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Liu H, Shen W, Liu W, Yang Z, Yin D, Xiao C. From oncolytic peptides to oncolytic polymers: A new paradigm for oncotherapy. Bioact Mater 2024; 31:206-230. [PMID: 37637082 PMCID: PMC10450358 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional cancer therapy methods, especially those directed against specific intracellular targets or signaling pathways, are not powerful enough to overcome tumor heterogeneity and therapeutic resistance. Oncolytic peptides that can induce membrane lysis-mediated cancer cell death and subsequent anticancer immune responses, has provided a new paradigm for cancer therapy. However, the clinical application of oncolytic peptides is always limited by some factors such as unsatisfactory bio-distribution, poor stability, and off-target toxicity. To overcome these limitations, oncolytic polymers stand out as prospective therapeutic materials owing to their high stability, chemical versatility, and scalable production capacity, which has the potential to drive a revolution in cancer treatment. This review provides an overview of the mechanism and structure-activity relationship of oncolytic peptides. Then the oncolytic peptides-mediated combination therapy and the nano-delivery strategies for oncolytic peptides are summarized. Emphatically, the current research progress of oncolytic polymers has been highlighted. Lastly, the challenges and prospects in the development of oncolytic polymers are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanmeng Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Wei Shen
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Preparation Technology and Application, Hefei, Anhui, 230012, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Modernized Pharmaceutics, Anhui Education Department (AUCM), Hefei, Anhui, 230012, China
| | - Wanguo Liu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, China
| | - Zexin Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Dengke Yin
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Modernized Pharmaceutics, Anhui Education Department (AUCM), Hefei, Anhui, 230012, China
| | - Chunsheng Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, China
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2
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Raee P, Tan SC, Najafi S, Zandsalimi F, Low TY, Aghamiri S, Fazeli E, Aghapour M, Mofarahe ZS, Heidari MH, Fathabadi FF, Abdi F, Asouri M, Ahmadi AA, Ghanbarian H. Autophagy, a critical element in the aging male reproductive disorders and prostate cancer: a therapeutic point of view. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2023; 21:88. [PMID: 37749573 PMCID: PMC10521554 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-023-01134-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is a highly conserved, lysosome-dependent biological mechanism involved in the degradation and recycling of cellular components. There is growing evidence that autophagy is related to male reproductive biology, particularly spermatogenic and endocrinologic processes closely associated with male sexual and reproductive health. In recent decades, problems such as decreasing sperm count, erectile dysfunction, and infertility have worsened. In addition, reproductive health is closely related to overall health and comorbidity in aging men. In this review, we will outline the role of autophagy as a new player in aging male reproductive dysfunction and prostate cancer. We first provide an overview of the mechanisms of autophagy and its role in regulating male reproductive cells. We then focus on the link between autophagy and aging-related diseases. This is followed by a discussion of therapeutic strategies targeting autophagy before we end with limitations of current studies and suggestions for future developments in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pourya Raee
- Student Research Committee, Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shing Cheng Tan
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sajad Najafi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 19395-4719, Iran
| | - Farshid Zandsalimi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Teck Yew Low
- UKM Medical Molecular Biology Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Shahin Aghamiri
- Student Research Committee, Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Fazeli
- Mehr Fertility Research Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - Mahyar Aghapour
- Department of Dermatology and Allergic Diseases, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Zahra Shams Mofarahe
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Heidari
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Fadaei Fathabadi
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farid Abdi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Science and Research branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Asouri
- North Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Amol, Iran
| | | | - Hossein Ghanbarian
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 19395-4719, Iran.
- Urogenital Stem Cell Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Patil SM, Barji DS, Aziz S, McChesney DA, Bagde S, Muttil P, Kunda NK. Pulmonary delivery of spray-dried Nisin ZP antimicrobial peptide for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. Int J Pharm 2023; 634:122641. [PMID: 36709012 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.122641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Nisin ZP is an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) produced by the bacterium Lactococcus lactis, and we have previously demonstrated anticancer activity in NSCLC (A549) cells. In this study, we formulated a nisin ZP dry powder (NZSD) using a spray dryer to facilitate inhaled delivery for the treatment of NSCLC. Nisin ZP was spray-dried with mannitol, l-leucine, and trehalose in a ratio of 75:15:10 using Büchi mini spray-dryer B-290 in different drug loadings (10, 20, and 30% w/w). NZSD powder revealed a good powder yield of >55% w/w with ≤3 % w/w moisture content and high nisin ZP drug loading for all the peptide ratios. The NZSD powder particles were irregularly shaped with corrugated morphology. The presence of an endothermic peak in DSC thermograms and attenuated crystalline peaks in PXRD diffractograms confirmed the semi-crystalline powder nature of NZSD. The anticancer activity of nisin ZP was maintained after fabricating it into NZSD powder and showed a similar inhibitory concentration to free nisin ZP. Stability studies indicated that NZSD powders were stable for three months at 4 and 25 ℃ with more than 90% drug content and semi-crystalline nature, as confirmed by DSC and PXRD. Aerosolization studies performed using NGI indicated an aerodynamic diameter (MMAD) within the desired range (1-5 µm) and a high fine particle fraction (FPF > 75%) for all peptide ratios, suggesting powder deposition in the lung's respiratory airways. In conclusion, a dry powder of nisin ZP was formulated using a spray dryer with enhanced storage stability and suitable for inhaled delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suyash M Patil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA
| | - Druva Sarika Barji
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA
| | - Sophia Aziz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA
| | - David A McChesney
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Shapali Bagde
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA
| | - Pavan Muttil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Nitesh K Kunda
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY 11439, USA.
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Andrade P, Lyra ML, Zina J, Bastos DFO, Brunetti AE, Baêta D, Afonso S, Brunes TO, Taucce PPG, Carneiro M, Haddad CFB, Sequeira F. Draft genome and multi-tissue transcriptome assemblies of the Neotropical leaf-frog Phyllomedusa bahiana. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac270. [PMID: 36205610 PMCID: PMC9713437 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Amphibians are increasingly threatened worldwide, but the availability of genomic resources that could be crucial for implementing informed conservation practices lags well behind that for other vertebrate groups. Here, we describe draft de novo genome, mitogenome, and transcriptome assemblies for the Neotropical leaf-frog Phyllomedusa bahiana native to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Caatinga. We used a combination of PacBio long reads and Illumina sequencing to produce a 4.74-Gbp contig-level genome assembly, which has a contiguity comparable to other recent nonchromosome level assemblies. The assembled mitogenome comprises 16,239 bp and the gene content and arrangement are similar to other Neobratrachia. RNA-sequencing from 8 tissues resulted in a highly complete (86.3%) reference transcriptome. We further use whole-genome resequencing data from P. bahiana and from its sister species Phyllomedusa burmeisteri, to demonstrate how our assembly can be used as a backbone for population genomics studies within the P. burmeisteri species group. Our assemblies thus represent important additions to the catalog of genomic resources available from amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Andrade
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
| | - Mariana L Lyra
- Departamento de Biodiversidade and Centro de Aquicultura, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Juliana Zina
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Jequié 45206-190, Brazil
| | - Deivson F O Bastos
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Jequié 45206-190, Brazil
| | - Andrés E Brunetti
- Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics, Institute of Subtropical Biology, National University of Misiones (UNaM-CONICET) Posadas N3300LQH, Misiones, Argentina
| | - Délio Baêta
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
- Departamento de Biodiversidade and Centro de Aquicultura, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Sandra Afonso
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
| | - Tuliana O Brunes
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Pedro P G Taucce
- Departamento de Biodiversidade and Centro de Aquicultura, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Miguel Carneiro
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
| | - Célio F B Haddad
- Departamento de Biodiversidade and Centro de Aquicultura, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rio Claro 13506-900, Brazil
| | - Fernando Sequeira
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, Vairão 4485-661, Portugal
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Antitumor Activity and Mechanism of Action of the Antimicrobial Peptide AMP-17 on Human Leukemia K562 Cells. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27228109. [PMID: 36432210 PMCID: PMC9697079 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27228109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases in the world. Hence, there is an urgent need to search for novel drugs with antitumor activity against cancer cells. AMP-17, a natural antimicrobial peptide derived from Musca domestica, has antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi. However, its antitumor activity and potential mechanism of action in cancer cells remain unclear. In this study, we focused on evaluating the in vitro antitumor activity and mechanism of AMP-17 on leukemic K562 cells. The results showed that AMP-17 exhibited anti-proliferative activity on K562 cells with an IC50 value of 58.91 ± 3.57 μg/mL. The membrane integrity of K562 was disrupted and membrane permeability was increased after AMP-17 action. Further observation using SEM and TEM images showed that the cell structure of AMP-17-treated cells was disrupted, with depressions and pore-like breaks on the cell surface, and vacuolated vesicles in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, further mechanistic studies indicated that AMP-17 induced excessive production of reactive oxygen species and calcium ions release in K562 cells, which led to disturbance of mitochondrial membrane potential and blocked ATP synthesis, followed by activation of Caspase-3 to induce apoptosis. In conclusion, these results suggest that the antitumor activity of AMP-17 may be achieved by disrupting cell structure and inducing apoptosis. Therefore, AMP-17 is expected to be a novel potential agent candidate for leukemia treatment.
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Bellotti D, Remelli M. Lights and Shadows on the Therapeutic Use of Antimicrobial Peptides. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27144584. [PMID: 35889455 PMCID: PMC9317528 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27144584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of antimicrobial-resistant infections is still a major concern for public health worldwide. The number of pathogenic microorganisms capable of resisting common therapeutic treatments are constantly increasing, highlighting the need of innovative and more effective drugs. This phenomenon is strictly connected to the rapid metabolism of microorganisms: due to the huge number of mutations that can occur in a relatively short time, a colony can “adapt” to the pharmacological treatment with the evolution of new resistant species. However, the shortage of available antimicrobial drugs in clinical use is also caused by the high costs involved in developing and marketing new drugs without an adequate guarantee of an economic return; therefore, the pharmaceutical companies have reduced their investments in this area. The use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represents a promising strategy for the design of new therapeutic agents. AMPs act as immune defense mediators of the host organism and show a poor ability to induce antimicrobial resistance, coupled with other advantages such as a broad spectrum of activity, not excessive synthetic costs and low toxicity of both the peptide itself and its own metabolites. It is also important to underline that many antimicrobial peptides, due to their inclination to attack cell membranes, have additional biological activities, such as, for example, as anti-cancer drugs. Unfortunately, they usually undergo rapid degradation by proteolytic enzymes and are characterized by poor bioavailability, preventing their extensive clinical use and landing on the pharmaceutical market. This review is focused on the strength and weak points of antimicrobial peptides as therapeutic agents. We give an overview on the AMPs already employed in clinical practice, which are examples of successful strategies aimed at overcoming the main drawbacks of peptide-based drugs. The review deepens the most promising strategies to design modified antimicrobial peptides with higher proteolytic stability with the purpose of giving a comprehensive summary of the commonly employed approaches to evaluate and optimize the peptide potentialities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Bellotti
- Department of Environmental and Prevention Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy;
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wrocław, 50-383 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Maurizio Remelli
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
- Correspondence:
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7
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Patil SM, Kunda NK. Nisin ZP, an Antimicrobial Peptide, Induces Cell Death and Inhibits Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Progression in vitro in 2D and 3D Cell Culture. Pharm Res 2022; 39:2859-2870. [PMID: 35246758 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-022-03220-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths globally with most of the reported cases (> 85%) associated with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Current therapies have enhanced the overall survival rate of patients but treatment-related adverse effects and increase in drug-resistance limit the success of these treatment options. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained interest as anticancer agents as they selectively target cancer cells and decrease the possibility of resistance. Nisin ZP is a polycyclic antimicrobial peptide produced by the Gram-positive bacterium, Lactococcus lactis and is commonly used as a food preservative. Nisin ZP has recently demonstrated anticancer activity in melanoma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, hepatic, colon, and blood cancer. In this study, we evaluated the anticancer potential of nisin ZP and assessed the underlying mechanisms in NSCLC cells. The results revealed that nisin ZP induced selective toxicity in cancer (A549 and H1299) cells compared to healthy (HEK293) cells after 48 h of treatment. Nisin ZP exposure induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest (G0/G1 phase) in NSCLC cells irrespective of tumor protein p53 expression. The cancer cell proliferation was inhibited via non-membranolytic pathways by mitochondrial membrane depolarization and elevation in reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Furthermore, nisin ZP decreased cancer cells' clonal expansion and migration, demonstrating potential use against highly metastatic NSCLC. The 3D spheroid growth and cell viability of the A549 cells were significantly inhibited by nisin ZP compared to control. Overall, the results suggest an excellent antitumor potential in vitro and, thus, can further be developed as a novel therapeutic for NSCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suyash M Patil
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY, 11439, USA
| | - Nitesh K Kunda
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St. John's University, Jamaica, NY, 11439, USA.
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Saleh RO, Essia INA, Jasim SA. The Anticancer Effect of a Conjugated Antimicrobial Peptide Against Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Cells. J Gastrointest Cancer 2022; 54:165-170. [PMID: 35217999 DOI: 10.1007/s12029-021-00799-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Although antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were initially known as compounds of the innate immune system to fight microbial pathogens, it has been recently proposed that differences in normal and cancer cell membranes cause the anticancer effect of these peptides. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticancer effect of MELITININ+BMAP27-conjugated peptide against colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. METHODS The MELITININ+BMAP27-conjugated peptides were designed and the β-naphthylalanine residues were added to the termini to improve the anticancer effect. CRC cancer cell lines including HT29, SW742, HCT-116, and WiDr were used. After preparing concentrations of 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 400 μg/mL of peptide solution, the rate of cell death after 12, 24, and 48 h was assessed using MTT test. After confirmation of the 30 µg/mL efficacy and nontoxic concentration, the cells were exposed to this concentration, and the total RNA was extracted. The quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) technique was performed for the amplification of Bax, caspase3, atg5, and GAPDH (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase as the internal control) genes. RESULTS The cytotoxicity of peptide against normal cells exhibited that the IC50 at 24 and 4 h included 80 and 100 µg/mL, respectively. After 24-72 h of treatment, a significant difference in the mean percentage of CRC living cells was observed at concentrations of 50-400 μg/mL of conjugated peptide (p < 0.05). The IC50 of the peptide at 24, 48, and 72 h of exposure was measured as 30, 20, and 10 μg/mL, respectively. The peptide resulted in a significant increase of 2.35-fold in the mean expression of Bax gene in CRC cells (p < 0.001). It also caused a significant increase of 1.75 times (p = 0.0112) of caspase 3 gene and 1.2 times (p = 0.0217) of atg5 gene. There was no significant difference among cell lines regarding the expression of each gene. CONCLUSION The conjugated peptide caused the death of CRC lines via induction of the apoptosis and necrosis mechanisms. More studies are needed in this regard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raed Obaid Saleh
- Department of Pharmacy, Al-Maarif University College, Ramadi City, Al-Anbar, Iraq
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Wang H, Zhao J, Zhao H, Li H, Wang J. CL-ACP: a parallel combination of CNN and LSTM anticancer peptide recognition model. BMC Bioinformatics 2021; 22:512. [PMID: 34670488 PMCID: PMC8527680 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-021-04433-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anticancer peptides are defence substances with innate immune functions that can selectively act on cancer cells without harming normal cells and many studies have been conducted to identify anticancer peptides. In this paper, we introduce the anticancer peptide secondary structures as additional features and propose an effective computational model, CL-ACP, that uses a combined network and attention mechanism to predict anticancer peptides. RESULTS The CL-ACP model uses secondary structures and original sequences of anticancer peptides to construct the feature space. The long short-term memory and convolutional neural network are used to extract the contextual dependence and local correlations of the feature space. Furthermore, a multi-head self-attention mechanism is used to strengthen the anticancer peptide sequences. Finally, three categories of feature information are classified by cascading. CL-ACP was validated using two types of datasets, anticancer peptide datasets and antimicrobial peptide datasets, on which it achieved good results compared to previous methods. CL-ACP achieved the highest AUC values of 0.935 and 0.972 on the anticancer peptide and antimicrobial peptide datasets, respectively. CONCLUSIONS CL-ACP can effectively recognize antimicrobial peptides, especially anticancer peptides, and the parallel combined neural network structure of CL-ACP does not require complex feature design and high time cost. It is suitable for application as a useful tool in antimicrobial peptide design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiqing Wang
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China.
| | - Hong Zhao
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
| | - Haolin Li
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
| | - Juan Wang
- College of Information and Computer, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, 030024, China
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10
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Arunmanee W, Duangkaew M, Taweecheep P, Aphicho K, Lerdvorasap P, Pitchayakorn J, Intasuk C, Jiraratmetacon R, Syamsidi A, Chanvorachote P, Chaotham C, Pornputtapong N. Resurfacing receptor binding domain of Colicin N to enhance its cytotoxic effect on human lung cancer cells. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:5225-5234. [PMID: 34630940 PMCID: PMC8479544 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.09.008] [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: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Colicin N (ColN) is a bacteriocin secreted by Escherichia coli (E. coli) to kill other Gram-negative bacteria by forcefully generating ion channels in the inner membrane. In addition to its bactericidal activity, ColN have been reported to selectively induce apoptosis in human lung cancer cells via the suppression of integrin modulated survival pathway. However, ColN showed mild toxicity against human lung cancer cells which could be improved for further applications. The protein resurfacing strategy was chosen to engineer ColN by extensive mutagenesis at solvent-exposed residues on ColN. The highly accessible Asp and Glu on wildtype ColN (ColNWT) were replaced by Lys to create polycationic ColN (ColN+12). Previous studies have shown that increase of positive charges on proteins leads to the enhancement of mammalian cell penetration as well as increased interaction with negatively charged surface of cancer cells. Those solvent-exposed residues of ColN were identified by Rosetta and AvNAPSA (Average number of Neighboring Atoms Per Sidechain Atom) approaches. The findings revealed that the structural features and stability of ColN+12 determined by circular dichroism were similar to ColNWT. Furthermore, the toxicity of ColN+12 was cancer selective. Human lung cancer cells, H460 and H23, were sensitive to ColN but human dermal papilla cells were not. ColN+12 also showed more potent toxicity than ColNWT in cancer cells. This confirmed that polycationic resurfacing method has enabled us to improve the anticancer activity of ColN towards human lung cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanatchaporn Arunmanee
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Methawee Duangkaew
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Pornchanok Taweecheep
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kanokpol Aphicho
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Panuwat Lerdvorasap
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Jesada Pitchayakorn
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Chayada Intasuk
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Runglada Jiraratmetacon
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Armini Syamsidi
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science, Tadulako University, Central Sulawesi 94118, Indonesia
| | - Pithi Chanvorachote
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Cell-based Drug and Health Products Development Research Unit, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Chatchai Chaotham
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Cell-based Drug and Health Products Development Research Unit, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Natapol Pornputtapong
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Systems Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Corresponding author.
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12
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Antimicrobial peptides as potential therapeutics for breast cancer. Pharmacol Res 2021; 171:105777. [PMID: 34298112 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common and deadliest cancer in women worldwide. Although notable advances have been achieved in the treatment of breast cancer, the overall survival rate of metastatic breast cancer patients is still considerably low due to the development of resistance to breast cancer chemotherapeutic agents and the non-optimal specificity of the current generation of cancer medications. Hence, there is a growing interest in the search for alternative therapeutics with novel anticancer mechanisms. Recently, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained much attention due to their cost-effectiveness, high specificity of action, and robust efficacy. However, there are no clinical data available about their efficacy. This warrants the increasing need for clinical trials to be conducted to assess the efficacy of this new class of drugs. Here, we will focus on the recent progress in the use of AMPs for breast cancer therapy and will highlight their modes of action. Finally, we will discuss the combination of AMP-based therapeutics with other breast cancer therapy strategies, including nanotherapy and chemotherapy, which may provide a potential avenue for overcoming drug resistance.
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Liang X, Yan J, Lu Y, Liu S, Chai X. The Antimicrobial Peptide Melectin Shows Both Antimicrobial and Antitumor Activity via Membrane Interference and DNA Binding. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2021; 15:1261-1273. [PMID: 33776423 PMCID: PMC7989573 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s288219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Increasingly complex diseases require novel drugs for their treatment. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising candidate treatments due to their broad existence and special characteristics. However, the current understanding of AMPs is not sufficient to allow them to be produced commercially for clinical use. Materials and Methods Melectin, from the venom of the cleptoparasitic bee Melecta albifrons, does not exhibit sequence homology with other wasp venom peptides. To investigate this more deeply, we explored the antibacterial and antitumor activities of Melectin and related mechanisms. Results Our results demonstrate that Melectin possesses antimicrobial properties against standard sensitive/clinical drug-resistant bacteria strains as well as antitumor activity. It has an α-helix form and exhibits moderate cytotoxicity. Its action mechanisms are involved with membrane interfering and DNA binding. The membrane interfering effect was distinct between different phospholipid compositions. Conclusion We found that Melectin may serve as a new potential template in the battle against multidrug resistance, and our study indicated that there are promising prospects for medically applicable drugs based on AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Liang
- Key Laboratory for Gynecologic Oncology Gansu Province, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiexi Yan
- The Precision Medicine Laboratory, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yingwei Lu
- Gansu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Shan Liu
- The First Clinical Medicine School, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaojing Chai
- The Key Laboratory, The First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, People's Republic of China
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Ghanbarian H, Aghamiri S, Eftekhary M, Wagner N, Wagner KD. Small Activating RNAs: Towards the Development of New Therapeutic Agents and Clinical Treatments. Cells 2021; 10:cells10030591. [PMID: 33800164 PMCID: PMC8001863 DOI: 10.3390/cells10030591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Small double-strand RNA (dsRNA) molecules can activate endogenous genes via an RNA-based promoter targeting mechanism. RNA activation (RNAa) is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism present in diverse eukaryotic organisms ranging from nematodes to humans. Small activating RNAs (saRNAs) involved in RNAa have been successfully used to activate gene expression in cultured cells, and thereby this emergent technique might allow us to develop various biotechnological applications, without the need to synthesize hazardous construct systems harboring exogenous DNA sequences. Accordingly, this thematic issue aims to provide insights into how RNAa cellular machinery can be harnessed to activate gene expression leading to a more effective clinical treatment of various diseases.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Brain/cytology
- Brain/growth & development
- Brain/metabolism
- Genetic Therapy/methods
- Humans
- MicroRNAs/genetics
- MicroRNAs/metabolism
- Muscle Development/genetics
- Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/genetics
- Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/metabolism
- Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/pathology
- Muscular Atrophy, Spinal/therapy
- Myocardium/cytology
- Myocardium/metabolism
- Myocytes, Cardiac/cytology
- Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism
- Neoplasm Proteins/genetics
- Neoplasm Proteins/metabolism
- Neoplasms/genetics
- Neoplasms/metabolism
- Neoplasms/pathology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/genetics
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
- Neurogenesis/genetics
- Neurons/cytology
- Neurons/metabolism
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- RNA, Double-Stranded/genetics
- RNA, Double-Stranded/metabolism
- RNA, Double-Stranded/therapeutic use
- RNA, Small Untranslated/genetics
- RNA, Small Untranslated/metabolism
- RNA, Small Untranslated/therapeutic use
- Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein/genetics
- Survival of Motor Neuron 1 Protein/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Ghanbarian
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19857-17443, Iran;
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran;
| | - Shahin Aghamiri
- Student Research Committee, Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran;
| | - Mohamad Eftekhary
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 19839-63113, Iran;
| | - Nicole Wagner
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, 06107 Nice, France
- Correspondence: (N.W.); (K.-D.W.); Tel.: +33-493-3776-65 (K.-D.W.)
| | - Kay-Dietrich Wagner
- Université Côte d’Azur, CNRS, INSERM, iBV, 06107 Nice, France
- Correspondence: (N.W.); (K.-D.W.); Tel.: +33-493-3776-65 (K.-D.W.)
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15
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Doucette KA, Chaiyasit P, Calkins DL, Martinez KN, Van Cleave C, Knebel CA, Tongraar A, Crans DC. The Interfacial Interactions of Glycine and Short Glycine Peptides in Model Membrane Systems. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010162. [PMID: 33375246 PMCID: PMC7795424 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The interactions of amino acids and peptides at model membrane interfaces have considerable implications for biological functions, with the ability to act as chemical messengers, hormones, neurotransmitters, and even as antibiotics and anticancer agents. In this study, glycine and the short glycine peptides diglycine, triglycine, and tetraglycine are studied with regards to their interactions at the model membrane interface of Aerosol-OT (AOT) reverse micelles via 1H NMR spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Langmuir trough measurements. It was found that with the exception of monomeric glycine, the peptides prefer to associate between the interface and bulk water pool of the reverse micelle. Monomeric glycine, however, resides with the N-terminus in the ordered interstitial water (stern layer) and the C-terminus located in the bulk water pool of the reverse micelle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin A. Doucette
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA;
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (D.L.C.); (K.N.M.); (C.V.C.); (C.A.K.)
| | - Prangthong Chaiyasit
- School of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand; (P.C.); (A.T.)
| | - Donn L. Calkins
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (D.L.C.); (K.N.M.); (C.V.C.); (C.A.K.)
| | - Kayli N. Martinez
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (D.L.C.); (K.N.M.); (C.V.C.); (C.A.K.)
| | - Cameron Van Cleave
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (D.L.C.); (K.N.M.); (C.V.C.); (C.A.K.)
| | - Callan A. Knebel
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (D.L.C.); (K.N.M.); (C.V.C.); (C.A.K.)
| | - Anan Tongraar
- School of Chemistry, Institute of Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima 30000, Thailand; (P.C.); (A.T.)
| | - Debbie C. Crans
- Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA;
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA; (D.L.C.); (K.N.M.); (C.V.C.); (C.A.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-970-491-7635
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Su T, Han M, Cao D, Xu M. Molecular and Biological Properties of Snakins: The Foremost Cysteine-Rich Plant Host Defense Peptides. J Fungi (Basel) 2020; 6:jof6040220. [PMID: 33053707 PMCID: PMC7711543 DOI: 10.3390/jof6040220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant host defense peptides (HDPs), also known as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), are regarded as one of the most prevalent barriers elaborated by plants to combat various infective agents. Among the multiple classes of HDPs, the Snakin class attracts special concern, as they carry 12 cysteine residues, being the foremost cysteine-rich peptides of the plant HDPs. Also, their cysteines are present at very highly conserved positions and arranged in an extremely similar way among different members. Like other plant HDPs, Snakins have been shown to exhibit strong antifungal and antibacterial activity against a wide range of plant pathogens. Moreover, they display diversified biological activities in many aspects of plant growth and the development process. This review is devoted to present the general characters of the Snakin class of plant HDPs, as well as the individual features of different Snakin family members. Specifically, the sequence properties, spatial structures, distributions, expression patterns and biological activities of Snakins are described. In addition, further detailed classification of the Snakin family members, along with their possible mode of action and potential applications in the field of agronomy and pathology are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Su
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (T.S.); (D.C.); (M.X.)
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Subtropical Forest Biodiversity Conservation, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
| | - Mei Han
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (T.S.); (D.C.); (M.X.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.:+86-1589-598-9551
| | - Dan Cao
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (T.S.); (D.C.); (M.X.)
| | - Mingyue Xu
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China; (T.S.); (D.C.); (M.X.)
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