1
|
Sampson JM, Cannon DA, Duan J, Epstein JCK, Sergeeva AP, Katsamba PS, Mannepalli SM, Bahna FA, Adihou H, Guéret SM, Gopalakrishnan R, Geschwindner S, Rees DG, Sigurdardottir A, Wilkinson T, Dodd RB, De Maria L, Mobarec JC, Shapiro L, Honig B, Buchanan A, Friesner RA, Wang L. Robust Prediction of Relative Binding Energies for Protein-Protein Complex Mutations Using Free Energy Perturbation Calculations. J Mol Biol 2024; 436:168640. [PMID: 38844044 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2024.168640] [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: 04/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Computational free energy-based methods have the potential to significantly improve throughput and decrease costs of protein design efforts. Such methods must reach a high level of reliability, accuracy, and automation to be effectively deployed in practical industrial settings in a way that impacts protein design projects. Here, we present a benchmark study for the calculation of relative changes in protein-protein binding affinity for single point mutations across a variety of systems from the literature, using free energy perturbation (FEP+) calculations. We describe a method for robust treatment of alternate protonation states for titratable amino acids, which yields improved correlation with and reduced error compared to experimental binding free energies. Following careful analysis of the largest outlier cases in our dataset, we assess limitations of the default FEP+ protocols and introduce an automated script which identifies probable outlier cases that may require additional scrutiny and calculates an empirical correction for a subset of charge-related outliers. Through a series of three additional case study systems, we discuss how Protein FEP+ can be applied to real-world protein design projects, and suggest areas of further study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jared M Sampson
- Schrödinger, Inc., Life Sciences Software, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel A Cannon
- Schrödinger, GmbH, Life Sciences Software, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jianxin Duan
- Schrödinger, GmbH, Life Sciences Software, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Alina P Sergeeva
- Columbia University, Department of Systems Biology, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Seetha M Mannepalli
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Fabiana A Bahna
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hélène Adihou
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Stéphanie M Guéret
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ranganath Gopalakrishnan
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Stefan Geschwindner
- AstraZeneca, Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - D Gareth Rees
- AstraZeneca, Biologics Engineering, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | - Roger B Dodd
- AstraZeneca, Biologics Engineering, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Leonardo De Maria
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Juan Carlos Mobarec
- AstraZeneca, Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lawrence Shapiro
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barry Honig
- Columbia University, Department of Systems Biology, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, New York, NY, USA; Columbia University, Department of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Lingle Wang
- Schrödinger, Inc., Life Sciences Software, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sampson JM, Cannon DA, Duan J, Epstein JCK, Sergeeva AP, Katsamba PS, Mannepalli SM, Bahna FA, Adihou H, Guéret SM, Gopalakrishnan R, Geschwindner S, Rees DG, Sigurdardottir A, Wilkinson T, Dodd RB, De Maria L, Mobarec JC, Shapiro L, Honig B, Buchanan A, Friesner RA, Wang L. Robust prediction of relative binding energies for protein-protein complex mutations using free energy perturbation calculations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.22.590325. [PMID: 38712280 PMCID: PMC11071377 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.22.590325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Computational free energy-based methods have the potential to significantly improve throughput and decrease costs of protein design efforts. Such methods must reach a high level of reliability, accuracy, and automation to be effectively deployed in practical industrial settings in a way that impacts protein design projects. Here, we present a benchmark study for the calculation of relative changes in protein-protein binding affinity for single point mutations across a variety of systems from the literature, using free energy perturbation (FEP+) calculations. We describe a method for robust treatment of alternate protonation states for titratable amino acids, which yields improved correlation with and reduced error compared to experimental binding free energies. Following careful analysis of the largest outlier cases in our dataset, we assess limitations of the default FEP+ protocols and introduce an automated script which identifies probable outlier cases that may require additional scrutiny and calculates an empirical correction for a subset of charge-related outliers. Through a series of three additional case study systems, we discuss how protein FEP+ can be applied to real-world protein design projects, and suggest areas of further study.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jianxin Duan
- Schrödinger, GmbH, Life Sciences Software, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Alina P. Sergeeva
- Columbia University, Department of Systems Biology, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Seetha M. Mannepalli
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA, 10027
| | - Fabiana A. Bahna
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA, 10027
| | - Hélène Adihou
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Stéphanie M. Guéret
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Ranganath Gopalakrishnan
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology, AstraZeneca-MPI Satellite Unit, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Stefan Geschwindner
- AstraZeneca, Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Roger B. Dodd
- AstraZeneca, Biologics Engineering, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Leonardo De Maria
- AstraZeneca, Medicinal Chemistry, Research and Early Development, Respiratory and Immunology, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Juan Carlos Mobarec
- AstraZeneca, Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, R&D, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lawrence Shapiro
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA, 10027
- Columbia University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, New York, NY, USA
| | - Barry Honig
- Columbia University, Department of Systems Biology, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia University, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY, USA, 10027
- Columbia University, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia University, Department of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Lingle Wang
- Schrödinger, Inc., Life Sciences Software, New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Rady T, Erb S, Deddouche-Grass S, Morales R, Chaubet G, Cianférani S, Basse N, Wagner A. Targeted delivery of immune-stimulating bispecific RNA, inducing apoptosis and anti-tumor immunity in cancer cells. iScience 2024; 27:109068. [PMID: 38380254 PMCID: PMC10877685 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109068] [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: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Double-stranded RNAs (dsRNA)-based strategies appeared as promising therapies to induce an inflammation in the tumor microenvironment. However, currently described systems generally lack active targeting of tissues, and their clinical translation is thus limited to intratumoral injection. Herein, we developed an antibody-siRNA-5'triphosphate conjugate with multiple modes of action, combining cell surface EphA2-specific internalization, leading to a simultaneous gene silencing and activation of the receptor retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I). Recognition of cytosolic siRNA-5'triphosphate by RIG-I triggers the expression of interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines, inducing an inflammation of the tumor environment and activating neighboring immune cells. In addition, these RIG-I-specific effects synergized with siRNA-mediated PLK1 silencing to promote cancer cell death by apoptosis. Altogether, such immune-stimulating antibody-RNA conjugate opens a novel modality to overcome some limitations encountered by dsRNA molecules currently in clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tony Rady
- Bio-Functional Chemistry (UMR 7199), LabEx Medalis, University of Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
- Sanofi, 13 Quai Jules Guesde, 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Stéphane Erb
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique (LSMBO), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI – FR2048, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Renaud Morales
- Sanofi, 13 Quai Jules Guesde, 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Guilhem Chaubet
- Bio-Functional Chemistry (UMR 7199), LabEx Medalis, University of Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
| | - Sarah Cianférani
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse BioOrganique (LSMBO), Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
- Infrastructure Nationale de Protéomique ProFI – FR2048, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Nicolas Basse
- Sanofi, 13 Quai Jules Guesde, 94400 Vitry-sur-Seine, France
| | - Alain Wagner
- Bio-Functional Chemistry (UMR 7199), LabEx Medalis, University of Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, 67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden, France
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pasquale EB. Eph receptors and ephrins in cancer progression. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:5-27. [PMID: 37996538 PMCID: PMC11015936 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00634-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Evidence implicating Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their ephrin ligands (that together make up the 'Eph system') in cancer development and progression has been accumulating since the discovery of the first Eph receptor approximately 35 years ago. Advances in the past decade and a half have considerably increased the understanding of Eph receptor-ephrin signalling mechanisms in cancer and have uncovered intriguing new roles in cancer progression and drug resistance. This Review focuses mainly on these more recent developments. I provide an update on the different mechanisms of Eph receptor-ephrin-mediated cell-cell communication and cell autonomous signalling, as well as on the interplay of the Eph system with other signalling systems. I further discuss recent advances in elucidating how the Eph system controls tumour expansion, invasiveness and metastasis, supports cancer stem cells, and drives therapy resistance. In addition to functioning within cancer cells, the Eph system also mediates the reciprocal communication between cancer cells and cells of the tumour microenvironment. The involvement of the Eph system in tumour angiogenesis is well established, but recent findings also demonstrate roles in immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix. Lastly, I discuss strategies under evaluation for therapeutic targeting of Eph receptors-ephrins in cancer and conclude with an outlook on promising future research directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena B Pasquale
- Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Chang FL, Lee CC, Tsai KC, Lin TY, Chiang CW, Pan SL, Lee YC. An auristatin-based antibody-drug conjugate targeting EphA2 in pancreatic cancer treatment. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2023; 688:149214. [PMID: 37951154 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2023.149214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, a highly aggressive form of cancer with a poor prognosis, necessitates the development of innovative treatment strategies. Our prior research showcased the growth-inhibiting effects of the anti-EphA2 antibody drug hSD5 on pancreatic cancer tumors. This antibody targets and induces the degradation of the EphA2 receptor while also prompting the antibody's internalization. A deeper dive into the hSD5 Fab crystallographic structure and docking studies revealed that hSD5's CDRH3 drives the primary interaction between hSD5 and the EphA2 active site. In this study, we developed a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC)-the auristatin-based hSD5-vedotin specifically targeting EphA2 in pancreatic cancer cells. This ADC aims at the tumor-specific antigen EphA2, triggering endocytosis and releasing the conjugated payload molecule Monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE), amplifying the tumor-killing effect. Upon cellular entry, hSD5-vedotin demonstrated an impressive tumor-killing response, inhibiting tumor cell growth and promoting apoptosis even at lower antibody concentrations. In a pancreatic cancer xenograft animal model, hSD5-vedotin showcased the potential to suppress tumor growth entirely. Notably, potential immune resistance responses were also observed in recurrent pancreatic cancer tumors. Our empirical results underscore the possibility of developing hSD5-vedotin further, which we anticipate will have a broader and more potent therapeutic impact on pancreatic cancer and other EphA2-related cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Ling Chang
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Chung Lee
- The Ph.D. Program for Translational Medicine, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Keng-Chang Tsai
- National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan; Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Yu Lin
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Wei Chiang
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiow-Lin Pan
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Ching Lee
- Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chang FL, Tsai KC, Lin TY, Chiang CW, Pan SL, Lee YC. Effectiveness of anti-erythropoietin producing Hepatocellular receptor Type-A2 antibody in pancreatic cancer treatment. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21774. [PMID: 38034633 PMCID: PMC10682614 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21774] [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: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Erythropoietin-producing hepatocyte receptor type A2 (EphA2) is a tyrosine kinase that binds to ephrins (e.g., ephrin-A1) to initiate bidirectional signaling between cells. The binding of EphA2 and ephrin-A1 leads to the inhibition of Ras-MAPK activity and tumor growth. During tumorigenesis, the normal interaction between EphA2 and ephrin-A1 is hindered, which leads to the overexpression of EphA2 and induces cancer. The overexpression of EphA2 has been identified as a notable tumor marker in diagnosing and treating pancreatic cancer. In this study, we used phage display to isolate specific antibodies against the active site of EphA2 by using a discontinuous recombinant epitope for immunization. The therapeutic efficacy and inhibition mechanism of the generated antibody against pancreatic cancer was validated and clarified. The generated antibodies were bound to the conformational epitope of endogenous EphA2 on cancer cells, thus inducing cellular endocytosis and causing EphA2 degradation. Molecule signals pAKT, pERK, pFAK, and pSTAT3 were weakened, inhibiting the proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells. The humanized antibody hSD5 could effectively inhibit the growth of the xenograft pancreatic cancer tumor cells BxPc-3 and Mia PaCa-2 in mice, respectively. When antibody hSD5 was administered with gemcitabine, significantly improved effects on tumor growth inhibition were observed. Based on the efficacy of the IgG hSD5 antibodies, clinical administration of the hSD5 antibodies is likely to suppress tumors in patients with pancreatic cancer and abnormal activation or overexpression of EphA2 signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fu-Ling Chang
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University and Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Keng-Chang Tsai
- National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taipei, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Yu Lin
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Wei Chiang
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiow-Lin Pan
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Cancer Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- TMU Research Center for Drug Discovery, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ching Lee
- Ph.D. Program in Medical Biotechnology, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program for Cancer Molecular Biology and Drug Discovery, College of Medical Science and Technology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Ph.D. Program in Drug Discovery and Development Industry, College of Pharmacy, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
- TMU Research Center of Cancer Translational Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Li X, Wang F, Huang L, Yang M, Kuang E. Downregulation of EphA2 stability by RNF5 limits its tumor-suppressive function in HER2-negative breast cancers. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:662. [PMID: 37816703 PMCID: PMC10564927 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06188-y] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
Ephrin receptor A2 (EphA2) plays dual functions in tumorigenesis through ligand-independent tumor promotion or ligand-dependent tumor suppression. However, the regulation of EphA2 tumor-suppressive function remains unclear. Here, we showed that RNF5 interacts with EphA2 and induces its ubiquitination and degradation, decreases the stability and cell surface distribution of EphA2 and alters the balance of its phosphorylation at S897 and Y772. In turn, RNF5 inhibition decreases ERK phosphorylation and increases p53 expression through an increase in the EphA2 level in HER2-negative breast cancer cells. Consequently, RNF5 inhibition increases the adhesion and decreases the migration of HER2-negative breast cancer cells, and RNF5 silencing suppresses the growth of xenograft tumors derived from ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer cells with increased EphA2 expression and altered phosphorylation. RNF5 expression is inversely correlated with EphA2 expression in breast cancers, and a high EphA2 level accompanied by a low RNF5 level is related to better survival in patients with ER-positive, HER2-negative breast cancers. These studies revealed that RNF5 negatively regulates EphA2 properties and suppresses its tumor-suppressive function in HER2-negative breast cancers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojuan Li
- College of Clinical Medicine, Hubei University of Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430061, Hubei, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Lu Huang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Mengtian Yang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China
| | - Ersheng Kuang
- Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control (Sun Yat-Sen University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Nanamiya R, Suzuki H, Kaneko MK, Kato Y. Development of an Anti-EphB4 Monoclonal Antibody for Multiple Applications Against Breast Cancers. Monoclon Antib Immunodiagn Immunother 2023; 42:166-177. [PMID: 37824755 DOI: 10.1089/mab.2023.0015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma (Eph) receptors are the largest receptor tyrosine kinase family. EphB4 is essential for cell adhesion and motility during embryogenesis. Pathologically, EphB4 is overexpressed and contributes to poor prognosis in various tumors. Therefore, specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) should be developed to predict the prognosis for multiple tumors with high EphB4 expression, including breast and gastric cancers. This study aimed to develop specific anti-EphB4 mAbs for multiple applications using the Cell-Based Immunization and Screening method. EphB4-overexpressed Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-K1 (CHO/EphB4) cells were immunized into mice, and we established an anti-EphB4 mAb (clone B4Mab-7), which is applicable for flow cytometry, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). B4Mab-7 reacted with endogenous EphB4-positive breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, but did not react with EphB4-knockout MCF-7 (BINDS-52) in flow cytometry. Dissociation constant (KD) values were determined to be 2.9 × 10-9 M and 1.3 × 10-9 M by flow cytometric analysis for CHO/EphB4 and MCF-7 cells, respectively. B4Mab-7 detected the EphB4 protein bands from breast cancer cells in Western blot, and stained breast cancer tissues in IHC. Altogether, B4Mab-7 is very useful for detecting EphB4 in various applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ren Nanamiya
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Suzuki
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Mika K Kaneko
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yukinari Kato
- Department of Antibody Drug Development, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Santana-Viera L, Dassie JP, Rosàs-Lapeña M, Garcia-Monclús S, Chicón-Bosch M, Pérez-Capó M, Pozo LD, Sanchez-Serra S, Almacellas-Rabaiget O, Maqueda-Marcos S, López-Alemany R, Thiel WH, Giangrande PH, Tirado OM. Combination of protein and cell internalization SELEX identifies a potential RNA therapeutic and delivery platform to treat EphA2-expressing tumors. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 32:758-772. [PMID: 37251690 PMCID: PMC10213179 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase is overexpressed in most solid tumors and acts as the major driver of tumorigenesis. In this study, we developed a novel approach for targeting the EphA2 receptor using a 2'-fluoro-modified pyrimidine RNA aptamer termed ATOP. We identified the ATOP EphA2 aptamer using a novel bioinformatics strategy that compared aptamers enriched during a protein SELEX using recombinant human EphA2 and a cell-internalization SELEX using EphA2-expressing MDA231 tumor cells. When applied to EphA2-expressing tumor cell lines, the ATOP EphA2 aptamer attenuated tumor cell migration and clonogenicity. In a mouse model of spontaneous metastasis, the ATOP EphA2 aptamer slowed primary tumor growth and significantly reduced the number of lung metastases. The EphA2 ATOP aptamer represents a promising candidate for the development of next-generation targeted therapies that provide safer and more effective treatment of EphA2-overexpressing tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Santana-Viera
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Justin P. Dassie
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, IA 52242, USA
| | - Marta Rosàs-Lapeña
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Garcia-Monclús
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mariona Chicón-Bosch
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marina Pérez-Capó
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lidia del Pozo
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Sanchez-Serra
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Almacellas-Rabaiget
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Maqueda-Marcos
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roser López-Alemany
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
| | - William H. Thiel
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, IA 52242, USA
| | - Paloma H. Giangrande
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, IA 52242, USA
| | - Oscar M. Tirado
- Sarcoma Research Group, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, Oncobell, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 08908 Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERONC, Carlos III Institute of Health (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- Institut Català d’Oncologia (ICO), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Goncalves BG, Banerjee IA. A computational and laboratory approach for the investigation of interactions of peptide conjugated natural terpenes with EpHA2 receptor. J Mol Model 2023; 29:204. [PMID: 37291458 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-023-05596-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Ephrin type A receptor 2 (EphA2) is a well-known drug target for cancer treatment due to its overexpression in numerous types of cancers. Thus, it is crucial to determine the binding interactions of this receptor with both the ligand-binding domain (LBD) and the kinase-binding domain (KBD) through a targeted approach in order to modulate its activity. In this work, natural terpenes with inherent anticancer properties were conjugated with short peptides YSAYP and SWLAY that are known to bind to the LBD of EphA2 receptor. We examined the binding interactions of six terpenes (maslinic acid, levopimaric acid, quinopimaric acid, oleanolic, polyalthic, and hydroxybetulinic acid) conjugated to the above peptides with the ligand-binding domain (LBD) of EphA2 receptor computationally. Additionally, following the "target-hopping approach," we also examined the interactions of the conjugates with the KBD. Our results indicated that most of the conjugates showed higher binding interactions with the EphA2 kinase domain compared to LBD. Furthermore, the binding affinities of the terpenes increased upon conjugating the peptides with the terpenes. In order to further investigate the specificity toward EphA2 kinase domain, we also examined the binding interactions of the terpenes conjugated to VPWXE (x = norleucine), as VPWXE has been shown to bind to other RTKs. Our results indicated that the terpenes conjugated to SWLAY in particular showed high efficacy toward binding to the KBD. We also designed conjugates where in the peptide portion and the terpenes were separated by a butyl (C4) group linker to examine if the binding interactions could be enhanced. Docking studies showed that the conjugates with linkers had enhanced binding with the LBD compared to those without linkers, though binding remained slightly higher without linkers toward the KBD. As a proof of concept, maslinate and oleanolate conjugates of each of the peptides were then tested with F98 tumor cells which are known to overexpress EphA2 receptor. Results indicated that the oleanolate-amido-SWLAY conjugates were efficacious in reducing the cell proliferation of the tumor cells and may be potentially developed and further studied for targeting tumor cells overexpressing the EphA2 receptor. To test if these conjugates could bind to the receptor and potentially function as kinase inhibitors, we conducted SPR analysis and ADP-Glo assay. Our results indicated that OA conjugate with SWLAY showed the highest inhibition. METHODS Docking studies were carried out using AutoDock Vina, v.1.2.0; Molecular Dynamics and MMGBSA calculations were carried out through Schrodinger Software DESMOND.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz G Goncalves
- Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
| | - Ipsita A Banerjee
- Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, 441 East Fordham Road, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Freitag JS, Möser C, Belay R, Altattan B, Grasse N, Pothineni BK, Schnauß J, Smith DM. Integration of functional peptides into nucleic acid-based nanostructures. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:7608-7624. [PMID: 37042085 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr05429a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In many applications such as diagnostics and therapy development, small peptide fragments consisting of only a few amino acids are often attractive alternatives to bulky proteins. This is due to factors such as the ease of scalable chemical synthesis and numerous methods for their discovery. One drawback of using peptides is that their activity can often be negatively impacted by the lack of a rigid, 3D stabilizing structure provided by the rest of the protein. In many cases, this can be alleviated by different methods of rational templating onto nanomaterials, which provides additional possibilities to use concepts of multivalence or rational nano-engineering to enhance or even create new types of function or structure. In recent years, nanostructures made from the self-assembly of DNA strands have been used as scaffolds to create functional arrangements of peptides, often leading to greatly enhanced biological activity or new material properties. This review will give an overview of nano-templating approaches based on the combination of DNA nanotechnology and peptides. This will include both bioengineering strategies to control interactions with cells or other biological systems, as well as examples where the combination of DNA and peptides has been leveraged for the rational design of new functional materials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Freitag
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Christin Möser
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Robel Belay
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Basma Altattan
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Nico Grasse
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | | | - Jörg Schnauß
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
- Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Unconventional Computing Lab, UWE, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK
| | - David M Smith
- Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
- Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Leipzig University, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, University of Leipzig Medical Faculty, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Furukawa T, Kimura H, Sasaki M, Yamada T, Iwasawa T, Yagi Y, Kato K, Yasui H. Novel [ 111 In]In-BnDTPA-EphA2-230-1 Antibody for Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography Imaging Tracer Targeting of EphA2. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:7030-7035. [PMID: 36844571 PMCID: PMC9948553 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptor A2 (EphA2) is overexpressed in cancer cells and causes abnormal cell proliferation. Therefore, it has attracted attention as a target for diagnostic agents. In this study, the EphA2-230-1 monoclonal antibody (EphA2-230-1) was labeled with [111In]In and evaluated as an imaging tracer for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) of EphA2. EphA2-230-1 was conjugated with 2-(4-isothiocyanatobenzyl)-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (p-SCN-BnDTPA) and then labeled with [111In]In. [111In]In-BnDTPA-EphA2-230-1 was evaluated in cell-binding, biodistribution, and SPECT/computed tomography (CT) studies. The cellular uptake ratio of [111In]In-BnDTPA-EphA2-230-1 was 14.0 ± 2.1%/mg protein at 4 h in the cell-binding study. In the biodistribution study, a high uptake of [111In]In-BnDTPA-EphA2-230-1 was observed in tumor tissue (14.6 ± 3.2% injected dose/g at 72 h). The superior accumulation of [111In]In-BnDTPA-EphA2-230-1 in tumors was also confirmed using SPECT/CT. Therefore, [111In]In-BnDTPA-EphA2-230-1 has potential as a SPECT imaging tracer for EphA2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Takenori Furukawa
- Department
of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and
Physical Science, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Kimura
- Department
of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and
Physical Science, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Minon Sasaki
- Department
of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and
Physical Science, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| | - Takumu Yamada
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Toyo University, 2100 Nakanodai, Kujirai, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0815, Japan
| | - Takumi Iwasawa
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Toyo University, 2100 Nakanodai, Kujirai, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0815, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yagi
- Department
of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and
Physical Science, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
- Department
of Radiological Technology, Faculty of Medicinal Science, Kyoto College of Medical Science, 1-3 Imakita, Oyama-higashi, Sonobe,
Nantan, Kyoto 622-0022, Japan
| | - Kazunori Kato
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Toyo University, 2100 Nakanodai, Kujirai, Kawagoe, Saitama 350-0815, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Yasui
- Department
of Analytical and Bioinorganic Chemistry, Division of Analytical and
Physical Science, Kyoto Pharmaceutical University, 5 Nakauchi-cho, Misasagi, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto 607-8414, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Tiberghien AC, Vijayakrishnan B, Esfandiari A, Ahmed M, Pardo R, Bingham J, Adams L, Santos K, Kang GD, Pugh KM, Afif-Rider S, Vashisht K, Haque K, Tammali R, Rosfjord E, Savoca A, Hartley JA, Howard PW. Comparison of Pyrrolobenzodiazepine Dimer Bis-imine versus Mono-imine: DNA Interstrand Cross-linking, Cytotoxicity, Antibody-Drug Conjugate Efficacy and Toxicity. Mol Cancer Ther 2023; 22:254-263. [PMID: 36722141 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0693] [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: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) delivering pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) DNA cross-linkers are currently being evaluated in clinical trials, with encouraging results in Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. The first example of an ADC delivering a PBD DNA cross-linker (loncastuximab tesirine) has been recently approved by the FDA for the treatment of relapsed and refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. There has also been considerable interest in mono-alkylating PBD analogs. We conducted a head-to-head comparison of a conventional PBD bis-imine and a novel PBD mono-imine. Key Mitsunobu chemistry allowed clean and convenient access to the mono-imine class. Extensive DNA-binding studies revealed that the mono-imine mediated a type of DNA interaction that is described as "pseudo cross-linking," as well as alkylation. The PBD mono-imine ADC demonstrated robust antitumor activity in mice bearing human tumor xenografts at doses 3-fold higher than those that were efficacious for the PBD bis-imine ADC. A single-dose toxicology study in rats demonstrated that the MTD of the PBD mono-alkylator ADC was approximately 3-fold higher than that of the ADC bearing a bis-imine payload, suggesting a comparable therapeutic index for this molecule. However, although both ADCs caused myelosuppression, renal toxicity was observed only for the bis-imine, indicating possible differences in toxicologic profiles that could influence tolerability and therapeutic index. These data show that mono-amine PBDs have physicochemical and pharmacotoxicologic properties distinct from their cross-linking analogs and support their potential utility as a novel class of ADC payload.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Arman Esfandiari
- Cancer Research UK, Drug DNA Interactions Research Group, UCL Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mahammad Ahmed
- Tumor Targeted Delivery, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, London, United Kingdom
| | - Raul Pardo
- Tumor Targeted Delivery, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, London, United Kingdom
| | - John Bingham
- Cancer Research UK, Drug DNA Interactions Research Group, UCL Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lauren Adams
- Tumor Targeted Delivery, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kathleen Santos
- Tumor Targeted Delivery, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gyoung-Dong Kang
- Tumor Targeted Delivery, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn M Pugh
- Tumor Targeted Delivery, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shameen Afif-Rider
- Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Kapil Vashisht
- Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Kemal Haque
- Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Ravinder Tammali
- Tumor Targeted Delivery, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Edward Rosfjord
- Tumor Targeted Delivery, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
| | - Adriana Savoca
- Clinical Pharmacology & Safety Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John A Hartley
- Cancer Research UK, Drug DNA Interactions Research Group, UCL Cancer Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Philip W Howard
- Tumor Targeted Delivery, Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca, London, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Eph Receptors in Cancer. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020315. [PMID: 36830852 PMCID: PMC9953285 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Eph receptor tyrosine kinases play critical functions during development, in the formation of tissue and organ borders, and the vascular and neural systems. Uniquely among tyrosine kinases, their activities are controlled by binding to membrane-bound ligands, called ephrins. Ephs and ephrins generally have a low expression in adults, functioning mainly in tissue homeostasis and plasticity, but are often overexpressed in cancers, where they are especially associated with undifferentiated or progenitor cells, and with tumour development, vasculature, and invasion. Mutations in Eph receptors also occur in various tumour types and are suspected to promote tumourigenesis. Ephs and ephrins have the capacity to operate as both tumour promoters and tumour suppressors, depending on the circumstances. They have been demonstrated to impact tumour cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, as well as tumour development, angiogenesis, and metastases in vivo, making them potential therapeutic targets. However, successful development of therapies will require detailed understanding of the opposing roles of Ephs in various cancers. In this review, we discuss the variations in Eph expression and functions in a variety of malignancies. We also describe the multiple strategies that are currently available to target them in tumours, including preclinical and clinical development.
Collapse
|
15
|
Hunting for Novel Routes in Anticancer Drug Discovery: Peptides against Sam-Sam Interactions. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810397. [PMID: 36142306 PMCID: PMC9499636 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the diverse protein binding modules, Sam (Sterile alpha motif) domains attract attention due to their versatility. They are present in different organisms and play many functions in physiological and pathological processes by binding multiple partners. The EphA2 receptor contains a Sam domain at the C-terminus (EphA2-Sam) that is able to engage protein regulators of receptor stability (including the lipid phosphatase Ship2 and the adaptor Odin). Ship2 and Odin are recruited by EphA2-Sam through heterotypic Sam-Sam interactions. Ship2 decreases EphA2 endocytosis and consequent degradation, producing chiefly pro-oncogenic outcomes in a cellular milieu. Odin, through its Sam domains, contributes to receptor stability by possibly interfering with ubiquitination. As EphA2 is upregulated in many types of tumors, peptide inhibitors of Sam-Sam interactions by hindering receptor stability could function as anticancer therapeutics. This review describes EphA2-Sam and its interactome from a structural and functional perspective. The diverse design strategies that have thus far been employed to obtain peptides targeting EphA2-mediated Sam-Sam interactions are summarized as well. The generated peptides represent good initial lead compounds, but surely many efforts need to be devoted in the close future to improve interaction affinities towards Sam domains and consequently validate their anticancer properties.
Collapse
|
16
|
Chu LY, Huang BL, Huang XC, Peng YH, Xie JJ, Xu YW. EFNA1 in gastrointestinal cancer: Expression, regulation and clinical significance. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2022; 14:973-988. [PMID: 35646281 PMCID: PMC9124989 DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v14.i5.973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ephrin-A1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the EFNA1 gene. The ephrins and EPH-related receptors comprise the largest subfamily of receptor protein-tyrosine kinases which play an indispensable role in normal growth and development or in the pathophysiology of various tumors. The role of EFNA1 in tumorigenesis and development is complex and depends on the cell type and microenvironment which in turn affect the expression of EFNA1. This article reviews the expression, prognostic value, regulation and clinical significance of EFNA1 in gastrointestinal tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Yu Chu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Bin-Liang Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xu-Chun Huang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yu-Hui Peng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
- Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Research Institute, The Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jian-Jun Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yi-Wei Xu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, The Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
- Guangdong Esophageal Cancer Research Institute, The Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, Guangdong Province, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Teicher BA, Morris J. Antibody-Drug Conjugate Targets, Drugs and Linkers. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2022; 22:463-529. [PMID: 35209819 DOI: 10.2174/1568009622666220224110538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates offer the possibility of directing powerful cytotoxic agents to a malignant tumor while sparing normal tissue. The challenge is to select an antibody target expressed exclusively or at highly elevated levels on the surface of tumor cells and either not all or at low levels on normal cells. The current review explores 78 targets that have been explored as antibody-drug conjugate targets. Some of these targets have been abandoned, 9 or more are the targets of FDA-approved drugs, and most remain active clinical interest. Antibody-drug conjugates require potent cytotoxic drug payloads, several of these small molecules are discussed, as are the linkers between the protein component and small molecule components of the conjugates. Finally, conclusions regarding the elements for the successful antibody-drug conjugate are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Beverly A Teicher
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, DCTD, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892,United States
| | - Joel Morris
- Developmental Therapeutics Program, DCTD, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892,United States
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Parakh S, Nicolazzo J, Scott AM, Gan HK. Antibody Drug Conjugates in Glioblastoma - Is There a Future for Them? Front Oncol 2021; 11:718590. [PMID: 34926242 PMCID: PMC8678283 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.718590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive and fatal malignancy that despite decades of trials has limited therapeutic options. Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are composed of a monoclonal antibody which specifically recognizes a cellular surface antigen linked to a cytotoxic payload. ADCs have demonstrated superior efficacy and/or reduced toxicity in a range of haematological and solid tumors resulting in nine ADCs receiving regulatory approval. ADCs have also been explored in patients with brain tumours but with limited success to date. While earlier generations ADCs in glioma patients have had limited success and high toxicity, newer and improved ADCs characterised by low immunogenicity and more effective payloads have shown promise in a range of tumour types. These newer ADCs have also been tested in glioma patients, however, with mixed results. Factors affecting the effectiveness of ADCs to target the CNS include the blood brain barrier which acts as a physical and biochemical barrier, the pro-cancerogenic and immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and tumour characteristics like tumour volume and antigen expression. In this paper we review the data regarding the ongoing the development of ADCs in glioma patients as well as potential strategies to overcome these barriers to maximise their therapeutic potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sagun Parakh
- Department of Medical Oncology, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
- Tumour Targeting Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Joseph Nicolazzo
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Andrew M Scott
- Tumour Targeting Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Therapy, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| | - Hui Kong Gan
- Department of Medical Oncology, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
- Tumour Targeting Laboratory, Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
- School of Cancer Medicine, La Trobe University, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Rani A, Jakhmola S, Karnati S, Parmar HS, Chandra Jha H. Potential entry receptors for human γ-herpesvirus into epithelial cells: A plausible therapeutic target for viral infections. Tumour Virus Res 2021; 12:200227. [PMID: 34800753 PMCID: PMC8628264 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvr.2021.200227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Herpesviruses are ubiquitous viruses, specifically the Epstein Barr virus (EBV). EBV and Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) establish their latency for a long period in B-cells and their reactivation instigates dreadful diseases from cancer to neurological modalities. The envelope glycoprotein of these viruses makes an attachment with several host receptors. For instance; glycoprotein 350/220, gp42, gHgL and gB of EBV establish an attachment with CD21, HLA-DR, Ephs, and other receptor molecules to hijack the B- and epithelial cell machinery. Ephs are reported recently as potent receptors for EBV entry into epithelial cells. Eph receptors play a role in the maintenance and control of various cellular processes including morphology, adhesion, proliferation, survival and differentiation. Alterations in the structure and expression of Eph and ephrin (Eph ligands) molecules is entangled with various pathologies including tumours and neurological complications. Along with Eph, integrins, NRP, NMHC are also key players in viral infections as they are possibly involved in viral transmission, replication and persistence. Contrarily, KSHV gH is known to interact with EphA2 and -A4 molecules, whereas in the case of EBV only EphA2 receptors are being reported to date. The ELEFN region of KSHV gH was involved in the interaction with EphA2, however, the interacting region of EBV gH is elusive. Further, the gHgL of KSHV and EBV form a complex with the EphA2 ligand-binding domain (LBD). Primarily by using gL both KSHV and EBV gHgL bind to the peripheral regions of LBD. In addition to γ-herpesviruses, several other viruses like Nipah virus, Cedar virus, Hepatitis C virus and Rhesus macaque rhadinovirus (RRV) also access the host cells via Eph receptors. Therefore, we summarise the possible roles of Eph and ephrins in virus-mediated infection and these molecules could serve as potential therapeutic targets. Crucial understanding of human γ-herpesviruses entry mechanism. Eph receptors relate to changed biomolecular profile upon EBV infection. EBV association with neurological disorders. Eph receptors could be an elegant drug for human γ-herpesviruses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annu Rani
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, India
| | - Shweta Jakhmola
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, India
| | - Srikanth Karnati
- Department of Medical Cell Biology, Julius Maximilians University, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Hamendra Singh Parmar
- School of Biotechnology, Devi Ahilya University, Takshashila Campus, Khandwa Road, Indore, 452001, MP, India
| | - Hem Chandra Jha
- Department of Biosciences and Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Indore, India.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Yang Y, Nian S, Li L, Wen X, Liu Q, Zhang B, Lan Y, Yuan Q, Ye Y. Fully human recombinant antibodies against EphA2 from a multi-tumor patient immune library suitable for tumor-targeted therapy. Bioengineered 2021; 12:10379-10400. [PMID: 34709992 PMCID: PMC8810047 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1996807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhanced EphA2 expression is observed in a variety of epithelial-derived malignancies and is an important target for anti-tumor therapy. Currently, Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies against immune checkpoints have shown good efficacy for tumor treatment. In this study, we constructed an immune single-chain fragment variable (scFv) library using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 200 patients with a variety of malignant tumors. High affinity scFvs against EphA2 can be easily screened from the immune library using phage display technology. Anti-EphA2 scFvs can be modified into any form of recombinant antibody, including scFv-Fc and full-length IgG1 antibodies, and the recombinant antibody affinity was improved following modification. Among the modified anti-EphA2 antibodies the affinity of 77-IgG1 was significantly increased, reaching a pmol affinity level (10−12). We further demonstrated the binding activity of recombinant antibodies to the EphA2 protein, tumor cells, and tumor tissues using macromolecular interaction techniques, flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Most importantly, both the constructed scFvs-Fc, as well as the IgG1 antibodies against EphA2 were able to inhibit the growth of tumor cells to some extent. These results suggest that the immune libraries from patients with malignant tumors are more likely to screen for antibodies with high affinity and therapeutic effect. The constructed fully human scFv immune library has broad application prospects for specific antibody screening. The screened scFv-Fc and IgG1 antibodies against EphA2 can be used for the further study of tumor immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yaqi Yang
- Public Center of Experimental Technology, The school of Basic medical science, Southwest medical university, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, 646000, China
| | - Siji Nian
- Public Center of Experimental Technology, The school of Basic medical science, Southwest medical university, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, 646000, China
| | - Lin Li
- Public Center of Experimental Technology, The school of Basic medical science, Southwest medical university, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, 646000, China
| | - Xue Wen
- Public Center of Experimental Technology, The school of Basic medical science, Southwest medical university, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, 646000, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Sichuan 646000, P.R. China
| | - Qin Liu
- Public Center of Experimental Technology, The school of Basic medical science, Southwest medical university, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, 646000, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Public Center of Experimental Technology, The school of Basic medical science, Southwest medical university, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, 646000, China
| | - Yu Lan
- Public Center of Experimental Technology, The school of Basic medical science, Southwest medical university, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, 646000, China
| | - Qing Yuan
- Public Center of Experimental Technology, The school of Basic medical science, Southwest medical university, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, 646000, China
| | - Yingchun Ye
- Public Center of Experimental Technology, The school of Basic medical science, Southwest medical university, Luzhou, Sichuan Province, 646000, China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Guo XM, Yadav MB, Khan M, Hao CW, Lin CY, Huang T, Wu J, Fan BM, Bian ZX. Bradykinin-Potentiating Peptide-Paclitaxel Conjugate Directed at Ectopically Expressed Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. J Med Chem 2021; 64:17051-17062. [PMID: 34699215 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous subtype of breast cancer with poor prognosis. Here, we present a peptide-drug conjugate (PDC)-bradykinin-potentiating peptide-paclitaxel (BPP-PTX) conjugate-synthesized by conjugating BPP9a with PTX via a succinyl linker. BPP-PTX targets the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) on TNBC cells. ACE was found to be ectopically expressed in two TNBC cell lines but was absent in both the receptor-positive breast cancer cell line and healthy kidney cell line. Overexpression, knockdown, and competitive inhibition experiments demonstrated ACE-mediated cytotoxicity of BPP-PTX. In vivo, ACE-positive tumors were enriched with BPP-PTX, with the PDC being better tolerated than plain PTX. Compared with plain PTX, BPP-PTX exhibited improved tumor-suppressive effects in MDA-MB-468 xenografted female nude mice. Meanwhile, BPP-PTX resulted in less body weight loss and white blood cell reduction toxicity. These results collectively imply the novelty, efficacy, and low-toxicity profile of BPP-PTX as a potential therapeutic for ACE-positive TNBC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuan-Ming Guo
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Maruti Balaso Yadav
- YMU-HKBU Joint Laboratory of Traditional Natural Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Mahjabin Khan
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Chao-Wei Hao
- YMU-HKBU Joint Laboratory of Traditional Natural Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Cheng-Yuan Lin
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China.,YMU-HKBU Joint Laboratory of Traditional Natural Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Tao Huang
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Jiang Wu
- Key Laboratory for Tibet Plateau Phytochemistry of Qinghai Province, College of Pharmacy, Qinghai Nationalities University, Xining 810007, P. R. China
| | - Bao-Min Fan
- YMU-HKBU Joint Laboratory of Traditional Natural Medicine, Yunnan Minzu University, Kunming 650500, P. R. China
| | - Zhao-Xiang Bian
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Wilson K, Shiuan E, Brantley-Sieders DM. Oncogenic functions and therapeutic targeting of EphA2 in cancer. Oncogene 2021; 40:2483-2495. [PMID: 33686241 PMCID: PMC8035212 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01714-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
More than 25 years of research and preclinical validation have defined EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase as a promising molecular target for clinical translation in cancer treatment. Molecular, genetic, biochemical, and pharmacological targeting strategies have been extensively tested in vitro and in vivo, and drugs like dasatinib, initially designed to target SRC family kinases, have been found to also target EphA2 activity. Other small molecules, therapeutic targeting antibodies, and peptide-drug conjugates are being tested, and more recently, approaches harnessing antitumor immunity against EphA2-expressing cancer cells have emerged as a promising strategy. This review will summarize preclinical studies supporting the oncogenic role of EphA2 in breast cancer, lung cancer, glioblastoma, and melanoma, while delineating the differing roles of canonical and noncanonical EphA2 signaling in each setting. This review also summarizes completed and ongoing clinical trials, highlighting the promise and challenges of targeting EphA2 in cancer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kalin Wilson
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Eileen Shiuan
- Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Dana M Brantley-Sieders
- Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Hsu K, Middlemiss S, Saletta F, Gottschalk S, McCowage GB, Kramer B. Chimeric Antigen Receptor-modified T cells targeting EphA2 for the immunotherapy of paediatric bone tumours. Cancer Gene Ther 2021; 28:321-334. [PMID: 32873870 PMCID: PMC8057949 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-020-00221-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, as an approved treatment option for patients with B cell malignancies, demonstrates that genetic modification of autologous immune cells is an effective anti-cancer regimen. Erythropoietin-producing Hepatocellular receptor tyrosine kinase class A2 (EphA2) is a tumour associated antigen expressed on a range of sarcomas, including paediatric osteosarcoma (OS) and Ewing sarcoma (ES). We tested human EphA2 directed CAR T cells for their capacity to target and kill human OS and ES tumour cells using in vitro and in vivo assays, demonstrating that EphA2 CAR T cells have potent anti-tumour efficacy in vitro and can eliminate established OS and ES tumours in vivo in a dose and delivery route dependent manner. Next, in an aggressive metastatic OS model we demonstrated that systemically infused EphA2 CAR T cells can traffic to and eradicate tumour deposits in murine livers and lungs. These results support further pre-clinical evaluation of EphA2 CAR T cells to inform the design of early phase clinical trial protocols to test the feasibility and safety of this immune cell therapy in paediatric bone sarcoma patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth Hsu
- Children's Cancer Research Unit, Kid's Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Shiloh Middlemiss
- Children's Cancer Research Unit, Kid's Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Federica Saletta
- Children's Cancer Research Unit, Kid's Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Stephen Gottschalk
- Department of Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Geoffrey B McCowage
- Children's Cancer Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Belinda Kramer
- Children's Cancer Research Unit, Kid's Research, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
London M, Gallo E. The EphA2 and cancer connection: potential for immune-based interventions. Mol Biol Rep 2020; 47:8037-8048. [PMID: 32990903 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-020-05767-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The Eph (erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular) receptors form the largest known subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases. These receptors interact with membrane-bound ephrin ligands via direct cell-cell interactions resulting in bi-directional activation of signal pathways. Importantly, the Eph receptors play critical roles in embryonic tissue organization and homeostasis, and in the maintenance of adult processes such as long-term potentiation, angiogenesis, and stem cell differentiation. The Eph receptors also display properties of both tumor promoters and suppressors depending on the cellular context. Characterization of EphA2 receptor in regard to EphA2 dysregulation has revealed associations with various pathological processes, especially cancer. The analysis of various tumor types generally identify EphA2 receptor as overexpressed and/or mutated, and for certain types of cancers EphA2 is linked with poor prognosis and decreased patient survival. Thus, here we highlight the role of EphA2 in malignant tissues that are specific to cancer; these include glioblastoma multiforme, prostate cancer, ovarian and uterine cancers, gastric carcinoma, melanoma, and breast cancer. Due to its large extracellular domain, therapeutic targeting of EphA2 with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which may function as inhibitors of ligand activation or as molecular agonists, has been an oft-attempted strategy. Therefore, we review the most current mAb-based therapies against EphA2 expressing cancers currently in pre-clinical and/or clinical stages. Finally, we discuss the latest peptides and cyclical-peptides that function as selective agonists for EphA2 receptor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Max London
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Donnelly Centre, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
| | - Eugenio Gallo
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Donnelly Centre, 160 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Shi X, Zhang XN, Chen J, Cheng Q, Pei H, Louie SG, Zhang Y. A poly-ADP-ribose polymer-based antibody-drug conjugate. Chem Sci 2020; 11:9303-9308. [PMID: 33623656 PMCID: PMC7871713 DOI: 10.1039/d0sc01795g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARylation) plays vital roles in many aspects of physiology and pathophysiology. This posttranslational modification is catalyzed by poly-ADP-ribose polymerases (PARPs) through additions of ADP-ribose from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) to protein residues, forming linear or branched poly-ADP-ribose (PAR) polymers. In this study, we explored a new concept of utilizing functionalized PAR polymers for targeted drug delivery. This was achieved by rapid and efficient generation of auto-PARylated PARP1 with 3'-azido ADP-riboses and subsequent conjugations of anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) antibodies and monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF) payloads. This designed PARylated PARP1-antibody-MMAF conjugate could potently kill HER2-expressing cancer cells in high specificity. This proof-of-principle work demonstrates the feasibility of production of PAR polymer-based antibody-drug conjugate and its application in targeted delivery. The PAR polymer-based conjugates may lead to new types of therapeutics with potentially improved physicochemical and pharmacological properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojing Shi
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Xiao-Nan Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Jingwen Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Qinqin Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Hua Pei
- Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Stan G Louie
- Titus Family Department of Clinical Pharmacy , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences , School of Pharmacy , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
- Department of Chemistry , Dornsife College of Letters , Arts and Sciences , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA
- Research Center for Liver Diseases , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , CA 90089 , USA .
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Xiao T, Xiao Y, Wang W, Tang YY, Xiao Z, Su M. Targeting EphA2 in cancer. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:114. [PMID: 32811512 PMCID: PMC7433191 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-00944-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Eph receptors and the corresponding Eph receptor-interacting (ephrin) ligands jointly constitute a critical cell signaling network that has multiple functions. The tyrosine kinase EphA2, which belongs to the family of Eph receptors, is highly produced in tumor tissues, while found at relatively low levels in most normal adult tissues, indicating its potential application in cancer treatment. After 30 years of investigation, a large amount of data regarding EphA2 functions have been compiled. Meanwhile, several compounds targeting EphA2 have been evaluated and tested in clinical studies, albeit with limited clinical success. The present review briefly describes the contribution of EphA2-ephrin A1 signaling axis to carcinogenesis. In addition, the roles of EphA2 in resistance to molecular-targeted agents were examined. In particular, we focused on EphA2's potential as a target for cancer treatment to provide insights into the application of EphA2 targeting in anticancer strategies. Overall, EphA2 represents a potential target for treating malignant tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ta Xiao
- Institute of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210042, China
| | - Yuhang Xiao
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China
| | - Wenxiang Wang
- Thoracic Surgery Department 2, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China.,Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Yan Yan Tang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Zhiqiang Xiao
- Research Center of Carcinogenesis and Targeted Therapy, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
| | - Min Su
- Thoracic Surgery Department 2, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China. .,Hunan Key Laboratory of Translational Radiation Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital and The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Orahoske CM, Li Y, Petty A, Salem FM, Hanna J, Zhang W, Su B, Wang B. Dimeric small molecule agonists of EphA2 receptor inhibit glioblastoma cell growth. Bioorg Med Chem 2020; 28:115656. [PMID: 32828423 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
EphA2 receptor kinase could become a novel target for anti-glioblastoma treatment. Doxazosin previously identified acts like the endogenous ligand of EphA2 and induces cell apoptosis. Through lead structure modification a derivative of Doxazosin possessing unique dimeric structure showed an improvement in the activity. In the current study, we expanded the dimeric scaffold by lead optimization to explore the chemical space of the conjoining moieties and a slight variation to the core structure. 27 new derivatives were synthesized and examined with EphA2 overexpressed and wild type glioblastoma cell lines for cell proliferation and EphA2 activation. Three new compounds 3d, 3e, and 7bg showed potent and selective activities against the growth of EphA2 overexpressed glioblastoma cells. Dimer 3d modification replaces the long alkyl chain with a short polyethylene glycol chain. Dimer 7bg has a relatively longer polyethylene glycol chain in comparison to compound 3d and the length is more similar to the lead compound. Whereas dimer 3e has a rigid aromatic linker exploring the chemical space. The diversity of the linkers in the active suggest additional hydrogen binding sites has a positive correlation to the activity. All three dimers showed selective activity in EphA2 overexpressed cells, indicating the activity is correlated to the EphA2 targeting effect.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cody M Orahoske
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences & Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
| | - Yaxin Li
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences & Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
| | - Aaron Petty
- Rammelkamp Center for Research and Department of Medicine, MetroHealth Campus, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Fatma M Salem
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences & Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
| | - Jovana Hanna
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences & Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
| | - Wenjing Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences & Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115, USA
| | - Bin Su
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences & Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44115, USA.
| | - Bingcheng Wang
- Rammelkamp Center for Research and Department of Medicine, MetroHealth Campus, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Pyo A, You SH, Sik Kim H, Young Kim J, Min JJ, Kim DY, Hong Y. Production of 64Cu-labeled monobody for imaging of human EphA2-expressing tumors. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2020; 30:127262. [PMID: 32527560 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2020.127262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported on the monobody E1, which specifically targets the tumor marker hEphA2. In this study, we labeled NOTA-conjugated E1 with 64Cu (64Cu-NOTA-E1) and evaluated biologic characteristics. The uptake of 64Cu-NOTA-E1 in PC3 cells (a human prostate cancer cell line) with high expression of hEphA2 increased in a time-dependent manner. In PC3 xenograft mice, 64Cu-NOTA-E1 injected via the tail vein allowed visualization of tumors on positron emission tomography after 1 h and the highest uptake measured at 24 h post-injection. By contrast, the radioactivity of other tissues either did not increase or decreased over 24 h. This indicates that 64Cu-NOTA-E1 has high tumor uptake and retention, with rapid clearance, and low background values in other tissues. Therefore, 64Cu-NOTA-E1 should be suitable as a novel PET imaging agent for hEphA2-expressing tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ayoung Pyo
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hwan You
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeon Sik Kim
- Medical Photonics Research Center, Korea Photonics Technology Institute, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Young Kim
- Division of RI-Convergence Research, Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Joon Min
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Yeon Kim
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School and Hwasun Hospital, Hwasun, Republic of Korea.
| | - Yeongjin Hong
- Department of Microbiology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Baudet S, Bécret J, Nicol X. Approaches to Manipulate Ephrin-A:EphA Forward Signaling Pathway. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13070140. [PMID: 32629797 PMCID: PMC7407804 DOI: 10.3390/ph13070140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma A (EphA) receptors and their ephrin-A ligands are key players of developmental events shaping the mature organism. Their expression is mostly restricted to stem cell niches in adults but is reactivated in pathological conditions including lesions in the heart, lung, or nervous system. They are also often misregulated in tumors. A wide range of molecular tools enabling the manipulation of the ephrin-A:EphA system are available, ranging from small molecules to peptides and genetically-encoded strategies. Their mechanism is either direct, targeting EphA receptors, or indirect through the modification of intracellular downstream pathways. Approaches enabling manipulation of ephrin-A:EphA forward signaling for the dissection of its signaling cascade, the investigation of its physiological roles or the development of therapeutic strategies are summarized here.
Collapse
|
30
|
Bioinformatics Predictions, Expression, Purification and Structural Analysis of the PE38KDEL-scfv Immunotoxin Against EPHA2 Receptor. Int J Pept Res Ther 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-019-09901-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
|
31
|
Wang J, Zheng X, Peng Q, Zhang X, Qin Z. Eph receptors: the bridge linking host and virus. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:2355-2365. [PMID: 31893311 PMCID: PMC7275029 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03409-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Eph (erythropoietin-producing hepatoma) receptors and Ephrin ligands constitute the largest subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), which were first discovered in tumors. Heretofore, Eph protein has been shown to be involved in various tumor biological behaviors including proliferation and progression. The occurrence of specific types of tumor is closely related to the virus infection. Virus entry is a complex process characterized by a series of events. The entry into target cells is an essential step for virus to cause diseases, which requires the fusion of the viral envelope and host cellular membrane mediated by viral glycoproteins and cellular receptors. Integrin molecules are well known as entry receptors for most herpes viruses. However, in recent years, Eph receptors and their Ephrin ligands have been reported to be involved in virus infections. The main mechanism may be the interaction between Eph receptors and conserved viral surface glycoprotein, such as the gH/gL or gB protein of the herpesviridae. This review focuses on the relationship between Eph receptor family and virus infection that summarize the processes of viruses such as EBV, KSHV, HCV, RRV, etc., infecting target cells through Eph receptors and activating its downstream signaling pathways resulting in malignancies. Finally, we discussed the perspectives to block virus infection, prevention, and treatment of viral-related tumors via Eph receptor family.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- Department of Immunology, Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, 046000, Shanxi, China
| | - Xiang Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541001, Guangxi, China
| | - Qiu Peng
- School of Basic Medical Science, Cancer Research Institute, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, Hunan, China
| | - Xuemei Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Guilin Medical University, Guilin, 541001, Guangxi, China.
| | - Zailong Qin
- Laboratory of Genetics and Metabolism, Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Birth Defects Research And Prevention Institute, Nanning, 530003, Guangxi, China.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Buckens OJ, El Hassouni B, Giovannetti E, Peters GJ. The role of Eph receptors in cancer and how to target them: novel approaches in cancer treatment. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2020; 29:567-582. [PMID: 32348169 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2020.1762566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Erythropoietin-producing human hepatocellular (Eph) receptors are among the largest family of tyrosine kinases that are divided into two classes: EphA and EphB receptors. Over the past two decades, their role in cancer has become more evident. AREAS COVERED There is a need for new anticancer treatments and more insight in the emerging role of Eph receptors in cancer. Molecular mechanisms underlying the pro-tumorigenic effects of Eph receptors could be exploited for future therapeutic strategies. This review describes the variability in expression levels and different effects on oncogenic and tumor suppressive downstream signaling of Eph receptors in various cancer types, and the small molecules, antibodies and peptides that target these receptors. EXPERT OPINION The complexity of Eph signaling is a challenge for the definition of clear targets for cancer treatment. Nevertheless, numerous drugs that target EphA2 and EphB4 are currently in clinical trials. However, some Eph targeted drugs also inhibit other tyrosine kinases, so it is unclear to what extent the targeting of Eph receptors contributes to their efficacy. Future research is warranted for an improved understanding of the full network in which Eph receptors function. This will be critical for the improvement of the anticancer effects of drugs that target the Eph receptors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oscar J Buckens
- Amsterdam University College , Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Laboratory Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC Location VUMC, CCA , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Btissame El Hassouni
- Laboratory Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC Location VUMC, CCA , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elisa Giovannetti
- Laboratory Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC Location VUMC, CCA , Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Pharmacology Lab, AIRC Start up Unit, Fondazione Pisana per La Scienza , Pisa, Italy
| | - Godefridus J Peters
- Laboratory Medical Oncology, Amsterdam UMC Location VUMC, CCA , Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk , Gdansk, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Bennett G, Brown A, Mudd G, Huxley P, Van Rietschoten K, Pavan S, Chen L, Watcham S, Lahdenranta J, Keen N. MMAE Delivery Using the Bicycle Toxin Conjugate BT5528. Mol Cancer Ther 2020; 19:1385-1394. [PMID: 32398269 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-1092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The EphA2 receptor is found at high levels in tumors and low levels in normal tissue and high EphA2 expression in biopsies is a predictor of poor outcome in patients. Drug discovery groups have therefore sought to develop EphA2-based therapies using small molecule, peptide, and nanoparticle-based approaches (1-3). However, until now only EphA2-targeting antibody-drug conjugates (ADC) have entered clinical development. For example, MEDI-547 is an EphA2-targeting ADC that displayed encouraging antitumor activity in preclinical models and progressed to phase I clinical testing in man. Here we describe the development of BT5528, a bicyclic peptide ("Bicycle") conjugated to the auristatin derivative maleimidocaproyl-monomethyl auristatin E to generate the Bicycle toxin conjugate BT5528. The report compares and contrasts the Pharmacokinetics (PK) characteristics of antibody and Bicycle-based targeting systems and discusses how the PK and payload characteristics of different delivery systems impact the efficacy-toxicity trade off which is key to the development of successful cancer therapies. We show that BT5528 gives rise to rapid update into tumors and fast renal elimination followed by persistent toxin levels in tumors without prolonged exposure of parent drug in the vasculature. This fast in, fast out kinetics gave rise to more favorable toxicology findings in rats and monkeys than were observed with MEDI-547 in preclinical and clinical studies.Graphical Abstract: http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/molcanther/19/7/1385/F1.large.jpg.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy Brown
- Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Mudd
- Bicycle Therapeutics, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Silvia Pavan
- Fabbrica Italiana Sintetici S.p.A., Vicenza, Italy
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Janes PW, Vail ME, Gan HK, Scott AM. Antibody Targeting of Eph Receptors in Cancer. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13050088. [PMID: 32397088 PMCID: PMC7281212 DOI: 10.3390/ph13050088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Eph subfamily of receptor tyrosine kinases mediate cell-cell communication controlling cell and tissue patterning during development. While generally less active in adult tissues, they often re-emerge in cancers, particularly on undifferentiated or progenitor cells in tumors and the tumor microenvironment, associated with tumor initiation, angiogenesis and metastasis. Eph receptors are thus attractive therapeutic targets, and monoclonal antibodies have been commonly developed and tested for anti-cancer activity in preclinical models, and in some cases in the clinic. This review summarizes 20 years of research on various antibody-based approaches to target Eph receptors in tumors and the tumor microenvironment, including their mode of action, tumor specificity, and efficacy in pre-clinical and clinical testing.
Collapse
|
35
|
Mudd GE, Brown A, Chen L, van Rietschoten K, Watcham S, Teufel DP, Pavan S, Lani R, Huxley P, Bennett GS. Identification and Optimization of EphA2-Selective Bicycles for the Delivery of Cytotoxic Payloads. J Med Chem 2020; 63:4107-4116. [PMID: 32202781 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b02129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Bicycles are constrained bicyclic peptides that represent a promising binding modality for use in targeted drug conjugates. A phage display screen against EphA2, a receptor tyrosine kinase highly expressed in a number of solid tumors, identified a number of Bicycle families with low nanomolar affinity. A Bicycle toxin conjugate (BTC) was generated by derivatization of one of these Bicycles with the potent cytotoxin DM1 via a cleavable linker. This BTC demonstrated potent antitumor activity in vivo but was poorly tolerated, which was hypothesized to be the result of undesired liver uptake caused by poor physicochemical properties. Chemical optimization of a second Bicycle, guided by structural biology, provided a high affinity, metabolically stable Bicycle with improved physicochemical properties. A BTC incorporating this Bicycle also demonstrated potent antitumor activity and was very well tolerated when compared to the initial BTC. Phage display selection followed by chemical optimization of Bicycles can deliver potent drug conjugates with favorable pharmaceutical properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gemma E Mudd
- BicycleTx Limited, Building 900, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Amy Brown
- BicycleTx Limited, Building 900, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Liuhong Chen
- BicycleTx Limited, Building 900, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Sophie Watcham
- BicycleTx Limited, Building 900, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel P Teufel
- BicycleTx Limited, Building 900, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Silvia Pavan
- BicycleTx Limited, Building 900, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Rachid Lani
- BicycleTx Limited, Building 900, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Philip Huxley
- BicycleTx Limited, Building 900, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin S Bennett
- BicycleTx Limited, Building 900, Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge CB22 3AT, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Rezaie E, Amani J, Bidmeshki Pour A, Mahmoodzadeh Hosseini H. A new scfv-based recombinant immunotoxin against EPHA2-overexpressing breast cancer cells; High in vitro anti-cancer potency. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 870:172912. [PMID: 31926992 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.172912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Immunotoxin therapy is one of the immunotherapy strategies providing a new, effective and high potency treatment against various cancers. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in many countries. The EPH receptors are a large part of tyrosine kinase receptors family and play an effective role in tumor development and angiogenesis. Among EPH receptors, EPHA2 is more commonly well-known and widely expressed in many cancers like breast cancer. In this study, we evaluated the specification of a designed immunotoxin formed by EPHA2-specific scfv linked with PE38KDEL on EPHA2-overexpressing breast cancer cell line. This new scfv-based recombinant immunotoxin was studied in terms of features such as binding potency, cytotoxicity effects, apoptosis induction ability, and internalization. The flow cytometry results showed that the immunotoxin can significantly (approximately 99%) bind to EPHA2-overexpressing breast cancer cell line (MDA-MB-231) in a low concentration (2.5 ng/ul) while cannot significantly bind to the normal cell line (HEK-293) or even EPHA2-very low expressing cell line (MCF-7). Using the MTT assay and Annexin V/Propidium iodide (PI) double staining method by flow cytometry, we observed significant killing and apoptosis induction of the MDA-MB-231 cells at different concentrations. Immunotoxin tracking by confocal microscopy at 2 h and 6 h revealed a massive presence of immunotoxin in the cytoplasm. Finally, given the in vitro results, it seems that this immunotoxin is competent enough to serve as a good candidate for in vivo studies to further explore the possibility of breast cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ehsan Rezaie
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran; Molecular Biology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Jafar Amani
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ali Bidmeshki Pour
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
| | - Hamideh Mahmoodzadeh Hosseini
- Applied Microbiology Research Center, Systems Biology and Poisonings Institute, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Pötgens AJG, Conibear AC, Altdorf C, Hilzendeger C, Becker CFW. Tumor-Targeting Immune System Engagers (ISErs) Activate Human Neutrophils after Binding to Cancer Cells. Biochemistry 2019; 58:2642-2652. [PMID: 31117386 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.9b00169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Immune system engagers (ISErs) make up a new class of immunotherapeutics against cancer. They comprise two or more tumor-targeting peptides and an immune-stimulating effector peptide connected by inert polymer linkers. They are produced by solid phase peptide synthesis and share the specific targeting activities of antibodies (IgGs) but are much smaller in size and exploit a different immune-stimulating mechanism. Two ISErs (Y-9 and Y-59) that bind to the cancer cell markers integrin α3 and EphA2, respectively, are analyzed here with respect to their immune cell stimulation. We have previously shown that they activate formyl peptide receptors on myeloid immune cells and induce respiratory burst in neutrophils and myeloid chemotaxis in solution. It remained, however, unclear whether these molecules can stimulate immune cells while bound to tumor cells, an essential step in the hypothesized mode of action. Here, we demonstrate that ISEr Y-9 induced respiratory burst and caused a change in the shape of neutrophils when bound to the surface of protein A beads as a model of tumor cells. More importantly, tumor cell lines carrying receptor-bound Y-9 or Y-59 also activated neutrophils, evidenced by a significant change in shape. Interestingly, similar activation was induced by the supernatants of the cells incubated with ISEr, indicating that ISErs released from tumor cells, intact or degraded into fragments, significantly contributed to immune stimulation. These findings provide new evidence for the mode of action of ISErs, namely by targeting cancer cells and subsequently provoking an innate immune response against them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne C Conibear
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry , University of Vienna , 1090 Vienna , Austria
| | | | | | - Christian F W Becker
- Faculty of Chemistry, Institute of Biological Chemistry , University of Vienna , 1090 Vienna , Austria
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
St Amant AH, Huang F, Lin J, Rickert K, Oganesyan V, Lemen D, Mao S, Harper J, Marelli M, Wu H, Gao C, Read de Alaniz J, Christie RJ. A Diene-Containing Noncanonical Amino Acid Enables Dual Functionality in Proteins: Rapid Diels-Alder Reaction with Maleimide or Proximity-Based Dimerization. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019; 58:8489-8493. [PMID: 31018033 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201903494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Here, we describe a diene-containing noncanonical amino acid (ncAA) capable of undergoing fast and selective normal electron-demand Diels-Alder (DA) reactions following its incorporation into antibodies. A cyclopentadiene derivative of lysine (CpHK) served as the reactive handle for DA transformations and the substrate for genetic incorporation. CpHK incorporated into antibodies with high efficiency and was available for maleimide conjugation or self-reaction depending on position in the amino acid sequence. CpHK at position K274 reacted with the maleimide drug-linker AZ1508 at a rate of ≈79 m-1 s-1 to produce functional antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) in a one-step process. Incorporation of CpHK at position S239 resulted in dimerization, which covalently linked antibody heavy chains together. The diene ncAA described here is capable of producing therapeutic protein conjugates with clinically validated and widely available maleimide compounds, while also enabling proximity-based stapling through a DA dimerization reaction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andre H St Amant
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - Fengying Huang
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Jia Lin
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Keith Rickert
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Vaheh Oganesyan
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Daniel Lemen
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Shenlan Mao
- AstraZeneca Oncology R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Jay Harper
- AstraZeneca Oncology R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Marcello Marelli
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Herren Wu
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Changshou Gao
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Javier Read de Alaniz
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California - Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, 93106, USA
| | - R James Christie
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering Department, AstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D, One MedImmune Way, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
St. Amant AH, Huang F, Lin J, Rickert K, Oganesyan V, Lemen D, Mao S, Harper J, Marelli M, Wu H, Gao C, Read de Alaniz J, Christie RJ. A Diene‐Containing Noncanonical Amino Acid Enables Dual Functionality in Proteins: Rapid Diels–Alder Reaction with Maleimide or Proximity‐Based Dimerization. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201903494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andre H. St. Amant
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California – Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
| | - Fengying Huang
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering DepartmentAstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| | - Jia Lin
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering DepartmentAstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| | - Keith Rickert
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering DepartmentAstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| | - Vaheh Oganesyan
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering DepartmentAstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| | - Daniel Lemen
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering DepartmentAstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| | - Shenlan Mao
- AstraZeneca Oncology R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| | - Jay Harper
- AstraZeneca Oncology R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| | - Marcello Marelli
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering DepartmentAstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| | - Herren Wu
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering DepartmentAstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| | - Changshou Gao
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering DepartmentAstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| | - Javier Read de Alaniz
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of California – Santa Barbara Santa Barbara California 93106 USA
| | - R. James Christie
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering DepartmentAstraZeneca Biopharmaceuticals R&D One MedImmune Way Gaithersburg MD 20878 USA
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Antitumour activity and tolerability of an EphA2-targeted nanotherapeutic in multiple mouse models. Nat Biomed Eng 2019; 3:264-280. [DOI: 10.1038/s41551-019-0385-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
|
41
|
Chakrabarti L, Zhuang L, Roy G, Bowen MA, Dall’Acqua WF, Hawley‐Nelson P, Marelli M. Amber suppression coupled with inducible surface display identifies cells with high recombinant protein productivity. Biotechnol Bioeng 2019; 116:793-804. [PMID: 30536645 PMCID: PMC6590230 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Cell line development (CLD) for biotherapeutics is a time- and resource-intensive process requiring the isolation and screening of large numbers of clones to identify high producers. Novel methods aimed at enhancing cell line screening efficiency using markers predictive of productivity early in the CLD process are needed to reliably generate high-yielding cell lines. To enable efficient and selective isolation of antibody expressing Chinese hamster ovary cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, we developed a strategy for the expression of antibodies containing a switchable membrane-associated domain to anchor an antibody to the membrane of the expressing cell. The switchable nature of the membrane domain is governed by the function of an orthogonal aminoacyl transfer RNA synthetase/tRNApyl pair, which directs a nonnatural amino acid (nnAA) to an amber codon encoded between the antibody and the membrane anchor. The process is "switchable" in response to nnAA in the medium, enabling a rapid transition between the surface display and secretion. We demonstrate that the level of cell surface display correlates with productivity and provides a method for enriching phenotypically stable high-producer cells. The strategy provides a means for selecting high-producing cells with potential applications to multiple biotherapeutic protein formats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lina Chakrabarti
- Cell Culture and Fermentation Science, MedImmuneGaithersburgMaryland
| | - Li Zhuang
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmuneGaithersburgMaryland
| | - Gargi Roy
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmuneGaithersburgMaryland
| | - Michael A. Bowen
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmuneGaithersburgMaryland
| | | | - Pam Hawley‐Nelson
- Cell Culture and Fermentation Science, MedImmuneGaithersburgMaryland
| | - Marcello Marelli
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmuneGaithersburgMaryland
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Jiang W, Ji M. Receptor tyrosine kinases in PI3K signaling: The therapeutic targets in cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2019; 59:3-22. [PMID: 30943434 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2018] [Revised: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, one of the most commonly activated signaling pathways in human cancers, plays a crucial role in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival. This pathway is usually activated by receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), whose constitutive and aberrant activation is via gain-of-function mutations, chromosomal rearrangement, gene amplification and autocrine. Blockage of PI3K pathway by targeted therapy on RTKs with tyrosine kinases inhibitors (TKIs) and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has achieved great progress in past decades; however, there still remain big challenges during their clinical application. In this review, we provide an overview about the most frequently encountered alterations in RTKs and focus on current therapeutic agents developed to counteract their aberrant functions, accompanied with discussions of two major challenges to the RTKs-targeted therapy in cancer - resistance and toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Jiang
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China
| | - Meiju Ji
- Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China; Center for Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, PR China.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Britton ZT, London TB, Carrell J, Dosanjh B, Wilkinson T, Bowen MA, Wu H, Dall’Acqua WF, Marelli M, Mazor Y. Tag-on-Demand: exploiting amber codon suppression technology for the enrichment of high-expressing membrane protein cell lines. Protein Eng Des Sel 2019; 31:389-398. [DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzy032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Zachary T Britton
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Timothy B London
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Cambridge, UK
- Current affiliation: TC BioPharm Limited, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jeffrey Carrell
- Respiratory, Inflammation and Autoimmune, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Bhupinder Dosanjh
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Cambridge, UK
| | - Trevor Wilkinson
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael A Bowen
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Herren Wu
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | | | - Marcello Marelli
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| | - Yariv Mazor
- Antibody Discovery and Protein Engineering, MedImmune, Gaithersburg, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Zhong B, Li Y, Idippily N, Petty A, Su B, Wang B. A quantitative LC-MS/MS method for determination of a small molecule agonist of EphA2 in mouse plasma and brain tissue. Biomed Chromatogr 2019; 33:e4461. [PMID: 30548501 DOI: 10.1002/bmc.4461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Compound 27 {1, 12-bis[4-(4-amino-6,7-dimethoxyquinazolin-2-yl)piperazin-1-yl]dodecane-1,12-dione} is a novel small molecule agonist of EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase. It showed much improved activity for the activation of EphA2 receptor compared with the parental compound doxazosin. To support further pharmacological and toxicological studies of the compound, a method using liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been developed for the quantification of this compound. Liquid-liquid extraction was used to extract the compound from mouse plasma and brain tissue homogenate. Reverse-phase chromatography with gradient elution was performed to separate compound 27 from the endogenous molecules in the matrix, followed by MS detection using positive ion multiple reaction monitoring mode. Multiple reaction monitoring transitions m/z 387.3 → 290.1 and m/z 384.1 → 247.1 were selected for monitoring compound 27 and internal standard prazosin, respectively. The linear calibration range was 2-200 ng/mL with the intra- and inter-day precision and accuracy within the acceptable range. This method was successfully applied to the quantitative analysis of compound 27 in mouse plasma and brain tissue with different drug administration routes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zhong
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences and Health Professions, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Yaxin Li
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences and Health Professions, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Nethrie Idippily
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences and Health Professions, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Aaron Petty
- Rammelkamp Center for Research and Department of Medicine, MetroHealth System, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Bin Su
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences and Health Professions, Cleveland State University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Bingcheng Wang
- Rammelkamp Center for Research and Department of Medicine, MetroHealth System, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Möser C, Lorenz JS, Sajfutdinow M, Smith DM. Pinpointed Stimulation of EphA2 Receptors via DNA-Templated Oligovalence. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19113482. [PMID: 30404153 PMCID: PMC6274923 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19113482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA nanostructures enable the attachment of functional molecules to nearly any unique location on their underlying structure. Due to their single-base-pair structural resolution, several ligands can be spatially arranged and closely controlled according to the geometry of their desired target, resulting in optimized binding and/or signaling interactions. Here, the efficacy of SWL, an ephrin-mimicking peptide that binds specifically to EphrinA2 (EphA2) receptors, increased by presenting up to three of these peptides on small DNA nanostructures in an oligovalent manner. Ephrin signaling pathways play crucial roles in tumor development and progression. Moreover, Eph receptors are potential targets in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Here, the quantitative impact of SWL valency on binding, phosphorylation (key player for activation) and phenotype regulation in EphA2-expressing prostate cancer cells was demonstrated. EphA2 phosphorylation was significantly increased by DNA trimers carrying three SWL peptides compared to monovalent SWL. In comparison to one of EphA2’s natural ligands ephrin-A1, which is known to bind promiscuously to multiple receptors, pinpointed targeting of EphA2 by oligovalent DNA-SWL constructs showed enhanced cell retraction. Overall, we show that DNA scaffolds can increase the potency of weak signaling peptides through oligovalent presentation and serve as potential tools for examination of complex signaling pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christin Möser
- DNA Nanodevices Unit, Department Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Jessica S Lorenz
- DNA Nanodevices Unit, Department Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
- Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Martin Sajfutdinow
- DNA Nanodevices Unit, Department Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
- Fraunhofer Project Center "Microelectronic and Optical Systems for Biomedicine" (MEOS), 99099 Erfurt, Germany.
| | - David M Smith
- DNA Nanodevices Unit, Department Diagnostics, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
- Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Kinneer K, Meekin J, Tiberghien AC, Tai YT, Phipps S, Kiefer CM, Rebelatto MC, Dimasi N, Moriarty A, Papadopoulos KP, Sridhar S, Gregson SJ, Wick MJ, Masterson L, Anderson KC, Herbst R, Howard PW, Tice DA. SLC46A3 as a Potential Predictive Biomarker for Antibody–Drug Conjugates Bearing Noncleavable Linked Maytansinoid and Pyrrolobenzodiazepine Warheads. Clin Cancer Res 2018; 24:6570-6582. [DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-18-1300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
47
|
Nagano K, Higashisaka K, Tsunoda SI, Tsutsumi Y. [Development of a Fundamental Technology to Seek Drug Targets, and Its Application to Cancer Targeting Therapy]. YAKUGAKU ZASSHI 2018; 138:903-909. [PMID: 29962467 DOI: 10.1248/yakushi.17-00220-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2)-targeting antibodies and anti-hormone therapy are effective for most breast cancer patients. However, such approaches are not viable with resistant cases or in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, given the lack of Her2 and estrogen and progesterone receptors in these patients. Thus, new drug targets are urgently required. From this perspective, we searched for novel drug targets using proteomic analysis, and identified Eph receptor A10 (EphA10), which is elevated in breast cancer cells as compared to normal breast tissue. Here, we evaluated the potential of EphA10 as a drug target by analyzing its protein expression profile/function in cancer cells, and then by using an anti-EphA10 antibody to treat EphA10-expressing tumor-bearing mice. Protein expression profile analysis showed that EphA10 was expressed in various breast cancer subtypes, including TNBCs, with no expression observed in normal tissues, apart from the testes. Moreover, functional analysis of the cancer cells revealed that ligand-dependent proliferation was observed in EphA10-expressed cancer cells. Thus, we developed our novel anti-EphA10 antibody, which binds to EphA10 with high specificity and affinity at the nanomolar level. Finally, therapeutic analysis indicated that tumor growth was significantly suppressed in the mAb-treated mice in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the EphA10-targeting therapy may be a novel therapeutic option for the management of breast cancer, including in TNBCs which aren't currently treated with molecular-targeted agents. Consequently, we hope that these findings will contribute to the development of a new targeting therapy for refractory breast cancer patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Nagano
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University
| | | | - Shin-Ichi Tsunoda
- National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition.,Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kobe Gakuin University
| | - Yasuo Tsutsumi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University.,Global Center for Medical Engineering and Informatics, Osaka University
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Salem AF, Wang S, Billet S, Chen JF, Udompholkul P, Gambini L, Baggio C, Tseng HR, Posadas EM, Bhowmick NA, Pellecchia M. Reduction of Circulating Cancer Cells and Metastases in Breast-Cancer Models by a Potent EphA2-Agonistic Peptide-Drug Conjugate. J Med Chem 2018; 61:2052-2061. [PMID: 29470068 PMCID: PMC5907794 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
![]()
EphA2
overexpression has been associated with metastasis in multiple
cancer types, including melanomas and ovarian, prostate, lung, and
breast cancers. We have recently proposed the development of peptide–drug
conjugates (PDCs) using agonistic EphA2-targeting agents, such as
the YSA peptide or its optimized version, 123B9. Although our studies
indicated that YSA– and 123B9–drug conjugates can selectively
deliver cytotoxic drugs to cancer cells in vivo, the relatively low
cellular agonistic activities (i.e., the high micromolar concentrations
required) of the agents toward the EphA2 receptor remained a limiting
factor to the further development of these PDCs in the clinic. Here,
we report that a dimeric version of 123B9 can induce receptor activation
at nanomolar concentrations. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the
conjugation of dimeric 123B9 with paclitaxel is very effective at
targeting circulating tumor cells and inhibiting lung metastasis in
breast-cancer models. These studies represent an important step toward
the development of effective EphA2-targeting PDCs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed F Salem
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine , University of California, Riverside , 900 University Avenue , Riverside , California 92521 , United States
| | - Si Wang
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute , 10901 North Torrey Pines Road , La Jolla , California 92037 , United States
| | - Sandrine Billet
- Department of Medicine , Cedars-Sinai Medical Center , 8700 Beverly Boulevard , Los Angeles , California 90048 , United States
| | - Jie-Fu Chen
- Department of Medicine , Cedars-Sinai Medical Center , 8700 Beverly Boulevard , Los Angeles , California 90048 , United States
| | - Parima Udompholkul
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine , University of California, Riverside , 900 University Avenue , Riverside , California 92521 , United States
| | - Luca Gambini
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine , University of California, Riverside , 900 University Avenue , Riverside , California 92521 , United States
| | - Carlo Baggio
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine , University of California, Riverside , 900 University Avenue , Riverside , California 92521 , United States
| | - Hsian-Rong Tseng
- Department of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology , University of California, Los Angeles , 570 Westwood Plaza , Los Angeles , California 90095 , United States
| | - Edwin M Posadas
- Department of Medicine , Cedars-Sinai Medical Center , 8700 Beverly Boulevard , Los Angeles , California 90048 , United States
| | - Neil A Bhowmick
- Department of Medicine , Cedars-Sinai Medical Center , 8700 Beverly Boulevard , Los Angeles , California 90048 , United States.,Department of Research , Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration , Los Angeles , California 90073 , United States
| | - Maurizio Pellecchia
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine , University of California, Riverside , 900 University Avenue , Riverside , California 92521 , United States
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Petty A, Idippily N, Bobba V, Geldenhuys WJ, Zhong B, Su B, Wang B. Design and synthesis of small molecule agonists of EphA2 receptor. Eur J Med Chem 2017; 143:1261-1276. [PMID: 29128116 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2017.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ligand-independent activation of EphA2 receptor kinase promotes cancer metastasis and invasion. Activating EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase with small molecule agonist is a novel strategy to treat EphA2 overexpressing cancer. In this study, we performed a lead optimization of a small molecule Doxazosin that was identified as an EphA2 receptor agonist. 33 new analogs were developed and evaluated; a structure-activity relationship was summarized based on the EphA2 activation of these derivatives. Two new derivative compounds 24 and 27 showed much improved activity compared to Doxazosin. Compound 24 possesses a bulky amide moiety, and compound 27 has a dimeric structure that is very different to the parental compound. Compound 27 with a twelve-carbon linker of the dimer activated the kinase and induced receptor internalization and cell death with the best potency. Another dimer with a six-carbon linker has significantly reduced potency compared to the dimer with a longer linker, suggesting that the length of the linker is critical for the activity of the dimeric agonist. To explore the receptor binding characteristics of the new molecules, we applied a docking study to examine how the small molecule binds to the EphA2 receptor. The results reveal that compounds 24 and 27 form more hydrogen bonds to EphA2 than Doxazosin, suggesting that they may have higher binding affinity to the receptor.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Petty
- Rammelkamp Center for Research and Department of Medicine, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Nethrie Idippily
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences & Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA
| | - Viharika Bobba
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences & Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA
| | - Werner J Geldenhuys
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, West Virginia University, USA
| | - Bo Zhong
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences & Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA
| | - Bin Su
- Department of Chemistry, Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease, College of Sciences & Health Professions, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA.
| | - Bingcheng Wang
- Rammelkamp Center for Research and Department of Medicine, MetroHealth Campus, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Chen L, Qiu Y, Hao Z, Cai J, Zhang S, Liu Y, Zheng D. A novel humanized anti-tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-R2 monoclonal antibody induces apoptotic and autophagic cell death. IUBMB Life 2017; 69:735-744. [PMID: 28748573 DOI: 10.1002/iub.1659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/TNFSF10) is specifically expressed in various tumor cells, but less or no expression in most normal tissues and cells. While TRAIL engages with its native death receptors, TRAIL receptor 1 (TRAIL-R1) or 2 (TRAIL-R2), usually elicits the tumor cell death by apoptosis. In this study, we report that a novel humanized monoclonal antibody against TRAIL-R2 (named as zaptuzumab) well remain the biological activity of the parental mouse antibody AD5-10 inducing cell death in various cancer cells, but little effect on normal cells. Zaptuzumab also markedly inhibited the tumor growth in the mouse xenograft of NCI-H460 without toxicity to the liver and kidney, and the efficacy of tumor suppression was increased significantly while it combined with cis-dichlorodiamineplatinum. Especially, 131 I-labeled zaptuzumab injected into mouse tail vein specifically targeted to the xenograft of the lung cancer cells. Confocal analysis showed that zaptuzumab bound with TRAIL-R2 on cell surface could be quickly internalized and transferred into the lysosome. Furthermore, zaptuzumab possessed a high level of antibody-dependent cytotoxicity as well as complement-dependent cytotoxicity. Study on the mechanisms of cell death induced by zaptuzumab showed that it efficiently induced both caspase-dependent apoptosis and autophagic cell death. These data suggest that the humanized anti-TRAIL-R2 monoclonal antibody or the second generation of the antibody may have an important clinical usage for cancer immunotherapy. © 2017 IUBMB Life, 69(9):735-744, 2017.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Longfei Chen
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhe Qiu
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhenliang Hao
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiong Cai
- Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shuyong Zhang
- Obio Technology (Shanghai) Corp. Ltd, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanxin Liu
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Dexian Zheng
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|