1
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Chen S, Li G, Pan R, Zhou K, Wen W, Tao J, Wang F, Han RPS, Pan H, Tu Y. Novel Near-Infrared Fluorescent Probe for Hepatocyte Growth Factor in Vivo Imaging in Surgical Navigation of Colorectal Cancer. Anal Chem 2024; 96:9016-9025. [PMID: 38780636 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c00350] [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: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Despite recent advancements in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment, the prognosis remains unfavorable primarily due to high recurrence and liver metastasis rates. Fluorescence molecular imaging technologies, combined with specific probes, have gained prominence in facilitating real-time tumor resection guided by fluorescence. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is overexpressed in CRC, but the advancement of HGF fluorescent probes has been impeded by the absence of effective HGF-targeting small-molecular ligands. Herein, we present the targeted capabilities of the novel V-1-GGGK-MPA probe labeled with a near-infrared fluorescent dye, which targets HGF in CRC. The V-1-GGGK peptide exhibits high specificity and selectivity for HGF-positive in vitro tumor cells and in vivo tumors. Biodistribution analysis of V-1-GGGK-MPA revealed tumor-specific accumulation with low background uptake, yielding signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values of tumor-to-colorectal >6 in multiple subcutaneous CRC models 12 h postinjection. Quantitative analysis confirmed the probe's high uptake in SW480 and HT29 orthotopic and liver metastatic models, with SNR values of tumor-to-colorectal and -liver being 5.6 ± 0.4, 4.6 ± 0.5, and 2.1 ± 0.3, 2.0 ± 0.5, respectively, enabling precise tumor visualization for surgical navigation. Pathological analysis demonstrated the excellent tumor boundaries discrimination capacity of the V-1-GGGK-MPA probe at the molecular level. With its rapid tumor targeting, sustained tumor retention, and precise tumor boundary delineation, V-1-GGGK-MPA merges as a promising HGF imaging agent, enriching the toolbox of intraoperative navigational fluorescent probes for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuying Chen
- Cancer Research Center, the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Cancer in Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi Engineering Research Center for Translational Cancer Technology, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Ecology and Environment, Yuzhang Normal University, Nanchang 330103, China
| | - Rongbin Pan
- Cancer Research Center, the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Cancer in Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi Engineering Research Center for Translational Cancer Technology, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Kuncheng Zhou
- Cancer Research Center, the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Cancer in Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi Engineering Research Center for Translational Cancer Technology, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Weijie Wen
- Cancer Research Center, the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Cancer in Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi Engineering Research Center for Translational Cancer Technology, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Ji Tao
- Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Cancer Research Center, the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Cancer in Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi Engineering Research Center for Translational Cancer Technology, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Ray P S Han
- Cancer Research Center, the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Cancer in Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi Engineering Research Center for Translational Cancer Technology, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Huaping Pan
- Cancer Research Center, the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Cancer in Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi Engineering Research Center for Translational Cancer Technology, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
| | - Yuanbiao Tu
- Cancer Research Center, the Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Cancer in Chinese Medicine, Jiangxi Engineering Research Center for Translational Cancer Technology, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, China
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2
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Imai M, Colas K, Suga H. Protein Grafting Techniques: From Peptide Epitopes to Lasso-Grafted Neobiologics. Chempluschem 2024:e202400152. [PMID: 38693599 DOI: 10.1002/cplu.202400152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Protein engineering techniques have vastly expanded their domain of impact, notably following the success of antibodies. Likewise, smaller peptide therapeutics have carved an increasingly significant niche for themselves in the pharmaceutical landscape. The concept of grafting such peptides onto larger protein scaffolds, thus harvesting the advantages of both, has given rise to a variety of protein engineering strategies that are reviewed herein. We also describe our own "Lasso-Grafting" approach, which combines traditional grafting concepts with mRNA display to streamline the production of multiple grafted drug candidates for virtually any target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikio Imai
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kilian Colas
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
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3
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Atkinson E, Dickman R. Growth factors and their peptide mimetics for treatment of traumatic brain injury. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 90:117368. [PMID: 37331175 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability in adults, caused by a physical insult damaging the brain. Growth factor-based therapies have the potential to reduce the effects of secondary injury and improve outcomes by providing neuroprotection against glutamate excitotoxicity, oxidative damage, hypoxia, and ischemia, as well as promoting neurite outgrowth and the formation of new blood vessels. Despite promising evidence in preclinical studies, few neurotrophic factors have been tested in clinical trials for TBI. Translation to the clinic is not trivial and is limited by the short in vivo half-life of the protein, the inability to cross the blood-brain barrier and human delivery systems. Synthetic peptide mimetics have the potential to be used in place of recombinant growth factors, activating the same downstream signalling pathways, with a decrease in size and more favourable pharmacokinetic properties. In this review, we will discuss growth factors with the potential to modulate damage caused by secondary injury mechanisms following a traumatic brain injury that have been trialled in other indications including spinal cord injury, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. Peptide mimetics of nerve growth factor (NGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), glial cell line-derived growth factor (GDNF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) will be highlighted, most of which have not yet been tested in preclinical or clinical models of TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Atkinson
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; UCL Centre for Nerve Engineering, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK.
| | - Rachael Dickman
- School of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK.
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4
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Pietz HL, Abbas A, Johnson ZL, Oldham ML, Suga H, Chen J. A macrocyclic peptide inhibitor traps MRP1 in a catalytically incompetent conformation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220012120. [PMID: 36893260 PMCID: PMC10089224 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220012120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, such as multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), protect against cellular toxicity by exporting xenobiotic compounds across the plasma membrane. However, constitutive MRP1 function hinders drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier, and MRP1 overexpression in certain cancers leads to acquired multidrug resistance and chemotherapy failure. Small-molecule inhibitors have the potential to block substrate transport, but few show specificity for MRP1. Here we identify a macrocyclic peptide, named CPI1, which inhibits MRP1 with nanomolar potency but shows minimal inhibition of a related multidrug transporter P-glycoprotein. A cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure at 3.27 Å resolution shows that CPI1 binds MRP1 at the same location as the physiological substrate leukotriene C4 (LTC4). Residues that interact with both ligands contain large, flexible sidechains that can form a variety of interactions, revealing how MRP1 recognizes multiple structurally unrelated molecules. CPI1 binding prevents the conformational changes necessary for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis and substrate transport, suggesting it may have potential as a therapeutic candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harlan L Pietz
- Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Ata Abbas
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Zachary Lee Johnson
- Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Michael L Oldham
- Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
- HHMI, New York, NY 10065
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Jue Chen
- Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Biophysics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065
- HHMI, New York, NY 10065
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5
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Warashina S, Sato H, Zouda M, Takahashi M, Wada Y, Passioura T, Suga H, Watanabe Y, Matsumoto K, Mukai H. Two-Chain Mature Hepatocyte Growth Factor-Specific Positron Emission Tomography Imaging in Tumors Using 64Cu-Labeled HiP-8, a Nonstandard Macrocyclic Peptide Probe. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:2029-2038. [PMID: 36862642 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c01020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Two-chain hepatocyte growth factor (tcHGF), the mature form of HGF, is associated with malignancy and anticancer drug resistance; therefore, its quantification is an important indicator for cancer diagnosis. In tumors, activated tcHGF hardly discharges into the systemic circulation, indicating that tcHGF is an excellent target for molecular imaging using positron emission tomography (PET). We recently discovered HGF-inhibitory peptide-8 (HiP-8) that binds specifically to human tcHGF with nanomolar affinity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of HiP-8-based PET probes in human HGF knock-in humanized mice. 64Cu-labeled HiP-8 molecules were synthesized using a cross-bridged cyclam chelator, CB-TE1K1P. Radio-high-performance liquid chromatography-based metabolic stability analyses showed that more than 90% of the probes existed in intact form in blood at least for 15 min. In PET studies, significantly selective visualization of hHGF-overexpressing tumors versus hHGF-negative tumors was observed in double-tumor-bearing mice. The accumulation of labeled HiP-8 into the hHGF-overexpressing tumors was significantly reduced by competitive inhibition. In addition, the radioactivity and distribution of phosphorylated MET/HGF receptor were colocalized in tissues. These results demonstrate that the 64Cu-labeled HiP-8 probes are suitable for tcHGF imaging in vivo, and secretory proteins like tcHGF can be a target for PET imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Warashina
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Hiroki Sato
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Maki Zouda
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Maiko Takahashi
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Wada
- Laboratory for Pathophysiological and Health Science, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Toby Passioura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yasuyoshi Watanabe
- Laboratory for Pathophysiological and Health Science, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kunio Matsumoto
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan.,WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Hidefumi Mukai
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.,Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan
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6
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Takumi Y, Arai S, Suzuki C, Fukuda K, Nishiyama A, Takeuchi S, Sato H, Matsumoto K, Sugio K, Yano S. MET kinase inhibitor reverses resistance to entrectinib induced by hepatocyte growth factor in tumors with NTRK1 or ROS1 rearrangements. Cancer Med 2023; 12:5809-5820. [PMID: 36416133 PMCID: PMC10028024 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Entrectinib is an effective drug for treating solid tumors with NTRK gene rearrangement and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with ROS1 gene rearrangement. However, its efficacy is limited by tolerance and acquired resistance, the mechanisms of which are not fully understood. The growth factors produced by the tumor microenvironment, including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) produced by tumor-associated fibroblasts, critically affect the sensitivity to targeted drugs. METHODS We investigated whether growth factors that can be produced by the microenvironment affect sensitivity of NTRK1-rearranged colon cancer KM12SM cells and ROS1-rearranged NSCLC HCC78 cells to entrectinib both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS Among the growth factors assessed, HGF most potently induced entrectinib resistance in KM12SM and HCC78 cells by activating its receptor MET. HGF-induced entrectinib resistance was reversed by the active-HGF-specific macrocyclic peptide HiP-8 and the MET kinase inhibitor capmatinib in vitro. In addition, HGF-producing fibroblasts promoted entrectinib resistance in vitro (culture model) and in vivo (subcutaneous tumor model). The use of capmatinib circumvented entrectinib resistance in a subcutaneous tumor model inoculated with KM12SM and HGF-producing fibroblasts. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that growth factors in the tumor microenvironment, such as HGF, may induce resistance to entrectinib in tumors with NTRK1 or ROS1 rearrangements. Our results further suggest that optimally co-administering inhibitors of resistance-inducing growth factors may maximize the therapeutic efficacy of entrectinib.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohei Takumi
- Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Department of Thoracic and Breast Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan
| | - Sachiko Arai
- Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Chiaki Suzuki
- Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Koji Fukuda
- Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Akihiro Nishiyama
- Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Shinji Takeuchi
- Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hiroki Sato
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Kunio Matsumoto
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Kenji Sugio
- Department of Thoracic and Breast Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Yufu, Japan
| | - Seiji Yano
- Division of Medical Oncology, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Health Sciences, Kanazawa, Japan
- WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-Nano LSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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7
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Sakai K, Sugano-Nakamura N, Mihara E, Rojas-Chaverra NM, Watanabe S, Sato H, Imamura R, Voon DCC, Sakai I, Yamasaki C, Tateno C, Shibata M, Suga H, Takagi J, Matsumoto K. Designing receptor agonists with enhanced pharmacokinetics by grafting macrocyclic peptides into fragment crystallizable regions. Nat Biomed Eng 2023; 7:164-176. [PMID: 36344661 PMCID: PMC9991925 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00955-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Short half-lives in circulation and poor transport across the blood-brain barrier limit the utility of cytokines and growth factors acting as receptor agonists. Here we show that surrogate receptor agonists with longer half-lives in circulation and enhanced transport rates across the blood-brain barrier can be generated by genetically inserting macrocyclic peptide pharmacophores into the structural loops of the fragment crystallizable (Fc) region of a human immunoglobulin. We used such 'lasso-grafting' approach, which preserves the expression levels of the Fc region and its affinity for the neonatal Fc receptor, to generate Fc-based protein scaffolds with macrocyclic peptides binding to the receptor tyrosine protein kinase Met. The Met agonists dimerized Met, inducing biological responses that were similar to those induced by its natural ligand. Moreover, lasso-grafting of the Fc region of the mouse anti-transferrin-receptor antibody with Met-binding macrocyclic peptides enhanced the accumulation of the resulting Met agonists in brain parenchyma in mice. Lasso-grafting may allow for designer protein therapeutics with enhanced stability and pharmacokinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katsuya Sakai
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan. .,WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
| | - Nozomi Sugano-Nakamura
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Emiko Mihara
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | | | - Sayako Watanabe
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Hiroki Sato
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,Tumor Microenvironment Research Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Ryu Imamura
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Dominic Chih-Cheng Voon
- Inflammation and Epithelial Plasticity Unit, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,Cancer Model Research Innovative Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Itsuki Sakai
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yamasaki
- Research and Development Department, PhoenixBio Co. Ltd, Higashihiroshima, Japan
| | - Chise Tateno
- Research and Development Department, PhoenixBio Co. Ltd, Higashihiroshima, Japan
| | - Mikihiro Shibata
- WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,High-speed AFM for Biological Application Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Junichi Takagi
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.
| | - Kunio Matsumoto
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan. .,WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan. .,Tumor Microenvironment Research Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.
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8
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Ito K, Matsuda Y, Mine A, Miyairi K, Kikuchi Y, Konishi A. Bacterially Secretable Single-Chain Tandem Macrocyclic Peptides for High Affinity and Inhibitory Activity. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202200599. [PMID: 36409290 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200599] [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: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The inhibition of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is an effective approach for therapy. Owing to their large binding surface areas to target proteins, macrocyclic peptides are suitable molecules for PPI inhibition. In this study, we developed single-chain tandem macrocyclic peptides (STaMPtides) that inhibits the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor 2 (VEGFR2). They were artificially designed to comprise two different VEGFR2-binding macrocyclic peptides linked in tandem by peptide linkers and secreted by Corynebacterium glutamicum. Most potent VEGFR2-inhibitory STaMPtides with length-optimized linkers exhibited >1000 times stronger inhibitory activity than their parental monomeric peptides, possibly due to the avidity effect of heterodimerization. Our approach of using STaMPtides for PPI inhibition may be used to inhibit other extracellular factors, such as growth factors and cytokines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichiro Ito
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1, Suzuki-Cho, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Matsuda
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1, Suzuki-Cho, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ayako Mine
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1, Suzuki-Cho, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kyohei Miyairi
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1, Suzuki-Cho, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Kikuchi
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1, Suzuki-Cho, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Atsushi Konishi
- Research Institute for Bioscience Products & Fine Chemicals, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., 1-1, Suzuki-Cho, Kawasaki, 210-8681, Kanagawa, Japan
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9
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Mohri K, Nhat KPH, Zouda M, Warashina S, Wada Y, Watanabe Y, Tagami S, Mukai H. Lasso peptide microcin J25 variant containing RGD motif as a PET probe for integrin a v ß 3 in tumor imaging. Eur J Pharm Sci 2023; 180:106339. [PMID: 36414157 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2022.106339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Microcin J25 (MccJ25), a lasso peptide, has a unique 3-D interlocked structure that provides high stability under acidic conditions, at high temperatures, and in the presence of proteases. In this study, we generated a positron emission tomography (PET) probe based on MccJ25 analog with an RGD motif and investigated their pharmacokinetics and utility for integrin αvβ3 imaging in tumors. The MccJ25 variant with an RGD motif in the loop region and a lysine substitution at the C-terminus (MccJ25(RGDF)GtoK) was produced in E. coli transfected with plasmid DNA containing the MccJ25 biosynthetic gene cluster (mcjABCD). [64Cu]Cu-MccJ25(RGDF)GtoK was synthesized using the C-terminal lysine labeled with copper-64 (t1/2 = 12.7 h) via a bifunctional chelator; it showed stability in 90% mouse plasma for 45 min. Using PET imaging for integrin αvβ3 positive U87MG tumor bearing mice, [64Cu]Cu-MccJ25(RGDF)GtoK could clearly distinguish the tumor, and its accumulation was significantly higher than that of MccJ25(GIGT)GtoK without the binding motif for integrin αvβ3. Furthermore, MccJ25(RGDF)GtoK enabled visualization of only U87MG tumors but not MCF-7 tumors with low integrin αvβ3 expression in double tumor-bearing mice. In ex vivo biodistribution analysis, the integrin αvβ3 non-specific accumulation of [64Cu]Cu-MccJ25(RGDF)GtoK was significantly lower in various tissues, except for the kidneys, as compared to the control probe ([64Cu]Cu-cyclic RGD peptide). These results of the present study indicate that 64Cu-labeling methods are appropriate for the synthesis of MccJ25-based PET probes, and [64Cu]Cu-MccJ25 variants are useful tools for cancer molecular imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kohta Mohri
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Kim Phuong Huynh Nhat
- Laboratory for Advanced Biomolecular Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan
| | - Maki Zouda
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shota Warashina
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Wada
- Laboratory for Pathophysiological and Health Science, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Yasuyoshi Watanabe
- Laboratory for Pathophysiological and Health Science, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Tagami
- Laboratory for Advanced Biomolecular Engineering, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 1-7-22 Suehiro-cho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0045, Japan.
| | - Hidefumi Mukai
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan; Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki 852-8588, Japan.
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10
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Genomic Insight into Shimazuella Soli Sp. Nov. Isolated from Soil and Its Putative Novel Class II Lasso Peptide. BIOENGINEERING (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:bioengineering9120812. [PMID: 36551018 PMCID: PMC9774768 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9120812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The strain designated as AN120528T was isolated from farmland soil in South Korea. This strain grows well on R2A medium at 28 °C. The cells are an off-white colour and have no hyphae. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the strain is a member of the genus Shimazuella with a 98.11% similarity to Shimazuella alba KC615T and a 97.05% similarity to S. kribbensis KCTC 9933T, respectively. The strain AN120528T shares common chemotaxonomic features with the other two type strains in the genus. It has MK-9 (H4) and MK-10 (H4) as its predominant menaquinones. The major fatty acids are iso-C14:0, iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C16:0. Diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), lipids (L), and aminolipids (AL) were identified as the major cellular polar lipids. Analysis of the peptidoglycan showed the presence of meso-diaminopimelic acid. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that the genome of the strain is approximately 3.3 Mbp in size. The strain showed a 77.5% average nucleotide identity (ANI) with S. alba KC615T. The genomic DNA (gDNA) G + C content is 39.0%. Based on polyphasic taxonomy analysis, it is proposed that this strain, AN120528T, represents a novel species in the genus Shimazuella, designated as Shimazuella soli sp. nov. The type stain is AN120528T (=KCTC 39810T = DSM 103571T). Furthermore, shimazuellin I, a new 15-amino-acid peptide, was discovered in the AN120528T through genome mining; it has the features of a lasso peptide, containing eight amino acids (-G-Q-G-G-S-N-N-D-) that form a macrolactam ring and seven amino acids (-D-G-W-Y-H-S-K-) that form a tail.
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Yang J, Zhu Q, Wu Y, Qu X, Liu H, Jiang B, Ge D, Song X. Utilization of macrocyclic peptides to target protein-protein interactions in cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:992171. [PMID: 36465350 PMCID: PMC9714258 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.992171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play vital roles in normal cellular processes. Dysregulated PPIs are involved in the process of various diseases, including cancer. Thus, these PPIs may serve as potential therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. However, despite rapid advances in small-molecule drugs and biologics, it is still hard to target PPIs, especially for those intracellular PPIs. Macrocyclic peptides have gained growing attention for their therapeutic properties in targeting dysregulated PPIs. Macrocyclic peptides have some unique features, such as moderate sizes, high selectivity, and high binding affinities, which make them good drug candidates. In addition, some oncology macrocyclic peptide drugs have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use. Here, we reviewed the recent development of macrocyclic peptides in cancer treatment. The opportunities and challenges were also discussed to inspire new perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawen Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiaoliang Zhu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifan Wu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojuan Qu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haixia Liu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Biao Jiang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- School of Physical Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Di Ge
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoling Song
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
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12
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Hino N, Matsuda K, Jikko Y, Maryu G, Sakai K, Imamura R, Tsukiji S, Aoki K, Terai K, Hirashima T, Trepat X, Matsuda M. A feedback loop between lamellipodial extension and HGF-ERK signaling specifies leader cells during collective cell migration. Dev Cell 2022; 57:2290-2304.e7. [PMID: 36174555 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2022.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Upon the initiation of collective cell migration, the cells at the free edge are specified as leader cells; however, the mechanism underlying the leader cell specification remains elusive. Here, we show that lamellipodial extension after the release from mechanical confinement causes sustained extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation and underlies the leader cell specification. Live-imaging of Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells and mouse epidermis through the use of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensors showed that leader cells exhibit sustained ERK activation in a hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-dependent manner. Meanwhile, follower cells exhibit oscillatory ERK activation waves in an epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling-dependent manner. Lamellipodial extension at the free edge increases the cellular sensitivity to HGF. The HGF-dependent ERK activation, in turn, promotes lamellipodial extension, thereby forming a positive feedback loop between cell extension and ERK activation and specifying the cells at the free edge as the leader cells. Our findings show that the integration of physical and biochemical cues underlies the leader cell specification during collective cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoya Hino
- Research Center for Dynamic Living Systems, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Institute of Science and Technology Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
| | - Kimiya Matsuda
- Research Center for Dynamic Living Systems, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yuya Jikko
- Department of Pathology and Biology of Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Gembu Maryu
- Division of Quantitative Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Katsuya Sakai
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan; WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Ryu Imamura
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan; WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Shinya Tsukiji
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan; Department of Nanopharmaceutical Sciences, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Aoki
- Division of Quantitative Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan; Quantitative Biology Research Group, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan; Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji-cho, Okazaki, Aichi 444-8787, Japan
| | - Kenta Terai
- Department of Pathology and Biology of Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hirashima
- Research Center for Dynamic Living Systems, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Hakubi Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan; Japan Science and Technology Agency, Presto, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Xavier Trepat
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona 08028, Spain; Faculty of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain; Center for Networked Biomedical Research on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michiyuki Matsuda
- Research Center for Dynamic Living Systems, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Department of Pathology and Biology of Diseases, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan; Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences, Kyoto University Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
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13
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Cui Y, Chen X, Wang Z, Lu Y. Cell-Free PURE System: Evolution and Achievements. BIODESIGN RESEARCH 2022; 2022:9847014. [PMID: 37850137 PMCID: PMC10521753 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9847014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) system, as a technical core of synthetic biology, can simulate the transcription and translation process in an in vitro open environment without a complete living cell. It has been widely used in basic and applied research fields because of its advanced engineering features in flexibility and controllability. Compared to a typical crude extract-based CFPS system, due to defined and customizable components and lacking protein-degrading enzymes, the protein synthesis using recombinant elements (PURE) system draws great attention. This review first discusses the elemental composition of the PURE system. Then, the design and preparation of functional proteins for the PURE system, especially the critical ribosome, were examined. Furthermore, we trace the evolving development of the PURE system in versatile areas, including prototyping, synthesis of unnatural proteins, peptides and complex proteins, and biosensors. Finally, as a state-of-the-art engineering strategy, this review analyzes the opportunities and challenges faced by the PURE system in future scientific research and diverse applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Cui
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- College of Life Sciences, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, Liaoning, China
| | - Xinjie Chen
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Ze Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, Liaoning, China
| | - Yuan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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14
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64Cu-labeling of small extracellular vesicle surfaces via a cross-bridged macrocyclic chelator for pharmacokinetic study by positron emission tomography imaging. Int J Pharm 2022; 624:121968. [PMID: 35772573 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.121968] [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: 04/20/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We developed a method of labeling the surfaces of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) with 64Cu using a cross-bridged, macrocyclic chelator (CB-TE1A1P) and applied to pharmacokinetics study with positron emission tomography (PET). After incubation in 20% plasma for 10 min, approximately a half of the 64Cu was desorbed from 64Cu-labeled sEVs purified by phosphate-buffered saline wash, suggesting partly weak interaction without coordinating to CB-TE1A1P. After subsequent purification with albumin, 64Cu desorption was greatly reduced, resulting in a radiochemical stability of 95.7%. Notably, labeling did not alter the physicochemical and biological properties of sEVs. After intravenous injection, 64Cu-labeled sEVs rapidly disappeared from the systemic blood circulation and accumulated mainly in the liver and spleen of macrophage-competent mice. In macrophage-depleted mice, 64Cu-labeled sEVs remained in the blood circulation for a longer period and gradually accumulated in the liver and spleen, suggesting mechanisms of hepatic and splenic accumulation other than macrophage-dependent phagocytosis. The comparison of tissue uptake clearance between macrophage-competent and macrophage-depleted mice suggests that macrophages contributed to 67% and 76% of sEV uptake in the liver and spleen, respectively. The application of this method in pharmacokinetics PET studies can be useful in preclinical and clinical research and the development of sEV treatment modalities.
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15
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Coronado JN, Ngo P, Anslyn EV, Ellington AD. Chemical insights into flexizyme-mediated tRNA acylation. Cell Chem Biol 2022; 29:1071-1112. [PMID: 35413283 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2022.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
A critical step in repurposing the cellular translation machinery for the synthesis of polymeric products is the acylation of transfer RNA (tRNA) with unnatural monomers. Toward this goal, flexizymes, ribozymes capable of aminoacylation, have emerged as a uniquely adept tool for charging tRNA with ever increasingly diverse substrates. In this review, we present a library of monomer substrates that have been tested for tRNA acylation with the flexizyme system. From this mile-high view, we provide insights for understanding the chemical factors that influence flexizyme-mediated tRNA acylation. We conclude that flexizymes are primitive esterification catalysts that display a modest binding affinity to the monomer's aromatic recognition element. Together, these robust, yet flexible, flexizyme systems provide researchers with unprecedented access for preparing unnatural acyl-tRNA and the opportunity to repurpose the translation machinery for the synthesis of novel biologically derived structures beyond native proteins and peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime N Coronado
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Phuoc Ngo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Eric V Anslyn
- Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Andrew D Ellington
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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16
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Floresta G, Abbate V. Recent progress in the imaging of c-Met aberrant cancers with positron emission tomography. Med Res Rev 2022; 42:1588-1606. [PMID: 35292998 PMCID: PMC9314990 DOI: 10.1002/med.21885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2021] [Revised: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Tyrosine-protein kinase Met-also known as c-Met or HGFR-is a membrane receptor protein with associated tyrosine kinase activity physiologically stimulated by its natural ligand, the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and is involved in different ways in cancer progression and tumourigenesis. Targeting c-Met with pharmaceuticals has been preclinically proved to have significant benefits for cancer treatment. Recently, evaluating the protein status during and before c-Met targeted therapy has been shown of relevant importance by different studies, demonstrating that there is a correlation between the status (e.g., aberrant activation and overexpression) of the HGFR with therapy response and clinical prognosis. Currently, clinical imaging based on positron emission tomography (PET) appears as one of the most promising tools for the in vivo real-time scanning of irregular alterations of the tyrosine-protein kinase Met and for the diagnosis of c-Met related cancers. In this study, we review the recent progress in the imaging of c-Met aberrant cancers with PET. Particular attention is directed on the development of PET probes with a range of different sizes (HGF, antibodies, anticalines, peptides, and small molecules), and radiolabeled with different radionuclides. The goal of this review is to report all the preclinical imaging studies based on PET imaging reported until now for in vivo diagnosis of c-Met in oncology to support the design of novel and more effective PET probes for in vivo evaluation of c-Met.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Floresta
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Vincenzo Abbate
- Department of Analytical, Environmental and Forensic Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
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17
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Mukai H, Ogawa K, Kato N, Kawakami S. Recent advances in lipid nanoparticles for delivery of nucleic acid, mRNA, and gene editing-based therapeutics. Drug Metab Pharmacokinet 2022; 44:100450. [PMID: 35381574 PMCID: PMC9363157 DOI: 10.1016/j.dmpk.2022.100450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are becoming popular as a means of delivering therapeutics, including those based on nucleic acids and mRNA. The mRNA-based coronavirus disease 2019 vaccines are perfect examples to highlight the role played by drug delivery systems in advancing human health. The fundamentals of LNPs for the delivery of nucleic acid- and mRNA-based therapeutics, are well established. Thus, future research on LNPs will focus on addressing the following: expanding the scope of drug delivery to different constituents of the human body, expanding the number of diseases that can be targeted, and studying the change in the pharmacokinetics of LNPs under physiological and pathological conditions. This review article provides an overview of recent advances aimed at expanding the application of LNPs, focusing on the pharmacokinetics and advantages of LNPs. In addition, analytical techniques, library construction and screening, rational design, active targeting, and applicability to gene editing therapy have also been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidefumi Mukai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki, 852-8588, Japan; Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo, 650-0047, Japan.
| | - Koki Ogawa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki, 852-8588, Japan
| | - Naoya Kato
- Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki, 852-8588, Japan
| | - Shigeru Kawakami
- Department of Pharmaceutical Informatics, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki-shi, Nagasaki, 852-8588, Japan.
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18
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Mannes M, Martin C, Menet C, Ballet S. Wandering beyond small molecules: peptides as allosteric protein modulators. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 43:406-423. [PMID: 34857409 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent years have seen the rise of allosteric modulation as an innovative approach for drug design and discovery, efforts which culminated in the development of several clinical candidates. Allosteric modulation of many drug targets, including mainly membrane-embedded receptors, have been vastly explored through small molecule screening campaigns, but much less attention has been paid to peptide-based allosteric modulators. However, peptides have a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry due to the typically higher potency and selectivity for their targets, as compared with small molecule therapeutics. Therefore, peptides represent one of the most promising classes of molecules that can modulate key biological pathways. Here, we report on the allosteric modulation of proteins (ranging from G protein-coupled receptors to specific protein-protein interactions) by peptides for applications in drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Mannes
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Martin
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Christel Menet
- Confo Therapeutics N.V., Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 30, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Steven Ballet
- Research Group of Organic Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, Belgium.
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19
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King AM, Anderson DA, Glassey E, Segall-Shapiro TH, Zhang Z, Niquille DL, Embree AC, Pratt K, Williams TL, Gordon DB, Voigt CA. Selection for constrained peptides that bind to a single target protein. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6343. [PMID: 34732700 PMCID: PMC8566587 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26350-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide secondary metabolites are common in nature and have diverse pharmacologically-relevant functions, from antibiotics to cross-kingdom signaling. Here, we present a method to design large libraries of modified peptides in Escherichia coli and screen them in vivo to identify those that bind to a single target-of-interest. Constrained peptide scaffolds were produced using modified enzymes gleaned from microbial RiPP (ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide) pathways and diversified to build large libraries. The binding of a RiPP to a protein target leads to the intein-catalyzed release of an RNA polymerase σ factor, which drives the expression of selectable markers. As a proof-of-concept, a selection was performed for binding to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor binding domain. A 1625 Da constrained peptide (AMK-1057) was found that binds with similar affinity (990 ± 5 nM) as an ACE2-derived peptide. This demonstrates a generalizable method to identify constrained peptides that adhere to a single protein target, as a step towards "molecular glues" for therapeutics and diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M King
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel A Anderson
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emerson Glassey
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Thomas H Segall-Shapiro
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zhengan Zhang
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David L Niquille
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Katelin Pratt
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - D Benjamin Gordon
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christopher A Voigt
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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20
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Goto Y, Suga H. The RaPID Platform for the Discovery of Pseudo-Natural Macrocyclic Peptides. Acc Chem Res 2021; 54:3604-3617. [PMID: 34505781 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Although macrocyclic peptides bearing exotic building blocks have proven their utility as pharmaceuticals, the sources of macrocyclic peptide drugs have been largely limited to mimetics of native peptides or natural product peptides. However, the recent emergence of technologies for discovering de novo bioactive peptides has led to their reconceptualization as a promising therapeutic modality. For the construction and screening of libraries of such macrocyclic peptides, our group has devised a platform to conduct affinity-based selection of massive libraries (>1012 unique sequences) of in vitro expressed macrocyclic peptides, which is referred to as the random nonstandard peptides integrated discovery (RaPID) system. The RaPID system integrates genetic code reprogramming using the FIT (flexible in vitro translation) system, which is largely facilitated by flexizymes (flexible tRNA-aminoacylating ribozymes), with mRNA display technology.We have demonstrated that the RaPID system enables rapid discovery of various de novo pseudo-natural peptide ligands for protein targets of interest. Many examples discussed in this Account prove that thioether-closed macrocyclic peptides (teMPs) obtained by the RaPID system generally exhibit remarkably high affinity and specificity, thereby potently inhibiting or activating a specific function(s) of the target. Moreover, such teMPs are used for a wide range of biochemical applications, for example, as crystallization chaperones for intractable transmembrane proteins and for in vivo recognition of specific cell types. Furthermore, recent studies demonstrate that some teMPs exhibit pharmacological activities in animal models and that even intracellular proteins can be inhibited by teMPs, illustrating the potential of this class of peptides as drug leads.Besides the ring-closing thioether linkage in the teMPs, genetic code reprogramming by the FIT system allows for incorporation of a variety of other exotic building blocks. For instance, diverse nonproteinogenic amino acids, hydroxy acids (ester linkage), amino carbothioic acid (thioamide linkage), and abiotic foldamer units have been successfully incorporated into ribosomally synthesized peptides. Despite such enormous successes in the conventional FIT system, multiple or consecutive incorporation of highly exotic amino acids, such as d- and β-amino acids, is yet challenging, and particularly the synthesis of peptides bearing non-carbonyl backbone structures remains a demanding task. To upgrade the RaPID system to the next generation, we have engaged in intensive manipulation of the FIT system to expand the structural diversity of peptides accessible by our in vitro biosynthesis strategy. Semilogical engineering of tRNA body sequences led to a new suppressor tRNA (tRNAPro1E2) capable of effectively recruiting translation factors, particularly EF-Tu and EF-P. The use of tRNAPro1E2 in the FIT system allows for not only single but also consecutive and multiple elongation of exotic amino acids, such as d-, β-, and γ-amino acids as well as aminobenzoic acids. Moreover, the integration of the FIT system with various chemical or enzymatic posttranslational modifications enables us to expand the range of accessible backbone structures to non-carbonyl moieties prominent in natural products and peptidomimetics. In such systems, FIT-expressed peptides undergo multistep backbone conversions in a one-pot manner to yield designer peptides composed of modified backbones such as azolines, azoles, and ring-closing pyridines. Our current research endeavors focus on applying such in vitro biosynthesis systems for the discovery of bioactive de novo pseudo-natural products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Goto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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21
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Dimer Interface in Natural Variant NK1 Is Dispensable for HGF-Dependent Met Receptor Activation. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179240. [PMID: 34502141 PMCID: PMC8431453 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
NK1, a splicing variant of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), binds to and activates Met receptor by forming an NK1 dimer and 2:2 complex with Met. Although the structural mechanism underlying Met activation by HGF remains incompletely resolved, it has been proposed that the NK1 dimer structure participates in this activation. We investigated the NK1 dimer interface’s role in Met activation by HGF. Because N127, V140, and K144 are closely involved in the head-to-tail NK1 dimer formation, mutant NK1 proteins with replacement of these residues by alanine were prepared. In Met tyrosine phosphorylation assays, N127-NK1, V140-NK1, and K144-NK1 showed 8.3%, 23.8%, and 52.2% activity, respectively, compared with wild-type NK1. Although wild-type NK1 promoted cell migration and scattering, N127-NK1, V140-NK1, and K144-NK1 hardly or marginally promoted them, indicating loss of activity of these mutant NK1 proteins to activate Met. In contrast, mutant HGFs (N127-HGF, V140-HGF, and K144-HGF) with the same amino acid replacements as in NK1 induced Met tyrosine phosphorylation and biological responses at levels comparable to those of wild-type HGF. These results indicate that the structural basis responsible for NK1-dependent Met dimer formation and activation differs from, or is at least distinguishable from, the structural basis responsible for HGF-dependent Met activation.
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22
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Zhang G, Li C, Quartararo AJ, Loas A, Pentelute BL. Automated affinity selection for rapid discovery of peptide binders. Chem Sci 2021; 12:10817-10824. [PMID: 34447564 PMCID: PMC8372318 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc02587b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In-solution affinity selection (AS) of large synthetic peptide libraries affords identification of binders to protein targets through access to an expanded chemical space. Standard affinity selection methods, however, can be time-consuming, low-throughput, or provide hits that display low selectivity to the target. Here we report an automated bio-layer interferometry (BLI)-assisted affinity selection platform. When coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (MS), this method enables both rapid de novo discovery and affinity maturation of known peptide binders with high selectivity. The BLI-assisted AS-MS technology also features real-time monitoring of the peptide binding during the library selection process, a feature unattainable by current selection approaches. We show the utility of the BLI AS-MS platform toward rapid identification of novel nanomolar (dissociation constant, KD < 50 nM) non-canonical binders to the leukemia-associated oncogenic protein menin. To our knowledge, this is the first application of BLI to the affinity selection of synthetic peptide libraries. We believe our approach can significantly accelerate the use of synthetic peptidomimetic libraries in drug discovery. This work reports an automated affinity selection-mass spectrometry (AS-MS) approach amenable to both de novo peptide binder discovery and affinity maturation of known binders in a high-throughput and selective manner.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Genwei Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Chengxi Li
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Anthony J Quartararo
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Andrei Loas
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Bradley L Pentelute
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA .,The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 500 Main Street Cambridge MA 02142 USA.,Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard 415 Main Street Cambridge MA 02142 USA
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23
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Norman A, Franck C, Christie M, Hawkins PME, Patel K, Ashhurst AS, Aggarwal A, Low JKK, Siddiquee R, Ashley CL, Steain M, Triccas JA, Turville S, Mackay JP, Passioura T, Payne RJ. Discovery of Cyclic Peptide Ligands to the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Using mRNA Display. ACS CENTRAL SCIENCE 2021; 7:1001-1008. [PMID: 34230894 PMCID: PMC8189037 DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.0c01708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, has led to substantial morbidity, mortality, and disruption globally. Cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 is mediated by the viral spike protein, and affinity ligands to this surface protein have the potential for applications as antivirals and diagnostic reagents. Here, we describe the affinity selection of cyclic peptide ligands to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) from three distinct libraries (in excess of a trillion molecules each) by mRNA display. We identified six high affinity molecules with dissociation constants (K D) in the nanomolar range (15-550 nM) to the RBD. The highest affinity ligand could be used as an affinity reagent to detect the spike protein in solution by ELISA, and the cocrystal structure of this molecule bound to the RBD demonstrated that it binds to a cryptic binding site, displacing a β-strand near the C-terminus. Our findings provide key mechanistic insight into the binding of peptide ligands to the SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD, and the ligands discovered in this work may find future use as reagents for diagnostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Norman
- School
of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and
Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Charlotte Franck
- School
of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and
Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- School
of Life and Environmental Sciences, The
University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Mary Christie
- School
of Life and Environmental Sciences, The
University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Paige M. E. Hawkins
- School
of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and
Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Karishma Patel
- School
of Life and Environmental Sciences, The
University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Anneliese S. Ashhurst
- School
of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and
Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- School
of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | | | - Jason K. K. Low
- School
of Life and Environmental Sciences, The
University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Rezwan Siddiquee
- School
of Life and Environmental Sciences, The
University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Sydney Analytical, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Caroline L. Ashley
- School
of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Megan Steain
- School
of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - James A. Triccas
- School
of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | | | - Joel P. Mackay
- School
of Life and Environmental Sciences, The
University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Toby Passioura
- School
of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- School
of Life and Environmental Sciences, The
University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Sydney Analytical, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
| | - Richard J. Payne
- School
of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
- Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and
Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia
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24
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Kim S, Ahn JM, Bae WJ, Han JH, Lee D. Quantitation of ligand is critical for ligand-dependent MET signalling activation and determines MET-targeted therapeutic response in gastric cancer. Gastric Cancer 2021; 24:577-588. [PMID: 33164142 DOI: 10.1007/s10120-020-01139-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the promising preclinical antitumor activity of MET-targeting therapies, most clinical trials have failed. We introduced a new concept of quantitation of stroma-induced hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to assess the actual MET signalling activity in gastric cancer (GC). METHODS We treated serially diluted HGF and conditioned media (CM) from cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) on low MET-expressing cancer cells and investigated the phenotypical and signalling changes. Stromal proportion and MET expression in GC samples were assessed, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) from the public database was performed. The antitumor effect of anti-MET treatment was examined, especially when cancer cells were activated in a ligand-dependent manner. RESULTS Relatively high doses of HGF or high-concentrated CM fully activated MET signalling cascades and promoted cell proliferation/invasion. High stromal proportion denoted worse patient survival in MET-positive GCs than in MET-negative ones. GSEA showed that the gene sets regarding proliferation, migration, and CAF as well as MET pathway signature were enriched in simultaneously MET- and HGF-positive samples. Sufficient ligand-dependent MET signalling activation increased the sensitivity to crizotinib. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that patients whose tumours have a high stromal proportion and at least low MET expression may benefit more from MET-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seokhwi Kim
- Department of Pathology, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164, Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Mi Ahn
- Department of Pathology, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164, Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Won Jung Bae
- Department of Pathology, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164, Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Ho Han
- Department of Pathology, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164, Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Dakeun Lee
- Department of Pathology, Ajou University School of Medicine, 164, Worldcup-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do, 16499, Republic of Korea.
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25
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Xie Q, Wiedmann MM, Zhao A, Pagan IR, Novick RP, Suga H, Muir TW. Discovery of quorum quenchers targeting the membrane-embedded sensor domain of the Staphylococcus aureus receptor histidine kinase, AgrC. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 56:11223-11226. [PMID: 32820778 DOI: 10.1039/d0cc04873a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
We combined mRNA display technology with lipid-nanodisc based selections and identified high-affinity ligands targeting the integral membrane sensor domain of the histidine kinase AgrC as potent inhibitors of Staphylococcus aureus quorum sensing-modulated virulence. Our study highlights the potential of this integrated approach for identifying functional modulators of integral membrane proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Xie
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Mareike M Wiedmann
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Aishan Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
| | - Ivelisse R Pagan
- Skirball Institute, Department of Microbiology, NYU Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard P Novick
- Skirball Institute, Department of Microbiology, NYU Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Tom W Muir
- Department of Chemistry, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA.
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26
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Stefan E, Obexer R, Hofmann S, Vu Huu K, Huang Y, Morgner N, Suga H, Tampé R. De novo macrocyclic peptides dissect energy coupling of a heterodimeric ABC transporter by multimode allosteric inhibition. eLife 2021; 10:67732. [PMID: 33929325 PMCID: PMC8116058 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters constitute the largest family of primary active transporters involved in a multitude of physiological processes and human diseases. Despite considerable efforts, it remains unclear how ABC transporters harness the chemical energy of ATP to drive substrate transport across cell membranes. Here, by random nonstandard peptide integrated discovery (RaPID), we leveraged combinatorial macrocyclic peptides that target a heterodimeric ABC transport complex and explore fundamental principles of the substrate translocation cycle. High-affinity peptidic macrocycles bind conformationally selective and display potent multimode inhibitory effects. The macrocycles block the transporter either before or after unidirectional substrate export along a single conformational switch induced by ATP binding. Our study reveals mechanistic principles of ATP binding, conformational switching, and energy transduction for substrate transport of ABC export systems. We highlight the potential of de novo macrocycles as effective inhibitors for membrane proteins implicated in multidrug resistance, providing avenues for the next generation of pharmaceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich Stefan
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Richard Obexer
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Susanne Hofmann
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Khanh Vu Huu
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Yichao Huang
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nina Morgner
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Robert Tampé
- Institute of Biochemistry, Biocenter, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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27
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State of the structure address on MET receptor activation by HGF. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:645-661. [PMID: 33860789 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The MET receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) and its cognate ligand hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) comprise a signaling axis essential for development, wound healing and tissue homeostasis. Aberrant HGF/MET signaling is a driver of many cancers and contributes to drug resistance to several approved therapeutics targeting other RTKs, making MET itself an important drug target. In RTKs, homeostatic receptor signaling is dependent on autoinhibition in the absence of ligand binding and orchestrated set of conformational changes induced by ligand-mediated receptor dimerization that result in activation of the intracellular kinase domains. A fundamental understanding of these mechanisms in the MET receptor remains incomplete, despite decades of research. This is due in part to the complex structure of the HGF ligand, which remains unknown in its full-length form, and a lack of high-resolution structures of the complete MET extracellular portion in an apo or ligand-bound state. A current view of HGF-dependent MET activation has evolved from biochemical and structural studies of HGF and MET fragments and here we review what these findings have thus far revealed.
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28
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Imanishi S, Katoh T, Yin Y, Yamada M, Kawai M, Suga H. In Vitro Selection of Macrocyclic d/l-Hybrid Peptides against Human EGFR. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:5680-5684. [PMID: 33822597 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c02593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
d/l-Hybrid peptides are an attractive class of molecular modality because they are able to exhibit high proteolytic stability and unique structural diversity which cannot be accessed by those consisting of only proteinogenic l-amino acids. Despite such an expectation, it has not been possible to devise de novo d/l-hybrid peptides capable of disrupting the function of a protein target(s) due to the lack of an effective method that reliably constructs a highly diverse library and screens active species. Here we report for the first time construction of a library consisting of 1012 members of macrocyclic d/l-hybrid peptides containing five kinds of d-amino acids and performance of the RaPID selection against human EGFR as a showcase to uncover PPI (protein-protein interaction) inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Imanishi
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takayuki Katoh
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yizhen Yin
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Mituhiro Yamada
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Marina Kawai
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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29
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Taguchi S, Suga H. Targeting of extracellular protein-protein interactions with macrocyclic peptides. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2021; 62:82-89. [PMID: 33774472 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2021.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Targeting of extracellular protein-protein interactions (PPI) is emerging as a major application for de novo discovered macrocyclic peptides. Modern discovery platforms can routinely identify macrocyclic peptide ligands capable of highly selective modulation of extracellular signaling pathways; amenability to chemical synthesis and natural modularity of peptides additionally provides an avenue for their further structural elaboration, while the challenge of cell internalization can be minimized. Here, we discuss the recent progress in targeting extracellular PPIs with macrocyclic peptides by focusing on a number of recent case studies. We analyze the scope and potential limitations of the discovery systems in identifying functional macrocyclic ligands. We also highlight the recent technical advancements allowing for a more streamlined discovery pipeline and our brief perspective in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Taguchi
- Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
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30
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Discovery of De Novo Macrocyclic Peptides by Messenger RNA Display. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:385-397. [PMID: 33771353 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Macrocyclic peptides are a promising class of compounds that can often engage challenging therapeutic targets. Display technologies, such as mRNA display, allow for the efficient discovery of macrocyclic peptides. This article reviews the current approaches for generating macrocyclic peptide libraries using mRNA display and highlights some recent examples of ribosomal incorporation of nonproteinogenic amino acids into macrocyclic peptides.
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31
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Mihara E, Watanabe S, Bashiruddin NK, Nakamura N, Matoba K, Sano Y, Maini R, Yin Y, Sakai K, Arimori T, Matsumoto K, Suga H, Takagi J. Lasso-grafting of macrocyclic peptide pharmacophores yields multi-functional proteins. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1543. [PMID: 33750839 PMCID: PMC7943567 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21875-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Protein engineering has great potential for devising multifunctional recombinant proteins to serve as next-generation protein therapeutics, but it often requires drastic modifications of the parental protein scaffolds e.g., additional domains at the N/C-terminus or replacement of a domain by another. A discovery platform system, called RaPID (Random non-standard Peptides Integrated Discovery) system, has enabled rapid discovery of small de novo macrocyclic peptides that bind a target protein with high binding specificity and affinity. Capitalizing on the optimized binding properties of the RaPID-derived peptides, here we show that RaPID-derived pharmacophore sequences can be readily implanted into surface-exposed loops on recombinant proteins and maintain both the parental peptide binding function(s) and the host protein function. We refer to this protein engineering method as lasso-grafting and demonstrate that it can endow specific binding capacity toward various receptors into a diverse set of scaffolds that includes IgG, serum albumin, and even capsid proteins of adeno-associated virus, enabling us to rapidly formulate and produce bi-, tri-, and even tetra-specific binder molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiko Mihara
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Satoshi Watanabe
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Nasir K Bashiruddin
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nozomi Nakamura
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kyoko Matoba
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yumi Sano
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Rumit Maini
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yizhen Yin
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Katsuya Sakai
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Takao Arimori
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kunio Matsumoto
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
- WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Junichi Takagi
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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33
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Lien VT, Celen S, Nuruddin S, Attili B, Doumont G, Van Simaeys G, Bormans G, Klaveness J, Olberg DE. Preclinical evaluation of [ 18F]cabozantinib as a PET imaging agent in a prostate cancer mouse model. Nucl Med Biol 2020; 93:74-80. [PMID: 33422771 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Cabozantinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) approved for the treatment of medullary thyroid cancer, renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, and is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of prostate cancer and others. It exerts its therapeutic effect mainly through inhibition of the tyrosine kinases MET (hepatocyte growth factor receptor) and VEGFR2 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2), in addition to several other kinases involved in cancer. PET imaging with TKIs such as [18F]cabozantinib could potentially aid in cancer diagnosis and guide treatment. This study aims to evaluate the utility of [18F]cabozantinib as a PET imaging probe in PC3 tumor xenografted mice. METHODS [18F]cabozantinib was evaluated in non-tumor and tumor bearing (PC3 xenografted) male mice by ex vivo biodistribution studies and in vivo μPET imaging. Pretreatment studies were performed in the tumor bearing mice with the MET inhibitor PF04217903. Mouse plasma was analyzed with HPLC to quantify radiometabolites. To further evaluate the binding specificity of [18F]cabozantinib, in vitro autoradiography studies on heart and PC3 tumor sections were performed in the presence of authentic cabozantinib or specific MET and VEGFR2 inhibitors. RESULTS Tissue distribution studies in non-tumor bearing mice revealed slow blood clearance, absence of brain uptake and a high myocardial uptake. In the tumor bearing mice, tumor uptake was low (0.58 ± 0.20% ID/g at 30 min post tracer injection), which was confirmed by μPET imaging. No differences in tissue distribution and kinetics were observed in both biodistributions and μPET studies after pretreatment with the MET inhibitor PF04217903. At 30 min post tracer injection, 60 ± 3% of the recovered radioactivity in plasma in non-tumor bearing mice was present as intact tracer. [18F]cabozantinib binding in vitro to heart and tumor tissues was partly blocked in the presence of selective MET and VEGFR2 inhibitors (up to 40% block). The fraction of non-specific binding was relatively high for both tissues (66% for heart and 39% for tumor). CONCLUSION [18F]cabozantinib exhibits non-favorable properties as a PET imaging probe, demonstrated by slow excretion kinetics along with low tumor uptake and high non-specific binding in tumor and heart tissue. The results reflect cabozantinibs multi-kinase activity, making PET imaging of tumor specific kinase expression with [18F]cabozantinib challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vegard Torp Lien
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Boks 1068, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Medical Cyclotron Center, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Sofie Celen
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Bala Attili
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gilles Doumont
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Charleroi, Belgium
| | - Gaetan Van Simaeys
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging (CMMI), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Charleroi, Belgium; Department of Nuclear Medicine, Erasme University Hospital, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Guy Bormans
- Laboratory for Radiopharmaceutical Research, Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jo Klaveness
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Boks 1068, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Dag Erlend Olberg
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Boks 1068, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Medical Cyclotron Center, Oslo, Norway
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34
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Lee J, Torres R, Kim DS, Byrom M, Ellington AD, Jewett MC. Ribosomal incorporation of cyclic β-amino acids into peptides using in vitro translation. Chem Commun (Camb) 2020; 56:5597-5600. [PMID: 32400780 DOI: 10.1039/d0cc02121k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate in vitro incorporation of cyclic β-amino acids into peptides by the ribosome through genetic code reprogramming. Further, we show that incorporation efficiency can be increased through the addition of elongation factor P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joongoo Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | - Rafael Torres
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | - Do Soon Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
| | - Michelle Byrom
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712 TX, USA
| | - Andrew D Ellington
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 78712 TX, USA
| | - Michael C Jewett
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Center for Synthetic Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA.
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Iskandar SE, Haberman VA, Bowers AA. Expanding the Chemical Diversity of Genetically Encoded Libraries. ACS COMBINATORIAL SCIENCE 2020; 22:712-733. [PMID: 33167616 PMCID: PMC8284915 DOI: 10.1021/acscombsci.0c00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The power of ribosomes has increasingly been harnessed for the synthesis and selection of molecular libraries. Technologies, such as phage display, yeast display, and mRNA display, effectively couple genotype to phenotype for the molecular evolution of high affinity epitopes for many therapeutic targets. Genetic code expansion is central to the success of these technologies, allowing researchers to surpass the intrinsic capabilities of the ribosome and access new, genetically encoded materials for these selections. Here, we review techniques for the chemical expansion of genetically encoded libraries, their abilities and limits, and opportunities for further development. Importantly, we also discuss methods and metrics used to assess the efficiency of modification and library diversity with these new techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina E Iskandar
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Victoria A Haberman
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Albert A Bowers
- Division of Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
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Okumura M, Noi K, Inaba K. Visualization of structural dynamics of protein disulfide isomerase enzymes in catalysis of oxidative folding and reductive unfolding. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 66:49-57. [PMID: 33176263 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2020.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Time-resolved single-molecule observations by high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), have greatly advanced our understanding of how proteins operate to fulfill their unique functions. Using this device, we succeeded in visualizing two members of the protein disulfide isomerase family (PDIs) that act to catalyze oxidative folding and reductive unfolding in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). ERdj5, an ER-resident disulfide reductase that promotes ER-associated degradation, reduces nonnative disulfide bonds of misfolded proteins utilizing the dynamics of its N-terminal and C-terminal clusters. With unfolded substrates, canonical PDI assembles to form a face-to-face dimer with a central hydrophobic cavity and multiple redox-active sites to accelerate oxidative folding inside the cavity. Altogether, PDIs exert highly dynamic mechanisms to ensure the protein quality control in the ER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Okumura
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Aramaki aza Aoba 6-3, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8578, Japan
| | - Kentaro Noi
- Institute of Nanoscience Design, Osaka University, Machikaneyamatyou 1-3, Toyonaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Kenji Inaba
- Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan.
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McAllister TE, Coleman OD, Roper G, Kawamura A. Structural diversity in
de novo
cyclic peptide ligands from genetically encoded library technologies. Pept Sci (Hoboken) 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/pep2.24204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom E. McAllister
- Chemistry – School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Oliver D. Coleman
- Chemistry – School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Grace Roper
- Chemistry – School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Akane Kawamura
- Chemistry – School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
- Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry University of Oxford Oxford UK
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Sato H, Imamura R, Suga H, Matsumoto K, Sakai K. Cyclic Peptide-Based Biologics Regulating HGF-MET. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21217977. [PMID: 33121208 PMCID: PMC7662982 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21217977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Using a random non-standard peptide integrated discovery system, we obtained cyclic peptides that bind to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) or mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor. (MET) HGF-inhibitory peptide-8 (HiP-8) selectively bound to two-chain active HGF, but not to single-chain precursor HGF. HGF showed a dynamic change in its molecular shape in atomic force microscopy, but HiP-8 inhibited dynamic change in the molecular shape into a static status. The inhibition of the molecular dynamics of HGF by HiP-8 was associated with the loss of the ability to bind MET. HiP-8 could selectively detect active HGF in cancer tissues, and active HGF probed by HiP-8 showed co-localization with activated MET. Using HiP-8, cancer tissues with active HGF could be detected by positron emission tomography. HiP-8 seems to be applicable for the diagnosis and treatment of cancers. In contrast, based on the receptor dimerization as an essential process for activation, the cross-linking of the cyclic peptides that bind to the extracellular region of MET successfully generated an artificial ligand to MET. The synthetic MET agonists activated MET and exhibited biological activities which were indistinguishable from the effects of HGF. MET agonists composed of cyclic peptides can be manufactured by chemical synthesis but not recombinant protein expression, and thus are expected to be new biologics that are applicable to therapeutics and regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Sato
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan; (H.S.); (R.I.); (K.M.)
- WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Ryu Imamura
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan; (H.S.); (R.I.); (K.M.)
- WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan;
| | - Kunio Matsumoto
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan; (H.S.); (R.I.); (K.M.)
- WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
- Tumor Microenvironment Research Unit, Institute for Frontier Science Initiative, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Katsuya Sakai
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan; (H.S.); (R.I.); (K.M.)
- WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
Large DNA-encoded libraries of cyclic peptides are emerging as powerful sources of molecules to tackle challenging drug targets. The structural and functional diversity contained within these libraries is, however, little explored. Here we demonstrate that one such library contains members that use unexpectedly diverse mechanisms to recognize the same surface on the same target proteins with high affinity and specificity. This range of binding modes is much larger than observed in natural ligands of the same proteins, demonstrating the power and versatility of the technology. Our data also reveal opportunities for the development of more sophisticated approaches to achieving specificity when trying to selectively target one member of a family of closely related proteins. Cyclic peptide library screening technologies show immense promise for identifying drug leads and chemical probes for challenging targets. However, the structural and functional diversity encoded within such libraries is largely undefined. We have systematically profiled the affinity, selectivity, and structural features of library-derived cyclic peptides selected to recognize three closely related targets: the acetyllysine-binding bromodomain proteins BRD2, -3, and -4. We report affinities as low as 100 pM and specificities of up to 106-fold. Crystal structures of 13 peptide–bromodomain complexes reveal remarkable diversity in both structure and binding mode, including both α-helical and β-sheet structures as well as bivalent binding modes. The peptides can also exhibit a high degree of structural preorganization. Our data demonstrate the enormous potential within these libraries to provide diverse binding modes against a single target, which underpins their capacity to yield highly potent and selective ligands.
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Cui Z, Johnston WA, Alexandrov K. Cell-Free Approach for Non-canonical Amino Acids Incorporation Into Polypeptides. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:1031. [PMID: 33117774 PMCID: PMC7550873 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.01031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biology holds promise to revolutionize the life sciences and biomedicine via expansion of macromolecular diversity outside the natural chemical space. Use of non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) via codon reassignment has found diverse applications in protein structure and interaction analysis, introduction of post-translational modifications, production of constrained peptides, antibody-drug conjugates, and novel enzymes. However, simultaneously encoding multiple ncAAs in vivo requires complex engineering and is sometimes restricted by the cell's poor uptake of ncAAs. In contrast the open nature of cell-free protein synthesis systems offers much greater freedom for manipulation and repurposing of the biosynthetic machinery by controlling the level and identity of translational components and reagents, and allows simultaneous incorporation of multiple ncAAs with non-canonical side chains and even backbones (N-methyl, D-, β-amino acids, α-hydroxy acids etc.). This review focuses on the two most used Escherichia coli-based cell-free protein synthesis systems; cell extract- and PURE-based systems. The former is a biological mixture with >500 proteins, while the latter consists of 38 individually purified biomolecules. We delineate compositions of these two systems and discuss their respective advantages and applications. Also, we dissect the translational components required for ncAA incorporation and compile lists of ncAAs that can be incorporated into polypeptides via different acylation approaches. We highlight the recent progress in using unnatural nucleobase pairs to increase the repertoire of orthogonal codons, as well as using tRNA-specific ribozymes for in situ acylation. We summarize advances in engineering of translational machinery such as tRNAs, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, elongation factors, and ribosomes to achieve efficient incorporation of structurally challenging ncAAs. We note that, many engineered components of biosynthetic machinery are developed for the use in vivo but are equally applicable to the in vitro systems. These are included in the review to provide a comprehensive overview for ncAA incorporation and offer new insights for the future development in cell-free systems. Finally, we highlight the exciting progress in the genomic engineering, resulting in E. coli strains free of amber and some redundant sense codons. These strains can be used for preparation of cell extracts offering multiple reassignment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenling Cui
- Synthetic Biology Laboratory, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Wayne A Johnston
- Synthetic Biology Laboratory, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Kirill Alexandrov
- Synthetic Biology Laboratory, School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Hazama D, Yin Y, Murata Y, Matsuda M, Okamoto T, Tanaka D, Terasaka N, Zhao J, Sakamoto M, Kakuchi Y, Saito Y, Kotani T, Nishimura Y, Nakagawa A, Suga H, Matozaki T. Macrocyclic Peptide-Mediated Blockade of the CD47-SIRPα Interaction as a Potential Cancer Immunotherapy. Cell Chem Biol 2020; 27:1181-1191.e7. [PMID: 32640189 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2020.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Medium-sized macrocyclic peptides are an alternative to small compounds and large biomolecules as a class of pharmaceutics. The CD47-SIRPα signaling axis functions as an innate immune checkpoint that inhibits phagocytosis in phagocytes and has been implicated as a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. The potential of macrocyclic peptides that target this signaling axis as immunotherapeutic agents has remained unknown, however. Here we have developed a macrocyclic peptide consisting of 15 amino acids that binds to the ectodomain of mouse SIRPα and efficiently blocks its interaction with CD47 in an allosteric manner. The peptide markedly promoted the phagocytosis of antibody-opsonized tumor cells by macrophages in vitro as well as enhanced the inhibitory effect of anti-CD20 or anti-gp75 antibodies on tumor formation or metastasis in vivo. Our results suggest that allosteric inhibition of the CD47-SIRPα interaction by macrocyclic peptides is a potential approach to cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Hazama
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan; Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Yizhen Yin
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yoji Murata
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.
| | - Makoto Matsuda
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takeshi Okamoto
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Daisuke Tanaka
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Naohiro Terasaka
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Jinxuan Zhao
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Mariko Sakamoto
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Yuka Kakuchi
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Saito
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Takenori Kotani
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Nishimura
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan
| | - Atsushi Nakagawa
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
| | - Takashi Matozaki
- Division of Molecular and Cellular Signaling, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe 650-0017, Japan.
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Mukai H, Watanabe Y. Review: PET imaging with macro- and middle-sized molecular probes. Nucl Med Biol 2020; 92:156-170. [PMID: 32660789 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2020.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Recent progress in radiolabeling of macro- and middle-sized molecular probes has been extending possibilities to use PET molecular imaging for dynamic application to drug development and therapeutic evaluation. Theranostics concept also accelerated the use of macro- and middle-sized molecular probes for sharpening the contrast of proper target recognition even the cellular types/subtypes and proper selection of the patients who should be treated by the same molecules recognition. Here, brief summary of the present status of immuno-PET, and then further development of advanced technologies related to immuno-PET, peptidic PET probes, and nucleic acids PET probes are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidefumi Mukai
- Laboratory for Molecular Delivery and Imaging Technology, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.
| | - Yasuyoshi Watanabe
- Laboratory for Pathophysiological and Health Science, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan.
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Kim ST, Hong JY, Park SH, Park JO, Park YW, Park N, Lee H, Hong SH, Lee SJ, Song SW, Kim K, Park YS, Lim HY, Kang WK, Nam DH, Lee JW, Park K, Kim KM, Lee J. First-in-human phase I trial of anti-hepatocyte growth factor antibody (YYB101) in refractory solid tumor patients. Ther Adv Med Oncol 2020; 12:1758835920926796. [PMID: 32536979 PMCID: PMC7268171 DOI: 10.1177/1758835920926796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background YYB101, a humanized monoclonal antibody against hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), has shown safety and efficacy in vitro and in vivo. This is a first-in-human trial of this antibody. Materials and Methods YYB101 was administered intravenously to refractory cancer patients once every 4 weeks for 1 month, and then once every 2 weeks until disease progression or intolerable toxicity, at doses of 0.3, 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30 mg/kg, according to a 3+3 dose escalation design. Maximum tolerated dose, safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics were studied. HGF, MET, PD-L1, and ERK expression was evaluated for 9 of 17 patients of the expansion cohort (20 mg/kg). Results In 39 patients enrolled, no dose-limiting toxicity was observed at 0.3 mg/kg, and the most commonly detected toxicity was generalized edema (n = 7, 18.9%) followed by pruritis and nausea (n = 5, 13.5%, each), fatigue, anemia, and decreased appetite (n = 4, 10.8%, each). No patient discontinued treatment because of adverse events. YYB101 showed dose-proportional pharmacokinetics up to 30 mg/kg. Partial response in 1 (2.5%) and stable disease in 17 (43.5%) were observed. HGF, MET, PD-L1, and ERK proteins were not significant predictors for treatment response. However, serum HGF level was significantly lowered in responders upon drug administration. RNA sequencing revealed a mesenchymal signature in two long-term responders. Conclusion YYB101 showed favorable safety and efficacy in patients with refractory solid tumors. Based on this phase I trial, a phase II study on the YYB101 + irinotecan combination in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer patients is planned. Conclusion ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02499224.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Tae Kim
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Jung Yong Hong
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Se Hoon Park
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Joon Oh Park
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Young Whan Park
- National OncoVenture, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Neunggyu Park
- National OncoVenture, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Hukeun Lee
- National OncoVenture, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Sung Hee Hong
- National OncoVenture, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Song-Jae Lee
- CellabMED Inc, Guro-gu, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Seong-Won Song
- CellabMED Inc, Guro-gu, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Kyung Kim
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Young Suk Park
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Ho Yeong Lim
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Won Ki Kang
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Do-Hyun Nam
- Department of Neurosurgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Jeong-Won Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Keunchil Park
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Kyoung-Mee Kim
- Department of Pathology and Translational Genomics, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South)
| | - Jeeyun Lee
- Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 81 Irwon-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06351, Korea
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Otero-Ramirez ME, Matoba K, Mihara E, Passioura T, Takagi J, Suga H. Macrocyclic peptides that inhibit Wnt signalling via interaction with Wnt3a. RSC Chem Biol 2020; 1:26-34. [PMID: 34458746 PMCID: PMC8382136 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00016g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we report de novo macrocyclic peptide binders to Wnt3a, a member of the Wnt protein family. By means of the Random non-standard Peptides Integrated Discovery (RaPID) system, we have performed in vitro selection against the complex of mouse Wnt3a (mWnt3a) with human afamin (hAFM) to discover macrocyclic peptides that bind mWnt3a with K D values as tight as 110 nM. One of these peptides, WAp-D04 (Wnt-AFM-peptide-D04), was able to inhibit the receptor-mediated signaling process, which was demonstrated in a Wnt3a-dependent reporter cell-line. Based on this initial hit, we applied a block-mutagenesis scanning display to identify a mutant inhibitor, WAp-D04-W10P, with 5-fold greater potency in a reporter assay. This work represents the first instance of molecules capable of inhibiting Wnt signaling through direct interaction with a Wnt protein, a molecular class for which targeting has been challenging due its highly hydrophobic nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel E Otero-Ramirez
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
| | - Kyoko Matoba
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University 3-2 Yamadaoka Suita-shi Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Emiko Mihara
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University 3-2 Yamadaoka Suita-shi Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Toby Passioura
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-0033 Japan .,Sydney Analytical, School of Chemistry and School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney Sydney 2006 Australia
| | - Junichi Takagi
- Laboratory of Protein Synthesis and Expression, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University 3-2 Yamadaoka Suita-shi Osaka 565-0871 Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo 7-3-1 Hongo Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
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Umitsu M, Sakai K, Tamura-Kawakami K, Matsumoto K, Takagi J. The constitutive high-affinity Met-binding site in the kringle domain is dispensable for the signalling activity of hepatocyte growth factor. J Biochem 2020; 167:577-586. [DOI: 10.1093/jb/mvaa006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractActivation of a tyrosine kinase receptor Met by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) requires binding of proteolytically activated, two-chain (tc) HGF, but the biochemical detail of this ligand–receptor interaction specificity remains elusive because biologically inactive single chain (sc) HGF can also bind to Met with high affinity. We found that this proteolysis-independent Met binding can be eliminated by mutagenesis introduced in the kringle domain without losing the ability to bind and activate cellular Met receptor after proteolytic activation, arguing against this site’s involvement in the physiological signalling. This non-signal producing Met–HGF interaction can also be eliminated by addition of a heparin mimetic sucrose octasulphate (SOS). By including SOS in the running buffer, we succeeded in detecting cleavage-dependent tcHGF–Met complex formation by size exclusion chromatography.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masataka Umitsu
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Katsuya Sakai
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
- WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Keiko Tamura-Kawakami
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Kunio Matsumoto
- Division of Tumor Dynamics and Regulation, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
- WPI-Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa 920-1192, Japan
| | - Junichi Takagi
- Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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Jing Y, Zhou L, Chen J, Xu H, Sun J, Cai M, Jiang J, Gao J, Wang H. Quantitatively Mapping the Assembly Pattern of EpCAM on Cell Membranes with Peptide Probes. Anal Chem 2019; 92:1865-1873. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b03901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center of Biomembranomics, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
| | - Lulu Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center of Biomembranomics, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Junling Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center of Biomembranomics, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Haijiao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center of Biomembranomics, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Jiayin Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center of Biomembranomics, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Mingjun Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center of Biomembranomics, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Junguang Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center of Biomembranomics, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Jing Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center of Biomembranomics, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
| | - Hongda Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Research Center of Biomembranomics, Changchun, Jilin 130022, China
- University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230027, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Wenhai Road, Aoshanwei, Jimo, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
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Abstract
Introduction: The HGF/MET axis is a key therapeutic pathway in cancer; it is aberrantly activated because of mutations, fusions, amplification or aberrant ligand production. Extensive efforts have been made to discover predictive factors of anti-MET therapeutic efficacy, but they have mostly unsuccessful. An understanding of the intrinsic and acquired mechanism of MET resistance will be fundamental for the development of new therapeutic interventions.Areas covered: This article provides a systematic review of phase II randomized and phase III clinical trials investigating the use of MET inhibitors in the treatment of cancer. We discuss preliminary findings on efficacy and methodologic design flaws in these trials.Expert opinion: MET inhibitors showed poor activity in unselected patients or patients selected by MET expression, p-MET or high HGF basal levels. The efficacy in advanced solid tumors is very modest and in phase III clinical trials, survival differences did not fulfill the stringent requirements of ESMO-Magnitude Clinical Benefit Score (MCBS). Prospective novel liquid biomarker-driven studies and novel trial designs such as Umbrella and Basket trials are necessary to progress MET inhibitor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Oliveres
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors Group, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medical Oncology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Estela Pineda
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors Group, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medical Oncology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Maurel
- Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapeutics in Solid Tumors Group, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medical Oncology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Yin Y, Ochi N, Craven TW, Baker D, Takigawa N, Suga H. De Novo Carborane-Containing Macrocyclic Peptides Targeting Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:19193-19197. [PMID: 31752491 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b09106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
l-Carboranylalanine (LCba) is a unique artificial amino acid containing a cluster of 10 boron atoms. Since the three-dimensional aromaticity and charge distributions of the carborane side chain are quite different from any side chains of proteinogenic amino acids, there is no report whether LCba can be a substrate for the translation machinery. Here, we report studies on the ribosomal incorporation of LCba into peptide via initiation and elongation using the flexizyme-assisted translation system. Our results indicate that only the initiation step could tolerate LCba incorporation, but the elongation steps could not, very likely due to its steric bulkiness of the side chain. Based on this knowledge, we have designed a library of macrocyclic peptides initiated by α-N-(2-choloroacetyl)-l-carboranylalanine (ClAc-LCba) and selected molecules capable of binding to human epidermal growth factor receptor (hEGFR). Two peptides that were forwarded to deeper studies exhibited affinities with KD values at 16 and 20 nM against hEGFR. Computational modeling of one of the peptides suggested that the carborane side chain might be directly involved in the interaction with the hydrophobic β-sheet core in the EGF binding site of hEGFR, which is consistent with the mutational data where replacing LCba residue with LPhe completely eliminated the binding activity. Cell lines that stably express hEGFR could be stained by incubation with the C-terminal fluorescein-labeled peptides, whereas hEGFR-negative cells could not be stained. This study provides a general strategy for the de novo discovery of carborane-containing macrocyclic peptides targeting various tumor biomarker proteins, potentially applicable to boron neutron capture therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhen Yin
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science , The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1 Hongo , Bunkyo , Tokyo 113-0033 , Japan
| | - Nobuaki Ochi
- Department of General Internal Medicine 4 , Kawasaki Medical School , 2-6-1 Nakasange , Kita-ku , Okayama 700-8505 , Japan
| | - Timothy W Craven
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design , University of Washington , Seattle , Washington 98195 , United States
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry and Institute for Protein Design , University of Washington , Seattle , Washington 98195 , United States
| | - Nagio Takigawa
- Department of General Internal Medicine 4 , Kawasaki Medical School , 2-6-1 Nakasange , Kita-ku , Okayama 700-8505 , Japan
| | - Hiroaki Suga
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science , The University of Tokyo , 7-3-1 Hongo , Bunkyo , Tokyo 113-0033 , Japan
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Abstract
Macrocyclic peptides make up an emerging class of candidate therapeutics and chemical probes, with properties that make them potentially applicable to a wide range of targets that are intractable using current pharmacological agents. Additionally, a number of biochemical screening strategies have been developed, particularly over the past decade, that allow for the massively parallel screening of cyclic peptide libraries of up to 1 trillion compounds or more, leading to the isolation of molecules with exceptional target affinity, selectivity, and bioactivity. Clinical development of compounds derived from such screens is already underway, but the nature of these molecules means that such development is likely to follow pathways different from those of traditional small molecule drugs or well-established biologics such as monoclonal antibodies. In addition, recent work has shown that the biochemical techniques used to identify macrocyclic peptides can also be used to rapidly characterize and optimize them. These findings are likely to facilitate the development of these compounds as chemical probes and as therapeutics for areas of unmet medical need.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toby Passioura
- Sydney Analytical, School of Life and Environmental Sciences and School of Chemistry , The University of Sydney , Sydney , NSW 2006 , Australia
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50
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MET Inhibitors in Small Cell Lung Cancer: From the Bench to the Bedside. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11101404. [PMID: 31547040 PMCID: PMC6827355 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11101404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 09/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most aggressive type of lung cancer. The different systemic treatment approaches attempted in the last 35 years have not improved overall survival in the advanced stage. Targeted therapies assessed in clinical trials have failed to show efficacy against SCLC. Within the potentially interesting targets, the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) pathway activation is associated with worse survival and chemoresistance in SCLC. Preclinical data suggest that the inhibition of the MET pathway can revert chemoresistance and prevent tumor growth. Recently, immunotherapy has shown modest but relevant activity in SCLC. Interestingly, MET modulation seems to be involved in increasing the efficacy of standard checkpoint inhibitors. Here, we review the preclinical and clinical data of MET inhibition in SCLC, and the role of this pathway in the immune response.
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