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Yan J, Zhao P, Li Y, Wang J, Yang X, Li H, Zhuo L, Liao W, Fan W, Jia Y, Wei H, Chen Y. Radionuclide therapy of bevacizumab-based PNA-mediated pretargeting. Nucl Med Commun 2024:00006231-990000000-00318. [PMID: 39011801 DOI: 10.1097/mnm.0000000000001877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The radionuclide-labeled bevacizumab (BV) is a potential therapeutic approach for vascular endothelial growth factor overexpressed tumors. Because of its large molecular weight, BV is cleared slowly in vivo, which caused damage to healthy tissues and organs. On account of this situation, using the pretargeting strategy with DNA/RNA analogs, such as peptide nucleic acid (PNA), is an effective way of treating solid tumors. METHODS The BV-PNA conjugate (BV-PNA-1) was injected intravenously as the pretargeted probe, which was specifically accumulated in a solid tumor and gradually metabolically cleared. Then the [177Lu]Lu-labeled complementary PNA strand ([177Lu]Lu-PNA-2) as the second probe was injected, and bound with BV-PNA-1 by the base complementary pairing. In this study, the BV-based PNA-mediated pretargeting strategy was systematically studied, including stability of probes, specific binding ability, biodistribution in animal model, evaluation of single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography imaging, and therapeutic effect. RESULTS Compared with group A ([177Lu]Lu-BV), the group B (BV-PNA-1 + [177Lu]Lu-PNA-2) showed lower blood radiotoxicity (22.55 ±1.62 vs. 5.18 ± 0.40%, %ID/g, P < 0.05), and similar accumulation of radioactivity in tumor (5.32 ± 0.66 vs. 6.68 ± 0.79%, %ID/g, P > 0.05). Correspondingly, there was no significant difference in therapeutic effect between groups A and B. CONCLUSION The PNA-mediated pretargeting strategy could increase the tumor-to-blood ratio, thereby reducing the damage to normal tissues, while having a similar therapeutic effect to solid tumor. All the experiments in this study showed the potential and effectiveness of pretargeting radioimmunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- JingXuan Yan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
| | - Peng Zhao
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation (Mianyang Central Hospital), National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Sichuan Province, People's Government of Sichuan Province, Mianyang , People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyuan Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
| | - Jing Wang
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation (Mianyang Central Hospital), National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Sichuan Province, People's Government of Sichuan Province, Mianyang , People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Yang
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation (Mianyang Central Hospital), National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Sichuan Province, People's Government of Sichuan Province, Mianyang , People's Republic of China
| | - Hongbo Li
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
| | - Liangang Zhuo
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation (Mianyang Central Hospital), National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Sichuan Province, People's Government of Sichuan Province, Mianyang , People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Liao
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Nuclear Technology Medical Transformation (Mianyang Central Hospital), National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Sichuan Province, People's Government of Sichuan Province, Mianyang , People's Republic of China
| | - Wenqi Fan
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
| | - Yaodan Jia
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
| | - Hongyuan Wei
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou
- Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics
| | - Yue Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou
- Key Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging of Sichuan Province, People's Government of Sichuan Province, Mianyang , People's Republic of China
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De Paepe L, Cadoni E, Manicardi A, Madder A. Furan-modified PNA probes for covalent targeting and ligation of nucleic acids. Methods 2023; 218:210-223. [PMID: 37604247 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2023.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
While natural oligonucleotides (ONs) are increasingly used as therapeutic and diagnostic tools, they still face certain challenges such as low resistance to enzymatic degradation, potential immunogenicity, and delivery issues, which can limit their applications. Peptide Nucleic Acids (PNAs) are promising alternatives due to their high affinity for DNA and RNA, the high resistance to enzymatic degradation, and the easy introduction of a wide range of potential modifications. Chemical modifications that enable the covalent targeting of specific DNA and RNA strands offer additional advantages, including enhanced potency. The current study focuses on the utilization of furan-PNAs as pro-reactive probe systems and their applications to DNA and RNA targeting. Specifically, in this methodological paper, we provide practical insights into the design, synthesis, and application of furan-containing PNA probes for achieving efficient PNA-DNA and PNA-RNA interstrand crosslinking (ICL), as well as ON-templated PNA-PNA ligation systems. Furthermore, we discuss the applications of these probes in targeting DNA secondary structures, such as G-quadruplexes and i-motifs, target pull-down assays, and on-surface detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lessandro De Paepe
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Enrico Cadoni
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Alex Manicardi
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 17/A, I-43124 Parma, Italy.
| | - Annemieke Madder
- Organic and Biomimetic Chemistry Research Group, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S4, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium.
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Abstract
Affibody molecules are small engineered scaffold proteins suitable for in vivo tumor targeting. Radionuclide molecular imaging using directly radiolabelled affibody molecules provides excellent imaging. However, affibody molecules have a high renal reabsorption, which complicates their use for radionuclide therapy. The high renal reabsorption is a common problem for the use of engineered scaffold proteins for radionuclide therapy. Affibody-based PNA-mediated pretargeting reduces dramatically the absorbed dose to the kidneys and makes affibody-based radionuclide therapy possible. This methodology might, hopefully, solve the problem of high renal reabsorption for radionuclide therapy mediated by other engineered scaffold proteins.
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Site-specific conjugation of recognition tags to trastuzumab for peptide nucleic acid-mediated radionuclide HER2 pretargeting. Biomaterials 2019; 203:73-85. [PMID: 30877838 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Pretargeting is a promising strategy to reach high imaging contrast in a shorter time than by targeting with directly radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). One of problems in pretargeting is a site-specific, reproducible and uniform conjugation of recognition tags to mAbs. To solve this issue we propose a photoconjugation to covalently couple a recognition tag to a mAb via a photoactivatable Z domain. The Z-domain, a 58-amino acid protein derived from the IgG-binding B-domain of Staphylococcus aureus protein A, has a well-characterized binding site in the Fc portion of IgG. We tested the feasibility of this approach using pretargeting based on hybridization between peptide nucleic acids (PNAs). We have used photoconjugation to couple trastuzumab with the PNA-based hybridization probe, HP1. A complementary [57Co]Co-labeled PNA hybridization probe ([57Co]Co-HP2) was used as the secondary targeting probe. In vitro studies demonstrated that trastuzumab-ZHP1 bound specifically to human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-expressing cells with nanomolar affinity. The binding of the secondary [57Co]Co-HP2 probe to trastuzumab-PNA-pretreated cells was in the picomolar affinity range. A two-fold increase in SKOV-3 tumor targeting was achieved when [57Co]Co-HP2 (0.7 nmol) was injected 48 h after injection of trastuzumab-ZHP1 (0.5 nmol) compared with trastuzumab-ZHP1 alone (0.8 ± 0.2 vs. 0.33 ± 0.06 %ID/g). Tumor accumulation of [57Co]Co-HP2 was significantly reduced by pre-saturation with trastuzumab or when no trastuzumab-ZHP1 was preinjected. A tumor-to-blood uptake ratio of 1.5 ± 0.3 was achieved resulting in a clear visualization of HER2-expressing xenografts as confirmed by SPECT imaging. In conclusion, the feasibility of stable site-specific coupling of a PNA-based recognition tag to trastuzumab and successful pretargeting has been demonstrated. This approach can hopefully be used for a broad range of mAbs and recognition tags.
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Westerlund K, Altai M, Mitran B, Konijnenberg M, Oroujeni M, Atterby C, de Jong M, Orlova A, Mattsson J, Micke P, Karlström AE, Tolmachev V. Radionuclide Therapy of HER2-Expressing Human Xenografts Using Affibody-Based Peptide Nucleic Acid-Mediated Pretargeting: In Vivo Proof of Principle. J Nucl Med 2018; 59:1092-1098. [PMID: 29439013 DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.118.208348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Affibody molecules are small proteins engineered using a nonantibody scaffold. Radiolabeled Affibody molecules are excellent imaging probes, but their application to radionuclide therapy has been prevented by high renal reabsorption. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that Affibody-based peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-mediated pretargeted therapy of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-expressing cancer extends survival without accompanying renal toxicity. Methods: A HER2-targeting Affibody molecule ligated with an AGTCGTGATGTAGTC PNA hybridization probe (ZHER2:342-SR-HP1) was used as the primary pretargeting agent. A complementary AGTCGTGATGTAGTC PNA conjugated to the chelator DOTA and labeled with the radionuclide 177Lu (177Lu-HP2) was used as the secondary agent. The influence of different factors on pretargeting was investigated. Experimental radionuclide therapy in mice bearing SKOV-3 xenografts was performed in 6 cycles separated by 7 d. Results: Optimal tumor targeting was achieved when 16 MBq/3.5 μg (0.65 nmol) of 177Lu-HP2 was injected 16 h after injection of 100 μg (7.7 nmol) of ZHER2:342-SR-HP1. The calculated absorbed dose to tumors was 1,075 mGy/MBq, whereas the absorbed dose to kidneys was 206 mGy/MBq and the absorbed dose to blood (surrogate of bone marrow) was 4 mGy/MBq. Survival of mice was significantly longer (P < 0.05) in the treatment group (66 d) than in the control groups treated with the same amount of ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 only (37 d), the same amount and activity of 177Lu-HP2 only (32 d), or phosphate-buffered saline (37 d). Conclusion: The studied pretargeting system can deliver an absorbed dose to tumors appreciably exceeding absorbed doses to critical organs, making Affibody-based PNA-mediated pretargeted radionuclide therapy highly attractive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Westerlund
- Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mohamed Altai
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bogdan Mitran
- Division of Molecular Imaging, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; and
| | - Mark Konijnenberg
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maryam Oroujeni
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Christina Atterby
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marion de Jong
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Orlova
- Division of Molecular Imaging, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; and
| | - Johanna Mattsson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Patrick Micke
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- Department of Immunology, Genetics, and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Altai M, Westerlund K, Velletta J, Mitran B, Honarvar H, Karlström AE. Evaluation of affibody molecule-based PNA-mediated radionuclide pretargeting: Development of an optimized conjugation protocol and 177Lu labeling. Nucl Med Biol 2017; 54:1-9. [PMID: 28810153 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2017.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Revised: 06/30/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We have previously developed a pretargeting approach for affibody-mediated cancer therapy based on PNA-PNA hybridization. In this article we have further developed this approach by optimizing the production of the primary agent, ZHER2:342-SR-HP1, and labeling the secondary agent, HP2, with the therapeutic radionuclide 177Lu. We also studied the biodistribution profile of 177Lu-HP2 in mice, and evaluated pretargeting with 177Lu-HP2 in vitro and in vivo. METHODS The biodistribution profile of 177Lu-HP2 was evaluated in NMRI mice and compared to the previously studied 111In-HP2. Pretargeting using 177Lu-HP2 was studied in vitro using the HER2-expressing cell lines BT-474 and SKOV-3, and in vivo in mice bearing SKOV-3 xenografts. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION Using an optimized production protocol for ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 the ligation time was reduced from 15h to 30min, and the yield increased from 45% to 70%. 177Lu-labeled HP2 binds specifically in vitro to BT474 and SKOV-3 cells pre-treated with ZHER2:342-SR-HP1. 177Lu-HP2 was shown to have a more rapid blood clearance compared to 111In-HP2 in NMRI mice, and the measured radioactivity in blood was 0.22±0.1 and 0.68±0.07%ID/g for 177Lu- and 111In-HP2, respectively, at 1h p.i. In contrast, no significant difference in kidney uptake was observed (4.47±1.17 and 3.94±0.58%ID/g for 177Lu- and 111In-HP2, respectively, at 1h p.i.). Co-injection with either Gelofusine or lysine significantly reduced the kidney uptake for 177Lu-HP2 (1.0±0.1 and 1.6±0.2, respectively, vs. 2.97±0.87%ID/g in controls at 4h p.i.). 177Lu-HP2 accumulated in SKOV-3 xenografts in BALB/C nu/nu mice when administered after injection of ZHER2:342-SR-HP1. Without pre-injection of ZHER2:342-SR-HP1, the uptake of 177Lu-HP2 was about 90-fold lower in tumor (0.23±0.08 vs. 20.7±3.5%ID/g). The tumor-to-kidney radioactivity accumulation ratio was almost 5-fold higher in the group of mice pre-injected with ZHER2:342-SR-HP1. In conclusion, 177Lu-HP2 was shown to be a promising secondary agent for affibody-mediated tumor pretargeting in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Altai
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Kristina Westerlund
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Justin Velletta
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bogdan Mitran
- Division of Molecular Imaging, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Hadis Honarvar
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amelie Eriksson Karlström
- Division of Protein Technology, School of Biotechnology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Sharma C, Awasthi SK. Versatility of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs): role in chemical biology, drug discovery, and origins of life. Chem Biol Drug Des 2016; 89:16-37. [PMID: 27490868 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.12833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This review briefly discussed nomenclature, synthesis, chemistry, and biophysical properties of a plethora of PNA derivatives reported since the discovery of aegPNA. Different synthetic methods and structural analogs of PNA synthesized till date were also discussed. An insight was gained into various chemical, physical, and biological properties of PNA which make it preferable over all other classes of modified nucleic acid analogs. Thereafter, various approaches with special attention to the practical constraints, characteristics, and inherent drawbacks leading to the delay in the development of PNA as gene therapeutic drug were outlined. An explicit account of the successful application of PNA in different areas of research such as antisense and antigene strategies, diagnostics, molecular probes, and so forth was described along with the current status of PNA as gene therapeutic drug. Further, the plausibility of the existence of PNA and its role in primordial chemistry, that is, origin of life was explored in an endeavor to comprehend the mystery and open up its deepest secrets ever engaging and challenging the human intellect. We finally concluded it with a discussion on the future prospects of PNA technology in the field of therapeutics, diagnostics, and origin of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiranjeev Sharma
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Satish Kumar Awasthi
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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Honarvar H, Westerlund K, Altai M, Sandström M, Orlova A, Tolmachev V, Karlström AE. Feasibility of Affibody Molecule-Based PNA-Mediated Radionuclide Pretargeting of Malignant Tumors. Am J Cancer Res 2016; 6:93-103. [PMID: 26722376 PMCID: PMC4679357 DOI: 10.7150/thno.12766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Affibody molecules are small (7 kDa), non-immunoglobulin scaffold proteins with a potential as targeting agents for radionuclide imaging of cancer. However, high renal re-absorption of Affibody molecules prevents their use for radionuclide therapy with residualizing radiometals. We hypothesized that the use of Affibody-based peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-mediated pretargeting would enable higher accumulation of radiometals in tumors than in kidneys. To test this hypothesis, we designed an Affibody-PNA chimera ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 containing a 15-mer HP1 PNA recognition tag and a complementary HP2 hybridization probe permitting labeling with both 125I and 111In. 111In-ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 bound specifically to HER2-expressing BT474 and SKOV-3 cancer cells in vitro, with a KD of 6±2 pM for binding to SKOV-3 cells. Specific high affinity binding of the radiolabeled complementary PNA probe 111In-/125I-HP2 to ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 pre-treated cells was demonstrated. 111In-ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 demonstrated specific accumulation in SKOV-3 xenografts in BALB/C nu/nu mice and rapid clearance from blood. Pre-saturation of SKOV-3 with non-labeled anti-HER2 Affibody or the use of HER2-negative Ramos xenografts resulted in significantly lower tumor uptake of 111In-ZHER2:342-SR-HP1. The complementary PNA probe 111In/125I-HP2 accumulated in SKOV-3 xenografts when ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 was injected 4 h earlier. The tumor accumulation of 111In/125I-HP2 was negligible without ZHER2:342-SR-HP1 pre-injection. The uptake of 111In-HP2 in SKOV-3 xenografts was 19±2 %ID/g at 1 h after injection. The uptake in blood and kidneys was approximately 50- and 2-fold lower, respectively. In conclusion, we have shown that the use of Affibody-based PNA-mediated pretargeting enables specific delivery of radiometals to tumors and provides higher radiometal concentration in tumors than in kidneys.
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Westerlund K, Honarvar H, Tolmachev V, Eriksson Karlström A. Design, Preparation, and Characterization of PNA-Based Hybridization Probes for Affibody-Molecule-Mediated Pretargeting. Bioconjug Chem 2015; 26:1724-36. [PMID: 26086597 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.5b00292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In radioimmunotherapy, the contrast between tumor and normal tissue can be improved by using a pretargeting strategy with a primary targeting agent, which is conjugated to a recognition tag, and a secondary radiolabeled molecule binding specifically to the recognition tag. The secondary molecule is injected after the targeting agent has accumulated in the tumor and is designed to have a favorable biodistribution profile, with fast clearance from blood and low uptake in normal tissues. In this study, we have designed and evaluated two complementary peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based probes for specific and high-affinity association in vivo. An anti-HER2 Affibody-PNA chimera, Z(HER2:342)-SR-HP1, was produced by a semisynthetic approach using sortase A catalyzed ligation of a recombinantly produced Affibody molecule to a PNA-based HP1-probe assembled using solid-phase chemistry. A complementary HP2 probe carrying a DOTA chelator and a tyrosine for dual radiolabeling was prepared by solid-phase synthesis. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and UV thermal melts showed that the probes can hybridize to form a structured duplex with a very high melting temperature (T(m)), both in HP1:HP2 and in Z(HER2:342)-SR-HP1:HP2 (T(m) = 86-88 °C), and the high binding affinity between Z(HER2:342)-SR-HP1 and HP2 was confirmed in a surface plasmon resonance (SPR)-based binding study. Following a moderately fast association (1.7 × 10(5) M(-1) s(-1)), the dissociation of the probes was extremely slow and <5% dissociation was observed after 17 h. The equilibrium dissociation constant (K(D)) for Z(HER2:342)-SR-HP1:HP2 binding to HER2 was estimated by SPR to be 212 pM, suggesting that the conjugation to PNA does not impair Affibody binding to HER2. The biodistribution profiles of (111)In- and (125)I-labeled HP2 were measured in NMRI mice, showing very fast blood clearance rates and low accumulation of radioactivity in kidneys and other organs. The measured radioactivity in blood was 0.63 ± 0.15 and 0.41 ± 0.15%ID/g for (125)I- and (111)In-HP2, respectively, at 1 h p.i., and at 4 h p.i., the kidney accumulation of radioactivity was 0.17 ± 0.04%ID/g for (125)I-HP2 and 3.83 ± 0.39%ID/g for (111)In-HP2. Taken together, the results suggest that a PNA-based system has suitable biophysical and in vivo properties and is a promising approach for pretargeting of Affibody molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Westerlund
- †School of Biotechnology, Division of Protein Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hadis Honarvar
- ‡Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Vladimir Tolmachev
- ‡Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Uppsala University, 751 05 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amelie Eriksson Karlström
- †School of Biotechnology, Division of Protein Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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Wickstrom E. DNA and RNA derivatives to optimize distribution and delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2015; 87:25-34. [PMID: 25912659 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Revised: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Synthetic, complementary DNA single strands and short interfering RNA double strands have been found to inhibit the expression of animal, plant, and viral genes in cells, animals, and patients, in a dose dependent and sequence specific manner. DNAs and RNAs, however, are readily digested in biological systems. Hence, chemists are obliged to design and synthesize nuclease-resistant analogs of normal DNA (Fig. 1).
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Dobrovolskaia MA, McNeil SE. Immunological and hematological toxicities challenging clinical translation of nucleic acid-based therapeutics. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2015; 15:1023-48. [PMID: 26017628 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2015.1014794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Nucleic acid-based therapeutics (NATs) are proven agents in correcting disorders caused by gene mutations, as treatments against cancer, microbes and viruses, and as vaccine adjuvants. Although many traditional small molecule NATs have been approved for clinical use, commercialization of macromolecular NATs has been considerably slower, and only a few have successfully reached the market. Preclinical and clinical evaluation of macromolecular NATs has revealed many assorted challenges in immunotoxicity, hematotoxicity, pharmacokinetics (PKs), toxicology and formulation. Extensive review has been given to the PK and toxicological concerns of NATs including approaches designed to overcome these issues. Immunological and hematological issues are a commonly reported side effect of NAT treatment; however, literature exploring the mechanistic background of these effects is sparse. AREAS COVERED This review focuses on the immunomodulatory properties of various types of therapeutic nucleic acid concepts. The most commonly observed immunological and hematological toxicities are described for various NAT classes, with citations of how to circumvent these toxicities. EXPERT OPINION Although some success with overcoming immunological and hematological toxicities of NATs has been achieved in recent years, immunostimulation remains the main dose-limiting factor challenging clinical translation of these promising therapies. Novel delivery vehicles should be considered to overcome this challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A Dobrovolskaia
- Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Nanotechnology Characterization Laboratory, Cancer Research Technology Program , P.O. Box B, Frederick, MD 21702 , USA +1 301 846 6939 ; +1 301 846 6399 ;
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Abstract
This article focuses on drug targeting to specific cellular organelles for therapeutic purposes. Drugs can be delivered to all major organelles of the cell (cytosol, endosome/lysosome, nucleus, nucleolus, mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, peroxisomes and proteasomes) where they exert specific effects in those particular subcellular compartments. Delivery can be achieved by chemical (e.g., polymeric) or biological (e.g., signal sequences) means. Unidirectional targeting to individual organelles has proven to be immensely successful for drug therapy. Newer technologies that accommodate multiple signals (e.g., protein switch and virus-like delivery systems) mimic nature and allow for a more sophisticated approach to drug delivery. Harnessing different methods of targeting multiple organelles in a cell will lead to better drug delivery and improvements in disease therapy.
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Fabbri E, Brognara E, Borgatti M, Lampronti I, Finotti A, Bianchi N, Sforza S, Tedeschi T, Manicardi A, Marchelli R, Corradini R, Gambari R. miRNA therapeutics: delivery and biological activity of peptide nucleic acids targeting miRNAs. Epigenomics 2012; 3:733-45. [PMID: 22126292 DOI: 10.2217/epi.11.90] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are DNA/RNA mimics extensively used for pharmacological regulation of gene expression in a variety of cellular and molecular systems, and they have been described as excellent candidates for antisense and antigene therapies. At present, very few data are available on the use of PNAs as molecules targeting miRNAs. miRNAs are a family of small nc RNAs that regulate gene expression by sequence-selective targeting of mRNAs, leading to a translational repression or mRNA degradation to the control of highly regulated biological functions, such as differentiation, cell cycle and apoptosis. The aim of this article is to present the state-of-the-art concerning the possible use of PNAs to target miRNAs and modify their biological metabolism within the cells. The results present in the literature allow to propose PNA-based molecules as very promising reagents to modulate the biological activity of miRNAs. In consideration of the involvement of miRNAs in human pathologies, PNA-mediated targeting of miRNAs has been proposed as a potential novel therapeutic approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Fabbri
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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14
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Lamla M, Seliger H, Kaufmann D. Differences in uptake, localization, and processing of PNAs modified by COX VIII pre-sequence peptide and by triphenylphoshonium cation into mitochondria of tumor cells. Drug Deliv 2010; 17:263-71. [PMID: 20307248 DOI: 10.3109/10717541003702777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Two approaches to target PNAs (peptide nucleic acids) into mitochondria of HeLa cells were compared. In the first, PNA was modified with the lipophilic cation TPP. TPP-PNA accumulated rapidly within mitochondria driven by the membrane potential. It was found to be associated mainly with the mitochondrial membranes. In the second approach the COX VIII pre-sequence peptide was added to the PNA resulting in slow uptake of the peptide-PNA into the mitochondrial matrix. Whereas the amount of the uptake was lower, peptide-PNA was processed intramitochondrially in contrast to the TPP-PNA. Using the Chariot system to cross the cell membrane of HeLa cells, the uptake of peptide-PNA into the mitochondria was demonstrated. If a matrix localization of the free PNA is a pre-requisite for the PNA interaction with mitochondrial DNA, the coupling PNA with an appropriate peptide seems to be the better strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Lamla
- Research Group Chemical Function in Biosystems, University of Ulm, Albert Einstein Allee 11, D 89081 Ulm, Germany
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15
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Amirkhanov NV, Zhang K, Aruva MR, Thakur ML, Wickstrom E. Imaging human pancreatic cancer xenografts by targeting mutant KRAS2 mRNA with [(111)In]DOTA(n)-poly(diamidopropanoyl)(m)-KRAS2 PNA-D(Cys-Ser-Lys-Cys) nanoparticles. Bioconjug Chem 2010; 21:731-40. [PMID: 20232877 DOI: 10.1021/bc900523c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
95% of patients with ductal pancreatic cancer carry 12th codon activating mutations in their KRAS2 oncogenes. Early whole body imaging of mutant KRAS2 mRNA activation in pancreatic cancer would contribute to disease management. Scintigraphic hybridization probes to visualize gene activity in vivo constitute a new paradigm in molecular imaging. We have previously imaged mutant KRAS2 mRNA activation in pancreatic cancer xenografts by positron emission tomography (PET) based on a single radiometal, (64)Cu, chelated to a 1,4,7,10-tetra(carboxymethylaza)cyclododecane (DOTA) chelator, connected via a flexible, hydrophilic spacer, aminoethoxyethoxyacetate (AEEA), to the N-terminus of a mutant KRAS2 peptide nucleic acid (PNA) hybridization probe. A peptide analogue of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), connected to a C-terminal AEEA, enabled receptor-mediated endocytosis. We hypothesized that a polydiamidopropanoyl (PDAP) dendrimer (generation m), with increasing numbers (n) of DOTA chelators, extended via an N-terminal AEEA from a mutant KRAS2 PNA with a C-terminal AEEA and IGF1 analogue could enable more intense external imaging of pancreatic cancer xenografts that overexpress IGF1 receptor and mutant KRAS2 mRNA. ([(111)In]DOTA-AEEA)(n)-PDAP(m)-AEEA(2)-KRAS2 PNA-AEEA-IGF1 analogues were prepared and administered intravenously into immunocompromised mice bearing human AsPC1 (G12D) pancreatic cancer xenografts. CAPAN2 (G12 V) pancreatic cancer xenografts served as a cellular KRAS2 mismatch control. Scintigraphic tumor/muscle image intensity ratios for complementary [(111)In](n)-PDAP(m)-KRAS2 G12D probes increased from 3.1 +/- 0.2 at n = 2, m = 1, to 4.1 +/- 0.3 at n = 8, m = 3, to 6.2 +/- 0.4 at n = 16, m = 4, in AsPC1 (G12D) xenografts. Single mismatch [(111)In](n)-PDAP(m)-KRAS2 G12 V control probes showed lower tumor/muscle ratios (3.0 +/- 0.6 at n = 2, m = 1, 2.6 +/- 0.9 at n = 8, m = 3, and 3.7 +/- 0.3 at n = 16, m = 4). The mismatch results were comparable to the PNA-free [(111)In]DOTA control results. Simultaneous administration of nonradioactive Gd(n)-KRAS2 G12 V probes (n = 2 or 8) increased accumulation of [(111)In](8)KRAS2 G12 V probes 3-6-fold in pancreatic cancer CAPAN2 xenografts and other tissues, except for a 2-fold decrease in the kidneys. As a result, tissue distribution tumor/muscle ratios of (111)In uptake increased from 3.1 +/- 0.5 to 6.5 +/- 1.0, and the kidney/tumor ratio of (111)In uptake decreased by more than 5-fold from 174.8 +/- 17.5 to 30.8 +/- 3.1. Thus, PDAP dendrimers with up to 16 DOTA chelators attached to PNA-IGF1 analogs, as well as simultaneous administration of the elevated dose of nonradioactive Gd(n)-KRAS2 G12 V probes, enhanced tumor uptake of [(111)In](n)KRAS2 PNA probes. These results also imply that Gd(III) dendrimeric hybridization probes might be suitable for magnetic resonance imaging of gene expression in tumors, because the higher generations of the dendrimers, including the NMR contrast Gd(n)-KRAS2 G12 V probes, improved tumor accumulation of the probes and specificity of tumor imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nariman V Amirkhanov
- Laboratory of Nucleic Acids Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
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16
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An in vitro translation, selection and amplification system for peptide nucleic acids. Nat Chem Biol 2009; 6:148-55. [PMID: 20081830 PMCID: PMC2808706 DOI: 10.1038/nchembio.280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2009] [Accepted: 11/09/2009] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Methods to evolve synthetic, rather than biological, polymers could significantly expand the functional potential of polymers that emerge from in vitro evolution. Requirements for synthetic polymer evolution include (i) sequence-specific polymerization of synthetic building blocks on an amplifiable template, (ii) display of the newly translated polymer strand in a manner that allows it to adopt folded structures, (iii) selection of synthetic polymer libraries for desired binding or catalytic properties and (iv) amplification of template sequences that survive selection in a manner that allows subsequent translation. Here we report the development of such a system for peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) using a set of 12 PNA pentamer building blocks. We validated the system by performing six iterated cycles of translation, selection and amplification on a library of 4.3 x 10(8) PNA-encoding DNA templates and observed >1,000,000-fold overall enrichment of a template encoding a biotinylated (streptavidin-binding) PNA. These results collectively provide an experimental foundation for PNA evolution in the laboratory.
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17
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Nickita N, Gasser G, Bond AM, Spiccia L. Synthesis, Spectroscopic Properties and Electrochemical Oxidation of RuII-Polypyridyl Complexes Attached to a Peptide Nucleic Acid Monomer Backbone. Eur J Inorg Chem 2009. [DOI: 10.1002/ejic.200801259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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18
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Upadhyay A, Ponzio NM, Pandey VN. Immunological response to peptide nucleic acid and its peptide conjugate targeted to transactivation response (TAR) region of HIV-1 RNA genome. Oligonucleotides 2009; 18:329-35. [PMID: 19006449 DOI: 10.1089/oli.2008.0152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Anti-human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) polyamide (peptide) nucleic acids (PNAs) conjugated with cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) targeted to the viral genome are potent virucidal and antiviral agents. Earlier, we have shown that the anti-HIV-1 PNA(TAR)-penetratin conjugate is rapidly taken up by cells and is nontoxic to mice when administered at repeat doses of as high as 100 mg/kg body weight. In the present studies we demonstrate that naked PNA(TAR) is immunologically inert as judged by the proliferation responses of splenocytes and lymph node cells from PNA(TAR)-immunized mice challenged with the immunizing antigen. In contrast, PNA(TAR)-penetratin conjugate is moderately immunogenic mainly due to its penetratin peptide component. Cytokine secretion profiles of the lymph node cells from the conjugate-immunized mice showed marginally elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines, which are known to promote proliferation of T lymphocytes. Since the candidate compound, PNA(TAR)-penetratin conjugate displays potent virucidal and antiviral activities against HIV-1, the favorable immunological response together with negligible toxicity suggest a strong therapeutic potential for this class of compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok Upadhyay
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey 07103, USA
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19
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Chaubey B, Tripathi S, Pandey VN. Single acute-dose and repeat-doses toxicity of anti-HIV-1 PNA TAR-penetratin conjugate after intraperitoneal administration to mice. Oligonucleotides 2008; 18:9-20. [PMID: 18321159 DOI: 10.1089/oli.2007.0088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Polyamide (peptide) nucleic acids conjugated with membrane-penetrating peptide are potential antisense therapeutic agents because of their unique chemical properties, high target specificity, and efficient cellular uptake. However, studies of their potential toxicity in animal models are lacking. In this study, we evaluated the toxicity of the response of Balb/C mice to anti-HIV-1 PNA TAR-penetratin conjugate targeted against the transactivation response (TAR) element of HIV-1 LTR. A single i.p. dose of 600 mg/kg of body weight was lethal, killing all mice within 72 hours. However, death did not occur after single doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg, although all mice experienced initial and transitory diarrhea and loss of agility. Repeated daily doses of 10, 30, and 100 mg/kg were well tolerated by mice during 8 days of treatment, although daily doses of 100 mg/kg caused diarrhea during the first 4 days of treatment. During 8 weeks of follow-up, mice fully recuperated. Serositis was observed in the spleens, livers, and kidneys at the ninth day of treatment, but not after the follow-up period. Necropsies, clinical chemistry studies, and hematological parameters demonstrated normal function of the major organs and no irreversible damage to the mice. These observations indicate that the PNA-peptide conjugate would be nontoxic at probable therapeutic doses and thus support its therapeutic potential as an antisense drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- Binay Chaubey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ 07103, USA
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