a protein binder. Our bioPROTACs exhibit potent degradation of CARs and can inhibit CAR signaling in primary human T cells. We demonstrate the utility of our bioPROTACs by constructing a genetic circuit to degrade the tyrosine kinase ZAP70 in response to recognition of a specific membrane-bound antigen. This circuit can disrupt CAR T cell signaling only in the presence of a specific cell population. These results suggest that bioPROTACs are powerful tools for expanding the CAR T cell engineering toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew
S. Kim
- Tetrad
Graduate Program, University of California
San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Cell
Design Institute, University of California
San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University
of California San Francisco, San
Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Hersh K. Bhargava
- Cell
Design Institute, University of California
San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University
of California San Francisco, San
Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Biophysics
Graduate Program, University of California
San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Gavin E. Shavey
- Cell
Design Institute, University of California
San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Wendell A. Lim
- Cell
Design Institute, University of California
San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
| | - Hana El-Samad
- Cell
Design Institute, University of California
San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University
of California San Francisco, San
Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Chan-Zuckerberg
Biohub, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Altos
Labs Inc., Redwood City, California, 94065, United States
| | - Andrew H. Ng
- Cell
Design Institute, University of California
San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Department
of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158, United States
- Department
of Molecular Biology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, California 94080, United States
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40
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Oslund RC, Holland PM, Lesley SA, Fadeyi OO. Therapeutic potential of cis-targeting bispecific antibodies. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:1473-1489. [PMID: 39111317 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/18/2024]
Abstract
The growing clinical success of bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) has led to rapid interest in leveraging dual targeting in order to generate novel modes of therapeutic action beyond mono-targeting approaches. While bsAbs that bind targets on two different cells (trans-targeting) are showing promise in the clinic, the co-targeting of two proteins on the same cell surface through cis-targeting bsAbs (cis-bsAbs) is an emerging strategy to elicit new functionalities. This includes the ability to induce proximity, enhance binding to a target, increase target/cell selectivity, and/or co-modulate function on the cell surface with the goal of altering, reversing, or eradicating abnormal cellular activity that contributes to disease. In this review, we focus on the impact of cis-bsAbs in the clinic, their emerging applications, and untangle the intricacies of improving bsAb discovery and development.
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41
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Geng W, Thomas H, Chen Z, Yan Z, Zhang P, Zhang M, Huang W, Ren X, Wang Z, Ding K, Zhang J. Mechanisms of acquired resistance to HER2-Positive breast cancer therapies induced by HER3: A comprehensive review. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 977:176725. [PMID: 38851563 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176725] [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: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are cell surface receptors with kinase activity that play a crucial role in diverse cellular processes. Among the RTK family members, Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and HER3 are particularly relevant to breast cancer. The review delves into the complexities of receptor tyrosine kinase interactions, resistance mechanisms, and the potential of anti-HER3 drugs, offering valuable insights into the clinical implications and future directions in this field of study. It assesses the potential of anti-HER3 drugs, such as pertuzumab, in overcoming resistance observed in HER2-positive breast cancer therapies. The review also explores the resistance mechanisms associated with various drugs, including trastuzumab, lapatinib, and PI3K inhibitors, providing insights into the intricate molecular processes underlying resistance development. The review concludes by emphasizing the necessity for further clinical trials to assess the efficacy of HER3 inhibitors and the potential of developing safe and effective anti-HER3 treatments to improve treatment outcomes for patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wujun Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Research Center of Chemical Kinomics, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Holly Thomas
- Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Medical School, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Hatherly Laboratories, Streatham Campus, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK
| | - Zhiyuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Research Center of Chemical Kinomics, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhixiu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Research Center of Chemical Kinomics, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Pujuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Research Center of Chemical Kinomics, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Meiying Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Research Center of Chemical Kinomics, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Weixue Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Research Center of Chemical Kinomics, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xiaomei Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Research Center of Chemical Kinomics, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Research Center of Chemical Kinomics, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ke Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Research Center of Chemical Kinomics, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Jinwei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Research Center of Chemical Kinomics, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 345 Lingling Road, Shanghai, 200032, China; Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Medical School, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Hatherly Laboratories, Streatham Campus, Exeter, EX4 4PS, UK.
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42
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Miura A, Manabe Y, Suzuki KGN, Shomura H, Okamura S, Shirakawa A, Yano K, Miyake S, Mayusumi K, Lin CC, Morimoto K, Ishitobi J, Nakase I, Arai K, Kobayashi S, Ishikawa U, Kanoh H, Miyoshi E, Yamaji T, Kabayama K, Fukase K. De Novo Glycan Display on Cell Surfaces Using HaloTag: Visualizing the Effect of the Galectin Lattice on the Lateral Diffusion and Extracellular Vesicle Loading of Glycosylated Membrane Proteins. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:22193-22207. [PMID: 38963258 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c02040] [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: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Glycans cover the cell surface to form the glycocalyx, which governs a myriad of biological phenomena. However, understanding and regulating glycan functions is extremely challenging due to the large number of heterogeneous glycans that engage in intricate interaction networks with diverse biomolecules. Glycocalyx-editing techniques offer potent tools to probe their functions. In this study, we devised a HaloTag-based technique for glycan manipulation, which enables the introduction of chemically synthesized glycans onto a specific protein (protein of interest, POI) and concurrently incorporates fluorescent units to attach homogeneous, well-defined glycans to the fluorescence-labeled POIs. Leveraging this HaloTag-based glycan-display system, we investigated the influence of the interactions between Gal-3 and various N-glycans on protein dynamics. Our analyses revealed that glycosylation modulates the lateral diffusion of the membrane proteins in a structure-dependent manner through interaction with Gal-3, particularly in the context of the Gal-3-induced formation of the glycan network (galectin lattice). Furthermore, N-glycan attachment was also revealed to have a significant impact on the extracellular vesicle-loading of membrane proteins. Notably, our POI-specific glycan introduction does not disrupt intact glycan structures, thereby enabling a functional analysis of glycans in the presence of native glycan networks. This approach complements conventional glycan-editing methods and provides a means for uncovering the molecular underpinnings of glycan functions on the cell surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayane Miura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Manabe
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
- Forefront Research Center, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Kenichi G N Suzuki
- Institute for Glyco-core Research (iGCORE), Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
- National Cancer Center Research Institute, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Hiroki Shomura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Soichiro Okamura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Asuka Shirakawa
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Kumpei Yano
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Shuto Miyake
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Koki Mayusumi
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
| | - Chun-Cheng Lin
- Department of Chemistry, National Tsing-Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
- Department of Medicinal and Applied Chemistry, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
| | - Kenta Morimoto
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1, Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Jojiro Ishitobi
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1, Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Ikuhiko Nakase
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1, Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
- Department of Biological Chemistry, School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-1, Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka 599-8531, Japan
| | - Kenta Arai
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2492, Japan
| | - Shouhei Kobayashi
- Advanced ICT Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, 588-2 Iwaoka, Iwaoka-cho, Nishi-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 651-2492, Japan
| | - Ushio Ishikawa
- Division of Glycopathology, Institute of Molecular Biomembrane and Glycobiology, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1, Komatsushima, Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi 981-8558, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Kanoh
- Division of Glycopathology, Institute of Molecular Biomembrane and Glycobiology, Tohoku Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-4-1, Komatsushima, Aoba Ward, Sendai, Miyagi 981-8558, Japan
| | - Eiji Miyoshi
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry and Clinical Investigation, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Yamaji
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 162-8640, Japan
| | - Kazuya Kabayama
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
- Forefront Research Center, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
- Interdisciplinary Research Center for Radiation Sciences, Institute for Radiation Sciences, Osaka University, 2-4 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Koichi Fukase
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
- Forefront Research Center, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
- Center for Advanced Modalities and DDS, Osaka University, 1-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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Liu D, Yan J, Ma F, Wang J, Yan S, He W. Reinvigoration of cytotoxic T lymphocytes in microsatellite instability-high colon adenocarcinoma through lysosomal degradation of PD-L1. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6922. [PMID: 39134545 PMCID: PMC11319731 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51386-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Compensation and intracellular storage of PD-L1 may compromise the efficacy of antibody drugs targeting the conformational blockade of PD1/PD-L1 on the cell surface. Alternative therapies aiming to reduce the overall cellular abundance of PD-L1 thus might overcome resistance to conventional immune checkpoint blockade. Here we show by bioinformatics analysis that colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) presents the most promising potential for this therapeutic intervention, and that overall PD-L1 abundance could be controlled via HSC70-mediated lysosomal degradation. Proteomic and metabolomic analyses of mice COAD with MSI-H in situ unveil a prominent acidic tumor microenvironment. To harness these properties, an artificial protein, IgP β, is engineered using pH-responsive peptidic foldamers. This features customized peptide patterns and designed molecular function to facilitate interaction between neoplastic PD-L1 and HSC70. IgP β effectively reduces neoplastic PD-L1 levels via HSC70-mediated lysosomal degradation, thereby persistently revitalizing the action of tumor-infiltrating CD8 + T cells. Notably, the anti-tumor effect of lysosomal-degradation-based therapy surpasses that of antibody-based immune checkpoint blockade for MSI-H COAD in multiple mouse models. The presented strategy expands the use of peptidic foldamers in discovering artificial protein drugs for targeted cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
- Department of Talent Highland, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Jin Yan
- Department of infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
- Department of Tumor and Immunology in precision medical institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
| | - Fang Ma
- Department of Tumor and Immunology in precision medical institute, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China
| | - Jingmei Wang
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Siqi Yan
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wangxiao He
- Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
- Department of Talent Highland, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, PR China.
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
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44
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Li YY, Yang Y, Zhang RS, Ge RX, Xie SB. Targeted degradation of membrane and extracellular proteins with LYTACs. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2024:10.1038/s41401-024-01364-y. [PMID: 39103530 DOI: 10.1038/s41401-024-01364-y] [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: 04/28/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Targeted protein degradation technology has gained substantial momentum over the past two decades as a revolutionary strategy for eliminating pathogenic proteins that are otherwise refractory to treatment. Among the various approaches developed to harness the body's innate protein homeostasis mechanisms for this purpose, lysosome targeting chimeras (LYTACs) that exploit the lysosomal degradation pathway by coupling the target proteins with lysosome-trafficking receptors represent the latest innovation. These chimeras are uniquely tailored to degrade proteins that are membrane-bound and extracellular, encompassing approximately 40% of all proteome. Several novel LYTAC formulas have been developed recently, providing valuable insights for the design and development of therapeutic degraders. This review delineates the recent progresses of LYTAC technology, its practical applications, and the factors that dictate target degradation efficiency. The potential and emerging trends of this technology are discussed as well. LYTAC technology offers a promising avenue for targeted protein degradation, potentially revolutionizing the therapeutic landscape for numerous diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Yang Li
- Department of Clinical Pathobiology and Immunological Testing, School of Medical Laboratory, Qilu Medical University, Zibo, 255300, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Translational Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
| | - Ren-Shuai Zhang
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Rui-Xin Ge
- Center for Cell Structure and Function, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Biology, Center for Cell Structure and Function, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Song-Bo Xie
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Ministry of Education International Joint Laboratory of Ocular Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Ocular Trauma, Tianjin Institute of Eye Health and Eye Diseases, China-UK "Belt and Road" Ophthalmology Joint Laboratory, Tianjin, 300052, China.
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45
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Ma J, Fang L, Sun Z, Li M, Fan T, Xiang G, Ma X. Folate-PEG-PROTAC Micelles for Enhancing Tumor-Specific Targeting Proteolysis In Vivo. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2400109. [PMID: 38676445 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202400109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) technology is rapidly developed as a novel and selective medicinal strategy for the degradation of cellular proteins in cancer therapy. However, the applications of PROTACs as heterobifunctional molecules are largely limited by high molecular weight, low bioavailability, poor permeability, insufficient targeting, and low efficacy in vivo. Herein, self-assembling micelles of FA-PEG-PROTAC are designed for cancer cell selective targeting and reductive-response proteolysis in tumor-bearing mice. FA-PEG-PROTAC is prepared by conjugating folic acid (FA)-PEG with EGFR-targeting PROTAC via a disulfide bond. The FA-PEG-PROTAC micelles, formed by self-assembling, are demonstrated to significantly improve tumor targeting efficacy and exhibit excellent anti-tumor efficacy in the mouse xenograft model compared to the traditional PROTACs. The strategy of applying self-assembled FA-PEG-PROTAC micelles in tumor therapy can not only improve targeted proteolysis efficiency but also broaden applications in the development of PROTAC-based drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhui Ma
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Lei Fang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Zhengjun Sun
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Meijing Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Ting Fan
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Guangya Xiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongren Polytechnic College, Tongren, 554300, China
- Institute of the Higher Education Edible and Medicinal Fungi Engineering Research Center, Tongren, 554300, China
| | - Xiang Ma
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
- Department of Pharmacy, Tongren Polytechnic College, Tongren, 554300, China
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46
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Wang X, Lv X, Ma J, Xu G. UFMylation: An integral post-translational modification for the regulation of proteostasis and cellular functions. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 260:108680. [PMID: 38878974 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108680] [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: 04/07/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
Ubiquitin-fold modifier 1 (UFM1) is covalently conjugated to protein substrates via a cascade of enzymatic reactions, a process known as UFMylation. UFMylation orchestrates an array of vital biological functions, including maintaining endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis, facilitating protein biogenesis, promoting cellular differentiation, regulating DNA damage response, and participating in cancer-associated signaling pathways. UFMylation has rapidly evolved into one of the forefront research areas within the last few years, yet much remains to be uncovered. In this review, first, UFMylation and its cellular functions associated with diseases are briefly introduced. Then, we summarize the proteomic approaches for identifying UFMylation substrates and explore the impact of UFMylation on gene transcription, protein translation, and maintenance of ER homeostasis. Next, we highlight the intricate regulation between UFMylation and two protein degradation pathways, the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the autophagy-lysosome pathway, and explore the potential of UFMylation system as a drug target. Finally, we discuss emerging perspectives in the UFMylation field. This review may provide valuable insights for drug discovery targeting the UFMylation system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohui Wang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Prevention and Treatment of Hyperlipidemic Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China.
| | - Xiaowei Lv
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Prevention and Treatment of Hyperlipidemic Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China.
| | - Jingjing Ma
- Department of Pharmacy, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou Dushu Lake Hospital, Medical Center of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China.
| | - Guoqiang Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Preventive and Translational Medicine for Geriatric Diseases, Suzhou Key Laboratory of Drug Research for Prevention and Treatment of Hyperlipidemic Diseases, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China; Suzhou International Joint Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Brain Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China; MOE Key Laboratory of Geriatric Diseases and Immunology, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province 215123, China.
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47
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Brodermann MH, Henderson EK, Sellar RS. The emerging role of targeted protein degradation to treat and study cancer. J Pathol 2024; 263:403-417. [PMID: 38886898 DOI: 10.1002/path.6301] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The evolution of cancer treatment has provided increasingly targeted strategies both in the upfront and relapsed disease settings. Small-molecule inhibitors and immunotherapy have risen to prominence with chimeric antigen receptor T-cells, checkpoint inhibitors, kinase inhibitors, and monoclonal antibody therapies being deployed across a range of solid organ and haematological malignancies. However, novel approaches are required to target transcription factors and oncogenic fusion proteins that are central to cancer biology and have generally eluded successful drug development. Thalidomide analogues causing protein degradation have been a cornerstone of treatment in multiple myeloma, but a lack of in-depth mechanistic understanding initially limited progress in the field. When the protein cereblon (CRBN) was found to mediate thalidomide analogues' action and CRBN's neo-targets were identified, existing and novel drug development accelerated, with applications outside multiple myeloma, including non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndrome, and acute leukaemias. Critically, transcription factors were the first canonical targets described. In addition to broadening the application of protein-degrading drugs, resistance mechanisms are being overcome and targeted protein degradation is widening the scope of druggable proteins against which existing approaches have been ineffective. Examples of targeted protein degraders include molecular glues and proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs): heterobifunctional molecules that bind to proteins of interest and cause proximity-induced ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation via a linked E3 ligase. Twenty years since their inception, PROTACs have begun progressing through clinical trials, with early success in targeting the oestrogen receptor and androgen receptor in breast and prostate cancer respectively. This review explores important developments in targeted protein degradation to both treat and study cancer. It also considers the potential advantages and challenges in the translational aspects of developing new treatments. © 2024 The Author(s). The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth K Henderson
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK
| | - Rob S Sellar
- Department of Haematology, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, London, UK
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48
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Kubendiran L. Engineering marine polysaccharides for enhanced tissue-specific delivery of LYTACs. Nat Prod Res 2024:1-2. [PMID: 39086214 DOI: 10.1080/14786419.2024.2387248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Lavanya Kubendiran
- Center for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
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49
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Li YD, Ma MW, Hassan MM, Hunkeler M, Teng M, Puvar K, Rutter JC, Lumpkin RJ, Sandoval B, Jin CY, Schmoker AM, Ficarro SB, Cheong H, Metivier RJ, Wang MY, Xu S, Byun WS, Groendyke BJ, You I, Sigua LH, Tavares I, Zou C, Tsai JM, Park PMC, Yoon H, Majewski FC, Sperling HT, Marto JA, Qi J, Nowak RP, Donovan KA, Słabicki M, Gray NS, Fischer ES, Ebert BL. Template-assisted covalent modification underlies activity of covalent molecular glues. Nat Chem Biol 2024:10.1038/s41589-024-01668-4. [PMID: 39075252 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-024-01668-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Molecular glues are proximity-inducing small molecules that have emerged as an attractive therapeutic approach. However, developing molecular glues remains challenging, requiring innovative mechanistic strategies to stabilize neoprotein interfaces and expedite discovery. Here we unveil a trans-labeling covalent molecular glue mechanism, termed 'template-assisted covalent modification'. We identified a new series of BRD4 molecular glue degraders that recruit CUL4DCAF16 ligase to the second bromodomain of BRD4 (BRD4BD2). Through comprehensive biochemical, structural and mutagenesis analyses, we elucidated how pre-existing structural complementarity between DCAF16 and BRD4BD2 serves as a template to optimally orient the degrader for covalent modification of DCAF16Cys58. This process stabilizes the formation of BRD4-degrader-DCAF16 ternary complex and facilitates BRD4 degradation. Supporting generalizability, we found that a subset of degraders also induces GAK-BRD4BD2 interaction through trans-labeling of GAK. Together, our work establishes 'template-assisted covalent modification' as a mechanism for covalent molecular glues, which opens a new path to proximity-driven pharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Der Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michelle W Ma
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Muhammad Murtaza Hassan
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Chem-H and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Moritz Hunkeler
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mingxing Teng
- Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pathology & Immunology, and Verna and Marrs McLean Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kedar Puvar
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Justine C Rutter
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ryan J Lumpkin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brittany Sandoval
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Cyrus Y Jin
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anna M Schmoker
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Scott B Ficarro
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Blais Proteomics Center and Center for Emergent Drug Targets, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hakyung Cheong
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca J Metivier
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michelle Y Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shawn Xu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Woong Sub Byun
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Chem-H and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Brian J Groendyke
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Inchul You
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Chem-H and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Logan H Sigua
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Isidoro Tavares
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Blais Proteomics Center and Center for Emergent Drug Targets, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Charles Zou
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan M Tsai
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Paul M C Park
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Hojong Yoon
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Felix C Majewski
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Chem-H and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Haniya T Sperling
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jarrod A Marto
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Blais Proteomics Center and Center for Emergent Drug Targets, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jun Qi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Radosław P Nowak
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Katherine A Donovan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mikołaj Słabicki
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Chem-H and Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Eric S Fischer
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Benjamin L Ebert
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
- Cancer Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
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50
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Lei K, Li J, Tu Z, Gong C, Liu J, Luo M, Ai W, Wu L, Li Y, Zhou Z, Chen Z, Lv S, Ye M, Wu M, Long X, Zhu X, Huang K. Endosome-microautophagy targeting chimera (eMIATAC) for targeted proteins degradation and enhance CAR-T cell anti-tumor therapy. Theranostics 2024; 14:4481-4498. [PMID: 39113807 PMCID: PMC11303074 DOI: 10.7150/thno.98574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Since oncogene expression products often exhibit upregulation or abnormally activated activity, developing a technique to regulate abnormal protein levels represent a viable approach for treating tumors and protein abnormality-related diseases. Methods: We first screened out eMIATAC components with high targeted degradation efficiency and explored the mechanism by which eMIATAC induced target protein degradation, and verified the degradation efficiency of the target protein by protein imprinting and flow cytometry. Next, we recombined eMIATAC with some controllable elements to verify the regulatable degradation performance of the target protein. Subsequently, we constructed eMIATAC that can express targeted degradation of AKT1 and verified its effect on GBM cell development in vitro and in vivo. Finally, we concatenated eMIATAC with CAR sequences to construct CAR-T cells with low BATF protein levels and verified the changes in their anti-tumor efficacy. Results: we developed a system based on the endosome-microautophagy-lysosome pathway for degrading endogenous proteins: endosome-MicroAutophagy TArgeting Chimera (eMIATAC), dependent on Vps4A instead of lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2A (LAMP2A) to bind to the chaperone Hsc70 and the protein of interest (POI). The complex was then transported to the lysosome by late endosomes, where degradation occurred similarly to microautophagy. The eMIATACs demonstrated accuracy, efficiency, reversibility, and controllability in degrading the target protein EGFP. Moreover, eMIATAC exhibited excellent performance in knocking down POI when targeting endogenous proteins in vivo and in vitro. Conclusions: The eMIATACs could not only directly knock down abnormal proteins for glioma treatment but also enhance the therapeutic effect of CAR-T cell therapy for tumors by knocking down T cell exhaustion-related proteins. The newly developed eMIATAC system holds promise as a novel tool for protein knockdown strategies. By enabling direct control over endogenous protein levels, eMIATAC has the potential to revolutionize treatment for cancer and genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kunjian Lei
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P. R. China
- JXHC Key Laboratory of Neurological Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
| | - Jingying Li
- Department of Comprehensive Intensive Care Unit, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
| | - Zewei Tu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P. R. China
- JXHC Key Laboratory of Neurological Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
- The MOE Basic Research and Innovation Center for the Targeted Therapeutics of Solid Tumors, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, P. R. China
| | - Chuandong Gong
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P. R. China
- JXHC Key Laboratory of Neurological Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
- The MOE Basic Research and Innovation Center for the Targeted Therapeutics of Solid Tumors, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, P. R. China
| | - Junzhe Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P. R. China
- JXHC Key Laboratory of Neurological Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
- The MOE Basic Research and Innovation Center for the Targeted Therapeutics of Solid Tumors, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, P. R. China
| | - Min Luo
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P. R. China
- JXHC Key Laboratory of Neurological Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
- The MOE Basic Research and Innovation Center for the Targeted Therapeutics of Solid Tumors, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, P. R. China
| | - Wenqian Ai
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanchang University, 330031, Nanchang, P. R. China
| | - Lei Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- The MOE Basic Research and Innovation Center for the Targeted Therapeutics of Solid Tumors, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, P. R. China
| | - Yishuang Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P. R. China
- JXHC Key Laboratory of Neurological Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
- The MOE Basic Research and Innovation Center for the Targeted Therapeutics of Solid Tumors, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, P. R. China
| | - Zhihong Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P. R. China
- JXHC Key Laboratory of Neurological Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
- The MOE Basic Research and Innovation Center for the Targeted Therapeutics of Solid Tumors, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, P. R. China
| | - Zhihao Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P. R. China
- JXHC Key Laboratory of Neurological Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
- The MOE Basic Research and Innovation Center for the Targeted Therapeutics of Solid Tumors, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, P. R. China
| | - Shigang Lv
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
| | - Minhua Ye
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
| | - Miaojing Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
| | - Xiaoyan Long
- East China Institute of Digital Medical Engineering, Shangrao, Jiangxi 334000, P. R. China
| | - Xingen Zhu
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P. R. China
- JXHC Key Laboratory of Neurological Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
| | - Kai Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases in Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P. R. China
- JXHC Key Laboratory of Neurological Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, P. R. China
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