1
|
Ali N, Wolf C, Kanchan S, Veerabhadraiah SR, Bond L, Turner MW, Jorcyk CL, Hampikian G. 9S1R nullomer peptide induces mitochondrial pathology, metabolic suppression, and enhanced immune cell infiltration, in triple-negative breast cancer mouse model. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:115997. [PMID: 38118350 PMCID: PMC10872342 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115997] [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: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Nullomers are the shortest strings of absent amino acid (aa) sequences in a species or group of species. Primes are those nullomers that have not been detected in the genome of any species. 9S1R is a 5-aa peptide prime sequence attached to 5-arginine aa, used to treat triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in an in vivo mouse model. This unique peptide, administered with a trehalose carrier (9S1R-NulloPT), offers enhanced solubility and exhibits distinct anti-cancer effects against TNBC. In our study, we investigated the effect of 9S1R-NulloPT on tumor growth, metabolism, metastatic burden, tumor immune-microenvironment (TME), and transcriptome of aggressive mouse TNBC tumors. Notably, treated mice had smaller tumors in the initial phase of the treatment, as compared to untreated control, and diminished in vivo and ex vivo bioluminescence at later-stages - indicative of metabolically quiescent, dying tumors. The treatment also caused changes in TME with increased infiltration of immune cells and altered tumor transcriptome, with 365 upregulated genes and 710 downregulated genes. Consistent with in vitro data, downregulated genes were enriched in cellular metabolic processes (179), specifically mitochondrial TCA cycle/oxidative phosphorylation (44), and translation machinery/ribosome biogenesis (45). The upregulated genes were associated with the developmental (13), ECM organization (12) and focal adhesion pathways (7). In conclusion, our study demonstrates that 9S1R-NulloPT effectively reduced tumor growth during its initial phase, altering the TME and tumor transcriptome. The treatment induced mitochondrial pathology which led to a metabolic deceleration in tumors, aligning with in vitro observations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nilufar Ali
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA.
| | - Cody Wolf
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA; Biomolecular Sciences Graduate Programs, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
| | - Swarna Kanchan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Jaon C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, Huntington, WV, USA
| | - Shivakumar R Veerabhadraiah
- Department of Orthopaedics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Biomolecular Sciences Graduate Programs, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
| | - Laura Bond
- Center of Biomedical Research Excellence in Matrix Biology, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
| | - Matthew W Turner
- Biomolecular Research Center, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA; Biomolecular Sciences Graduate Programs, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
| | - Cheryl L Jorcyk
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA; Biomolecular Research Center, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA; Biomolecular Sciences Graduate Programs, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA
| | - Greg Hampikian
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Ali N, Wolf C, Kanchan S, Veerabhadraiah SR, Bond L, Turner MW, Jorcyk CL, Hampikian G. Nullomer peptide increases immune cell infiltration and reduces tumor metabolism in triple negative breast cancer mouse model. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3097552. [PMID: 37461536 PMCID: PMC10350184 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3097552/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Background Nullomers are the shortest strings of absent amino acid (aa) sequences in a species or group of species. Primes are those nullomers that have not been detected in the genome of any species. 9S1R is a 5-aa peptide derived from a prime sequence that is tagged with 5 arginine aa, used to treat triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) in an in vivo TNBC mouse model. 9S1R is administered in trehalose (9S1R-NulloPT), which enhances solubility and exhibits some independent effects against tumor growth and is thus an important component in the drug preparation. Method We examined the effect of 9S1R-NulloPT on tumor growth, metabolism, metastatic burden, necrosis, tumor immune microenvironment, and the transcriptome of aggressive mouse TNBC tumors. Results The peptide-treated mice had smaller tumors in the initial phase of the treatment, as compared to the untreated control, and reduced in vivo bioluminescence at later stages, which is indicative of metabolically inactive tumors. A decrease in ex vivo bioluminescence was also observed in the excised tumors of treated mice, but not in the secondary metastasis in the lungs. The treatment also caused changes in tumor immune microenvironment with increased infiltration of immune cells and margin inflammation. The treatment upregulated 365 genes and downregulated 710 genes in tumors compared to the untreated group. Consistent with in vitro findings in breast cancer cell lines, downregulated genes in the treated TNBC tumors include Cellular Metabolic Process Related genes (179), specifically mitochondrial genes associated with TCA cycle/oxidative phosphorylation (44), and translation machinery/ribosome biogenesis genes (45). Among upregulated genes, the Developmental Pathway (13), ECM Organization (12) and Focal Adhesion Related Pathways (7) were noteworthy. We also present data from a pilot study using a bilateral BC mouse model, which supports our findings. Conclusion In conclusion, although 9S1R-NulloPT was moderate at reducing the tumor volume, it altered the tumor immune microenvironment as well as the tumor transcriptome, rendering tumors metabolically less active by downregulating the mitochondrial function and ribosome biogenesis. This corroborates previously published in vitro findings.
Collapse
|