1
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Wang C, Wang B, Zhang Q, Zhang S. Tumor microenvironment-responsive cell-penetrating peptides: Design principle and precision delivery. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2024; 242:114100. [PMID: 39024717 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.114100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2024] [Revised: 06/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are promising vehicles for intracellular delivery of different cargoes. Although various CPPs are designed for targeted delivery of nanomedicines and anticancer drugs, their clinical approval is hampered by a lack of selectivity. In recent years, new approaches have been explored to address this drawback, and distinct strategies for tumor microenvironment (TME)-responsive activation have been developed. In this review, we first introduce the cellular uptake mechanisms of CPPs. We next extensively discuss the design principles and precision delivery of TME-responsive CPPs. Nine kinds of single stimulus-responsive CPPs, five kinds of multiple stimuli-responsive CPPs, three kinds of TME-responsive targeting CPPs, and two kinds of reversibly activatable CPPs (RACPPs) are systemically summarized. Then, TME-responsive CPPs for nanomedical applications are further discussed. Finally, we describe the translational applications of TME-responsive CPPs for anticancer drug delivery. These commentaries provide an insight into the design of next-generation activatable CPPs (ACPPs) for selective delivery of nanomedicines and anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenhui Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Sihe Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
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2
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Knepper LE, Ankrom ET, Thévenin D. Enhancing Anti-Cancer Immune Response by Acidosis-Sensitive Nanobody Display. J Membr Biol 2024:10.1007/s00232-024-00322-3. [PMID: 39254684 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-024-00322-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 08/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/11/2024]
Abstract
One of the main challenges with many cancer immunotherapies is that biomarkers are needed for targeting. These biomarkers are often associated with tumors but are not specific to a particular tumor and can lead to damage in healthy tissues, resistance to treatment, or the need for customization for different types of cancer due to variations in targets. A promising alternative approach is to target the acidic microenvironment found in most solid tumor types. This can be achieved using the pH (Low) Insertion Peptide (pHLIP), which inserts selectively into cell membranes under acidic conditions, sparing healthy tissues. pHLIP has shown potential for imaging, drug delivery, and surface display. For instance, we previously used pHLIP to display epitopes on the surfaces of cancer cells, enabling antibody-mediated immune cell recruitment and selective killing of cancer cells. In this study, we further explored this concept by directly fusing an anti-CD16 nanobody, which activates natural killer (NK) cells, to pHLIP, eliminating the need for antibody recruitment. Our results demonstrated the insertion of pH-sensitive agents into cancer cells, activation of the CD16 receptor on effector cells, and successful targeting and destruction of cancer cells by high-affinity CD16+ NK cells in two cancer cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah E Knepper
- Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA
| | - Emily T Ankrom
- Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA
| | - Damien Thévenin
- Department of Chemistry, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA.
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3
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Hou M, Liu S. Recent Progress of pH-Responsive Peptides, Polypeptides, and Their Supramolecular Assemblies for Biomedical Applications. Biomacromolecules 2024; 25:5402-5416. [PMID: 39105715 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.4c00688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Peptides and polypeptides feature a variety of active functional groups on their side chains (including carboxylic acid, hydroxyl, amino, and thiol groups), enabling diverse chemical modifications. This versatility makes them highly valuable in stimuli-responsive systems. Notably, pH-responsive peptides and polypeptides, due to their ability to respond to pH changes, hold significant promise for applications in cellular pathology and tumor targeting. Extensive researches have highlighted the potentials of low pH insertion peptides (pHLIPs), peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), and antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in biomedicine. Peptide self-assemblies, with their structural stability, ease of regulation, excellent biocompatibility, and biodegradability, offer immense potentials in the development of novel materials and biomedical applications. We also explore specific examples of their applications in drug delivery, tumor targeting, and tissue engineering, while discussing future challenges and potential advancements in the field of pH-responsive self-assembling peptide-based biomaterials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxuan Hou
- Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jin-zhai Road, Hefei, Anhui Province 230026, China
| | - Shiyong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Precision and Intelligent Chemistry, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jin-zhai Road, Hefei, Anhui Province 230026, China
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4
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Knepper LE, Ankrom ET, Thévenin D. Enhancing Anti-Cancer Immune Response by Acidosis-sensitive Nanobody Display. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4750804. [PMID: 39184093 PMCID: PMC11343302 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4750804/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
One of the main challenges with many cancer immuno-therapies is that they depend on biomarkers for targeting. These biomarkers are often associated with tumors but are not specific to a particular tumor, which can lead to damage in healthy tissues, resistance to treatment, and the need for customization for different types of cancer due to the variations in targets. A promising alternative approach is to target the acidic microenvironment found in most solid tumor types. This can be achieved using the pH (Low) Insertion Peptide (pHLIP), which inserts selectively into cell membranes in acidic conditions, sparing healthy tissues. pHLIP has shown potential for imaging, drug delivery, and surface display. For instance, we previously used pHLIP to display epitopes on the surfaces of cancer cells, enabling antibody-mediated immune cell recruitment and selective killing of cancer cells. In this study, we further this concept by directly fusing an anti-CD16 nanobody, which activates Natural Killer (NK) cells, to pHLIP, eliminating the need for antibody recruitment. Our results demonstrate pH-sensitive insertion into cancer cells, activation of the CD16 receptor on effector cells, and successful targeting and destruction of cancer cells by high-affinity CD16 + NK cells in two cancer cell lines.
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5
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Deskeuvre M, Lan J, Messens J, Riant O, Feron O, Frédérick R. A novel approach to pH-Responsive targeted cancer Therapy: Inhibition of FaDu cancer cell proliferation with a pH low insertion Peptide-Conjugated DGAT1 inhibitor. Int J Pharm 2024; 657:124132. [PMID: 38641019 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124132] [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: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Targeting enzymes involved in lipid metabolism is increasingly recognized as a promising anticancer strategy. Efficient inhibition of diacylglycerol O-transferase 1 (DGAT1) can block fatty acid (FA) storage. This, in turn, triggers an increase in free polyunsaturated FA concentration, leading to peroxidation and ferroptosis. In this study, we report the development of a pH-sensitive peptide (pHLIP)-drug conjugate designed to selectively deliver DGAT1 inhibitors to cancer cells nested within the acidic microenvironment of tumors. We utilized two previously established pHLIP sequences for coupling with drugs. The study of DGAT1 conjugates in large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) of different compositions did not reveal enhanced pH-dependent insertion compared to POPC LUVs. However, using in vitro 3D tumor spheroids, significant antiproliferative effects were observed upon exposure to pHLIP-T863 (DGAT1 inhibitor) conjugates, surpassing the inhibitory activity of T863 alone. In conclusion, our study provides the first evidence that pHLIP-based conjugates with DGAT1 inhibitors have the potential to specifically target the acidic compartment of tumors. Moreover, it sheds light on the limitations of LUV models in capturing the pH-dependency of such conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Deskeuvre
- Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Medicinal Chemistry Research Group (CMFA), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 73 Avenue Emmanuel Mounier, B-1200 Brussel, Belgium; Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 57 Avenue Hippocrate B1.57.04, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Junjie Lan
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, MOST Division, Place Louis Pasteur, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve B-1348, Belgium
| | - Joris Messens
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut Voor Biotechnologie (VIB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Brussels Center for Redox Biology, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Riant
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, MOST Division, Place Louis Pasteur, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve B-1348, Belgium
| | - Olivier Feron
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 57 Avenue Hippocrate B1.57.04, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium; Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and BIOtechnology (WELBIO) Department, WEL Research Institute, B-1300 Wavre, Belgium
| | - Raphaël Frédérick
- Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Medicinal Chemistry Research Group (CMFA), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 73 Avenue Emmanuel Mounier, B-1200 Brussel, Belgium.
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6
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Lefevre C, Thibaut MM, Loumaye A, Thissen JP, Neyrinck AM, Navez B, Delzenne NM, Feron O, Bindels LB. Tumoral acidosis promotes adipose tissue depletion by fostering adipocyte lipolysis. Mol Metab 2024; 83:101930. [PMID: 38570069 PMCID: PMC11027574 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Tumour progression drives profound alterations in host metabolism, such as adipose tissue depletion, an early event of cancer cachexia. As fatty acid consumption by cancer cells increases upon acidosis of the tumour microenvironment, we reasoned that fatty acids derived from distant adipose lipolysis may sustain tumour fatty acid craving, leading to the adipose tissue loss observed in cancer cachexia. METHODS To evaluate the pro-lipolytic capacities of acid-exposed cancer cells, primary mouse adipocytes from subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue were exposed to pH-matched conditioned medium from human and murine acid-exposed cancer cells (pH 6.5), compared to naive cancer cells (pH 7.4). To further address the role of tumoral acidosis on adipose tissue loss, a pH-low insertion peptide was injected into tumour-bearing mice, and tumoral acidosis was neutralised with a sodium bicarbonate buffer. Prolipolytic mediators were identified by transcriptomic approaches and validated on murine and human adipocytes. RESULTS Here, we reveal that acid-exposed cancer cells promote lipolysis from subcutaneous and visceral adipocytes and that dampening acidosis in vivo inhibits adipose tissue depletion. We further found a set of well-known prolipolytic factors enhanced upon acidosis adaptation and unravelled a role for β-glucuronidase (GUSB) as a promising new actor in adipocyte lipolysis. CONCLUSIONS Tumoral acidosis promotes the mobilization of fatty acids derived from adipocytes via the release of soluble factors by cancer cells. Our work paves the way for therapeutic approaches aimed at tackling cachexia by targeting the tumour acidic compartment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Lefevre
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute, UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Morgane M Thibaut
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute, UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Audrey Loumaye
- Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition, IREC, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Paul Thissen
- Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium; Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition, IREC, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Audrey M Neyrinck
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute, UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Benoit Navez
- Department of Abdominal Surgery and Transplantation, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nathalie M Delzenne
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute, UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Feron
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium; Welbio Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
| | - Laure B Bindels
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute, UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Welbio Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium.
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7
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Chen Y, Song S, Sun Y, Wu F, Yang G, Wang Z, Yu M. Small animal PET imaging with the 68Ga-labeled pH (low) insertion peptide-like peptide YJL-4 in a triple-negative breast cancer mouse model. EJNMMI Radiopharm Chem 2024; 9:33. [PMID: 38678139 PMCID: PMC11055835 DOI: 10.1186/s41181-024-00267-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to prepare a novel 68Ga-labeled pH (low) insertion peptide (pHLIP)-like peptide, YJL-4, and determine its value for the early diagnosis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) via in vivo imaging of tumor-bearing nude mice. The novel peptide YJL-4 was designed using a template-assisted method and synthesized by solid-phase peptide synthesis. After modification with the chelator 1,4,7‑triazacyclononane-N,N',N″-triacetic acid (NOTA), the peptide was labeled with 68Ga. Then, the biodistribution of 68Ga-YJL-4 in tumor-bearing nude mice was investigated, and the mice were imaged by small animal positron emission tomography (PET). RESULTS The radiochemical yield and radiochemical purity of 68Ga-YJL-4 were 89.5 ± 0.16% and 97.95 ± 0.06%, respectively. The biodistribution of 68Ga-YJL-4 in tumors (5.94 ± 1.27% ID/g, 6.72 ± 1.69% ID/g and 4.54 ± 0.58% ID/g at 1, 2 and 4 h after injection, respectively) was significantly greater than that of the control peptide in tumors at the corresponding time points (P < 0.01). Of the measured off-target organs, 68Ga-YJL-4 was highly distributed in the liver and blood. The small animal PET imaging results were consistent with the biodistribution results. The tumors were visualized by PET at 2 and 4 h after the injection of 68Ga-YJL-4. No tumors were observed in the control group. CONCLUSIONS The novel pHLIP family peptide YJL-4 can adopt an α-helical structure for easy insertion into the cell membrane in an acidic environment. 68Ga-YJL-4 was produced in high radiochemical yield with good stability and can target TNBC tissue. Moreover, the strong concentration of radioactive 68Ga-YJL-4 in the abdomen does not hinder the imaging of early TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- YueHua Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - ShuangShuang Song
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - YanQin Sun
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - FengYu Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - GuangJie Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - ZhenGuang Wang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266100, China.
| | - MingMing Yu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266100, China.
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8
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Murthy D, Attri KS, Shukla SK, Thakur R, Chaika NV, He C, Wang D, Jha K, Dasgupta A, King RJ, Mulder SE, Souchek J, Gebregiworgis T, Rai V, Patel R, Hu T, Rana S, Kollala SS, Pacheco C, Grandgenett PM, Yu F, Kumar V, Lazenby AJ, Black AR, Ulhannan S, Jain A, Edil BH, Klinkebiel DL, Powers R, Natarajan A, Hollingsworth MA, Mehla K, Ly Q, Chaudhary S, Hwang RF, Wellen KE, Singh PK. Cancer-associated fibroblast-derived acetate promotes pancreatic cancer development by altering polyamine metabolism via the ACSS2-SP1-SAT1 axis. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:613-627. [PMID: 38429478 PMCID: PMC11021164 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01372-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The ability of tumour cells to thrive in harsh microenvironments depends on the utilization of nutrients available in the milieu. Here we show that pancreatic cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) regulate tumour cell metabolism through the secretion of acetate, which can be blocked by silencing ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) in CAFs. We further show that acetyl-CoA synthetase short-chain family member 2 (ACSS2) channels the exogenous acetate to regulate the dynamic cancer epigenome and transcriptome, thereby facilitating cancer cell survival in an acidic microenvironment. Comparative H3K27ac ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analyses revealed alterations in polyamine homeostasis through regulation of SAT1 gene expression and enrichment of the SP1-responsive signature. We identified acetate/ACSS2-mediated acetylation of SP1 at the lysine 19 residue that increased SP1 protein stability and transcriptional activity. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of the ACSS2-SP1-SAT1 axis diminished the tumour burden in mouse models. These results reveal that the metabolic flexibility imparted by the stroma-derived acetate enabled cancer cell survival under acidosis via the ACSS2-SP1-SAT1 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya Murthy
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Kuldeep S Attri
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Surendra K Shukla
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Ravi Thakur
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Nina V Chaika
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Chunbo He
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Dezhen Wang
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Kanupriya Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Bennett University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Aneesha Dasgupta
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Ryan J King
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Scott E Mulder
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Joshua Souchek
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Teklab Gebregiworgis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vikant Rai
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Rohit Patel
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Tuo Hu
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Sandeep Rana
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Sai Sundeep Kollala
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Camila Pacheco
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Paul M Grandgenett
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Fang Yu
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Vikas Kumar
- Department of Cell Biology, Genetics and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Audrey J Lazenby
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Adrian R Black
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Susanna Ulhannan
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Ajay Jain
- Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Barish H Edil
- Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - David L Klinkebiel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Robert Powers
- Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Amarnath Natarajan
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Michael A Hollingsworth
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Kamiya Mehla
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Quan Ly
- Department of Surgical Oncology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Sarika Chaudhary
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Bennett University, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Rosa F Hwang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, Division of Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kathryn E Wellen
- Department of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Pankaj K Singh
- Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
- Department of Oncology Science, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
- OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
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9
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Aubert L, Bastien E, Renoult O, Guilbaud C, Özkan K, Brusa D, Bouzin C, Richiardone E, Richard C, Boidot R, Léonard D, Corbet C, Feron O. Tumor acidosis-induced DNA damage response and tetraploidy enhance sensitivity to ATM and ATR inhibitors. EMBO Rep 2024; 25:1469-1489. [PMID: 38366255 PMCID: PMC10933359 DOI: 10.1038/s44319-024-00089-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Tumor acidosis is associated with increased invasiveness and drug resistance. Here, we take an unbiased approach to identify vulnerabilities of acid-exposed cancer cells by combining pH-dependent flow cytometry cell sorting from 3D colorectal tumor spheroids and transcriptomic profiling. Besides metabolic rewiring, we identify an increase in tetraploid cell frequency and DNA damage response as consistent hallmarks of acid-exposed cancer cells, supported by the activation of ATM and ATR signaling pathways. We find that regardless of the cell replication error status, both ATM and ATR inhibitors exert preferential growth inhibitory effects on acid-exposed cancer cells. The efficacy of a combination of these drugs with 5-FU is further documented in 3D spheroids as well as in patient-derived colorectal tumor organoids. These data position tumor acidosis as a revelator of the therapeutic potential of DNA repair blockers and as an attractive clinical biomarker to predict the response to a combination with chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Léo Aubert
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Estelle Bastien
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ophélie Renoult
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Céline Guilbaud
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Kübra Özkan
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Davide Brusa
- CytoFlux-Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Platform, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Caroline Bouzin
- Imaging Platform 2IP, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elena Richiardone
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Corentin Richard
- Unit of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology and Pathology of Tumors, Georges‑François Leclerc Cancer Center‑UNICANCER, 21079, Dijon, France
| | - Romain Boidot
- Unit of Molecular Biology, Department of Biology and Pathology of Tumors, Georges‑François Leclerc Cancer Center‑UNICANCER, 21079, Dijon, France
| | - Daniel Léonard
- Institut Roi Albert II, Department of Digestive Surgery, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, and Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cyril Corbet
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Feron
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium.
- Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO) Department, WEL Research Institute, B-1300, Wavre, Belgium.
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10
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Budka J, Debowski D, Mai S, Narajczyk M, Hac S, Rolka K, Vrettos EI, Tzakos AG, Inkielewicz-Stepniak I. Design, Synthesis, and Antitumor Evaluation of an Opioid Growth Factor Bioconjugate Targeting Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:283. [PMID: 38399336 PMCID: PMC10892429 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16020283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) presents a formidable challenge with high lethality and limited effective drug treatments. Its heightened metastatic potential further complicates the prognosis. Owing to the significant toxicity of current chemotherapeutics, compounds like [Met5]-enkephalin, known as opioid growth factor (OGF), have emerged in oncology clinical trials. OGF, an endogenous peptide interacting with the OGF receptor (OGFr), plays a crucial role in inhibiting cell proliferation across various cancer types. This in vitro study explores the potential anticancer efficacy of a newly synthesized OGF bioconjugate in synergy with the classic chemotherapeutic agent, gemcitabine (OGF-Gem). The study delves into assessing the impact of the OGF-Gem conjugate on cell proliferation inhibition, cell cycle regulation, the induction of cellular senescence, and apoptosis. Furthermore, the antimetastatic potential of the OGF-Gem conjugate was demonstrated through evaluations using blood platelets and AsPC-1 cells with a light aggregometer. In summary, this article demonstrates the cytotoxic impact of the innovative OGF-Gem conjugate on pancreatic cancer cells in both 2D and 3D models. We highlight the potential of both the OGF-Gem conjugate and OGF alone in effectively inhibiting the ex vivo pancreatic tumor cell-induced platelet aggregation (TCIPA) process, a phenomenon not observed with Gem alone. Furthermore, the confirmed hemocompatibility of OGF-Gem with platelets reinforces its promising potential. We anticipate that this conjugation strategy will open avenues for the development of potent anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Budka
- Department of Pharmaceutical Pathophysiology, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Dawid Debowski
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, University of Gdansk, 80-309 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Shaoshan Mai
- Department of Pharmaceutical Pathophysiology, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Narajczyk
- Bioimaging Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-309 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Stanislaw Hac
- Department of General Endocrine and Transplant Surgery, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-210 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Rolka
- Department of Molecular Biochemistry, University of Gdansk, 80-309 Gdansk, Poland
| | | | - Andreas G. Tzakos
- Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
- University Research Center of Ioannina, Institute of Materials Science and Computing, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
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11
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Wachira FW, Githirwa DC, McPartlon T, Nazarenko V, Gonzales JJC, Gazura MM, Leen C, Clary HR, Alston C, Klees LM, Yao L, An M. D-to-E and T19V Variants of the pH-Low Insertion Peptide and Their Doxorubicin Conjugates Interact with Membrane at Higher pH Ranges Than WT. Biochemistry 2023; 62:2997-3011. [PMID: 37793002 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
To improve targeted cargo delivery to cancer cells, pH-Low Insertion Peptide (pHLIP) variants were developed to interact with the membrane at pH values higher than those of the WT. The Asp-to-Glu variants aim to increase side chain pKa without disturbing the sequence of protonations that underpin membrane insertion. The Thr19 variants represent efforts to perturb the critical Pro20 residue. To study the effect of cargo on pHLIP insertion, doxorubicin (Dox), a fluorescent antineoplastic drug, was conjugated to selected variants near the inserting C-terminus. Variants and conjugates were characterized on a POPC membrane using Trp and Dox fluorescence methods to define the entire pH range of insertion (pHinitial-pHfinal). Compared to WT with a pHi-pHf range of 6.7-5.6, D25E-D31E-D33E, D14E-D25E-D31E-D33E, and T19V-D25E variants demonstrated higher pHi-pHf ranges of 7.3-6.1, 7.3-6.3, and 8.2-5.4, respectively. The addition of Dox expanded the pHi-pHf range, mainly by shifting pHi to higher pH values (e.g., WT pHLIP-Dox has a pHi-pHf range of 7.7-5.2). Despite the low Hill coefficient observed for the conjugates, D14E-D25E-D31E-D33E pHLIP-Dox completed insertion by a pHf of 5.7. However, the Dox cargo remained in the hydrophobic membrane interior after pHLIP insertion, which may impede drug release. Finally, a logistic function can describe pHLIP insertion as a peripheral-to-TM (start-to-finish) two-state transition; wherever possible, we discuss data deviating from such sigmoidal fitting in support of the idea that pH-specific intermediate states distinct from the initial peripheral state and the final TM state exist at intervening pH values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faith W Wachira
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Dancan C Githirwa
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Thomas McPartlon
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Vladyslav Nazarenko
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Jerel J C Gonzales
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Makenzie M Gazura
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Caitlin Leen
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Hannah R Clary
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Claire Alston
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Lukas M Klees
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Lan Yao
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
- Department of Physics, SUNY, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Ming An
- Department of Chemistry, State University of New York (SUNY), Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
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12
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Yu M, Hu S, Tang B, Yang H, Sun D. Engineering Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 as a microbial chassis for therapeutic and industrial applications. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 67:108202. [PMID: 37343690 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
Genetically engineered microbes, especially Escherichia coli, have been widely used in the biosynthesis of proteins and metabolites for medical and industrial applications. As a traditional probiotic with a well-established safety record, E. coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) has recently emerged as a microbial chassis for generating living therapeutics, drug delivery vehicles, and microbial platforms for industrial production. Despite the availability of genetic tools for engineering laboratory E. coli K-12 and B strains, new genetic engineering systems are still greatly needed to expand the application range of EcN. In this review, we have summarized the latest progress in the development of genetic engineering systems in EcN, as well as their applications in the biosynthesis and delivery of valuable small molecules and biomacromolecules of medical and/or industrial interest, followed by a glimpse of how this rapidly growing field will evolve in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingjing Yu
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Shilong Hu
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China
| | - Biao Tang
- Institute of Quality and Standard for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hua Yang
- Institute of Quality and Standard for Agro-products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, Zhejiang, China
| | - Dongchang Sun
- College of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China.
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13
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Guo S, Gu D, Yang Y, Tian J, Chen X. Near-infrared photodynamic and photothermal co-therapy based on organic small molecular dyes. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:348. [PMID: 37759287 PMCID: PMC10523653 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-02111-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Near-infrared (NIR) organic small molecule dyes (OSMDs) are effective photothermal agents for photothermal therapy (PTT) due to their advantages of low cost and toxicity, good biodegradation, and strong NIR absorption over a wide wavelength range. Nevertheless, OSMDs have limited applicability in PTT due to their low photothermal conversion efficiency and inadequate destruction of tumor regions that are nonirradiated by NIR light. However, they can also act as photosensitizers (PSs) to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can be further eradicated by using ROS-related therapies to address the above limitations of PTT. In this review, the synergistic mechanism, composition, and properties of photodynamic therapy (PDT)-PTT nanoplatforms were comprehensively discussed. In addition, some specific strategies for further improving the combined PTT and PDT based on OSMDs for cancer to completely eradicate cancer cells were outlined. These strategies include performing image-guided co-therapy, enhancing tumor infiltration, increasing H2O2 or O2 in the tumor microenvironment, and loading anticancer drugs onto nanoplatforms to enable combined therapy with phototherapy and chemotherapy. Meanwhile, the intriguing prospects and challenges of this treatment modality were also summarized with a focus on the future trends of its clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Guo
- School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, China
| | - Dongyu Gu
- College of Marine Science and Environment, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian, 116023, China
| | - Yi Yang
- School of Light Industry and Chemical Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, China.
| | - Jing Tian
- School of Biological Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, Dalian, 116034, China.
| | - Xiaoyuan Chen
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
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14
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Sun Z, Huang J, Fishelson Z, Wang C, Zhang S. Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Based Delivery of Macromolecular Drugs: Development, Strategies, and Progress. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1971. [PMID: 37509610 PMCID: PMC10377493 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11071971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), developed for more than 30 years, are still being extensively studied due to their excellent delivery performance. Compared with other delivery vehicles, CPPs hold promise for delivering different types of drugs. Here, we review the development process of CPPs and summarize the composition and classification of the CPP-based delivery systems, cellular uptake mechanisms, influencing factors, and biological barriers. We also summarize the optimization routes of CPP-based macromolecular drug delivery from stability and targeting perspectives. Strategies for enhanced endosomal escape, which prolong its half-life in blood, improved targeting efficiency and stimuli-responsive design are comprehensively summarized for CPP-based macromolecule delivery. Finally, after concluding the clinical trials of CPP-based drug delivery systems, we extracted the necessary conditions for a successful CPP-based delivery system. This review provides the latest framework for the CPP-based delivery of macromolecular drugs and summarizes the optimized strategies to improve delivery efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jinhai Huang
- School of Life Sciences, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zvi Fishelson
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Chenhui Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Sihe Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
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15
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Stockwald ER, Steger LME, Vollmer S, Gottselig C, Grage SL, Bürck J, Afonin S, Fröbel J, Blümmel AS, Setzler J, Wenzel W, Walther TH, Ulrich AS. Length matters: Functional flip of the short TatA transmembrane helix. Biophys J 2023; 122:2125-2146. [PMID: 36523158 PMCID: PMC10257086 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The twin arginine translocase (Tat) exports folded proteins across bacterial membranes. The putative pore-forming or membrane-weakening component (TatAd in B. subtilis) is anchored to the lipid bilayer via an unusually short transmembrane α-helix (TMH), with less than 16 residues. Its tilt angle in different membranes was analyzed under hydrophobic mismatch conditions, using synchrotron radiation circular dichroism and solid-state NMR. Positive mismatch (introduced either by reconstitution in short-chain lipids or by extending the hydrophobic TMH length) increased the helix tilt of the TMH as expected. Negative mismatch (introduced either by reconstitution in long-chain lipids or by shortening the TMH), on the other hand, led to protein aggregation. These data suggest that the TMH of TatA is just about long enough for stable membrane insertion. At the same time, its short length is a crucial factor for successful translocation, as demonstrated here in native membrane vesicles using an in vitro translocation assay. Furthermore, when reconstituted in model membranes with negative spontaneous curvature, the TMH was found to be aligned parallel to the membrane surface. This intrinsic ability of TatA to flip out of the membrane core thus seems to play a key role in its membrane-destabilizing effect during Tat-dependent translocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva R Stockwald
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Lena M E Steger
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Stefanie Vollmer
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Christina Gottselig
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Stephan L Grage
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jochen Bürck
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Sergii Afonin
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Julia Fröbel
- University of Freiburg, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Anne-Sophie Blümmel
- University of Freiburg, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Julia Setzler
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wenzel
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Torsten H Walther
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe, Germany.
| | - Anne S Ulrich
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Organic Chemistry, Karlsruhe, Germany; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe, Germany.
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16
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Wu H, Zheng L, Ling N, Zheng L, Du Y, Zhang Q, Liu Y, Tan W, Qiu L. Chemically Synthetic Membrane Receptors Establish Cells with Artificial Sense-and-Respond Signaling Pathways. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:2315-2321. [PMID: 36656150 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c10903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Chemically synthetic receptors that establish cells a new sense-and-respond capability to interact with outer worlds are highly desired, but rarely reported. In this work, we develop a membrane-anchored synthetic receptor (Ts-pHLIP-Pr) using DNA and peptide as the building block to equip cells with artificial signaling pathways. Upon sensing external pH stimuli, the Pr module can be translocated across the cell membrane via the conformation switch of pHLIP, enabling membrane-proximal recruitment of specific proteins to trigger downstream signaling cascades. Our experimental results demonstrate the capability of Ts-pHLIP-Pr for regulating PKCε-related signaling events upon responding to external pH reduction. With a modular feature, this receptor can be extended to elicit T cell activation through low-pH environment-induced directional movement of cytoplasmic ZAP70. Our work is expected to offer a new paradigm for intelligent synthetic biology and customized cell engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Linyan Zheng
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Neng Ling
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Liyan Zheng
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yulin Du
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yue Liu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.,Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China.,Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Liping Qiu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, College of Biology, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China.,Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
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17
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A double-switch pHLIP system enables selective enrichment of circulating tumor microenvironment-derived extracellular vesicles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2214912120. [PMID: 36595702 PMCID: PMC9926244 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214912120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Circulating tumor microenvironment-derived extracellular vesicles (cTME-EVs) are gaining considerable traction in cancer research and liquid biopsy. However, the study of cTME-EVs is largely limited by the dearth of a general isolation technique to selectively enrich cTME-EVs from biological fluids for downstream analysis. In this work, we broke through this dilemma by presenting a double-switch pH-low insertion peptide (D-S pHLIP) system to exclusively harvest cTME-EVs from the blood serum of tumor mouse models. This D-S pHLIP system consists of a highly sensitive pH-driven conformational switch (pKa ≈ 6.8) that allows specific installation of D-S pHLIP on the EV membranes in TME (pH 6.5 to 6.8) and a unique hook-like switch to "lock" the peptide securely on the cTME-EVs during the systemic circulation. The D-S pHLIP-anchored cTME-EVs were magnetically enriched and then analyzed with high-resolution messenger RNA sequencing, by which more than 18 times the number of TME-related differentially expressed genes and 10 times the number of hub genes were identified, compared with those achieved by the gold-standard ultracentrifugation. This work could revolutionize basic TME research as well as clinical liquid biopsy for cancer.
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18
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Staś M, Najgebauer P, Siodłak D. Imidazole-amino acids. Conformational switch under tautomer and pH change. Amino Acids 2023; 55:33-49. [PMID: 36319875 PMCID: PMC9877100 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-022-03201-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Replacement of the main chain peptide bond by imidazole ring seems to be a promising tool for the peptide-based drug design, due to the specific prototropic tautomeric as well as amphoteric properties. In this study, we present that both tautomer and pH change can cause a conformational switch of the studied residues of alanine (1-4) and dehydroalanine (5-8) with the C-terminal peptide group replaced by imidazole. The DFT methods are applied and an environment of increasing polarity is simulated. The conformational maps (Ramachandram diagrams) are presented and the stability of possible conformations is discussed. The neutral forms, tautomers τ (1) and π (2), adapt the conformations αRτ (φ, ψ = - 75°, - 114°) and C7eq (φ, ψ = - 75°, 66°), respectively. Their torsion angles ψ differ by about 180°, which results in a considerable impact on the peptide chain conformation. The cation form (3) adapts both these conformations, whereas the anion analogue (4) prefers the conformations C5 (φ, ψ = - 165°, - 178°) and β2 (φ, ψ ~ - 165°, - 3°). Dehydroamino acid analogues, the tautomers τ (5) and π (6) as well as the anion form (8), have a strong tendency toward the conformations β2 (φ, ψ = - 179°, 0°) and C5 (φ, ψ = - 180°, 180°). The preferences of the protonated imidazolium form (7) depend on the environment. The imidazole ring, acting as a donor or acceptor of the hydrogen bonds created within the studied residues, has a profound effect on the type of conformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Staś
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Opole, 45-052, Opole, Poland.
| | - Piotr Najgebauer
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Opole, 45-052, Opole, Poland
| | - Dawid Siodłak
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Opole, 45-052, Opole, Poland
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19
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Wang D, Gu W, Chen W, Zhou J, Yu L, Kook Kim B, Zhang X, Seung Kim J. Advanced nanovaccines based on engineering nanomaterials for accurately enhanced cancer immunotherapy. Coord Chem Rev 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ccr.2022.214788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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20
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Silva TD, Vila-Viçosa D, Machuqueiro M. Increasing the Realism of in Silico pHLIP Peptide Models with a Novel pH Gradient CpHMD Method. J Chem Theory Comput 2022; 18:6472-6481. [PMID: 36257921 PMCID: PMC9775217 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.2c00880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The pH-low insertion peptides (pHLIP) are pH-dependent membrane inserting peptides, whose function depends on the cell microenvironment acidity. Several peptide variants have been designed to improve upon the wt-sequence, particularly the state transition kinetics and the selectivity for tumor pH. The variant 3 (Var3) peptide is a 27 residue long peptide, with a key titrating residue (Asp-13) that, despite showing a modest performance in liposomes (pKins ∼ 5.0), excelled in tumor cell experiments. To help rationalize these results, we focused on the pH gradient in the cell membrane, which is one of the crucial properties that are not present in liposomes. We extended our CpHMD-L method and its pH replica-exchange (pHRE) implementation to include a pH gradient and mimic the pHLIP-membrane microenvironment in a cell where the internal pH is fixed (pH 7.2) and the external pH is allowed to change. We showed that, by properly modeling the pH-gradient, we can correctly predict the experimentally observed loss and gain of performance in tumor cells experiments by the wt and Var3 sequences, respectively. In sum, the pH gradient implementation allowed for more accurate and realistic pKa estimations and was a pivotal step in bridging the in silico data and the in vivo cell experiments.
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21
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Multiplexed Imaging Reveals the Spatial Relationship of the Extracellular Acidity-Targeting pHLIP with Necrosis, Hypoxia, and the Integrin-Targeting cRGD Peptide. Cells 2022; 11:cells11213499. [DOI: 10.3390/cells11213499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
pH (low) insertion peptides (pHLIPs) have been developed for cancer imaging and therapy targeting the acidic extracellular microenvironment. However, the characteristics of intratumoral distribution (ITD) of pHLIPs are not yet fully understood. This study aimed to reveal the details of the ITD of pHLIPs and their spatial relationship with other tumor features of concern. The fluorescent dye-labeled pHLIPs were intravenously administered to subcutaneous xenograft mouse models of U87MG and IGR-OV1 expressing αVβ3 integrins (using large necrotic tumors). The αVβ3 integrin-targeting Cy5.5-RAFT-c(-RGDfK-)4 was used as a reference. In vivo and ex vivo fluorescence imaging, whole-tumor section imaging, fluorescence microscopy, and multiplexed fluorescence colocalization analysis were performed. The ITD of fluorescent dye-labeled pHLIPs was heterogeneous, having a high degree of colocalization with necrosis. A direct one-to-one comparison of highly magnified images revealed the cellular localization of pHLIP in pyknotic, karyorrhexis, and karyolytic necrotic cells. pHLIP and hypoxia were spatially contiguous but not overlapping cellularly. The hypoxic region was found between the ITDs of pHLIP and the cRGD peptide and the Ki-67 proliferative activity remained detectable in the pHLIP-accumulated regions. The results provide a better understanding of the characteristics of ITD of pHLIPs, leading to new insights into the theranostic applications of pHLIPs.
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22
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Zhou W, Jia Y, Liu Y, Chen Y, Zhao P. Tumor Microenvironment-Based Stimuli-Responsive Nanoparticles for Controlled Release of Drugs in Cancer Therapy. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:2346. [PMID: 36365164 PMCID: PMC9694300 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
With the development of nanomedicine technology, stimuli-responsive nanocarriers play an increasingly important role in antitumor therapy. Compared with the normal physiological environment, the tumor microenvironment (TME) possesses several unique properties, including acidity, high glutathione (GSH) concentration, hypoxia, over-expressed enzymes and excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. However, on the other hand, these properties could also be harnessed for smart drug delivery systems to release drugs specifically in tumor tissues. Stimuli-responsive nanoparticles (srNPs) can maintain stability at physiological conditions, while they could be triggered rapidly to release drugs by specific stimuli to prolong blood circulation and enhance cancer cellular uptake, thus achieving excellent therapeutic performance and improved biosafety. This review focuses on the design of srNPs based on several stimuli in the TME for the delivery of antitumor drugs. In addition, the challenges and prospects for the development of srNPs are discussed, which can possibly inspire researchers to develop srNPs for clinical applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixin Zhou
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yujie Jia
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200065, China
| | - Yani Liu
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yan Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Pengxuan Zhao
- Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
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23
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Burgstaller S, Wagner TR, Bischof H, Bueckle S, Padamsey A, Frecot D, Kaiser PD, Skrabak D, Malli R, Lukowski R, Rothbauer U. Monitoring extracellular ion and metabolite dynamics with recombinant nanobody-fused biosensors. iScience 2022; 25:104907. [PMID: 36046190 PMCID: PMC9421384 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ion and analyte changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) alter the metabolic activity of cancer cells, promote tumor cell growth, and impair anti-tumor immunity. Consequently, accurate determination and visualization of extracellular changes of analytes in real time is desired. In this study, we genetically combined FRET-based biosensors with nanobodies (Nbs) to specifically visualize and monitor extracellular changes in K+, pH, and glucose on cell surfaces. We demonstrated that these Nb-fused biosensors quantitatively visualized K+ alterations on cancer and non-cancer cell lines and primary neurons. By implementing a HER2-specific Nb, we generated functional K+ and pH sensors, which specifically stained HER2-positive breast cancer cells. Based on the successful development of several Nb-fused biosensor combinations, we anticipate that this approach can be readily extended to other biosensors and will open new opportunities for the study of extracellular analytes in advanced experimental settings. Generation of recombinant nanobody-fused FRET biosensors Nb-fused biosensors specifically bind targets on the outer surface of various cells Cellular bound Nb-biosensors visualize extracellular analyte changes in real time
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Burgstaller
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany.,Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Teresa R Wagner
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany.,NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Helmut Bischof
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Bueckle
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Aman Padamsey
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Desiree Frecot
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany.,NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Philipp D Kaiser
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - David Skrabak
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Roland Malli
- Gottfried Schatz Research Center, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Medical University of Graz, Neue Stiftingtalstraße 6/6, 8010 Graz, Austria.,BioTechMed-Graz, Mozartgasse 12/II, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Robert Lukowski
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Rothbauer
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany.,NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, Markwiesenstrasse 55, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
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24
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Construction and In Vitro Evaluation of a Tumor Acidic pH-Targeting Drug Delivery System Based on Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 Bacterial Ghosts. BIOENGINEERING (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:bioengineering9090433. [PMID: 36134979 PMCID: PMC9495381 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9090433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/06/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic nanocarriers are a promising therapeutic delivery strategy. However, these systems are often hampered by inherent disadvantages such as strong biotoxicity and poor biocompatibility. To overcome these issues, biological carriers with commonly used chemotherapy drugs have been developed. In this work, engineered bacterial ghosts (BGs) originated from probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) were devised to specifically target acidic extracellular environments of tumor tissue. To improve the production efficiency and safety, a novel lysis protein E from phage α3 was applied to produce EcN BGs under high growth densities in high quality. In addition, the acidity-triggered rational membrane (ATRAM) peptides were displayed in EcN BGs to facilitate specific cancer cell internalization within the acidic tumor microenvironment before drug release. In conclusion, the engineered EcN BGs offer a promising means for bionic bacteria construction for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy.
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25
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Vasquez‐Montes V, Tyagi V, Sikorski E, Kyrychenko A, Freites JA, Thévenin D, Tobias DJ, Ladokhin AS. Ca 2+ -dependent interactions between lipids and the tumor-targeting peptide pHLIP. Protein Sci 2022; 31:e4385. [PMID: 36040255 PMCID: PMC9366937 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cancerous tissues undergo extensive changes to their cellular environments that differentiate them from healthy tissues. These changes include changes in extracellular pH and Ca2+ concentrations, and the exposure of phosphatidylserine (PS) to the extracellular environment, which can modulate the interaction of peptides and proteins with the plasma membrane. Deciphering the molecular mechanisms of such interactions is critical for advancing the knowledge-based design of cancer-targeting molecular tools, such as pH-low insertion peptide (pHLIP). Here, we explore the effects of PS, Ca2+ , and peptide protonation state on the interactions of pHLIP with lipid membranes. Cellular studies demonstrate that exposed PS on the plasma membrane promotes pHLIP targeting. The magnitude of this effect is dependent on extracellular Ca2+ concentration, indicating that divalent cations play an important role in pHLIP targeting in vivo. The targeting mechanism is further explored with a combination of fluorescence and circular dichroism experiments in model membranes and microsecond-timescale all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Our results demonstrate that Ca2+ is engaged in coupling peptide-lipid interactions in the unprotonated transmembrane conformation of pHLIP. The simulations reveal that while the pH-induced insertion leads to a strong depletion of PS around pHLIP, the Ca2+ -induced insertion has the opposite effect. Thus, extracellular levels of Ca2+ are crucial to linking cellular changes in membrane lipid composition with the selective targeting and insertion of pHLIP. The characterized Ca2+ -dependent coupling between pHLIP sidechains and PS provides atomistic insights into the general mechanism for lipid-coupled regulation of protein-membrane insertion by divalent cations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Vasquez‐Montes
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
| | - Vivek Tyagi
- Department of ChemistryUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCaliforniaUSA
| | - Eden Sikorski
- Department of ChemistryLehigh UniversityBethlehemPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Alexander Kyrychenko
- Institute of Chemistry and School of Chemistry, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National UniversityKharkivUkraine
| | | | - Damien Thévenin
- Department of ChemistryLehigh UniversityBethlehemPennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Alexey S. Ladokhin
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyThe University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityKansasUSA
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26
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Bose D, Roy L, Chatterjee S. Peptide therapeutics in the management of metastatic cancers. RSC Adv 2022; 12:21353-21373. [PMID: 35975072 PMCID: PMC9345020 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra02062a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading health concern threatening lives of millions of patients worldwide. Peptide-based drugs provide a valuable alternative to chemotherapeutics as they are highly specific, cheap, less toxic and easier to synthesize compared to other drugs. In this review, we have discussed various modes in which peptides are being used to curb cancer. Our review highlights specially the various anti-metastatic peptide-based agents developed by targeting a plethora of cellular factors. Herein we have given a special focus on integrins as targets for peptide drugs, as these molecules play key roles in metastatic progression. The review also discusses use of peptides as anti-cancer vaccines and their efficiency as drug-delivery tools. We hope this work will give the reader a clear idea of the mechanisms of peptide-based anti-cancer therapeutics and encourage the development of superior drugs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debopriya Bose
- Department of Biophysics Bose Institute Unified Academic Campus EN 80, Sector V, Bidhan Nagar Kolkata 700091 WB India
| | - Laboni Roy
- Department of Biophysics Bose Institute Unified Academic Campus EN 80, Sector V, Bidhan Nagar Kolkata 700091 WB India
| | - Subhrangsu Chatterjee
- Department of Biophysics Bose Institute Unified Academic Campus EN 80, Sector V, Bidhan Nagar Kolkata 700091 WB India
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27
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Deskeuvre M, Lan J, Dierge E, Messens J, Riant O, Corbet C, Feron O, Frédérick R. Targeting cancer cells in acidosis with conjugates between the carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 inhibitor etomoxir and pH (low) Insertion Peptides. Int J Pharm 2022; 624:122041. [PMID: 35868479 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.122041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Targeting enzymes involved in tumor metabolism is a promising way to tackle cancer progression. The inhibition of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) by etomoxir (Eto) efficiently slows down the growth of various cancers. Unfortunately, the clinical use of this drug was abandoned because of hepatotoxic effects. We report the development of pH-sensitive peptide (pHLIP)-drug conjugate to deliver Eto selectively to cancer cells exposed to acidic microenvironmental conditions. A newly designed sequence for the pHLIP peptide, named pHLIPd, was compared with a previously published reference pHLIP peptide, named pHLIPr. We showed that the conjugate between pHLIPd and Eto has a better pH-dependent insertion and structuration than the pHLIPr-based conjugate inside POPC vesicles. We observed antiproliferative effects when applied on acid-adapted cancer cells, reaching a larger inhibitory activity than Eto alone. In conclusion, this study brings the first evidence that pHLIP-based conjugates with a CPT1 inhibitor has the potential to specifically target the tumor acidic compartment and exert anticancer effects while sparing healthy tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Deskeuvre
- Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Medicinal Chemistry Research Group (CMFA), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 73 Avenue Emmanuel Mounier, B-1200 Brussel, Belgium; Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 57 Avenue Hippocrate B1.57.04, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Junjie Lan
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, MOST Division, Place Louis Pasteur, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve B-1348, Belgium
| | - Emeline Dierge
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 57 Avenue Hippocrate B1.57.04, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Joris Messens
- VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie (VIB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Brussels Center for Redox Biology, 1050 Brussels, Belgium; Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Riant
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, MOST Division, Place Louis Pasteur, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve B-1348, Belgium
| | - Cyril Corbet
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 57 Avenue Hippocrate B1.57.04, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Feron
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 57 Avenue Hippocrate B1.57.04, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Raphaël Frédérick
- Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Medicinal Chemistry Research Group (CMFA), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), 73 Avenue Emmanuel Mounier, B-1200 Brussel, Belgium.
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28
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Sharma GP, Meyer AC, Habeeb S, Karbach M, Müller G. Free-energy landscapes and insertion pathways for peptides in membrane environment. Phys Rev E 2022; 106:014404. [PMID: 35974613 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.106.014404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Free-energy landscapes for short peptides-specifically for variants of the pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP)-in the heterogeneous environment of a lipid bilayer or cell membrane are constructed, taking into account a set of dominant interactions and the conformational preferences of the peptide backbone. Our methodology interprets broken internal H-bonds along the backbone of a polypeptide as statistically interacting quasiparticles, activated from the helix reference state. The favored conformation depends on the local environment (ranging from polar to nonpolar), specifically on the availability of external H-bonds (with H_{2}O molecules or lipid headgroups) to replace internal H-bonds. The dominant side-chain contribution is accounted for by residue-specific transfer free energies between polar and nonpolar environments. The free-energy landscape is sensitive to the level of pH in the aqueous environment surrounding the membrane. For high pH, we identify pathways of descending free energy that suggest a coexistence of membrane-adsorbed peptides with peptides in solution. A drop in pH raises the degree of protonation of negatively charged residues and thus increases the hydrophobicity of peptide segments near the C terminus. For low pH, we identify insertion pathways between the membrane-adsorbed state and a stable trans-membrane state with the C terminus having crossed the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganga P Sharma
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA
| | - Aaron C Meyer
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA
| | - Suhail Habeeb
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA
| | - Michael Karbach
- Fachgruppe Physik, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, D-42097 Wuppertal, Germany
| | - Gerhard Müller
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, USA
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29
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Bauer D, Visca H, Weerakkody A, Carter LM, Samuels Z, Kaminsky S, Andreev OA, Reshetnyak YK, Lewis JS. PET Imaging of Acidic Tumor Environment With 89Zr-labeled pHLIP Probes. Front Oncol 2022; 12:882541. [PMID: 35664740 PMCID: PMC9160799 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.882541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Acidosis of the tumor microenvironment is a hallmark of tumor progression and has emerged as an essential biomarker for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and evaluation of treatment response. A tool for quantitatively visualizing the acidic tumor environment could significantly advance our understanding of the behavior of aggressive tumors, improving patient management and outcomes. 89Zr-labeled pH-low insertion peptides (pHLIP) are a class of radiopharmaceutical imaging probes for the in vivo analysis of acidic tumor microenvironments via positron emission tomography (PET). Their unique structure allows them to sense and target acidic cancer cells. In contrast to traditional molecular imaging agents, pHLIP's mechanism of action is pH-dependent and does not rely on the presence of tumor-specific molecular markers. In this study, one promising acidity-imaging PET probe ([89Zr]Zr-DFO-Cys-Var3) was identified as a candidate for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bauer
- Department of Radiology and the Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hannah Visca
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Anuradha Weerakkody
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Lukas M. Carter
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Zachary Samuels
- Department of Radiology and the Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Spencer Kaminsky
- Department of Radiology and the Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Oleg A. Andreev
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Yana K. Reshetnyak
- Department of Physics, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, United States
| | - Jason S. Lewis
- Department of Radiology and the Molecular Pharmacology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Radiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pharmacology Program, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
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30
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Muir RK, Guerra M, Bogyo MM. Activity-Based Diagnostics: Recent Advances in the Development of Probes for Use with Diverse Detection Modalities. ACS Chem Biol 2022; 17:281-291. [PMID: 35026106 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.1c00753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Abnormal enzyme expression and activity is a hallmark of many diseases. Activity-based diagnostics are a class of chemical probes that aim to leverage this dysregulated metabolic signature to produce a detectable signal specific to diseased tissue. In this Review, we highlight recent methodologies employed in activity-based diagnostics that provide exquisite signal sensitivity and specificity in complex biological systems for multiple disease states. We divide these examples based upon their unique signal readout modalities and highlight those that have advanced into clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan K. Muir
- Department of Pathology and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Matteo Guerra
- Department of Pathology and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Matthew M. Bogyo
- Department of Pathology and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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31
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Wei X, Zhao H, Huang G, Liu J, He W, Huang Q. ES-MION-Based Dual-Modality PET/MRI Probes for Acidic Tumor Microenvironment Imaging. ACS OMEGA 2022; 7:3442-3451. [PMID: 35128253 PMCID: PMC8811892 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c05815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Among all characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), which are caused by abnormal proliferation of solid tumors, extracellular acidity is an important indicator for malignancy grading. pH-low insertion peptides (pHLIPs) are adopted to discern the acidic TME. To date, different imaging agents including fluorescent, positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents with pHLIPs to target the acidic TME have been used to image various tumor models successfully. In this article, a PET/MRI dual-modality probe, based on extremely small magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (ES-MIONs) with pHLIPs as a targeting unit, was proposed for the first time. In the phantom study, the probe showed relatively high r 1 relaxivity (r 1 = 1.03 mM-1 s-1), indicating that it could be used as a T1-weighted MR contrast agent. The 68Ga-radiolabeled probe was further studied in vitro and in vivo to evaluate pHLIP targeting efficacy and feasibility for PET/MRI. PET with intratumoral injection and T1-weighted MRI with intravenous injection both showed pHLIP-specific delivery of the probe. Therefore, we successfully designed and developed a radiolabeled ES-MION-based dual-modality PET/MRI agent to target the acidic tumor microenvironment. Although the accumulation of the probe in tumors with intravenous injection was not high enough to exhibit signals in the PET imaging study, our study still provides further insights into the ES-MION-based PET/MRI strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuyan Wei
- Medical
Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Haitao Zhao
- Department
of Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Clinical Nuclear Medicine, Renji
Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao
Tong University, Shanghai 200127, China
| | - Gang Huang
- Shanghai
Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai
University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, China
| | - Jianhua Liu
- Medical
Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Weina He
- Medical
Chemistry and Bioinformatics Center, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Qingqing Huang
- Shanghai
Key Laboratory of Molecular Imaging, Shanghai
University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai 201318, China
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32
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Zorko M, Jones S, Langel Ü. Cell-penetrating peptides in protein mimicry and cancer therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 180:114044. [PMID: 34774552 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Extensive research has been undertaken in the pursuit of anticancer therapeutics. Many anticancer drugs require specificity of delivery to cancer cells, whilst sparing healthy tissue. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), now well established as facilitators of intracellular delivery, have in recent years advanced to incorporate target specificity and thus possess great potential for the targeted delivery of anticancer cargoes. Though none have yet been approved for clinical use, this novel technology has already entered clinical trials. In this review we present CPPs, discuss their classification, mechanisms of cargo internalization and highlight strategies for conjugation to anticancer moieties including their incorporation into therapeutic proteins. As the mainstay of this review, strategies to build specificity into tumor targeting CPP constructs through exploitation of the tumor microenvironment and the use of tumor homing peptides are discussed, whilst acknowledging the extensive contribution made by CPP constructs to target specific protein-protein interactions integral to intracellular signaling pathways associated with tumor cell survival and progression. Finally, antibody/antigen CPP conjugates and their potential roles in cancer immunotherapy and diagnostics are considered. In summary, this review aims to harness the potential of CPP-aided drug delivery for future cancer therapies and diagnostics whilst highlighting some of the most recent achievements in selective delivery of anticancer drugs, including cytostatic drugs, to a range of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Zorko
- University of Ljubljana, Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sarah Jones
- University of Wolverhampton, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science & Engineering, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK.
| | - Ülo Langel
- University of Stockholm, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu, Estonia 50411, Estonia.
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33
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Liu S, Wang B, Sheng Y, Dong S, Liu G. Rational Design of Self-Assembled Mitochondria-Targeting Lytic Peptide Conjugates with Enhanced Tumor Selectivity. Chemistry 2021; 28:e202103517. [PMID: 34791722 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202103517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Membrane lytic peptides (MLP) are widely explored as cellular delivery vehicles or antitumor/antibacterial agents. However, the poor selectivity between cancer and normal cells slims their prospects as potential anti-tumor drugs. Herein, we have developed a rationally designed self-assembly strategy to enhance tumor selectivity of MLP-based conjugates, incorporating a hydrophobic triphenylphosphonium (TPP) group for mitochondria targeting, and a hydrophilic arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) sequence targeting integrins. The self-assembly nanoparticles can enhance the stability of the peptides in vitro plasma and be endocytosed selectively into the cancer cells. The histidine-rich lytic peptide component assists the disruption of endosomal/lysosomal membranes and subsequent the mitochondria membrane, which leads to apoptosis. This rational design of MLP-based conjugates provides a practical strategy to increase the application prospects of lytic peptides in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sijin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Biao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yina Sheng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Suwei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Guoquan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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MacCuaig WM, Fouts BL, McNally MW, Grizzle WE, Chuong P, Samykutty A, Mukherjee P, Li M, Jasinski J, Behkam B, McNally LR. Active Targeting Significantly Outperforms Nanoparticle Size in Facilitating Tumor-Specific Uptake in Orthotopic Pancreatic Cancer. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:49614-49630. [PMID: 34653338 PMCID: PMC9783196 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c09379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticles are widely studied as theranostic vehicles for cancer; however, clinical translation has been limited due to poor tumor specificity. Features that maximize tumor uptake remain controversial, particularly when using clinically relevant models. We report a systematic study that assesses two major features for the impact on tumor specificity, i.e., active vs passive targeting and nanoparticle size, to evaluate relative influences in vivo. Active targeting via the V7 peptide is superior to passive targeting for uptake by pancreatic tumors, irrespective of nanoparticle size, observed through in vivo imaging. Size has a secondary effect on uptake for actively targeted nanoparticles in which 26 nm nanoparticles outperform larger 45 and 73 nm nanoparticles. Nanoparticle size had no significant effect on uptake for passively targeted nanoparticles. Results highlight the superiority of active targeting over nanoparticle size for tumor uptake. These findings suggest a framework for optimizing similar nonaggregate nanoparticles for theranostic treatment of recalcitrant cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- William M. MacCuaig
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | - Benjamin L. Fouts
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Molly W McNally
- Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | - William E. Grizzle
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Phillip Chuong
- Department of Surgery, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Abhilash Samykutty
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
| | | | - Min Li
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
| | - Jacek Jasinski
- Conn Center Materials Characterization, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - Bahareh Behkam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24061, USA
| | - Lacey R. McNally
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA
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35
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Hao L, Rohani N, Zhao RT, Pulver EM, Mak H, Kelada OJ, Ko H, Fleming HE, Gertler FB, Bhatia SN. Microenvironment-triggered multimodal precision diagnostics. NATURE MATERIALS 2021; 20:1440-1448. [PMID: 34267368 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-021-01042-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic outcomes in oncology may be aided by precision diagnostics that offer early detection, localization and the opportunity to monitor response to therapy. Here, we report a multimodal nanosensor engineered to target tumours through acidosis, respond to proteases in the microenvironment to release urinary reporters and (optionally) carry positron emission tomography probes to enable localization of primary and metastatic cancers in mouse models of colorectal cancer. We present a paradigm wherein this multimodal sensor can be employed longitudinally to assess burden of disease non-invasively, including tumour progression and response to chemotherapy. Specifically, we showed that acidosis-mediated tumour insertion enhanced on-target release of matrix metalloproteinase-responsive reporters in urine. Subsequent on-demand loading of the radiotracer 64Cu allowed pH-dependent tumour visualization, enabling enriched microenvironmental characterization when compared with the conventional metabolic tracer 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose. Through tailored target specificities, this modular platform has the capacity to be engineered as a pan-cancer test that may guide treatment decisions for numerous tumour types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liangliang Hao
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nazanin Rohani
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Renee T Zhao
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emilia M Pulver
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Howard Mak
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Henry Ko
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Heather E Fleming
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Frank B Gertler
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sangeeta N Bhatia
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Ludwig Center at Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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36
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Bogyo
- Departments of Pathology and Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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37
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Abstract
The use of PET imaging agents in oncology, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disease shows the power of this technique in evaluating the molecular and biological characteristics of numerous diseases. These agents provide crucial information for designing therapeutic strategies for individual patients. Novel PET tracers are in continual development and many have potential use in clinical and research settings. This article discusses the potential applications of tracers in diagnostics, the biological characteristics of diseases, the ability to provide prognostic indicators, and using this information to guide treatment strategies including monitoring treatment efficacy in real time to improve outcomes and survival.
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38
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Mitrou A, Feng X, Khan A, Yaroslavsky AN. Feasibility of dual-contrast fluorescence imaging of pathological breast tissues. JOURNAL OF BIOPHOTONICS 2021; 14:e202100007. [PMID: 34010507 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.202100007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The combination of intravital dye, methylene blue (MB), with molecular cancer marker, pH low insertion peptide (pHLIP) conjugated with fluorescent Alexa532 (Alexa532-pHLIP), was evaluated for enhancing contrast of pathological breast tissue ex vivo. Fresh, thick breast specimens were stained sequentially with Alexa532-pHLIP and aqueous MB and imaged using dual-channel fluorescence microscopy. MB and Alexa532-pHLIP accumulated in the nuclei and cytoplasm of cancer cells, respectively. MB also stained nuclei of normal cells. Some Alexa532-pHLIP fluorescence emission was detected from connective tissue and benign cell membranes. Overall, Alexa532-pHLIP showed high affinity to cancer, while MB highlighted tissue morphology. The results indicate that MB and Alexa532-pHLIP provide complementary information and show promise for the detection of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Androniki Mitrou
- Advanced Biophotonics Laboratory, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Xin Feng
- Advanced Biophotonics Laboratory, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ashraf Khan
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anna N Yaroslavsky
- Advanced Biophotonics Laboratory, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
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Alford RF, Samanta R, Gray JJ. Diverse Scientific Benchmarks for Implicit Membrane Energy Functions. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 17:5248-5261. [PMID: 34310137 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.0c00646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Energy functions are fundamental to biomolecular modeling. Their success depends on robust physical formalisms, efficient optimization, and high-resolution data for training and validation. Over the past 20 years, progress in each area has advanced soluble protein energy functions. Yet, energy functions for membrane proteins lag behind due to sparse and low-quality data, leading to overfit tools. To overcome this challenge, we assembled a suite of 12 tests on independent data sets varying in size, diversity, and resolution. The tests probe an energy function's ability to capture membrane protein orientation, stability, sequence, and structure. Here, we present the tests and use the franklin2019 energy function to demonstrate them. We then identify areas for energy function improvement and discuss potential future integration with machine-learning-based optimization methods. The tests are available through the Rosetta Benchmark Server (https://benchmark.graylab.jhu.edu/) and GitHub (https://github.com/rfalford12/Implicit-Membrane-Energy-Function-Benchmark).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca F Alford
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Rituparna Samanta
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
| | - Jeffrey J Gray
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States.,Program in Molecular Biophysics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
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40
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Silva TFD, Vila-Viçosa D, Machuqueiro M. Improved Protocol to Tackle the pH Effects on Membrane-Inserting Peptides. J Chem Theory Comput 2021; 17:3830-3840. [PMID: 34115492 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.1c00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Many important biological pathways rely on membrane-interacting peptides or proteins, which can alter the biophysical properties of the cell membrane by simply adsorbing to its surface to undergo a full insertion process. To study these phenomena with atomistic detail, model peptides have been used to refine the current computational methodologies. Improvements have been made with force-field parameters, enhanced sampling techniques to obtain faster sampling, and the addition of chemical-physical properties, such as pH, whose influence dramatically increases at the water/membrane interface. The pH (low) insertion peptide (pHLIP) is a peptide that inserts across a membrane bilayer depending on the pH due to the presence of a key residue (Asp14) whose acidity-induced protonation triggers the whole process. The complex nature of these peptide/membrane interactions resulted in sampling limitations of the protonation and configurational space albeit using state-of-the-art methods such as the constant-pH molecular dynamics. To address this issue and circumvent those limitations, new simulations were performed with our newly developed pH-replica exchange method using wild-type (wt)-pHLIP in different 2-oleoyl-1-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine membrane sizes. This technique provided enhanced sampling and allowed for the calculation of more complete Asp14 pKa profiles. The conformational heterogeneity derived from strong electrostatic interactions between Asp14 and the lipid phosphate groups was identified as the source of most pKa variability. In spite of these persistent and harder-to-equilibrate phosphate interactions, the pKa values at deeper regions (6.0-6.2) still predicted the experimental pK of insertion (6.0) since the electrostatic perturbation decays as the residue inserts further into the membrane. We also observed that reducing the system size leads to membrane deformations where it increasingly loses the ability to accommodate the pHLIP-induced perturbations. This indicates that large membrane patches, such as 256 or even 352 lipids, are needed to obtain stable and more realistic pHLIP/membrane systems. These results strengthen our method pKa predictive and analytical capabilities to study the intricate play of electrostatic effects of the peptide/membrane interface, granting confidence for future applications in similar systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomás F D Silva
- Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI: Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Diogo Vila-Viçosa
- Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI: Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.,Kinetikos, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Machuqueiro
- Departamento de Química e Bioquímica, Faculdade de Ciências, BioISI: Biosystems and Integrative Sciences Institute, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
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41
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Lomize AL, Schnitzer KA, Todd SC, Pogozheva ID. Thermodynamics-Based Molecular Modeling of α-Helices in Membranes and Micelles. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:2884-2896. [PMID: 34029472 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The Folding of Membrane-Associated Peptides (FMAP) method was developed for modeling α-helix formation by linear peptides in micelles and lipid bilayers. FMAP 2.0 identifies locations of α-helices in the amino acid sequence, generates their three-dimensional models in planar bilayers or spherical micelles, and estimates their thermodynamic stabilities and tilt angles, depending on temperature and pH. The method was tested for 723 peptides (926 data points) experimentally studied in different environments and for 170 single-pass transmembrane (TM) proteins with available crystal structures. FMAP 2.0 detected more than 95% of experimentally observed α-helices with an average error in helix end determination of around 2, 3, 4, and 5 residues per helix for peptides in water, micelles, bilayers, and TM proteins, respectively. Helical and nonhelical residue states were predicted with an accuracy from 0.86 to 0.96, and the Matthews correlation coefficient was from 0.64 to 0.88 depending on the environment. Experimental micelle- and membrane-binding energies and tilt angles of peptides were reproduced with a root-mean-square deviation of around 2 kcal/mol and 7°, respectively. The TM and non-TM states of hydrophobic and pH-triggered α-helical peptides in various lipid bilayers were reproduced in more than 95% of cases. The FMAP 2.0 web server (https://membranome.org/fmap) is publicly available to explore the structural polymorphism of antimicrobial, cell-penetrating, fusion, and other membrane-binding peptides, which is important for understanding the mechanisms of their biological activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei L Lomize
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, 428 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1065, United States
| | - Kevin A Schnitzer
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, 1221 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2102, United States
| | - Spencer C Todd
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, 1221 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2102, United States
| | - Irina D Pogozheva
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, 428 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1065, United States
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Zhai L, Luo C, Gao H, Du S, Shi J, Wang F. A Dual pH-Responsive DOX-Encapsulated Liposome Combined with Glucose Administration Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy of Chemotherapy for Cancer. Int J Nanomedicine 2021; 16:3185-3199. [PMID: 34007173 PMCID: PMC8121622 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s303874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The acidic microenvironment of cancer can promote tumor metastasis and drug resistance. Acidic tumor microenvironment-targeted therapy is currently an important means for treating tumors, inhibiting metastasis, and overcoming drug resistance. In this study, a dual pH-responsive DOX-encapsulated liposome (DOPE-DVar7-lip@DOX) was designed and fabricated for targeting the acidic tumor microenvironment. On the one hand, the response of acid-sensitive peptide (DVar7) to the acidic tumor microenvironment increased the uptake of liposomes in tumors and prolonged the retention time; on the other hand, the response of acid-sensitive phospholipid (DOPE) to the acidic tumor microenvironment improved the controlled release of DOX in tumors. METHODS The acid-sensitive peptide DVar7 modified liposomes can be obtained by simple incubation of DSPE-DVar7 with DOX-loaded DOPE liposomes (DOPE-lip@DOX). The tumor targeting of the dual pH-responsive liposome was investigated in vitro and in vivo by near-infrared fluorescence imaging. The tumor therapeutic efficacy of DOPE-DVar7-lip@DOX was evaluated in breast cancer mouse model using the traditional liposome as a control. Moreover, we regulated the tumor microenvironment acidity by injecting glucose to further enhance the therapeutic efficacy of cancer. RESULTS DVar7 can allosterically insert into the tumor cell membrane in the acidic tumor microenvironment to enhance the tumor uptake of liposomes and prolong the retention time of liposomes in tumor. In addition, the therapeutic efficacy of pH-responsive liposomes can be further enhanced by glucose injection regulating the acidity of tumor microenvironment. DISCUSSION DVar7 modified acid-sensitive nanocarriers combined with acidity regulation have great potential to improve drug resistance in clinical practice, thus improving the response rate and therapeutic effect of chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luoping Zhai
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chuangwei Luo
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hannan Gao
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shuaifan Du
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiyun Shi
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fan Wang
- Medical Isotopes Research Center and Department of Radiation Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Protein and Peptide Pharmaceuticals, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, People’s Republic of China
- Bioland Laboratory (Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory), Guangzhou, 510005, People’s Republic of China
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43
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Frickenstein AN, Hagood JM, Britten CN, Abbott BS, McNally MW, Vopat CA, Patterson EG, MacCuaig WM, Jain A, Walters KB, McNally LR. Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles: Properties and Strategies for Enhancing Clinical Effect. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:570. [PMID: 33920503 PMCID: PMC8072651 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13040570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the theragnostic potential of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), these were extensively investigated as a novel approach to improve clinical outcomes. Boasting an impressive array of formulations and modifications, MSNs demonstrate significant in vivo efficacy when used to identify or treat myriad malignant diseases in preclinical models. As MSNs continue transitioning into clinical trials, a thorough understanding of the characteristics of effective MSNs is necessary. This review highlights recent discoveries and advances in MSN understanding and technology. Specific focus is given to cancer theragnostic approaches using MSNs. Characteristics of MSNs such as size, shape, and surface properties are discussed in relation to effective nanomedicine practice and projected clinical efficacy. Additionally, tumor-targeting options used with MSNs are presented with extensive discussion on active-targeting molecules. Methods for decreasing MSN toxicity, improving site-specific delivery, and controlling release of loaded molecules are further explained. Challenges facing the field and translation to clinical environments are presented alongside potential avenues for continuing investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex N. Frickenstein
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (A.N.F.); (C.A.V.); (W.M.M.)
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (J.M.H.); (M.W.M.)
| | - Jordan M. Hagood
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (J.M.H.); (M.W.M.)
| | - Collin N. Britten
- School of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (C.N.B.); (B.S.A.); (K.B.W.)
| | - Brandon S. Abbott
- School of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (C.N.B.); (B.S.A.); (K.B.W.)
| | - Molly W. McNally
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (J.M.H.); (M.W.M.)
| | - Catherine A. Vopat
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (A.N.F.); (C.A.V.); (W.M.M.)
| | - Eian G. Patterson
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA;
| | - William M. MacCuaig
- Stephenson School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (A.N.F.); (C.A.V.); (W.M.M.)
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (J.M.H.); (M.W.M.)
| | - Ajay Jain
- Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA;
| | - Keisha B. Walters
- School of Chemical, Biological, and Materials Engineering, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA; (C.N.B.); (B.S.A.); (K.B.W.)
| | - Lacey R. McNally
- Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA; (J.M.H.); (M.W.M.)
- Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA;
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Abstract
Aim: Several types of nanocarriers, most of which show significant cytotoxicity, have been developed to overcome the problem of gene-delivery barriers. Biocompatibility, low toxicity and water solubility of carbon nanodots (CNDs) are major advantages that recommend them as delivery systems. Materials & methods: We present a simple method to produce positively charged CNDs. Ethanolamine, ethylenediamine and hydrogen peroxide were utilized to synthesize these CNDs. Results & conclusion: Our results indicated that delivery of the CND-siGFP complex led to significant switching-off of the fluorescence of the GFP-expressing A549 cell. Next, the A549 cells were transfected with siRNA against BiP, which is a pivotal protein in the chemotherapy resistance of cancer cells. The expression levels of BiP decreased remarkably.
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45
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Yang Y, Liu C, Yan X, Li J, Yang X. En Bloc Tumor Resection, Optical Molecular Imaging, and the Potential Synergy of the Combination of the Two Techniques in Bladder Cancer. Front Oncol 2021; 11:638083. [PMID: 33796465 PMCID: PMC8008058 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.638083] [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: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although transurethral resection of bladder tumor is the golden standard for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer, this surgical procedure still has some serious drawbacks. For example, piecemeal resection of tumor tissue results in exfoliated tumor cells dissemination and implantation, and fragmented tumor specimens make it difficult for pathologists to accurately assess the pathological stage and histologic grade. En bloc tumor resection follows the basic principle of oncological surgery and provides an intact tumor specimen containing detrusor muscle for pathologists to make accurate histopathological assessment. However, there is no robust clinical evidence that en bloc tumor resection is superior to conventional resection in terms of oncological outcomes. Considering the high recurrence rate, small or occult tumor lesions may be overlooked and incomplete tumor resection may occur during white light cystoscopy-assisted transurethral resection. Molecular fluorescent tracers have the ability to bind tumor cells with high sensitivity and specificity. Optical molecular imaging mediated by it can detect small or occult malignant lesions while minimizing the occurrence of false-positive results. Meanwhile, optical molecular imaging can provide dynamic and real-time image guidance in the surgical procedure, which helps urologists to accurately determine the boundary and depth of tumor invasion, so as to perform complete and high-quality transurethral tumor resection. Integrating the advantages of these two technologies, optical molecular imaging-assisted en bloc tumor resection shows the potential to improve the positive detection rate of small or occult tumor lesions and the quality of transurethral resection, resulting in high recurrence-free and progression-free survival rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjun Yang
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Chao Liu
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaoting Yan
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Jiawei Li
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Department of Urology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
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46
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A functional DNA-modified dual-response gold nanoprobe for simultaneously imaging the acidic microenvironment and membrane proteins of tumor cells. Talanta 2021; 229:122284. [PMID: 33838778 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2021.122284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Tumor progression is a complicated process influenced by multiple factors, in which the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME) and altered tumor-associated membrane proteins (TA-MPs) are closely involved. Monitoring the status of these factors is of significance for tumor progression research. Here, we develop a novel probe for simultaneously imaging the acidic TME and TA-MPs in situ. In this probe, i-motif-forming sequences (strand I) are conjugated to a gold nanoparticle (AuNP) via gold-sulfur bonds for acid-response. Extended aptamers (strand A) for protein recognition are labeled with Cy3 and Cy5 respectively at two ends. The extended part of strand A hybridizes with strand I to quench Cy3 by the proximal AuNP, and the protein recognition part hybridizes with a strand labeled with BHQ2 (strand Q) to quench Cy5. When the integrated probe encounters an acidic TME, the strand I fold into i-motif quadruplexes and release the AQ duplexes from the AuNP, enabling Cy3 to be lit to indicate the acidic TME. The aptamers in AQ duplexes bind to target proteins, removing the hybridization between strand A and Q thus leading to the fluorescence recovery of Cy5 for in-situ imaging of the proteins. Fluorescence measurement and confocal microscopy imaging showed that the probe could sensitively respond to the alteration in acidity from pH 7.4 into pH 6.5, which is coincide with the acidity gap of extracellular microenvironment between normal and tumor cells. Besides, it enabled the in-situ imaging of MUC1 proteins on living cell surface, revealing their expression level and distribution. This probe demonstrates a new approach for simultaneously imaging the acidic TME and TA-MPs, providing a useful tool for multifactor research of tumor progression.
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Targeting the Hypoxic and Acidic Tumor Microenvironment with pH-Sensitive Peptides. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030541. [PMID: 33806273 PMCID: PMC8000199 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The delivery of cancer therapeutics can be limited by pharmacological issues such as poor bioavailability and high toxicity to healthy tissue. pH-low insertion peptides (pHLIPs) represent a promising tool to overcome these limitations. pHLIPs allow for the selective delivery of agents to tumors on the basis of pH, taking advantage of the acidity of the hypoxic tumor microenvironment. This review article highlights the various applications in which pHLIPs have been utilized for targeting and treating diseases in hypoxic environments, including delivery of small molecule inhibitors, toxins, nucleic acid analogs, fluorescent dyes, and nanoparticles.
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Sharma KS, Raju M. S, Goswami D, De A, Phadnis PP, Vatsa RK. pH-(Low)-Insertion Peptide-Assisted Detection and Diagnosis of Cancer Using Zinc Gallate-Based Persistent Luminescence Nanoparticles. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c01303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Swathi Raju M.
- Molecular Functional Imaging Lab, Tata Memorial Centre, ACTREC, Sector 22, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai 410210, India
| | - Dibakar Goswami
- Bio-Organic Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Abhijit De
- Molecular Functional Imaging Lab, Tata Memorial Centre, ACTREC, Sector 22, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai 410210, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Prasad P. Phadnis
- Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
| | - Rajesh K. Vatsa
- Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085, India
- Homi Bhabha National Institute, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India
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Pharmacokinetic modeling reveals parameters that govern tumor targeting and delivery by a pH-Low Insertion Peptide (pHLIP). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2016605118. [PMID: 33443162 PMCID: PMC7817199 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016605118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumors exhibit an acidic extracellular microenvironment that is accentuated at cell surfaces. As a result, they can be targeted by a pH-Low Insertion Peptide (pHLIP), an acid-triggered tumor-targeting peptide that can also serve as a vehicle for drug delivery. In this work, we use a pharmacokinetic modeling approach to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms and factors that influence pHLIP tumor targeting and delivery, and also identify factors that do not. In so doing, we predict pHLIP phenotypes with significantly enhanced capabilities. The model may therefore be useful for guiding the future development of pHLIP variants. A pH-Low Insertion Peptide (pHLIP) is a pH-sensitive peptide that undergoes membrane insertion, resulting in transmembrane helix formation, on exposure to acidity at a tumor cell surface. As a result, pHLIPs preferentially accumulate within tumors and can be used for tumor-targeted imaging and drug delivery. Here we explore the determinants of pHLIP insertion, targeting, and delivery through a computational modeling approach. We generate a simple mathematical model to describe the transmembrane insertion process and then integrate it into a pharmacokinetic model, which predicts the tumor vs. normal tissue biodistribution of the most studied pHLIP, “wild-type pHLIP,” over time after a single intravenous injection. From these models, we gain insight into the various mechanisms behind pHLIP tumor targeting and delivery, as well as the various biological parameters that influence it. Furthermore, we analyze how changing the properties of pHLIP can influence the efficacy of tumor targeting and delivery, and we predict the properties for optimal pHLIP phenotypes that have superior tumor targeting and delivery capabilities compared with wild-type pHLIP.
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Yang Y, Liu C, Yang X. Endoscopic Molecular Imaging plus Photoimmunotherapy: A New Strategy for Monitoring and Treatment of Bladder Cancer. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2020; 18:409-418. [PMID: 32913890 PMCID: PMC7452043 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2020.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Due to the high recurrence and progression rate of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer after transurethral resection of bladder tumor, some new optical imaging technologies have arisen as auxiliary imaging modes for white light cystoscopy to improve the detection rate of small or occult tumor lesions, such as photodynamic diagnosis, narrow-band imaging, and molecular imaging. White light cystoscopy is inadequate and imperfect for bladder cancer detection, and thus residual tumors or coexisting flat malignant lesions, especially carcinoma in situ, would be ignored during conventional resection. The bladder, a hollow organ with high compliance, provides an ideal closed operation darkroom for endoscopic molecular imaging free from interference of external light sources. Also, intravesical instillation of a molecular fluorescent tracer is simple and convenient before surgery through the urethra. Molecular fluorescent tracer has high sensitivity and specificity to tumor cells, and its mediated molecular imaging allows small or occult tumor lesion detection while minimizing false-positive results. Meanwhile, endoscopic molecular imaging provides a real-time and dynamic image during surgery, which helps urologists to perform high-quality and complete tumor resection through accurate judgment of tumor boundaries and depth of invasion. Photoimmunotherapy is a novel molecular targeted therapeutic pattern of photodynamic therapy that kills malignant cells selectively and minimizes the cytotoxicity to normal tissues. The combination of endoscopic molecular imaging and photoimmunotherapy used in initial treatment may avoid the need of repeat transurethral resection in strictly selected patients and improve oncological outcomes such as recurrence-free survival and overall survival after operation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongjun Yang
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Chao Liu
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiaofeng Yang
- First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.,Department of Urology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
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