1
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Fenis A, Demaria O, Gauthier L, Vivier E, Narni-Mancinelli E. New immune cell engagers for cancer immunotherapy. Nat Rev Immunol 2024; 24:471-486. [PMID: 38273127 DOI: 10.1038/s41577-023-00982-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
There have been major advances in the immunotherapy of cancer in recent years, including the development of T cell engagers - antibodies engineered to redirect T cells to recognize and kill cancer cells - for the treatment of haematological malignancies. However, the field still faces several challenges to develop agents that are consistently effective in a majority of patients and cancer types, such as optimizing drug dose, overcoming treatment resistance and improving efficacy in solid tumours. A new generation of T cell-targeted molecules was developed to tackle these issues that are potentially more effective and safer. In addition, agents designed to engage the antitumour activities of other immune cells, including natural killer cells and myeloid cells, are showing promise and have the potential to treat a broader range of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurore Fenis
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France
- Aix Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France
| | - Olivier Demaria
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France
| | - Laurent Gauthier
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France
| | - Eric Vivier
- Innate Pharma Research Laboratories, Innate Pharma, Marseille, France
- Aix Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille Immunopôle, Marseille, France
| | - Emilie Narni-Mancinelli
- Aix Marseille Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, INSERM, Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille, France.
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2
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Radisky ES. Extracellular proteolysis in cancer: Proteases, substrates, and mechanisms in tumor progression and metastasis. J Biol Chem 2024; 300:107347. [PMID: 38718867 PMCID: PMC11170211 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2024.107347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024] Open
Abstract
A vast ensemble of extracellular proteins influences the development and progression of cancer, shaped and reshaped by a complex network of extracellular proteases. These proteases, belonging to the distinct classes of metalloproteases, serine proteases, cysteine proteases, and aspartic proteases, play a critical role in cancer. They often become dysregulated in cancer, with increases in pathological protease activity frequently driven by the loss of normal latency controls, diminished regulation by endogenous protease inhibitors, and changes in localization. Dysregulated proteases accelerate tumor progression and metastasis by degrading protein barriers within the extracellular matrix (ECM), stimulating tumor growth, reactivating dormant tumor cells, facilitating tumor cell escape from immune surveillance, and shifting stromal cells toward cancer-promoting behaviors through the precise proteolysis of specific substrates to alter their functions. These crucial substrates include ECM proteins and proteoglycans, soluble proteins secreted by tumor and stromal cells, and extracellular domains of cell surface proteins, including membrane receptors and adhesion proteins. The complexity of the extracellular protease web presents a significant challenge to untangle. Nevertheless, technological strides in proteomics, chemical biology, and the development of new probes and reagents are enabling progress and advancing our understanding of the pivotal importance of extracellular proteolysis in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evette S Radisky
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
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3
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Tsuchikama K, Anami Y, Ha SYY, Yamazaki CM. Exploring the next generation of antibody-drug conjugates. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2024; 21:203-223. [PMID: 38191923 DOI: 10.1038/s41571-023-00850-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a promising cancer treatment modality that enables the selective delivery of highly cytotoxic payloads to tumours. However, realizing the full potential of this platform necessitates innovative molecular designs to tackle several clinical challenges such as drug resistance, tumour heterogeneity and treatment-related adverse effects. Several emerging ADC formats exist, including bispecific ADCs, conditionally active ADCs (also known as probody-drug conjugates), immune-stimulating ADCs, protein-degrader ADCs and dual-drug ADCs, and each offers unique capabilities for tackling these various challenges. For example, probody-drug conjugates can enhance tumour specificity, whereas bispecific ADCs and dual-drug ADCs can address resistance and heterogeneity with enhanced activity. The incorporation of immune-stimulating and protein-degrader ADCs, which have distinct mechanisms of action, into existing treatment strategies could enable multimodal cancer treatment. Despite the promising outlook, the importance of patient stratification and biomarker identification cannot be overstated for these emerging ADCs, as these factors are crucial to identify patients who are most likely to derive benefit. As we continue to deepen our understanding of tumour biology and refine ADC design, we will edge closer to developing truly effective and safe ADCs for patients with treatment-refractory cancers. In this Review, we highlight advances in each ADC component (the monoclonal antibody, payload, linker and conjugation chemistry) and provide more-detailed discussions on selected examples of emerging novel ADCs of each format, enabled by engineering of one or more of these components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoji Tsuchikama
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Yasuaki Anami
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Summer Y Y Ha
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Chisato M Yamazaki
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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4
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Pawar NR, Buzza MS, Duru N, Strong AA, Antalis TM. Matriptase drives dissemination of ovarian cancer spheroids by a PAR-2/PI3K/Akt/MMP9 signaling axis. J Cell Biol 2023; 222:e202209114. [PMID: 37737895 PMCID: PMC10515437 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202209114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The transmembrane serine protease matriptase is a key regulator of both barrier-disruptive and protective epithelial cell-cell interactions. Elevated matriptase is a consistent feature of epithelial ovarian cancers (OvCa), where multicellular spheroids shed from the primary tumor into the peritoneal cavity are critical drivers of metastasis. Dynamic cell-to-cell adhesive contacts are required for spheroid formation and maintenance. Here, we show that overactive matriptase, reflected in an increased ratio of matriptase to its inhibitor hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor 1 (HAI-1), disrupts cell-cell contacts to produce loose prometastatic spheroids that display increased mesothelial cell adhesion and submesothelial invasion. We show that these activities are dependent on the matriptase activation of a protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) signaling pathway involving PI3K/Akt and MMP9-induced disruption of cell-cell adhesion by the release of the soluble E-cadherin ectodomain. These data reveal a novel pathological connection between matriptase activation of PAR-2 and disruption of cell-cell adhesion, and support the clinical investigation of this signaling axis as a therapeutic strategy for aggressive metastatic OvCa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha R. Pawar
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Marguerite S. Buzza
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Research and Development Service, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nadire Duru
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amando A. Strong
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Toni M. Antalis
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Research and Development Service, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, USA
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5
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Assi HH, Wong C, Tipton KA, Mei L, Wong K, Razo J, Chan C, Howng B, Sagert J, Krimm M, Diep L, Jang A, Nguyen MT, Lapuyade N, Singson V, Villanueva R, Paidhungat M, Liu S, Rangan V, Vasiljeva O, West JW, Richardson JH, Irving B, Daniel D, Belvin M, Kavanaugh WM. Conditional PD-1/PD-L1 Probody Therapeutics Induce Comparable Antitumor Immunity but Reduced Systemic Toxicity Compared with Traditional Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 Agents. Cancer Immunol Res 2021; 9:1451-1464. [PMID: 34635485 PMCID: PMC9414278 DOI: 10.1158/2326-6066.cir-21-0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Immune-checkpoint blockade has revolutionized cancer treatment. However, most patients do not respond to single-agent therapy. Combining checkpoint inhibitors with other immune-stimulating agents increases both efficacy and toxicity due to systemic T-cell activation. Protease-activatable antibody prodrugs, known as Probody therapeutics (Pb-Tx), localize antibody activity by attenuating capacity to bind antigen until protease activation in the tumor microenvironment. Herein, we show that systemic administration of anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1) and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) Pb-Tx to tumor-bearing mice elicited antitumor activity similar to that of traditional PD-1/PD-L1-targeted antibodies. Pb-Tx exhibited reduced systemic activity and an improved nonclinical safety profile, with markedly reduced target occupancy on peripheral T cells and reduced incidence of early-onset autoimmune diabetes in nonobese diabetic mice. Our results confirm that localized PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition by Pb-Tx can elicit robust antitumor immunity and minimize systemic immune-mediated toxicity. These data provide further preclinical rationale to support the ongoing development of the anti-PD-L1 Pb-Tx CX-072, which is currently in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - W. Michael Kavanaugh
- Corresponding Author: W. Michael Kavanaugh, CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., 151 Oyster Point Boulevard, Suite 400, South San Francisco, CA 94080. Phone: 650-763-9949; E-mail:
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6
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Howng B, Winter MB, LePage C, Popova I, Krimm M, Vasiljeva O. Novel Ex Vivo Zymography Approach for Assessment of Protease Activity in Tissues with Activatable Antibodies. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13091390. [PMID: 34575469 PMCID: PMC8471274 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13091390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Proteases are involved in the control of numerous physiological processes, and their dysregulation has been identified in a wide range of pathologies, including cancer. Protease activity is normally tightly regulated post-translationally and therefore cannot be accurately estimated based on mRNA or protein expression alone. While several types of zymography approaches to estimate protease activity exist, there remains a need for a robust and reliable technique to measure protease activity in biological tissues. We present a novel quantitative ex vivo zymography (QZ) technology based on Probody® therapeutics (Pb-Tx), a novel class of protease-activated cancer therapeutics that contain a substrate linker cleavable by tumor-associated proteases. This approach enables the measurement and comparison of protease activity in biological tissues via the detection of Pb-Tx activation. By exploiting substrate specificity and selectivity, cataloguing and differentiating protease activities is possible, with further refinement achieved using protease-specific inhibitors. Using the QZ assay and human tumor xenografts, patient tumor tissues, and patient plasma, we characterized protease activity in preclinical and clinical samples. The QZ assay offers the potential to increase our understanding of protease activity in tissues and inform diagnostic and therapeutic development for diseases, such as cancer, that are characterized by dysregulated proteolysis.
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7
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Sevillano N, Green EM, Votteler J, Kim DY, Ren X, Yang B, Liu X, Lourenço AL, Hurley JH, Farr-Jones S, Gross JD, Cheng Y, Craik CS. Identification of recombinant Fabs for structural and functional characterization of HIV-host factor complexes. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250318. [PMID: 33983947 PMCID: PMC8118348 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral infection and pathogenesis is mediated by host protein—viral protein complexes that are important targets for therapeutic intervention as they are potentially less prone to development of drug resistance. We have identified human, recombinant antibodies (Fabs) from a phage display library that bind to three HIV-host complexes. We used these Fabs to 1) stabilize the complexes for structural studies; and 2) facilitate characterization of the function of these complexes. Specifically, we generated recombinant Fabs to Vif-CBF-β-ELOB-ELOC (VCBC); ESCRT-I complex and AP2-complex. For each complex we measured binding affinities with KD values of Fabs ranging from 12–419 nM and performed negative stain electron microscopy (nsEM) to obtain low-resolution structures of the HIV-Fab complexes. Select Fabs were converted to scFvs to allow them to fold intracellularly and perturb HIV-host protein complex assembly without affecting other pathways. To identify these recombinant Fabs, we developed a rapid screening pipeline that uses quantitative ELISAs and nsEM to establish whether the Fabs have overlapping or independent epitopes. This pipeline approach is generally applicable to other particularly challenging antigens that are refractory to immunization strategies for antibody generation including multi-protein complexes providing specific, reproducible, and renewable antibody reagents for research and clinical applications. The curated antibodies described here are available to the scientific community for further structural and functional studies on these critical HIV host-factor proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Sevillano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Evan M. Green
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jörg Votteler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Dong Young Kim
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Xuefeng Ren
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Bei Yang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Xi Liu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - André Luiz Lourenço
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - James H. Hurley
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Shauna Farr-Jones
- Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - John D. Gross
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Yifan Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Charles S. Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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8
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Salcedo EC, Winter MB, Khuri N, Knudsen GM, Sali A, Craik CS. Global Protease Activity Profiling Identifies HER2-Driven Proteolysis in Breast Cancer. ACS Chem Biol 2021; 16:712-723. [PMID: 33765766 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.0c01000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Differential expression of extracellular proteases and endogenous protease inhibitors has been associated with distinct molecular subtypes of breast cancer. However, due to the tight post-translational regulation of protease activity, protease expression-level data alone are not sufficient to understand the role of proteases in malignant transformation. Therefore, we hypothesized that global profiles of extracellular protease activity could more completely reflect differences observed at the transcriptional level in breast cancer and that subtype-associated protease activity may be leveraged to identify specific proteases that play a functional role in cancer signaling. Here, we used a global peptide library-based approach to profile the activities of proteases within distinct breast cancer subtypes. Analysis of 3651 total peptide cleavages from a panel of well-characterized breast cancer cell lines demonstrated differences in proteolytic signatures between cell lines. Cell line clustering based on protease cleavages within the peptide library expanded upon the expected classification derived from transcriptional profiling. An isogenic cell line model developed to further interrogate proteolysis in the HER2 subtype revealed a proteolytic signature consistent with activation of TGF-β signaling. Specifically, we determined that a metalloprotease involved in TGF-β signaling, BMP1, was upregulated at both the protein (2-fold, P = 0.001) and activity (P = 0.0599) levels. Inhibition of BMP1 and HER2 suppressed invasion of HER2-expressing cells by 35% (P < 0.0001), compared to 15% (P = 0.0086) observed in cells where only HER2 was inhibited. In summary, through global identification of extracellular proteolysis in breast cancer cell lines, we demonstrate subtype-specific differences in protease activity and elucidate proteolysis associated with HER2-mediated signaling.
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9
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Kaur U, Chakrabarti SS, Ojha B, Pathak BK, Singh A, Saso L, Chakrabarti S. Targeting Host Cell Proteases to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Invasion. Curr Drug Targets 2021; 22:192-201. [PMID: 32972339 DOI: 10.2174/1389450121666200924113243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread worldwide and caused widespread devastation. In the absence of definitive therapy, symptomatic management remains the standard of care. Repurposing of many existing drugs, including several anti-viral drugs, is being attempted to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. However, most of them have failed to show significant benefit in clinical trials. An attractive approach may be to target host proteases involved in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. The priming of the spike (S) protein of the virus by proteolytic cleavage by the transmembrane serine protease-2 (TMPRSS2) is necessary for the fusion of the virus to the host cell after it binds to its receptor angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2). There are other proteases with varying spatiotemporal locations that may be important for viral entry and subsequent replication inside the cells, and these include trypsin, furin and cathepsins. In this report, we have discussed the tentative therapeutic role of inhibitors of TMPRSS2, cathepsin, trypsin, furin, plasmin, factor X and elastase in infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. Both available evidence, as well as hypotheses, are discussed, with emphasis on drugs which are approved for other indications such as bromhexine, ammonium chloride, nafamostat, camostat, tranexamic acid, epsilon amino-caproic acid, chloroquine, ulinastatin, aprotinin and anticoagulant drugs. Simultaneously, novel compounds being tested and problems with using these agents are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Upinder Kaur
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, India
| | - Sankha Shubhra Chakrabarti
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP, India
| | - Bisweswar Ojha
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, India
| | - Bhairav Kumar Pathak
- Department of Biochemistry and Central Research Cell, MM Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Maharishi Markandeshwar (deemed to be) University, Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, India
| | - Amit Singh
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, India
| | - Luciano Saso
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Sasanka Chakrabarti
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, India
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10
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Geiger M, Stubenrauch KG, Sam J, Richter WF, Jordan G, Eckmann J, Hage C, Nicolini V, Freimoser-Grundschober A, Ritter M, Lauer ME, Stahlberg H, Ringler P, Patel J, Sullivan E, Grau-Richards S, Endres S, Kobold S, Umaña P, Brünker P, Klein C. Protease-activation using anti-idiotypic masks enables tumor specificity of a folate receptor 1-T cell bispecific antibody. Nat Commun 2020; 11:3196. [PMID: 32581215 PMCID: PMC7314773 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16838-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
T-cell bispecific antibodies (TCBs) crosslink tumor and T-cells to induce tumor cell killing. While TCBs are very potent, on-target off-tumor toxicity remains a challenge when selecting targets. Here, we describe a protease-activated anti-folate receptor 1 TCB (Prot-FOLR1-TCB) equipped with an anti-idiotypic anti-CD3 mask connected to the anti-CD3 Fab through a tumor protease-cleavable linker. The potency of this Prot- FOLR1-TCB is recovered following protease-cleavage of the linker releasing the anti-idiotypic anti-CD3 scFv. In vivo, the Prot-FOLR1-TCB mediates antitumor efficacy comparable to the parental FOLR1-TCB whereas a noncleavable control Prot-FOLR1-TCB is inactive. In contrast, killing of bronchial epithelial and renal cortical cells with low FOLR1 expression is prevented compared to the parental FOLR1-TCB. The findings are confirmed for mesothelin as alternative tumor antigen. Thus, masking the anti-CD3 Fab fragment with an anti-idiotypic mask and cleavage of the mask by tumor-specific proteases can be applied to enhance specificity and safety of TCBs.
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Grants
- SK is supported by grants from the Wilhelm Sander Stiftung (grant number 2014.018.1 to SE and SK), the international doctoral program “i-Target: Immunotargeting of cancer” funded by the Elite Network of Bavaria (to SK and SE), the Melanoma Research Alliance (grant number N269626 to SE and 409510 to SK), the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie “Training Network for the Immunotherapy of Cancer (IMMUTRAIN)” funded by the H2020 program of the European Union (to SE and SK), by LMU Munich‘s Institutional Strategy LMUexcellent within the framework of the German Excellence Initiative (to SE and SK), the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (project Oncoattract to SE and SK).
- SK and SE are supported by grants from the Wilhelm Sander Stiftung (grant number 2014.018.1 to SE and SK), the international doctoral program “i-Target: Immunotargeting of cancer” funded by the Elite Network of Bavaria (to SK and SE), the Melanoma Research Alliance (grant number N269626 to SE and 409510 to SK), the Marie-Sklodowska-Curie “Training Network for the Immunotherapy of Cancer (IMMUTRAIN)” funded by the H2020 program of the European Union (to SE and SK), the Else Kröner- Fresenius-Stiftung (to SK), the German Cancer Aid (to SK), the Ernst-Jung-Stiftung (to SK), by LMU Munich‘s Institutional Strategy LMUexcellent within the framework of the German Excellence Initiative (to SE and SK), the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (project Oncoattract to SE and SK), the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the José-Carreras Leukämie Stiftung, the Hector-Foundation (all to SK) and the European Research Council (ERC, grant 756017, ARMOR-T to SK).
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Geiger
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Wagistrasse 10, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
- Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS-M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Lindwurmstraße 2a, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 80337, Munich, Germany
| | - Kay-Gunnar Stubenrauch
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Nonnenwald 2, 82372, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Sam
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Wagistrasse 10, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang F Richter
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gregor Jordan
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Nonnenwald 2, 82372, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Jan Eckmann
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Nonnenwald 2, 82372, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Carina Hage
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Munich, Nonnenwald 2, 82372, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Valeria Nicolini
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Wagistrasse 10, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Anne Freimoser-Grundschober
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Wagistrasse 10, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Mirko Ritter
- Roche Diagnostics, CPS Research and Development, Nonnenwald 2, 82372, Penzberg, Germany
| | - Matthias E Lauer
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Henning Stahlberg
- Center for Cellular Imaging and Nano Analytics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Ringler
- Center for Cellular Imaging and Nano Analytics, Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jigar Patel
- Roche Sequencing, NimbleGen, Madison, WI, 53719, USA
- Nimble Therapeutics Inc., 500S Rosa Rd, Madison, WI, 53719, USA
| | - Eric Sullivan
- Roche Sequencing, NimbleGen, Madison, WI, 53719, USA
- Nimble Therapeutics Inc., 500S Rosa Rd, Madison, WI, 53719, USA
| | - Sandra Grau-Richards
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Wagistrasse 10, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Endres
- Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS-M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Lindwurmstraße 2a, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 80337, Munich, Germany
- Einheit für Klinische Pharmakologie (EKLiP), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Kobold
- Center of Integrated Protein Science Munich (CIPS-M) and Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine IV, Klinikum der Universität München, Lindwurmstraße 2a, Member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), 80337, Munich, Germany
- Einheit für Klinische Pharmakologie (EKLiP), Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Neuherberg, Germany
- German Center for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Pablo Umaña
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Wagistrasse 10, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Peter Brünker
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Wagistrasse 10, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Christian Klein
- Roche Pharma Research & Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Zurich, Wagistrasse 10, 8952, Schlieren, Switzerland.
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11
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Poreba M. Protease-activated prodrugs: strategies, challenges, and future directions. FEBS J 2020; 287:1936-1969. [PMID: 31991521 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Proteases play critical roles in virtually all biological processes, including proliferation, cell death and survival, protein turnover, and migration. However, when dysregulated, these enzymes contribute to the progression of multiple diseases, with cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, inflammation, and blood disorders being the most prominent examples. For a long time, disease-associated proteases have been used for the activation of various prodrugs due to their well-characterized catalytic activity and ability to selectively cleave only those substrates that strictly correspond with their active site architecture. To date, versatile peptide sequences that are cleaved by proteases in a site-specific manner have been utilized as bioactive linkers for the targeted delivery of multiple types of cargo, including fluorescent dyes, photosensitizers, cytotoxic drugs, antibiotics, and pro-antibodies. This platform is highly adaptive, as multiple protease-labile conjugates have already been developed, some of which are currently in clinical use for cancer treatment. In this review, recent advancements in the development of novel protease-cleavable linkers for selective drug delivery are described. Moreover, the current limitations regarding the selectivity of linkers are discussed, and the future perspectives that rely on the application of unnatural amino acids for the development of highly selective peptide linkers are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Poreba
- Department of Chemical Biology and Bioimaging, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland
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12
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Vasiljeva O, Menendez E, Nguyen M, Craik CS, Michael Kavanaugh W. Monitoring protease activity in biological tissues using antibody prodrugs as sensing probes. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5894. [PMID: 32246002 PMCID: PMC7125177 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62339-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [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: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteases have been implicated in the development of many pathological conditions, including cancer. Detection of protease activity in diseased tissues could therefore be useful for diagnosis, prognosis, and the development of novel therapeutic approaches. Due to tight post-translational regulation, determination of the expression level of proteases alone may not be indicative of protease activities, and new methods for measuring protease activity in biological samples such as tumor biopsies are needed. Here we report a novel zymography-based technique, called the IHZTM assay, for the detection of specific protease activities in situ. The IHZ assay involves imaging the binding of a protease-activated monoclonal antibody prodrug, called a Probody® therapeutic, to tissue. Probody therapeutics are fully recombinant, masked antibodies that can only bind target antigen after removal of the mask by a selected protease. A fluorescently labeled Probody molecule is incubated with a biological tissue, thereby enabling its activation by tissue endogenous proteases. Protease activity is measured by imaging the activated Probody molecule binding to antigen present in the sample. The method was evaluated in xenograft tumor samples using protease specific substrates and inhibitors, and the measurements correlated with efficacy of the respective Probody therapeutics. Using this technique, a diverse profile of MMP and serine protease activities was characterized in breast cancer patient tumor samples. The IHZ assay represents a new type of in situ zymography technique that can be used for the screening of disease-associated proteases in patient samples from multiple pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Vasiljeva
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc.; 151 Oyster Point Blvd. Suite 400, South San Francisco, California, 94080, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Menendez
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc.; 151 Oyster Point Blvd. Suite 400, South San Francisco, California, 94080, USA
| | - Margaret Nguyen
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc.; 151 Oyster Point Blvd. Suite 400, South San Francisco, California, 94080, USA
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - W Michael Kavanaugh
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc.; 151 Oyster Point Blvd. Suite 400, South San Francisco, California, 94080, USA
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13
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Abstract
Over the last two decades, a novel subgroup of serine proteases, the cell surface-anchored serine proteases, has emerged as an important component of the human degradome, and several members have garnered significant attention for their roles in cancer progression and metastasis. A large body of literature describes that cell surface-anchored serine proteases are deregulated in cancer and that they contribute to both tumor formation and metastasis through diverse molecular mechanisms. The loss of precise regulation of cell surface-anchored serine protease expression and/or catalytic activity may be contributing to the etiology of several cancer types. There is therefore a strong impetus to understand the events that lead to deregulation at the gene and protein levels, how these precipitate in various stages of tumorigenesis, and whether targeting of selected proteases can lead to novel cancer intervention strategies. This review summarizes current knowledge about cell surface-anchored serine proteases and their role in cancer based on biochemical characterization, cell culture-based studies, expression studies, and in vivo experiments. Efforts to develop inhibitors to target cell surface-anchored serine proteases in cancer therapy will also be summarized.
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14
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Giesen D, Broer LN, Lub-de Hooge MN, Popova I, Howng B, Nguyen M, Vasiljeva O, de Vries EGE, Pool M. Probody Therapeutic Design of 89Zr-CX-072 Promotes Accumulation in PD-L1-Expressing Tumors Compared to Normal Murine Lymphoid Tissue. Clin Cancer Res 2020; 26:3999-4009. [PMID: 31953313 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-19-3137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Probody therapeutic CX-072 is a protease-activatable antibody that is cross-reactive with murine and human programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1). CX-072 can be activated in vivo by proteases present in the tumor microenvironment, thereby potentially reducing peripheral, anti-PD-L1-mediated toxicities. To study its targeting of PD-L1-expressing tissues, we radiolabeled CX-072 with the PET isotope zirconium-89 (89Zr). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN 89Zr-labeled CX-072, nonspecific Probody control molecule (PbCtrl) and CX-072 parental antibody (CX-075) were injected in BALB/c nude mice bearing human MDA-MB-231 tumors or C57BL/6J mice bearing syngeneic MC38 tumors. Mice underwent serial PET imaging 1, 3, and 6 days after intravenous injection (pi), followed by ex vivo biodistribution. Intratumoral 89Zr-CX-072 distribution was studied by autoradiography on tumor tissue sections, which were subsequently stained for PD-L1 by IHC. Activated CX-072 species in tissue lysates were detected by Western capillary electrophoresis. RESULTS PET imaging revealed 89Zr-CX-072 accumulation in MDA-MB-231 tumors with 2.1-fold higher tumor-to-blood ratios at 6 days pi compared with 89Zr-PbCtrl. Tumor tissue autoradiography showed high 89Zr-CX-072 uptake in high PD-L1-expressing regions. Activated CX-072 species were detected in these tumors, with 5.3-fold lower levels found in the spleen. Furthermore, 89Zr-CX-072 uptake by lymphoid tissues of immune-competent mice bearing MC38 tumors was low compared with 89Zr-CX-075, which lacks the Probody design. CONCLUSIONS 89Zr-CX-072 accumulates specifically in PD-L1-expressing tumors with limited uptake in murine peripheral lymphoid tissues. Our data may enable clinical evaluation of 89Zr-CX-072 whole-body distribution as a tool to support CX-072 drug development (NCT03013491).
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Affiliation(s)
- Danique Giesen
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Linda N Broer
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marjolijn N Lub-de Hooge
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.,Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Irina Popova
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Bruce Howng
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | | | - Olga Vasiljeva
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California.
| | - Elisabeth G E de Vries
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Martin Pool
- Department of Medical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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15
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Abstract
Introduction: The toxicity of potent new biological therapies for cancer has limited their utility. By improving tumor specificity, antibody prodrugs can widen or even create a therapeutic window for anticancer agents that are difficult or impossible to use otherwise because of poor tolerability.Areas covered: This review will describe the current status of the field of antibody prodrugs, focusing on ProbodyTM therapeutics, including the principles behind their design, application to a variety of different antibody-based therapies, preclinical examples of their activity and safety, and early results of Phase 1 trials.Expert opinion: Proof of concept for the antibody prodrug approach, which is defined as demonstration of potent antitumor activity with improved safety, has been extensively established preclinically as well as preliminarily in early clinical trials in human patients. However, experience with antibody prodrugs is limited, and important challenges remain. Principal among them are how to design the molecules to provide the most effective protection from toxicities while preserving efficacy, how to optimize clinical pharmacology, and how to determine which among the many possible clinical applications is the best use of this promising technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Michael Kavanaugh
- Chief Scientific Officer and Head, Research and Non-clinical Development CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
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16
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Basu K, Green EM, Cheng Y, Craik CS. Why recombinant antibodies - benefits and applications. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 60:153-158. [PMID: 30849700 PMCID: PMC6728236 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 12/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Antibodies (Abs) are ubiquitous reagents for biological and biochemical research and are rapidly expanding into new therapeutic areas. They are one of the most important probes for determining how proteins function under normal and pathophysiological conditions. Abs are required for the quantification of targets, detection of temporal and spatial patterns of protein expression in cells and tissues, and identification of interacting partners and their biological activities. Their remarkable specificity and unique binding properties can facilitate three-dimensional structure determination using X-ray crystallography and electron cryomicroscopy. While hybridoma technology that involves animal immunization is often productive, many antigen targets do not generate useful Abs. This is particularly true if unique states of the target or critical non-immunogenic target sequences need to be recognized by the Abs. By using the methods of recombinant antibody generation, identification, and engineering, these 'hybridoma-refractory' antigens can be readily targeted. Specific, reproducible, and renewable recombinant Abs are proving to be invaluable reagents in applications ranging from biological discovery to structure determination of challenging macromolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koli Basu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | - Evan M Green
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | - Yifan Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, United States; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, United States
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17
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Vasiljeva O, Hostetter DR, Moore SJ, Winter MB. The multifaceted roles of tumor-associated proteases and harnessing their activity for prodrug activation. Biol Chem 2019; 400:965-977. [PMID: 30913028 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2018-0451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The role of proteases in cancer was originally thought to be limited to the breakdown of basement membranes and extracellular matrix (ECM), thereby promoting cancer cell invasion into surrounding normal tissues. It is now well understood that proteases play a much more complicated role in all stages of cancer progression and that not only tumor cells, but also stromal cells are an important source of proteases in the tumor microenvironment. Among all the proteolytic enzymes potentially associated with cancer, some proteases have taken on heightened importance due to their significant up-regulation and ability to participate at multiple stages of cancer progression and metastasis. In this review, we discuss some of the advances in understanding of the roles of several key proteases from different classes in the development and progression of cancer and the potential to leverage their upregulated activity for the development of novel targeted treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Vasiljeva
- CytomX Therapeutics Inc., Platform Biology, 151 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Daniel R Hostetter
- CytomX Therapeutics Inc., Platform Biology, 151 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Stephen J Moore
- CytomX Therapeutics Inc., Platform Biology, 151 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Michael B Winter
- CytomX Therapeutics Inc., Platform Biology, 151 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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18
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Pawar NR, Buzza MS, Antalis TM. Membrane-Anchored Serine Proteases and Protease-Activated Receptor-2-Mediated Signaling: Co-Conspirators in Cancer Progression. Cancer Res 2019; 79:301-310. [PMID: 30610085 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-1745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Pericellular proteolysis provides a significant advantage to developing tumors through the ability to remodel the extracellular matrix, promote cell invasion and migration, and facilitate angiogenesis. Recent advances demonstrate that pericellular proteases can also communicate directly to cells by activation of a unique group of transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) known as protease-activated receptors (PAR). In this review, we discuss the specific roles of one of four mammalian PARs, namely PAR-2, which is overexpressed in advanced stage tumors and is activated by trypsin-like serine proteases that are highly expressed or otherwise dysregulated in many cancers. We highlight recent insights into the ability of different protease agonists to bias PAR-2 signaling and the newly emerging evidence for an interplay between PAR-2 and membrane-anchored serine proteases, which may co-conspire to promote tumor progression and metastasis. Interfering with these pathways might provide unique opportunities for the development of new mechanism-based strategies for the treatment of advanced and metastatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha R Pawar
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Marguerite S Buzza
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Toni M Antalis
- Center for Vascular and Inflammatory Diseases, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. .,Department of Physiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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19
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Quintero D, Carrafa J, Vincent L, Kim HJ, Wohlschlegel J, Bermudes D. Co-Expression of a Chimeric Protease Inhibitor Secreted by a Tumor-Targeted Salmonella Protects Therapeutic Proteins from Proteolytic Degradation. J Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 28:2079-2094. [PMID: 30661346 PMCID: PMC6883771 DOI: 10.4014/jmb.1807.08036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Sunflower trypsin inhibitor (SFTI) is a 14-amino-acid bicyclic peptide that contains a single internal disulfide bond. We initially constructed chimeras of SFTI with N-terminal secretion signals from the Escherichia coli OmpA and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ToxA, but only detected small amounts of protease inhibition resulting from these constructs. A substantially higher degree of protease inhibition was detected from a C-terminal SFTI fusion with E. coli YebF, which radiated more than a centimeter from an individual colony of E. coli using a culture-based inhibitor assay. Inhibitory activity was further improved in YebF-SFTI fusions by the addition of a trypsin cleavage signal immediately upstream of SFTI, and resulted in production of a 14-amino-acid, disulfide-bonded SFTI free in the culture supernatant. To assess the potential of the secreted SFTI to protect the ability of a cytotoxic protein to kill tumor cells, we utilized a tumor-selective form of the Pseudomonas ToxA (OTG-PE38K) alone and expressed as a polycistronic construct with YebF-SFTI in the tumor-targeted Salmonella VNP20009. When we assessed the ability of toxin-containing culture supernatants to kill MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells, the untreated OTG-PE38K was able to eliminate all detectable tumor cells, while pretreatment with trypsin resulted in the complete loss of anticancer cytotoxicity. However, when OTG-PE38K was co-expressed with YebF-SFTI, cytotoxicity was completely retained in the presence of trypsin. These data demonstrate SFTI chimeras are secreted in a functional form and that co-expression of protease inhibitors with therapeutic proteins by tumor-targeted bacteria has the potential to enhance the activity of therapeutic proteins by suppressing their degradation within a proteolytic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Quintero
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Sciences (IRIS), California State University, College of Science and Math, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330-8303
| | - Jamie Carrafa
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
| | - Lena Vincent
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
- Current Address, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Hee Jong Kim
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - James Wohlschlegel
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, 615 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - David Bermudes
- Department of Biology, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330-8303, USA
- Interdisciplinary Research Institute for the Sciences (IRIS), California State University, College of Science and Math, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, CA 91330-8303
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20
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Li J, Liu Y, Li H, Shi W, Bi X, Qiu Q, Zhang B, Huang W, Qian H. pH-Sensitive micelles with mitochondria-targeted and aggregation-induced emission characterization: synthesis, cytotoxicity and biological applications. Biomater Sci 2018; 6:2998-3008. [PMID: 30259038 DOI: 10.1039/c8bm00889b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Subcellular organelle-specific reagents for simultaneous tumor targeting, imaging, and treatment are of enormous interest in cancer therapy. Herein, we present a mitochondria targeting micelle (PEG-AIE-TPP) by conjugating a triphenylphosphonium (TPP) with a fluorogen which can undergo aggregation-induced emission (AIE). At first, the in vitro and in vivo properties of the PEG-AIE-TPP micelle were characterized in detail. It was found that the micelle was reasonably stable at physiological pH and highly sensitive to mildly acidic pH stimuli. Importantly, this micelle could selectively localize and accumulate in the mitochondria, thus generating an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect as confirmed by the green fluorescence. Additionally, the micelle exhibited selective cytotoxicity to cancer cells and negligible toxicity to normal cells in vitro. The in vivo imaging and ex vivo imaging results showed that the accumulation tendency of the micelle at the tumor region was obvious. We also further proved the biocompatible, tumor targeting ability and antitumor activity of the PEG-AIE-TPP micelle in MCF-7 tumor-bearing mice. Accordingly, this mitochondria-targeted therapeutic micelle with good stability, biocompatibility, and tumor-targeting and antitumor activity provides a potentially unique tumor-targeted system for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieming Li
- School of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, 1 Yixueyuan Road, Chongqing 400016, PR China. and Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Yan Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Chongqing Medical University, 1 Yixueyuan Road, Chongqing 400016, PR China.
| | - Huilan Li
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Wei Shi
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Xinzhou Bi
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Qianqian Qiu
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Bo Zhang
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Wenlong Huang
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, PR China.
| | - Hai Qian
- Center of Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, PR China. and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Discovery for Metabolic Disease, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang, Nanjing 210009, PR China
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21
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Dudani JS, Warren AD, Bhatia SN. Harnessing Protease Activity to Improve Cancer Care. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CANCER BIOLOGY-SERIES 2018. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-cancerbio-030617-050549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jaideep S. Dudani
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;, ,
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Andrew D. Warren
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;, ,
- Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
| | - Sangeeta N. Bhatia
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;, ,
- Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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22
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Abstract
The activity of proteases is tightly regulated, and dysregulation is linked to a variety of human diseases. For this reason, ABPP is a well-suited method to study protease biology and the design of protease probes has pushed the boundaries of ABPP. The development of highly selective protease probes is still a challenging task. After an introduction, the first section of this chapter discusses several strategies to enable detection of a single active protease species. These range from the usage of non-natural amino acids, combination of probes with antibodies, and engineering of the target proteases. A next section describes the different types of detection tags that facilitate the read-out possibilities including various types of imaging methods and mass spectrometry-based target identification. The power of protease ABPP is illustrated by examples for a selected number of proteases. It is expected that some protease probes that have been evaluated in animal models of human disease will find translation into clinical application in the near future.
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23
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Tseng CC, Jia B, Barndt R, Gu Y, Chen CY, Tseng IC, Su SF, Wang JK, Johnson MD, Lin CY. Matriptase shedding is closely coupled with matriptase zymogen activation and requires de novo proteolytic cleavage likely involving its own activity. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0183507. [PMID: 28829816 PMCID: PMC5567652 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The type 2 transmembrane serine protease matriptase is involved in many pathophysiological processes probably via its enzymatic activity, which depends on the dynamic relationship between zymogen activation and protease inhibition. Matriptase shedding can prolong the life of enzymatically active matriptase and increase accessibility to substrates. We show here that matriptase shedding occurs via a de novo proteolytic cleavage at sites located between the SEA domain and the CUB domain. Point or combined mutations at the four positively charged amino acid residues in the region following the SEA domain allowed Arg-186 to be identified as the primary cleavage site responsible for matriptase shedding. Kinetic studies further demonstrate that matriptase shedding is temporally coupled with matriptase zymogen activation. The onset of matriptase shedding lags one minute behind matriptase zymogen activation. Studies with active site triad Ser-805 point mutated matriptase, which no longer undergoes zymogen activation or shedding, further suggests that matriptase shedding depends on matriptase zymogen activation, and that matriptase proteolytic activity may be involved in its own shedding. Our studies uncover an autonomous mechanism coupling matriptase zymogen activation, proteolytic activity, and shedding such that a proportion of newly generated active matriptase escapes HAI-1-mediated rapid inhibition by shedding into the extracellular milieu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Che Tseng
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology Georgetown University, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Bailing Jia
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology Georgetown University, Washington DC, United States of America
- Department of Gastroenterology, Henan Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Robert Barndt
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology Georgetown University, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Yayun Gu
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology Georgetown University, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Chien-Yu Chen
- Department of Biochemistry National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
- School of Medicine National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - I-Chu Tseng
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology Georgetown University, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Sheng-Fang Su
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology Georgetown University, Washington DC, United States of America
| | - Jehng-Kang Wang
- Department of Biochemistry National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Michael D. Johnson
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology Georgetown University, Washington DC, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CYL); (MDJ)
| | - Chen-Yong Lin
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology Georgetown University, Washington DC, United States of America
- * E-mail: (CYL); (MDJ)
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24
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Murray AS, Varela FA, List K. Type II transmembrane serine proteases as potential targets for cancer therapy. Biol Chem 2017; 397:815-26. [PMID: 27078673 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2016-0131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Carcinogenesis is accompanied by increased protein and activity levels of extracellular cell-surface proteases that are capable of modifying the tumor microenvironment by directly cleaving the extracellular matrix, as well as activating growth factors and proinflammatory mediators involved in proliferation and invasion of cancer cells, and recruitment of inflammatory cells. These complex processes ultimately potentiate neoplastic progression leading to local tumor cell invasion, entry into the vasculature, and metastasis to distal sites. Several members of the type II transmembrane serine protease (TTSP) family have been shown to play critical roles in cancer progression. In this review the knowledge collected over the past two decades about the molecular mechanisms underlying the pro-cancerous properties of selected TTSPs will be summarized. Furthermore, we will discuss how these insights may facilitate the translation into clinical settings in the future by specifically targeting TTSPs as part of novel cancer treatment regimens.
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25
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Tanabe LM, List K. The role of type II transmembrane serine protease-mediated signaling in cancer. FEBS J 2016; 284:1421-1436. [PMID: 27870503 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Revised: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Pericellular proteases have long been implicated in carcinogenesis. Previous research focused on these proteins, primarily as extracellular matrix (ECM) protein-degrading enzymes which allowed cancer cells to breach the basement membrane and invade surrounding tissue. However, recently, there has been a shift in the view of cell surface proteases, including serine proteases, as proteolytic modifiers of particular targets, including growth factors and protease-activated receptors, which are critical for the activation of oncogenic signaling pathways. Of the 176 human serine proteases currently identified, a subset of 17, known as type II transmembrane serine proteases (TTSPs). Many have been shown to be relevant to cancer progression since they were first identified as a family around the turn of the century. To this end, altered expression of TTSPs appeared as a trademark of several tumor types. However, the substrates and underlying signaling pathways remained unclear. Localization of these proteins to the cell surface places them in the unique position to mediate signal transduction between the cell and its surrounding environment. Many of the TTSPs have already been shown to play key roles in processes such as postnatal development, tissue homeostasis, and tumor progression, which share overlapping molecular mechanisms. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of the TTSP family in pro-oncogenic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Tanabe
- Department of Pharmacology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Karin List
- Department of Pharmacology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Oncology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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26
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Boonstra MC, de Geus SWL, Prevoo HAJM, Hawinkels LJAC, van de Velde CJH, Kuppen PJK, Vahrmeijer AL, Sier CFM. Selecting Targets for Tumor Imaging: An Overview of Cancer-Associated Membrane Proteins. BIOMARKERS IN CANCER 2016; 8:119-133. [PMID: 27721658 PMCID: PMC5040425 DOI: 10.4137/bic.s38542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Tumor targeting is a booming business: The global therapeutic monoclonal antibody market accounted for more than $78 billion in 2012 and is expanding exponentially. Tumors can be targeted with an extensive arsenal of monoclonal antibodies, ligand proteins, peptides, RNAs, and small molecules. In addition to therapeutic targeting, some of these compounds can also be applied for tumor visualization before or during surgery, after conjugation with radionuclides and/or near-infrared fluorescent dyes. The majority of these tumor-targeting compounds are directed against cell membrane-bound proteins. Various categories of targetable membrane-bound proteins, such as anchoring proteins, receptors, enzymes, and transporter proteins, exist. The functions and biological characteristics of these proteins determine their location and distribution on the cell membrane, making them more, or less, accessible, and therefore, it is important to understand these features. In this review, we evaluate the characteristics of cancer-associated membrane proteins and discuss their overall usability for cancer targeting, especially focusing on imaging applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin C Boonstra
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Susanna W L de Geus
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Lukas J A C Hawinkels
- Department of Gastroenterology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | | | - Peter J K Kuppen
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.; Antibodies for Research Applications BV, Gouda, the Netherlands
| | | | - Cornelis F M Sier
- Department of Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.; Antibodies for Research Applications BV, Gouda, the Netherlands
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27
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Kanemaru A, Yamamoto K, Kawaguchi M, Fukushima T, Lin CY, Johnson MD, Camerer E, Kataoka H. Deregulated matriptase activity in oral squamous cell carcinoma promotes the infiltration of cancer-associated fibroblasts by paracrine activation of protease-activated receptor 2. Int J Cancer 2016; 140:130-141. [PMID: 27615543 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.30426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are known to contribute to cancer progression. We have reported that cell surface expression of hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor 1 (HAI-1) is decreased in invasive oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. This study examined if HAI-1-insufficiency contributes to CAF recruitment in OSCC. Serum-free conditioned medium (SFCM) from a human OSCC line (SAS) stimulated the migration of 3 human fibroblast cell lines, NB1RGB, MRC5 and KD. SFCM from HAI-1-knockdown SAS showed an additive effect on the migration of NB1RGB and MRC5, but not KD. SAS SFCM induced protease-activated receptor-2 (PAR-2) expression in NB1RGB and MRC5, but not in KD, and a PAR-2 antagonist blocked the stimulatory effect of HAI-1 knockdown on migration of the PAR-2 expressing cell lines. Moreover, HAI-1-deficient SFCM showed additive stimulatory effects on the migration of wild-type but not PAR-2-deficient mouse fibroblasts. Therefore, the enhanced migration induced by HAI-1-insufficiency was mediated by PAR-2 activation in fibroblasts. This activation resulted from the deregulation of the activity of matriptase, a PAR-2 agonist protease. HAI-1 may thus prevent CAF recruitment to OSCC by controlling matriptase activity. When HAI-1 expression is reduced on OSCC, matriptase may contribute to CAF accumulation by paracrine activation of fibroblast PAR-2. Immunohistochemical analysis of resected OSCC revealed increased PAR2-positive CAFs in 35% (33/95) of the cases studied. The increased PAR-2 positive CAFs tended to correlate with infiltrative histology of the invasion front and shorter disease-free survival of the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Kanemaru
- Section of Oncopathology and Regenerative Biology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Koji Yamamoto
- Section of Oncopathology and Regenerative Biology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Makiko Kawaguchi
- Section of Oncopathology and Regenerative Biology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Fukushima
- Section of Oncopathology and Regenerative Biology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Chen-Yong Lin
- School of Medicine, Lambardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | - Michael D Johnson
- School of Medicine, Lambardi Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
| | - Eric Camerer
- INSERM U970, Paris Cardiovascular Research Centre, Paris, France
| | - Hiroaki Kataoka
- Section of Oncopathology and Regenerative Biology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Japan
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28
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O'Donoghue AJ, Ivry SL, Chaudhury C, Hostetter DR, Hanahan D, Craik CS. Procathepsin E is highly abundant but minimally active in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumors. Biol Chem 2016; 397:871-81. [PMID: 27149201 PMCID: PMC5712230 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2016-0138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The cathepsin family of lysosomal proteases is increasingly being recognized for their altered expression in cancer and role in facilitating tumor progression. The aspartyl protease cathepsin E is overexpressed in several cancers and has been investigated as a biomarker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here we show that cathepsin E expression in mouse PDAC tumors is increased by more than 400-fold when compared to healthy pancreatic tissue. Cathepsin E accumulates over the course of disease progression and accounts for more than 3% of the tumor protein in mice with end-stage disease. Through immunoblot analysis we determined that only procathepsin E exists in mouse PDAC tumors and cell lines derived from these tumors. By decreasing the pH, this procathepsion E is converted to the mature form, resulting in an increase in proteolytic activity. Although active site inhibitors can bind procathepsin E, treatment of PDAC mice with the aspartyl protease inhibitor ritonavir did not decrease tumor burden. Lastly, we used multiplex substrate profiling by mass spectrometry to identify two synthetic peptides that are hydrolyzed by procathepsin E near neutral pH. This work represents a comprehensive analysis of procathepsin E in PDAC and could facilitate the development of improved biomarkers for disease detection.
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29
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Stenemo M, Teleman J, Sjöström M, Grubb G, Malmström E, Malmström J, Niméus E. Cancer associated proteins in blood plasma: Determining normal variation. Proteomics 2016; 16:1928-37. [PMID: 27121749 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.201500204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Revised: 03/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Protein biomarkers have the potential to improve diagnosis, stratification of patients into treatment cohorts, follow disease progression and treatment response. One distinct group of potential biomarkers comprises proteins which have been linked to cancer, known as cancer associated proteins (CAPs). We determined the normal variation of 86 CAPs in 72 individual plasma samples collected from ten individuals using SRM mass spectrometry. Samples were collected weekly during 5 weeks from ten volunteers and over one day at nine fixed time points from three volunteers. We determined the degree of the normal variation depending on interpersonal variation, variation due to time of day, and variation over weeks and observed that the variation dependent on the time of day appeared to be the most important. Subdivision of the proteins resulted in two predominant protein groups containing 21 proteins with relatively high variation in all three factors (day, week and individual), and 22 proteins with relatively low variation in all factors. We present a strategy for prioritizing biomarker candidates for future studies based on stratification over their normal variation and have made all data publicly available. Our findings can be used to improve selection of biomarker candidates in future studies and to determine which proteins are most suitable depending on study design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Stenemo
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Infection Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Oncology and Pathology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Johan Teleman
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Infection Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Martin Sjöström
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Oncology and Pathology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gabriel Grubb
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Oncology and Pathology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Erik Malmström
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Infection Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Johan Malmström
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Infection Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Emma Niméus
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Oncology and Pathology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.,Skåne University Hospital, Department of Surgery, Lund, Sweden
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30
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Wong KR, Menendez E, Craik CS, Kavanaugh WM, Vasiljeva O. In vivo imaging of protease activity by Probody therapeutic activation. Biochimie 2015; 122:62-7. [PMID: 26546838 PMCID: PMC5709043 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2015.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Probody™ therapeutics are recombinant, proteolytically-activated antibody prodrugs, engineered to remain inert until activated locally by tumor-associated proteases. Probody therapeutics exploit the fundamental dysregulation of extracellular protease activity that exists in tumors relative to healthy tissue. Leveraging the ability of a Probody therapeutic to bind its target at the site of disease after proteolytic cleavage, we developed a novel method for profiling protease activity in living animals. Using NIR optical imaging, we demonstrated that a non-labeled anti-EGFR Probody therapeutic can become activated and compete for binding to tumor cells in vivo with a labeled anti-EGFR monoclonal antibody. Furthermore, by inhibiting matriptase activity in vivo with a blocking-matriptase antibody, we show that the ability of the Probody therapeutic to bind EGFR in vivo was dependent on protease activity. These results demonstrate that in vivo imaging of Probody therapeutic activation can be used for screening and characterization of protease activity in living animals, and provide a method that avoids some of the limitations of prior methods. This approach can improve our understanding of the activity of proteases in disease models and help to develop efficient strategies for cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth R Wong
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., 343 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Elizabeth Menendez
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., 343 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, 600 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - W Michael Kavanaugh
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., 343 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Olga Vasiljeva
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., 343 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA.
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31
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Cyclic thrombospondin-1 mimetics: grafting of a thrombospondin sequence into circular disulfide-rich frameworks to inhibit endothelial cell migration. Biosci Rep 2015; 35:BSR20150210. [PMID: 26464514 PMCID: PMC4660582 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20150210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The findings suggest re-engineered cyclic TSP-1 mimetics are non-toxic, highly stable, and possess potent anti-angiogenesis activity without altering the native fold of the cyclic frameworks. This provides an alternative approach for cancer drug development particularly in the thrombospondin field. Tumour formation is dependent on nutrient and oxygen supply from adjacent blood vessels. Angiogenesis inhibitors can play a vital role in controlling blood vessel formation and consequently tumour progression by inhibiting endothelial cell proliferation, sprouting and migration. The primary aim of the present study was to design cyclic thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) mimetics using disulfide-rich frameworks for anti-angiogenesis therapies and to determine whether these peptides have better potency than the linear parent peptide. A short anti-angiogenic heptapeptide fragment from TSP-1 (GVITRIR) was incorporated into two cyclic disulfide-rich frameworks, namely MCoTI-II (Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor-II) and SFTI-1 (sunflower trypsin inhibitor-1). The cyclic peptides were chemically synthesized and folded in oxidation buffers, before being tested in a series of in vitro evaluations. Incorporation of the bioactive heptapeptide fragment into the cyclic frameworks resulted in peptides that inhibited microvascular endothelial cell migration, and had no toxicity against normal primary human endothelial cells or cancer cells. Importantly, all of the designed cyclic TSP-1 mimetics were far more stable than the linear heptapeptide in human serum. The present study has demonstrated a novel approach to stabilize the active region of TSP-1. The anti-angiogenic activity of the native TSP-1 active fragment was maintained in the new TSP-1 mimetics and the results provide a new chemical approach for the design of TSP-1 mimetics.
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32
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Najy AJ, Dyson G, Jena BP, Lin CY, Kim HRC. Matriptase activation and shedding through PDGF-D-mediated extracellular acidosis. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2015; 310:C293-304. [PMID: 26157007 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00043.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Activation of β-platelet-derived growth factor receptor (β-PDGFR) is associated with prostate cancer (PCa) progression and recurrence after prostatectomy. Analysis of the β-PDGFR ligands in PCa revealed association between PDGF-D expression and Gleason score as well as tumor stage. During the course of studying the functional consequences of PDGF ligand-specific β-PDGFR signaling in PCa, we discovered a novel function of PDGF-D for activation/shedding of the serine protease matriptase leading to cell invasion, migration, and tumorigenesis. The present study showed that PDGF-D, not PDGF-B, induces extracellular acidification, which correlates with increased matriptase activation. A cDNA microarray analysis revealed that PDGF-D/β-PDGFR signaling upregulates expression of the acidosis regulator carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), a classic target of the transcriptional factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α). Cellular fractionation displayed a strong HIF-1α nuclear localization in PDGF-D-expressing cells. Treatment of vector control or PDGF-B-expressing cells with the HIF-1α activator CoCl2 led to increased CAIX expression accompanied by extracellular acidosis and matriptase activation. Furthermore, the analysis of the CAFTD cell lines, variants of the BPH-1 transformation model, showed that increased PDGF-D expression is associated with enhanced HIF-1α activity, CAIX induction, cellular acidosis, and matriptase shedding. Importantly, shRNA-mediated knockdown of CAIX expression effectively reversed extracellular acidosis and matriptase activation in PDGF-D-transfected BPH-1 cells and in CAFTD variants that express endogenous PDGF-D at a high level. Taken together, these novel findings reveal a new paradigm in matriptase activation involving PDGF-D-specific signal transduction leading to extracellular acidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdo J Najy
- Department of Pathology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Gregory Dyson
- Department of Oncology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Bhanu P Jena
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan; and
| | - Chen-Yong Lin
- Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Hyeong-Reh C Kim
- Department of Pathology, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan;
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33
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LeBeau AM, Sevillano N, Markham K, Winter MB, Murphy ST, Hostetter DR, West J, Lowman H, Craik CS, VanBrocklin HF. Imaging active urokinase plasminogen activator in prostate cancer. Cancer Res 2015; 75:1225-35. [PMID: 25672980 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-14-2185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The increased proteolytic activity of membrane-bound and secreted proteases on the surface of cancer cells and in the transformed stroma is a common characteristic of aggressive metastatic prostate cancer. We describe here the development of an active site-specific probe for detecting a secreted peritumoral protease expressed by cancer cells and the surrounding tumor microenvironment. Using a human fragment antigen-binding phage display library, we identified a human antibody termed U33 that selectively inhibited the active form of the protease urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA, PLAU). In the full-length immunoglobulin form, U33 IgG labeled with near-infrared fluorophores or radionuclides allowed us to noninvasively detect active uPA in prostate cancer xenograft models using optical and single-photon emission computed tomography imaging modalities. U33 IgG labeled with (111)In had a remarkable tumor uptake of 43.2% injected dose per gram (%ID/g) 72 hours after tail vein injection of the radiolabeled probe in subcutaneous xenografts. In addition, U33 was able to image active uPA in small soft-tissue and osseous metastatic lesions using a cardiac dissemination prostate cancer model that recapitulated metastatic human cancer. The favorable imaging properties were the direct result of U33 IgG internalization through an uPA receptor-mediated mechanism in which U33 mimicked the function of the endogenous inhibitor of uPA to gain entry into the cancer cell. Overall, our imaging probe targets a prostate cancer-associated protease, through a unique mechanism, allowing for the noninvasive preclinical imaging of prostate cancer lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron M LeBeau
- Center for Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
| | - Natalia Sevillano
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Kate Markham
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Michael B Winter
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Stephanie T Murphy
- Center for Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | | | - James West
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Henry Lowman
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California
| | - Charles S Craik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Henry F VanBrocklin
- Center for Molecular and Functional Imaging, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
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34
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Desnoyers LR, Vasiljeva O, Richardson JH, Yang A, Menendez EEM, Liang TW, Wong C, Bessette PH, Kamath K, Moore SJ, Sagert JG, Hostetter DR, Han F, Gee J, Flandez J, Markham K, Nguyen M, Krimm M, Wong KR, Liu S, Daugherty PS, West JW, Lowman HB. Tumor-specific activation of an EGFR-targeting probody enhances therapeutic index. Sci Transl Med 2014; 5:207ra144. [PMID: 24132639 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3006682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Target-mediated toxicity constitutes a major limitation for the development of therapeutic antibodies. To redirect the activity of antibodies recognizing widely distributed targets to the site of disease, we have applied a prodrug strategy to create an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-directed Probody therapeutic-an antibody that remains masked against antigen binding until activated locally by proteases commonly active in the tumor microenvironment. In vitro, the masked Probody showed diminished antigen binding and cell-based activities, but when activated by appropriate proteases, it regained full activity compared to the parental anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab. In vivo, the Probody was largely inert in the systemic circulation of mice, but was activated within tumor tissue and showed antitumor efficacy that was similar to that of cetuximab. The Probody demonstrated markedly improved safety and increased half-life in nonhuman primates, enabling it to be dosed safely at much higher levels than cetuximab. In addition, we found that both Probody-responsive xenograft tumors and primary tumor samples from patients were capable of activating the Probody ex vivo. Probodies may therefore improve the safety profile of therapeutic antibodies without compromising efficacy of the parental antibody and may enable the wider use of empowered antibody formats such as antibody-drug conjugates and bispecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luc R Desnoyers
- CytomX Therapeutics Inc., 343 Oyster Point Boulevard, Suite 100, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
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35
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Abstract
Probodies are proteolytically activated antibodies engineered to remain inert until activated locally in diseased tissue. In principle, any therapeutic antibody can be converted into Probody™ form. In this perspective, we highlight the emerging therapeutic potential of the Probody approach in the form of conventional IgG-based Probodies as well as in the form of 'empowered Probody' formats such as Probody-drug conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna R Polu
- CytomX Therapeutics, Inc. , 343 Oyster Point Boulevard, South San Francisco, CA 94080 , USA
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36
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Chu LL, Xu Y, Yang JR, Hu YA, Chang HH, Lai HY, Tseng CC, Wang HY, Johnson MD, Wang JK, Lin CY. Human cancer cells retain modest levels of enzymatically active matriptase only in extracellular milieu following induction of zymogen activation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92244. [PMID: 24663123 PMCID: PMC3963879 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The type 2 transmembrane serine protease matriptase is broadly expressed in human carcinomas and hematological cancers. The proteolytic activity of matriptase is a potential target of drugs and imaging probes. We assessed the fate of active matriptase following the induction of matriptase zymogen activation. Exposing eight human carcinoma cells to pH 6.0 buffer induced robust matriptase zymogen activation followed by rapid inhibition of the nascent active matriptase by hepatocyte growth factor activator inhibitor (HAI)-1. Consequently, no enzymatically active matriptase was detected in these cells. Some active matriptase is, however, rapidly shed to the extracellular milieu by these carcinoma cells. The lack of cell-associated active matriptase and the shedding of active matriptase were also observed in two hematological cancer lines. Matriptase shedding is correlated closely with the induction of matriptase activation, suggesting that matriptase activation and shedding are kinetically coupled. The coupling allows a proportion of active matriptase to survive HAI-1 inhibition by rapid shedding from cell surface. Our study suggests that cellular free, active matriptase is scarce and might not be an effective target for in vivo imaging and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ling Chu
- Department of Pharmacy, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yuan Xu
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Jie-Ru Yang
- Department of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yi-An Hu
- Department of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsiang-Hua Chang
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- Department of Medicine, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hong-Yu Lai
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Chun-Che Tseng
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- Department of Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Hue-Yu Wang
- Department of Pharmacy, Chi-Mei Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Michael D. Johnson
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Jehng-Kang Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- * E-mail: (C-YL); (J-KW)
| | - Chen-Yong Lin
- Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- * E-mail: (C-YL); (J-KW)
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37
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Sales KU, Friis S, Konkel JE, Godiksen S, Hatakeyama M, Hansen KK, Rogatto SR, Szabo R, Vogel LK, Chen W, Gutkind JS, Bugge TH. Non-hematopoietic PAR-2 is essential for matriptase-driven pre-malignant progression and potentiation of ras-mediated squamous cell carcinogenesis. Oncogene 2014; 34:346-56. [PMID: 24469043 PMCID: PMC4112178 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2013.563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2013] [Revised: 12/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The membrane-anchored serine protease, matriptase, is consistently dysregulated in a range of human carcinomas, and high matriptase activity correlates with poor prognosis. Furthermore, matriptase is unique among tumor-associated proteases in that epithelial stem cell expression of the protease suffices to induce malignant transformation. Here, we use genetic epistasis analysis to identify proteinase-activated receptor (PAR)-2-dependent inflammatory signaling as an essential component of matriptase-mediated oncogenesis. In cell-based assays, matriptase was a potent activator of PAR-2, and PAR-2 activation by matriptase caused robust induction of nuclear factor (NF)κB through Gαi. Importantly, genetic elimination of PAR-2 from mice completely prevented matriptase-induced pre-malignant progression, including inflammatory cytokine production, inflammatory cell recruitment, epidermal hyperplasia and dermal fibrosis. Selective ablation of PAR-2 from bone marrow-derived cells did not prevent matriptase-driven pre-malignant progression, indicating that matriptase activates keratinocyte stem cell PAR-2 to elicit its pro-inflammatory and pro-tumorigenic effects. When combined with previous studies, our data suggest that dual induction of PAR-2-NFκB inflammatory signaling and PI3K-Akt-mTor survival/proliferative signaling underlies the transforming potential of matriptase and may contribute to pro-tumorigenic signaling in human epithelial carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- K U Sales
- 1] Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA [2] Clinical Research Core, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - S Friis
- 1] Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA [2] Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - J E Konkel
- Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - S Godiksen
- 1] Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA [2] Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark [3] Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M Hatakeyama
- 1] Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil [2] AC Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - K K Hansen
- Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - S R Rogatto
- 1] Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Sao Paulo, Brazil [2] AC Camargo Cancer Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - R Szabo
- Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - L K Vogel
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - W Chen
- Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - J S Gutkind
- Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - T H Bugge
- Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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LeBeau AM, Sevillano N, King ML, Duriseti S, Murphy ST, Craik CS, Murphy LL, VanBrocklin HF. Imaging the urokinase plasminongen activator receptor in preclinical breast cancer models of acquired drug resistance. Am J Cancer Res 2014; 4:267-79. [PMID: 24505235 PMCID: PMC3915090 DOI: 10.7150/thno.7323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Accepted: 12/15/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Subtype-targeted therapies can have a dramatic impact on improving the quality and quantity of life for women suffering from breast cancer. Despite an initial therapeutic response, cancer recurrence and acquired drug-resistance are commonplace. Non-invasive imaging probes that identify drug-resistant lesions are urgently needed to aid in the development of novel drugs and the effective utilization of established therapies for breast cancer. The protease receptor urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) is a target that can be exploited for non-invasive imaging. The expression of uPAR has been associated with phenotypically aggressive breast cancer and acquired drug-resistance. Acquired drug-resistance was modeled in cell lines from two different breast cancer subtypes, the uPAR negative luminal A subtype and the uPAR positive triple negative subtype cell line MDA-MB-231. MCF-7 cells, cultured to be resistant to tamoxifen (MCF-7 TamR), were found to significantly over-express uPAR compared to the parental cell line. uPAR expression was maintained when resistance was modeled in triple-negative breast cancer by generating doxorubicin and paclitaxel resistant MDA-MB-231 cells (MDA-MB-231 DoxR and MDA-MB-231 TaxR). Using the antagonistic uPAR antibody 2G10, uPAR was imaged in vivo by near-infrared (NIR) optical imaging and 111In-single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Tumor uptake of the 111In-SPECT probe was high in the three drug-resistant xenografts (> 46 %ID/g) and minimal in uPAR negative xenografts at 72 hours post-injection. This preclinical study demonstrates that uPAR can be targeted for imaging breast cancer models of acquired resistance leading to potential clinical applications.
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Huang Y, Hu F, Zhao R, Zhang G, Yang H, Zhang D. Tetraphenylethylene Conjugated with a Specific Peptide as a Fluorescence Turn-On Bioprobe for the Highly Specific Detection and Tracing of Tumor Markers in Live Cancer Cells. Chemistry 2013; 20:158-64. [DOI: 10.1002/chem.201303679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Glotzbach B, Reinwarth M, Weber N, Fabritz S, Tomaszowski M, Fittler H, Christmann A, Avrutina O, Kolmar H. Combinatorial optimization of cystine-knot peptides towards high-affinity inhibitors of human matriptase-1. PLoS One 2013; 8:e76956. [PMID: 24146945 PMCID: PMC3795654 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0076956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Cystine-knot miniproteins define a class of bioactive molecules with several thousand natural members. Their eponymous motif comprises a rigid structured core formed by six disulfide-connected cysteine residues, which accounts for its exceptional stability towards thermic or proteolytic degradation. Since they display a remarkable sequence tolerance within their disulfide-connected loops, these molecules are considered promising frameworks for peptide-based pharmaceuticals. Natural open-chain cystine-knot trypsin inhibitors of the MCoTI (Momordica cochinchinensis trypsin inhibitor) and SOTI (Spinacia oleracea trypsin inhibitor) families served as starting points for the generation of inhibitors of matriptase-1, a type II transmembrane serine protease with possible clinical relevance in cancer and arthritic therapy. Yeast surface-displayed libraries of miniproteins were used to select unique and potent matriptase-1 inhibitors. To this end, a knowledge-based library design was applied that makes use of detailed information on binding and folding behavior of cystine-knot peptides. Five inhibitor variants, four of the MCoTI family and one of the SOTI family, were identified, chemically synthesized and oxidatively folded towards the bioactive conformation. Enzyme assays revealed inhibition constants in the low nanomolar range for all candidates. One subnanomolar binder (Ki = 0.83 nM) with an inverted selectivity towards trypsin and matriptase-1 was identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Glotzbach
- Clemens-Schöpf-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Michael Reinwarth
- Clemens-Schöpf-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Niklas Weber
- Clemens-Schöpf-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Michael Tomaszowski
- Clemens-Schöpf-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Heiko Fittler
- Clemens-Schöpf-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Andreas Christmann
- Clemens-Schöpf-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Olga Avrutina
- Clemens-Schöpf-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Harald Kolmar
- Clemens-Schöpf-Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
- * E-mail:
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