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Bauso LV, La Fauci V, Munaò S, Bonfiglio D, Armeli A, Maimone N, Longo C, Calabrese G. Biological Activity of Natural and Synthetic Peptides as Anticancer Agents. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7264. [PMID: 39000371 PMCID: PMC11242495 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and death worldwide, making it a serious global health concern. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical treatment are the most used conventional therapeutic approaches, although they show several side effects that limit their effectiveness. For these reasons, the discovery of new effective alternative therapies still represents an enormous challenge for the treatment of tumour diseases. Recently, anticancer peptides (ACPs) have gained attention for cancer diagnosis and treatment. ACPs are small bioactive molecules which selectively induce cancer cell death through a variety of mechanisms such as apoptosis, membrane disruption, DNA damage, immunomodulation, as well as inhibition of angiogenesis, cell survival, and proliferation pathways. ACPs can also be employed for the targeted delivery of drugs into cancer cells. With over 1000 clinical trials using ACPs, their potential for application in cancer therapy seems promising. Peptides can also be utilized in conjunction with imaging agents and molecular imaging methods, such as MRI, PET, CT, and NIR, improving the detection and the classification of cancer, and monitoring the treatment response. In this review we will provide an overview of the biological activity of some natural and synthetic peptides for the treatment of the most common and malignant tumours affecting people around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana Vittoria Bauso
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Valeria La Fauci
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Serena Munaò
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Desirèe Bonfiglio
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Alessandra Armeli
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Noemi Maimone
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Clelia Longo
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, 98168 Messina, Italy
| | - Giovanna Calabrese
- Department of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres, 31, 98168 Messina, Italy
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Pan H, Liu P, Zhao L, Pan Y, Mao M, Kroemer G, Kepp O. Immunogenic cell stress and death in the treatment of cancer. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 156:11-21. [PMID: 37977108 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The successful treatment of oncological malignancies which results in long-term disease control or the complete eradication of cancerous cells necessitates the onset of adaptive immune responses targeting tumor-specific antigens. Such desirable anticancer immunity can be triggered via the induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD) of cancer cells, thus converting malignant cells into an in situ vaccine that elicits T cell mediated adaptive immune responses and establishes durable immunological memory. The exploration of ICD for cancer treatment has been subject to extensive research. However, functional heterogeneity among ICD activating therapies in many cases requires specific co-medications to achieve full-blown efficacy. Here, we described the hallmarks of ICD and classify ICD activators into three distinct functional categories namely, according to their mode of action: (i) ICD inducers, which increase the immunogenicity of malignant cells, (ii) ICD sensitizers, which prime cellular circuitries for ICD induction by conventional cytotoxic agents, and (iii) ICD enhancers, which improve the perception of ICD signals by antigen presenting dendritic cells. Altogether, ICD induction, sensitization and enhancement offer the possibility to convert well-established conventional anticancer therapies into immunotherapeutic approaches that activate T cell-mediated anticancer immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Pan
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Peng Liu
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Liwei Zhao
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Yuhong Pan
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Misha Mao
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France; Department of Biology, Institut du Cancer Paris CARPEM, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, 75015 Paris, France.
| | - Oliver Kepp
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Equipe Labellisée par la Ligue Contre le Cancer, Université de Paris Cité, Sorbonne Université, Inserm U1138, Institut Universitaire de France, 75006 Paris, France; Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Center, 94800 Villejuif, France.
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Yin H, Fu XY, Gao HY, Ma YN, Yao JF, Du SS, Qi YK, Wang KW. Design, synthesis and anticancer evaluation of novel oncolytic peptide-chlorambucil conjugates. Bioorg Chem 2023; 138:106674. [PMID: 37331169 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen mustards (NMs) are an important class of chemotherapeutic drugs and have been widely employed for the treatment of various cancers. However, due to the high reactivity of nitrogen mustard, most NMs react with proteins and phospholipids within the cell membrane. Therefore, only a very small fraction of NMs can reach the reach nucleus, alkylating and cross-linking DNA. To efficiently penetrate the cell membrane barrier, the hybridization of NMs with a membranolytic agent may be an effective strategy. Herein, the chlorambucil (CLB, a kind of NM) hybrids were first designed by conjugation with membranolytic peptide LTX-315. However, although LTX-315 could help large amounts of CLB penetrate the cytomembrane and enter the cytoplasm, CLB still did not readily reach the nucleus. Our previous work demonstrated that the hybrid peptide NTP-385 obtained by covalent conjugation of rhodamine B with LTX-315 could accumulate in the nucleus. Hence, the NTP-385-CLB conjugate, named FXY-3, was then designed and systematically evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. FXY-3 displayed prominent localization in the cancer cell nucleus and induced severe DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) to trigger cell apoptosis. Especially, compared with CLB and LTX-315, FXY-3 exhibited significantly increased in vitro cytotoxicity against a panel of cancer cell lines. Moreover, FXY-3 showed superior in vivo anticancer efficiency in the mouse cancer model. Collectively, this study established an effective strategy to increase the anticancer activity and the nuclear accumulation of NMs, which will provide a valuable reference for future nucleus-targeting modification of nitrogen mustards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yin
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; Institute of Innovative Drugs, Qingdao University, #38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Xing-Yan Fu
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Han-Yu Gao
- School of Stomatology, Jining Medical University, #133 Hehua Road, Jining 272067, China
| | - Yan-Nan Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Jing-Fang Yao
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Shan-Shan Du
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Yun-Kun Qi
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; Institute of Innovative Drugs, Qingdao University, #38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, China.
| | - Ke-Wei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; Institute of Innovative Drugs, Qingdao University, #38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, China
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Baude J, Limagne E, Ladjohounlou R, Mirjolet C. Combining radiotherapy and NK cell-based therapies: The time has come. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 378:31-60. [PMID: 37438020 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells that play an essential role in the anti-tumor response through immunosurveillance, multiple mechanisms of cytotoxicity and the synthesis of cytokines modulating the immune tumor microenvironment (TME). After the dramatic advances in immunotherapy targeting T cells including the success of checkpoint inhibitors or autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) expressing T cells in clinical practice, NK cells have gained growing interest for the development of new therapies. Although NK cells have shown promising responses in leukemia patients, the effects of NK-targeted therapies are currently limited in the treatment of solid tumors. Thus, radiotherapy could provide a valuable solution to improve treatments targeting NK cells. Indeed, ionizing radiations represent a powerful immuno-modulator that can either induce a pro-inflammatory and anti-tumor TME, or conversely lead to immunosuppression of effector immune cells in favor of tumor growth and therapeutic escape, depending on how it is delivered and tumor models. However, the effects of ionizing radiation on NK cells are only partially understood. Therefore, we review the effects of radiotherapy on the NK cell-mediated anti-tumor response, and propose potential strategies to reinvigorate NK cells by combining radiotherapy with NK cell-targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Baude
- Radiation Oncology Department, Preclinical Radiation Therapy and Radiobiology Unit, Centre Georges-François Leclerc, Unicancer, Dijon, France
| | - Emeric Limagne
- TIReCS Team, UMR INSERM 1231, Dijon, France; Cancer Biology Transfer Platform, Centre Georges-François Leclerc, Equipe Labellisée Ligue Contre le Cancer, Dijon, France; University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Riad Ladjohounlou
- Radiation Oncology Department, Preclinical Radiation Therapy and Radiobiology Unit, Centre Georges-François Leclerc, Unicancer, Dijon, France; TIReCS Team, UMR INSERM 1231, Dijon, France
| | - Céline Mirjolet
- Radiation Oncology Department, Preclinical Radiation Therapy and Radiobiology Unit, Centre Georges-François Leclerc, Unicancer, Dijon, France; TIReCS Team, UMR INSERM 1231, Dijon, France.
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Chi QN, Jia SX, Yin H, Wang LE, Fu XY, Ma YN, Sun MP, Qi YK, Li Z, Du SS. Efficient synthesis and anticancer evaluation of spider toxin peptide LVTX-8-based analogues with enhanced stability. Bioorg Chem 2023; 134:106451. [PMID: 36907048 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Cytotoxic peptides derived from spider venoms have been considered as promising candidates for anticancer treatment. The novel cell penetrating peptide LVTX-8, which is a 25-residue amphipathic α-helical peptide isolated from spider Lycosa vittata, exhibited potent cytotoxicity and is a potential precursor for further anticancer drug development. Nevertheless, LVTX-8 may be easily degraded by multiple proteases, inducing the proteolytic stability problem and short half-life. In this study, ten LVTX-8-based analogs were rationally designed and the efficient manual synthetic method was established by the DIC/Oxyma based condensation system. The cytotoxicity of synthetic peptides was systematically evaluated against seven cancer cell lines. Seven of the derived peptides exhibited high cytotoxicity towards tested cancer in vitro, which was better than or comparable to that of natural LVTX-8. In particular, both N-acetyl and C-hydrazide modified LVTX-8 (825) and the conjugate methotrexate (MTX)-GFLG-LVTX-8 (827) possessed more durable anticancer efficiency, higher proteolytic stability, as well as lower hemolysis. Finally, we confirmed that LVTX-8 could disrupt the integrity of cell membrane, target the mitochondria and reduce the mitochondrial membrane potential to induce the cell death. Taken together, the structural modifications were conducted on LVTX-8 for the first time and the stability significantly improved derivatives 825 and 827 may provide useful references for the modifications of cytotoxic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiao-Na Chi
- State Key Laboratory Base for Eco-Chemical Engineering in College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Shi-Xi Jia
- State Key Laboratory Base for Eco-Chemical Engineering in College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Hao Yin
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Li-E Wang
- Department of Assisted Reproduction, Reproductive Center, Qingdao Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao 266004, China
| | - Xing-Yan Fu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Yan-Nan Ma
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Ming-Pu Sun
- State Key Laboratory Base for Eco-Chemical Engineering in College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Yun-Kun Qi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266073, China.
| | - Zhibo Li
- State Key Laboratory Base for Eco-Chemical Engineering in College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China.
| | - Shan-Shan Du
- State Key Laboratory Base for Eco-Chemical Engineering in College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China; Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266073, China.
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Lessons from a Single Amino Acid Substitution: Anticancer and Antibacterial Properties of Two Phospholipase A2-Derived Peptides. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2021; 44:46-62. [PMID: 35723383 PMCID: PMC8929095 DOI: 10.3390/cimb44010004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The membrane-active nature of phospholipase A2-derived peptides makes them potential candidates for antineoplastic and antibacterial therapies. Two short 13-mer C-terminal fragments taken from snake venom Lys49-PLA2 toxins (p-AppK and p-Acl), differing by a leucine/phenylalanine substitution, were synthesized and their bioactivity was evaluated. Their capacity to interfere with the survival of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as with solid and liquid tumors was assessed in vitro. Toxicity to red blood cells was investigated via in silico and in vitro techniques. The mode of action was mainly studied by molecular dynamics simulations and membrane permeabilization assays. Briefly, both peptides have dual activity, i.e., they act against both bacteria, including multidrug-resistant strains and tumor cells. All tested bacteria were susceptible to both peptides, Pseudomonas aeruginosa being the most affected. RAMOS, K562, NB4, and CEM cells were the main leukemic targets of the peptides. In general, p-Acl showed more significant activity, suggesting that phenylalanine confers advantages to the antibacterial and antitumor mechanism, particularly for osteosarcoma lines (HOS and MG63). Peptide-based treatment increased the uptake of a DNA-intercalating dye by bacteria, suggesting membrane damage. Indeed, p-AppK and p-Acl did not disrupt erythrocyte membranes, in agreement with in silico predictions. The latter revealed that the peptides deform the membrane and increase its permeability by facilitating solvent penetration. This phenomenon is expected to catalyze the permeation of solutes that otherwise could not cross the hydrophobic membrane core. In conclusion, the present study highlights the role of a single amino acid substitution present in natural sequences towards the development of dual-action agents. In other words, dissecting and fine-tuning biomembrane remodeling proteins, such as snake venom phospholipase A2 isoforms, is again demonstrated as a valuable source of therapeutic peptides.
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