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Abo Qoura L, Morozova E, Ramaa СS, Pokrovsky VS. Smart nanocarriers for enzyme-activated prodrug therapy. J Drug Target 2024:1-23. [PMID: 39045650 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2024.2383688] [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: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024]
Abstract
Exogenous enzyme-activated prodrug therapy (EPT) is a potential cancer treatment strategy that delivers non-human enzymes into or on the surface of the cell and subsequently converts a non-toxic prodrug into an active cytotoxic substance at a specific location and time. The development of several pharmacological pairs based on EPT has been the focus of anticancer research for more than three decades. Numerous of these pharmacological pairs have progressed to clinical trials, and a few have achieved application in specific cancer therapies. The current review highlights the potential of enzyme-activated prodrug therapy as a promising anticancer treatment. Different microbial, plant, or viral enzymes and their corresponding prodrugs that advanced to clinical trials have been listed. Additionally, we discuss new trends in the field of enzyme-activated prodrug nanocarriers, including nanobubbles combined with ultrasound (NB/US), mesoscopic-sized polyion complex vesicles (PICsomes), nanoparticles, and extracellular vesicles (EVs), with special emphasis on smart stimuli-triggered drug release, hybrid nanocarriers, and the main application of nanotechnology in improving prodrugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louay Abo Qoura
- Research Institute of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, People's Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia
- Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena Morozova
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology of the, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - С S Ramaa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth's College of Pharmacy, Mumbai, India
| | - Vadim S Pokrovsky
- Research Institute of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, People's Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia
- Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
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2
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Parkins KM, Dubois VP, Kelly JJ, Chen Y, Knier NN, Foster PJ, Ronald JA. Engineering Circulating Tumor Cells as Novel Cancer Theranostics. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:7925-7937. [PMID: 32685030 PMCID: PMC7359075 DOI: 10.7150/thno.44259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
New ways to target and treat metastatic disease are urgently needed. Tumor “self-homing” describes the recruitment of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) back to a previously excised primary tumor location, contributing to tumor recurrence, as well as their migration to established metastatic lesions. Recently, self-homing CTCs have been exploited as delivery vehicles for anti-cancer therapeutics in preclinical primary tumor models. However, the ability of CTCs to self-home and treat metastatic disease is largely unknown. Methods: Here, we used bioluminescence imaging (BLI) to explore whether systemically administered CTCs home to metastatic lesions and if CTCs armed with both a reporter gene and a cytotoxic prodrug gene therapy can be used to visualize and treat metastatic disease. Results: BLI performed over time revealed a remarkable ability of CTCs to home to and treat tumors throughout the body. Excitingly, metastatic tumor burden in mice that received therapeutic CTCs was lower compared to mice receiving control CTCs. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the noteworthy ability of experimental CTCs to home to disseminated breast cancer lesions. Moreover, by incorporating a prodrug gene therapy system into our self-homing CTCs, we show exciting progress towards effective and targeted delivery of gene-based therapeutics to treat both primary and metastatic lesions.
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Erkan EP, Saydam N, Chen CC, Saydam O. Extracellular Vesicles as Carriers of Suicide mRNA and/or Protein in Cancer Therapy. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1895:87-96. [PMID: 30539531 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8922-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy involves the introduction of genes (termed transgenes) into cells to compensate for a deficiency or to make a beneficial protein. Gene therapy can used as a form of cancer treatment. A particularly attractive paradigm in this regard involves the selective introduction of transgenes into cancer cells that converts inactive prodrugs into active chemotherapeutic agents, thereby triggering the death of cancer cells. Since prodrugs are inactive, they tend not to cause significant side-effects and are well-tolerated by patients relative to conventional chemotherapy. Several viral and nonviral vectors have been used as delivery tools for suicide gene therapy. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are now recognized as a promising class of nonviral delivery vectors. Here, we describe a method in which a suicide fusion gene construct is loaded into EVs derived from a non-tumorigenic cell line. Delivery of these modified EVs to glioblastoma cell lines and spheroids decreases glioblastoma cell viability, induces apoptotic cell death, and inhibits tumor growth in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erdogan Pekcan Erkan
- Department of Medical Genetics, Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nurten Saydam
- Department of Neurosurgery and School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Clark C Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery and School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Okay Saydam
- Department of Neurosurgery and School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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4
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Komissarov AA, Kostrov SV, Demidyuk IV. In Vitro Assay for the Evaluation of Cytotoxic Effects Provided by a Combination of Suicide and Killer Genes in a Bicistronic Vector. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1895:135-147. [PMID: 30539535 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8922-5_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
When using bicistronic expression constructs the issue arises concerning proper evaluation of the cytotoxic efficiency of a combination of therapeutic genes. For this purpose, an approach can be applied based on the transient transfection of cultured human cells with a specifically designed set of mono- and bicistronic expression constructs and on the comparison of their cytotoxic effects. Here the application of this approach is described using an example of the evaluation of the combined cytotoxic action of bifunctional yeast cytosine deaminase/uracil phosphoribosyltransferase fusion protein (FCU1) and hepatitis A virus 3C protease in a bicistronic plasmid construct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey A Komissarov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey V Kostrov
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya V Demidyuk
- Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.
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5
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Hogan DJ, Zhu JJ, Diago OR, Gammon D, Haghighi A, Lu G, Das A, Gruber HE, Jolly DJ, Ostertag D. Molecular Analyses Support the Safety and Activity of Retroviral Replicating Vector Toca 511 in Patients. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 24:4680-4693. [DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-0619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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6
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Komissarov A, Demidyuk I, Safina D, Roschina M, Shubin A, Lunina N, Karaseva M, Kostrov S. Cytotoxic effect of co-expression of human hepatitis A virus 3C protease and bifunctional suicide protein FCU1 genes in a bicistronic vector. Mol Biol Rep 2017; 44:323-332. [PMID: 28748410 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-017-4113-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent reports on various cancer models demonstrate a great potential of cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine suicide system in cancer therapy. However, this approach has limited success and its application to patients has not reached the desirable clinical significance. Accordingly, the improvement of this suicide system is an actively developing trend in gene therapy. The purpose of this study was to explore the cytotoxic effect observed after co-expression of hepatitis A virus 3C protease (3C) and yeast cytosine deaminase/uracil phosphoribosyltransferase fusion protein (FCU1) in a bicistronic vector. A set of mono- and bicistronic plasmid constructs was generated to provide individual or combined expression of 3C and FCU1. The constructs were introduced into HEK293 and HeLa cells, and target protein synthesis as well as the effect of 5-fluorocytosine on cell death and the time course of the cytotoxic effect was studied. The obtained vectors provide for the synthesis of target proteins in human cells. The expression of the genes in a bicistronic construct provide for the cytotoxic effect comparable to that observed after the expression of genes in monocistronic constructs. At the same time, co-expression of FCU1 and 3C recapitulated their cytotoxic effects. The combined effect of the killer and suicide genes was studied for the first time on human cells in vitro. The integration of different gene therapy systems inducing cell death (FCU1 and 3C genes) in a bicistronic construct allowed us to demonstrate that it does not interfere with the cytotoxic effect of each of them. A combination of cytotoxic genes in multicistronic vectors can be used to develop pluripotent gene therapy agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexey Komissarov
- Laboratory of Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, 2 Kurchatova Sq., Moscow, Russia, 123182
| | - Ilya Demidyuk
- Laboratory of Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, 2 Kurchatova Sq., Moscow, Russia, 123182.
| | - Dina Safina
- Laboratory of Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, 2 Kurchatova Sq., Moscow, Russia, 123182
| | - Marina Roschina
- Laboratory of Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, 2 Kurchatova Sq., Moscow, Russia, 123182
| | - Andrey Shubin
- Laboratory of Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, 2 Kurchatova Sq., Moscow, Russia, 123182
| | - Nataliya Lunina
- Laboratory of Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, 2 Kurchatova Sq., Moscow, Russia, 123182
| | - Maria Karaseva
- Laboratory of Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, 2 Kurchatova Sq., Moscow, Russia, 123182
| | - Sergey Kostrov
- Laboratory of Protein Engineering, Institute of Molecular Genetics, Russian Academy of Science, 2 Kurchatova Sq., Moscow, Russia, 123182
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Malekshah OM, Chen X, Nomani A, Sarkar S, Hatefi A. Enzyme/Prodrug Systems for Cancer Gene Therapy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 2:299-308. [PMID: 28042530 DOI: 10.1007/s40495-016-0073-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The use of enzyme/prodrug system has gained attention because it could help improve the efficacy and safety of conventional cancer chemotherapies. In this approach, cancer cells are first transfected with a gene that can express an enzyme with ability to convert a non-toxic prodrug into its active cytotoxic form. As a result, the activated prodrug could kill the transfected cancer cells. Despite the significant progress of different suicide gene therapy protocols in preclinical studies and early clinical trials, none has reached the clinic due to several shortcomings. These include slow prodrug-drug conversion rate, low transfection/transduction efficiency of the vectors and nonspecific toxicity/immunogenicity related to the delivery systems, plasmid DNA, enzymes and/or prodrugs. This mini review aims at providing an overview of the most widely used enzyme/prodrug systems with emphasis on reporting the results of the recent preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Obeid M Malekshah
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Xuguang Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Alireza Nomani
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Siddik Sarkar
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Arash Hatefi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States; Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, United States
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Abstract
Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death and morbidity in men in the Western world. Tumor progression is dependent on functioning androgen receptor signaling, and initial administration of antiandrogens and hormone therapy (androgen-deprivation therapy) prevent growth and spread. Tumors frequently develop escape mechanisms to androgen-deprivation therapy and progress to castration-resistant late-stage metastatic disease that, in turn, inevitably leads to resistance to all current therapeutics, including chemotherapy. In spite of the recent development of more effective inhibitors of androgen–androgen receptor signaling such as enzalutamide and abiraterone, patient survival benefits are still limited. Oncolytic adenoviruses have proven efficacy in prostate cancer cells and cause regression of tumors in preclinical models of numerous drug-resistant cancers. Data from clinical trials demonstrate that adenoviral mutants have limited toxicity to normal tissues and are safe when administered to patients with various solid cancers, including prostate cancer. While efficacy in response to adenovirus administration alone is marginal, findings from early-phase trials targeting local-ized and metastatic prostate cancer suggest improved efficacy in combination with cytotoxic drugs and radiation therapy. Here, we review recent progress in the development of multimodal oncolytic adenoviruses as biological therapeutics to improve on tumor elimination in prostate cancer patients. These optimized mutants target cancer cells by several mechanisms including viral lysis and by expression of cytotoxic transgenes and immune-stimulatory factors that activate the host immune system to destroy both infected and noninfected prostate cancer cells. Additional modifications of the viral capsid proteins may support future systemic delivery of oncolytic adenoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Sweeney
- Centre for Molecular Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
| | - Gunnel Halldén
- Centre for Molecular Oncology, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, London, UK
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9
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Progress and problems with the use of suicide genes for targeted cancer therapy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2016; 99:113-128. [PMID: 26004498 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Revised: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Among various gene therapy methods for cancer, suicide gene therapy attracts a special attention because it allows selective conversion of non-toxic compounds into cytotoxic drugs inside cancer cells. As a result, therapeutic index can be increased significantly by introducing high concentrations of cytotoxic molecules to the tumor environment while minimizing impact on normal tissues. Despite significant success at the preclinical level, no cancer suicide gene therapy protocol has delivered the desirable clinical significance yet. This review gives a critical look at the six main enzyme/prodrug systems that are used in suicide gene therapy of cancer and familiarizes readers with the state-of-the-art research and practices in this field. For each enzyme/prodrug system, the mechanisms of action, protein engineering strategies to enhance enzyme stability/affinity and chemical modification techniques to increase prodrug kinetics and potency are discussed. In each category, major clinical trials that have been performed in the past decade with each enzyme/prodrug system are discussed to highlight the progress to date. Finally, shortcomings are underlined and areas that need improvement in order to produce clinical significance are delineated.
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10
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Ghosh AC, Shimell M, Leof ER, Haley MJ, O'Connor MB. UPRT, a suicide-gene therapy candidate in higher eukaryotes, is required for Drosophila larval growth and normal adult lifespan. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13176. [PMID: 26271729 PMCID: PMC4536494 DOI: 10.1038/srep13176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRT) is a pyrimidine salvage pathway enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of uracil to uridine monophosphate (UMP). The enzyme is highly conserved from prokaryotes to humans and yet phylogenetic evidence suggests that UPRT homologues from higher-eukaryotes, including Drosophila, are incapable of binding uracil. Purified human UPRT also do not show any enzymatic activity in vitro, making microbial UPRT an attractive candidate for anti-microbial drug development, suicide-gene therapy, and cell-specific mRNA labeling techniques. Nevertheless, the enzymatic site of UPRT remains conserved across the animal kingdom indicating an in vivo role for the enzyme. We find that the Drosophila UPRT homologue, krishah (kri), codes for an enzyme that is required for larval growth, pre-pupal/pupal viability and long-term adult lifespan. Our findings suggest that UPRT from all higher eukaryotes is likely enzymatically active in vivo and challenges the previous notion that the enzyme is non-essential in higher eukaryotes and cautions against targeting the enzyme for therapeutic purposes. Our findings also suggest that expression of the endogenous UPRT gene will likely cause background incorporation when using microbial UPRT as a cell-specific mRNA labeling reagent in higher eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpan C Ghosh
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - MaryJane Shimell
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Emma R Leof
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Macy J Haley
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Michael B O'Connor
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Nouri FS, Wang X, Hatefi A. Genetically engineered theranostic mesenchymal stem cells for the evaluation of the anticancer efficacy of enzyme/prodrug systems. J Control Release 2015; 200:179-87. [PMID: 25575867 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Revised: 12/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, various enzyme/prodrug systems such as thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (TK/GCV), yeast cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine (yCD/5-FC) and nitroreductase/CB1954 (NTR/CB1954) have been used for stem cell mediated suicide gene therapy of cancer. Yet, no study has been conducted to compare and demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of using one system over another. Knowing that each enzyme/prodrug system has its own strengths and weaknesses, we utilized mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a medium to perform for the first time a comparative study that illustrated the impact of subtle differences among these systems on the therapeutic outcome. For therapeutic purposes, we first genetically modified MSCs to stably express a panel of four suicide genes including TK (TK007 and TK(SR39) mutants), yeast cytosine deaminase:uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (yCD:UPRT) and nitroreductase (NTR). Then, we evaluated the anticancer efficacies of the genetically engineered MSCs in vitro and in vivo by using SKOV3 cell line which is sensitive to all four enzyme/prodrug systems. In addition, all MSCs were engineered to stably express luciferase gene making them suitable for quantitative imaging and dose-response relationship studies in animals. Considering the limitations imposed by the prodrugs' bystander effects, our findings show that yCD:UPRT/5-FC is the most effective enzyme/prodrug system among the ones tested. Our findings also demonstrate that theranostic MSCs are a reliable medium for the side-by-side evaluation and screening of the enzyme/prodrug systems at the preclinical level. The results of this study could help scientists who utilize cell-based, non-viral or viral vectors for suicide gene therapy of cancer make more informed decisions when choosing enzyme/prodrug systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faranak Salman Nouri
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Xing Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Arash Hatefi
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA; Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USA.
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Zhang J, Kale V, Chen M. Gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy. AAPS J 2015; 17:102-10. [PMID: 25338741 PMCID: PMC4287286 DOI: 10.1208/s12248-014-9675-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As one targeting strategy of prodrug delivery, gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) promises to realize the targeting through its three key features in cancer therapy-cell-specific gene delivery and expression, controlled conversion of prodrugs to drugs in target cells, and expanded toxicity to the target cells' neighbors through bystander effects. After over 20 years of development, multiple GDEPT systems have advanced into clinical trials. However, no GDEPT product is currently marketed as a drug, suggesting that there are still barriers to overcome before GDEPT becomes a standard therapy. In this review, we first provide a general introduction of this prodrug targeting strategy. Then, we utilize the four most thoroughly studied systems to illustrate components, mechanisms, preclinical and clinical results, and further development directions of GDEPT. These four systems are herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir, cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine, cytochrome P450/oxazaphosphorines, and nitroreductase/CB1954 system. Later, we focus our discussion on bystander effects including local and distant bystander effects. Lastly, we discuss carriers that are used to deliver genes for GDEPT including virus carriers and non-virus carriers. Among these carriers, the stem cell-based gene delivery system represents one of the newest carriers under development, and may brought about a breakthrough to the gene delivery issue of GDEPT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- />The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993 USA
| | - Vijay Kale
- />College of Pharmacy, Roseman University of Health Sciences, 10920 S. Riverfront Pkwy, South Jordan, Utah 84095 USA
| | - Mingnan Chen
- />Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, 30 S 2000 E, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 USA
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Christensen CL, Zandi R, Gjetting T, Cramer F, Poulsen HS. Specifically targeted gene therapy for small-cell lung cancer. Expert Rev Anticancer Ther 2014; 9:437-52. [DOI: 10.1586/era.09.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Wennier ST, Liu J, McFadden G. Bugs and drugs: oncolytic virotherapy in combination with chemotherapy. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2013; 13:1817-33. [PMID: 21740354 DOI: 10.2174/138920112800958850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2010] [Accepted: 09/18/2010] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Single agent therapies are rarely successful in treating cancer, particularly at metastatic or end stages, and survival rates with monotherapies alone are generally poor. The combination of multiple therapies to treat cancer has already driven significant improvements in the standard of care treatments for many types of cancers. The first combination treatments exploited for cancer therapy involved the use of several cytotoxic chemotherapy agents. Later, with the development of more targeted agents, the use of novel, less toxic drugs, in combination with the more classic cytotoxic drugs has proven advantageous for certain cancer types. Recently, the combination of oncolytic virotherapy with chemotherapy has shown that the use of these two therapies with very distinct anti-tumor mechanisms may also lead to synergistic interactions that ultimately result in increased therapeutic effects not achievable by either therapy alone. The mechanisms of synergy between oncolytic viruses (OVs) and chemotherapeutic agents are just starting to be elucidated. It is evident, however, that the success of these OV-drug combinations depends greatly on the particular OV, the drug(s) selected, and the cancer type targeted. This review summarizes the different OV-drug combinations investigated to date, including the use of second generation armed OVs, which have been studied with the specific purpose of generating synergistic interactions with particular chemotherapy agents. The known mechanisms of synergy between these OV-drug combinations are also summarized. The importance of further investigating these mechanisms of synergy will be critical in order to maximize the therapeutic efficacy of OV-drug combination therapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Tusell Wennier
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, 1600 SW Archer Rd, P.O. Box 100266 Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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Michaelsen SR, Christensen CL, Sehested M, Cramer F, Poulsen TT, Patterson AV, Poulsen HS. Single agent- and combination treatment with two targeted suicide gene therapy systems is effective in chemoresistant small cell lung cancer cells. J Gene Med 2012; 14:445-58. [PMID: 22576955 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.2630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transcriptional targeted suicide gene (SG) therapy driven by the insulinoma-associated 1 (INSM1) promoter makes it possible to target suicide toxin production and cytotoxicity exclusively to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cells and tumors. It remains to be determined whether acquired chemoresistance, as observed in the majority of SCLC patients, desensitizes SCLC cells to INSM1 promoter-driven SG therapy. METHODS A panel of SCLC cell lines resistant to clinically relevant chemotherapeutics was characterized regarding the expression of proteins involved in response to chemotherapy and regarding INSM1 promoter activity. Sensitivity towards INSM1 promoter-driven SG therapy was tested using different systems: Yeast cytosine deaminase-uracil phosphoribosyl transferase (YCD-YUPRT) in combination with the prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) or Escherichia coli nitroreductase (NTR) together with the bromomustard prodrug SN27686. RESULTS The chemoresistant cell lines displayed heterogeneous expression profiles of molecules involved in multidrug resistance, apoptosis and survival pathways. Despite this, the INSM1 promoter activity was found to be unchanged or increased in SCLC chemoresistant cells and xenografts compared to chemosensitive variants. INSM1 promoter-driven SG therapy with YCD-YUPRT/5-FC or NTR/SN27686, was found to induce high levels of cytotoxicity in both chemosensitive and chemoresistant SCLC cells. Moreover, the combination of INSM1 promoter-driven YCD-YUPRT/5-FC therapy and chemotherapy, as well as the combination of INSM1 promoter-driven YCD-YUPRT/5-FC and NTR/SN27686 therapy, was observed to be superior to single agent therapy in chemoresistant SCLC cells. CONCLUSIONS Collectively, the present study demonstrates that targeted SG therapy is a potent therapeutic approach for chemoresistant SCLC patients, with the highest efficacy achieved when applied as combination SG therapy or in combination with standard chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Signe R Michaelsen
- Department of Radiation Biology, The Finsen Center, National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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16
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Suicide gene therapy in cancer: where do we stand now? Cancer Lett 2012; 324:160-70. [PMID: 22634584 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2012.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2011] [Revised: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 05/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Suicide gene therapy is based on the introduction into tumor cells of a viral or a bacterial gene, which allows the conversion of a non-toxic compound into a lethal drug. Although suicide gene therapy has been successfully used in a large number of in vitro and in vivo studies, its application to cancer patients has not reached the desirable clinical significance. However, recent reports on pre-clinical cancer models demonstrate the huge potential of this strategy when used in combination with new therapeutic approaches. In this review, we summarize the different suicide gene systems and gene delivery vectors addressed to cancer, with particular emphasis on recently developed systems and associated bystander effects. In addition, we review the different strategies that have been used in combination with suicide gene therapy and provide some insights into the future directions of this approach, particularly towards cancer stem cell eradication.
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Christensen CL, Gjetting T, Poulsen TT, Cramer F, Roth JA, Poulsen HS. Targeted cytosine deaminase-uracil phosphoribosyl transferase suicide gene therapy induces small cell lung cancer-specific cytotoxicity and tumor growth delay. Clin Cancer Res 2010; 16:2308-19. [PMID: 20371678 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-09-3057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a highly malignant cancer for which there is no curable treatment. Novel therapies are therefore in great demand. In the present study we investigated the therapeutic effect of transcriptionally targeted suicide gene therapy for SCLC based on the yeast cytosine deaminase (YCD) gene alone or fused with the yeast uracil phosphoribosyl transferase (YUPRT) gene followed by administration of 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) prodrug. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The YCD gene or the YCD-YUPRT gene was placed under regulation of the SCLC-specific promoter insulinoma-associated 1 (INSM1). Therapeutic effect was evaluated in vitro in SCLC cell lines and in vivo in SCLC xenografted nude mice using the nonviral nanoparticle DOTAP/cholesterol for transgene delivery. RESULTS INSM1-YCD/5-FC and INSM1-YCD-YUPRT/5-FC therapy induced high cytotoxicity in a range of SCLC cell lines. The highest therapeutic effect was obtained from the YCD-YUPRT fusion gene strategy. No cytotoxicity was induced after treatment of cell lines of other origin than SCLC. In addition the INSM1-YCD-YUPRT/5-FC therapy was superior to an established suicide gene system consisting of the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVTK) gene and the prodrug ganciclovir. The superior effect was in part due to massive bystander cytotoxicity of YCD-YUPRT-produced toxins. Finally, INSM1-YCD-YUPRT/5-FC therapy induced significant tumor growth delay in SCLC xenografts compared with control-treated xenografts. CONCLUSIONS The current study is the first to test cytosine deaminase-based suicide gene therapy for SCLC and the first to show an antitumor effect from the delivery of suicide gene therapeutics for SCLC in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla L Christensen
- Department of Radiation Biology, The Finsen Center, National University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Khatri A, Husaini Y, Ow K, Chapman J, Russell PJ. Cytosine deaminase-uracil phosphoribosyltransferase and interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18: a multimodal anticancer interface marked by specific modulation in serum cytokines. Clin Cancer Res 2009; 15:2323-34. [PMID: 19318483 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-08-2039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To test the effects of a new combination, cytosine deaminase (CD) + uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (UPRT)-mediated gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) with interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18, on (a) growth of murine prostate and remote tumor deposits, (b) mouse survival, and (c) T helper (Th) 1/Th2 serum cytokine balance with a special focus to assess correlation with tumor burden/survival. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Efficacy of intraprostatic administration of adenovirally delivered murine IL-12 and IL-18 against orthotopic RM1 tumors and lung pseudometastases was assessed in C57BL/6 mice. At necropsy, tumor growth, lung colony counts, effects on immune cell infiltration, vasculature, apoptosis, and proliferation were estimated. Next, CDUPRT-GDEPT + cytokines were tested at suboptimal doses in mice with RM1CDUPRT prostate tumors/RM1 lung deposits and analyzed as above. Effects on mouse survival were also assessed. Host immune responses to different treatments were assessed by monitoring 11 serum cytokines using Luminex technology. RESULTS Our data show that IL-12 and IL-18, when combined with CDUPRT-GDEPT, caused significant reduction in local RM1 tumors and lung colonies with enhanced long-term survival versus individual treatments. A dramatic enhancement of tumor infiltration by a wider repertoire of immune cells and disruption of vasculature implied the combination to be more immunostimulatory and antiangiogenic. Remarkably, lowering of serum IL-4 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) was consistently associated with lower tumor burden (local and systemic), and this, rather than an increase in Th1 cytokines, better predicted treatment efficacy. In addition, mouse survival correlated with substantially higher cytokine (Th1/Th2) levels after treatment. CONCLUSION Locoregional application of CDUPRT-GDEPT and IL-12/IL-18 was effective against local and systemic prostate cancer and improved survival. Monitoring serum levels of IL-4 and MCP-1 may accurately reflect tumor burden and, hence, host response to therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparajita Khatri
- Oncology Research Centre, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia.
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Gopinath P, Ghosh SS. Apoptotic induction with bifunctional E.coli cytosine deaminase-uracil phosphoribosyltransferase mediated suicide gene therapy is synergized by curcumin treatment in vitro. Mol Biotechnol 2007; 39:39-48. [PMID: 18092145 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-007-9026-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2007] [Accepted: 11/26/2007] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Development of novel suicide gene therapy vector with potential application in cancer treatment has a great impact on human health. Investigation to understand molecular mechanism of cell death is necessary to evaluate the therapeutic application of suicide vectors. For example, the bifunctional E.coli cytosine deaminase & uracil phosphoribosyltransferase fusion (CD-UPRT) gene expression is known to sensitize a wide range of cells toward nontoxic prodrug 5-flurocytosine (5-FC) by converting it to toxic compounds, but the exact pathway of cell death is yet to be defined. Herein, we investigated the mechanism of cell death by 5-FC/CD-UPRT suicide system in both cancer and non-cancer cells and found that the optimum 5-FC concentration led to programmed cell death in vitro. The CD-UPRT expression of transfected cells was measured by the RT-PCR analysis. Biochemical assays, such as mitochondrial activity (MTS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) measurements exhibited cell death. Microscopic experiments showed characteristic onset of apoptosis which was further supported by internucleosomal DNA cleavage of BrdU labeled cellular DNA, appearance of characteristic laddering of chromosomal DNA and involvement of caspase pathway. Furthermore, the 5-FC/CD-UPRT-mediated apoptosis was potentiated with addition of a known anticancer agent curcumin. Our in vitro studies confirmed synergistic induction of apoptotic pathway in the combination treatment. Therefore, combination of 5-FC/CD-UPRT with curcumin could be a potential chemosensitization strategy for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Gopinath
- Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781039, India
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