1
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Chary PS, Shaikh S, Rajana N, Bhavana V, Mehra NK. Unlocking nature's arsenal: Nanotechnology for targeted delivery of venom toxins in cancer therapy. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2024; 162:213903. [PMID: 38824828 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.213903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
AIM The aim of the present review is to shed light on the nanotechnological approaches adopted to overcome the shortcomings associated with the delivery of venom peptides which possess inherent anti-cancer properties. BACKGROUND Venom peptides although have been reported to demonstrate anti-cancer effects, they suffer from several disadvantages such as in vivo instability, off-target adverse effects, limited drug loading and low bioavailability. This review presents a comprehensive compilation of different classes of nanocarriers while underscoring their advantages, disadvantages and potential to carry such peptide molecules for in vivo delivery. It also discusses various nanotechnological aspects such as methods of fabrication, analytical tools to assess these nanoparticulate formulations, modulation of nanocarrier polymer properties to enhance loading capacity, stability and improve their suitability to carry toxic peptide drugs. CONCLUSION Nanotechnological approaches bear great potential in delivering venom peptide-based molecules as anticancer agents by enhancing their bioavailability, stability, efficacy as well as offering a spatiotemporal delivery approach. However, the challenges associated with toxicity and biocompatibility of nanocarriers must be duly addressed. PERSPECTIVES The everlasting quest for new breakthroughs for safer delivery of venom peptides in human subjects is fuelled by unmet clinical needs in the current landscape of chemotherapy. In addition, exhaustive efforts are required in obtaining and purifying the venom peptides followed by designing and optimizing scale up technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Padakanti Sandeep Chary
- Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Samia Shaikh
- Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Naveen Rajana
- Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Valamla Bhavana
- Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Neelesh Kumar Mehra
- Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
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Rommelaere S, Carboni A, Bada Juarez JF, Boquete JP, Abriata LA, Teixeira Pinto Meireles F, Rukes V, Vincent C, Kondo S, Dionne MS, Dal Peraro M, Cao C, Lemaitre B. A humoral stress response protects Drosophila tissues from antimicrobial peptides. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1426-1437.e6. [PMID: 38484734 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.02.049] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
7An efficient immune system must provide protection against a broad range of pathogens without causing excessive collateral tissue damage. While immune effectors have been well characterized, we know less about the resilience mechanisms protecting the host from its own immune response. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small, cationic peptides that contribute to innate defenses by targeting negatively charged membranes of microbes. While protective against pathogens, AMPs can be cytotoxic to host cells. Here, we reveal that a family of stress-induced proteins, the Turandots, protect the Drosophila respiratory system from AMPs, increasing resilience to stress. Flies lacking Turandot genes are susceptible to environmental stresses due to AMP-induced tracheal apoptosis. Turandot proteins bind to host cell membranes and mask negatively charged phospholipids, protecting them from cationic pore-forming AMPs. Collectively, these data demonstrate that Turandot stress proteins mitigate AMP cytotoxicity to host tissues and therefore improve their efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Rommelaere
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Alexia Carboni
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Juan F Bada Juarez
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Philippe Boquete
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Luciano A Abriata
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fernando Teixeira Pinto Meireles
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Verena Rukes
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Crystal Vincent
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, E1 4NS London, UK
| | - Shu Kondo
- Department of Biological Science and Technology, Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, 162-8601 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Marc S Dionne
- Centre for Bacterial Resistance Biology and Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Matteo Dal Peraro
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Chan Cao
- Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Bruno Lemaitre
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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3
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Sinha B, Choudhury Y. Revisiting edible insects as sources of therapeutics and drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1345281. [PMID: 38370484 PMCID: PMC10869617 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1345281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer has been medicine's most formidable foe for long, and the rising incidence of the disease globally has made effective cancer therapy a significant challenge. Drug discovery is targeted at identifying efficacious compounds with minimal side effects and developments in nanotechnology and immunotherapy have shown promise in the fight against this complicated illness. Since ancient times, insects and insect-derived products have played a significant role in traditional medicine across several communities worldwide. The aim of this study was to inspect the traditional use of edible insects in various cultures and to explore their modern use in cancer therapy. Edible insects are sources of nutrients and a variety of beneficial substances with anticancer and immunomodulatory potential. Recently, insect derived bioactive-components have also been used as nanoparticles either in combination with chemotherapeutics or as a nano-cargo for the enhanced delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs due to their high biocompatibility, low bio-toxicity, and their antioxidant and anticancer effects. The crude extracts of different edible insects and their active components such as sericin, cecropin, solenopsin, melittin, antimicrobial peptides and fibroin produce anti-cancer and immunomodulatory effects by various mechanisms which have been discussed in this review.
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4
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Dong Z, Zhang X, Zhang Q, Tangthianchaichana J, Guo M, Du S, Lu Y. Anticancer Mechanisms and Potential Anticancer Applications of Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Nano Agents. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:1017-1039. [PMID: 38317847 PMCID: PMC10840538 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s445333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Traditional chemotherapy is one of the main methods of cancer treatment, which is largely limited by severe side effects and frequent development of multi-drug resistance by cancer cells. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with high efficiency and low toxicity, as one of the most promising new drugs to replace chemoradiotherapy, have become a current research hotspot, attracting the attention of worldwide researchers. AMPs are natural-source small peptides from the innate immune system, and certain AMPs can selectively kill a broad spectrum of cancer cells while exhibiting less damage to normal cells. Although it involves intracellular mechanisms, AMPs exert their anti-cancer effects mainly through membrane destruction effect; thus, AMPs also hold unique advantages in fighting drug-resistant cancer cells. However, the poor stability and hemolytic toxicity of peptides limit their clinical application. Fortunately, functionalized nanoparticles have many possibilities in overcoming the shortcomings of AMPs, which provides a huge prospect for better application of AMPs. In this paper, we briefly introduce the characteristics and different sources of AMPs, review and summarize the mechanisms of action and the research status of AMPs used as an anticancer therapy, and finally focus on the further use of AMPs nano agents in the anti-cancer direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Dong
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Research and Development Centre in Beijing, CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xinyu Zhang
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jakkree Tangthianchaichana
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
- Chulabhorn International College of Medicine, Thammasat University, Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Mingxue Guo
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shouying Du
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yang Lu
- Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
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5
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Gerstmans H, Duyvejonck L, Vázquez R, Staes I, Borloo J, Abdelkader K, Leroy J, Cremelie E, Gutiérrez D, Tamés-Caunedo H, Ruas-Madiedo P, Rodríguez A, Aertsen A, Lammertyn J, Lavigne R, Briers Y. Distinct mode of action of a highly stable, engineered phage lysin killing Gram-negative bacteria. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0181323. [PMID: 37971248 PMCID: PMC10714810 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01813-23] [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: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Engineered lysins are considered as highly promising alternatives for antibiotics. Our previous screening study using VersaTile technology identified 1D10 as a possible lead compound with activity against Acinetobacter baumannii strains under elevated human serum concentrations. In this manuscript, we reveal an unexpected mode of action and exceptional thermoresistance for lysin 1D10. Our findings shed new light on the development of engineered lysins, providing valuable insights for future research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Gerstmans
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Lisa Duyvejonck
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Roberto Vázquez
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ines Staes
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Karim Abdelkader
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef, Egypt
| | - Jeroen Leroy
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emma Cremelie
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Diana Gutiérrez
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Héctor Tamés-Caunedo
- Dairy Research Institute of Asturias, Spanish National Research Council (IPLA-CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Patricia Ruas-Madiedo
- Dairy Research Institute of Asturias, Spanish National Research Council (IPLA-CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Ana Rodríguez
- Dairy Research Institute of Asturias, Spanish National Research Council (IPLA-CSIC), Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
| | - Abram Aertsen
- Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Rob Lavigne
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yves Briers
- Department of Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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6
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Liu Q, Wang L, He D, Wu Y, Liu X, Yang Y, Chen Z, Dong Z, Luo Y, Song Y. Application Value of Antimicrobial Peptides in Gastrointestinal Tumors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16718. [PMID: 38069041 PMCID: PMC10706433 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal cancer is a common clinical malignant tumor disease that seriously endangers human health and lacks effective treatment methods. As part of the innate immune defense of many organisms, antimicrobial peptides not only have broad-spectrum antibacterial activity but also can specifically kill tumor cells. The positive charge of antimicrobial peptides under neutral conditions determines their high selectivity to tumor cells. In addition, antimicrobial peptides also have unique anticancer mechanisms, such as inducing apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle arrest, membrane destruction, and inhibition of metastasis, which highlights the low drug resistance and high specificity of antimicrobial peptides. In this review, we summarize the related studies on antimicrobial peptides in the treatment of digestive tract tumors, mainly oral cancer, esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. This paper describes the therapeutic advantages of antimicrobial peptides due to their unique anticancer mechanisms. The length, net charge, and secondary structure of antimicrobial peptides can be modified by design or modification to further enhance their anticancer effects. In summary, as an emerging cancer treatment drug, antimicrobial peptides need to be further studied to realize their application in gastrointestinal cancer diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Lei Wang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Dongxia He
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yuewei Wu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Xian Liu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yahan Yang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhizhi Chen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Zhan Dong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Ying Luo
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yuzhu Song
- College of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Medical College, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
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7
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Antropenko A, Caruso F, Fernandez-Trillo P. Stimuli-Responsive Delivery of Antimicrobial Peptides Using Polyelectrolyte Complexes. Macromol Biosci 2023; 23:e2300123. [PMID: 37449448 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.202300123] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are antibiotics with the potential to address antimicrobial resistance. However, their translation to the clinic is hampered by issues such as off-target toxicity and low stability in biological media. Stimuli-responsive delivery from polyelectrolyte complexes offers a simple avenue to address these limitations, wherein delivery is triggered by changes occurring during microbial infection. The review first provides an overview of pH-responsive delivery, which exploits the intrinsic pH-responsive nature of polyelectrolytes as a mechanism to deliver these antimicrobials. The examples included illustrate the challenges faced when developing these systems, in particular balancing antimicrobial efficacy and stability, and the potential of this approach to prepare switchable surfaces or nanoparticles for intracellular delivery. The review subsequently highlights the use of other stimuli associated with microbial infection, such as the expression of degrading enzymes or changes in temperature. Polyelectrolyte complexes with dual stimuli-response based on pH and temperature are also discussed. Finally, the review presents a summary and an outlook of the challenges and opportunities faced by this field. This review is expected to encourage researchers to develop stimuli-responsive polyelectrolyte complexes that increase the stability of AMPs while providing targeted delivery, and thereby facilitate the translation of these antimicrobials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Antropenko
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Frank Caruso
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Paco Fernandez-Trillo
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Institute of Microbiology and Infection, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Departamento de Química, Facultade de Ciencias and Centro de Investigacións Cientı́ficas Avanzadas (CICA), Universidade da Coruña, A Coruña, 15071, Spain
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8
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Polinário G, Primo LMDG, Rosa MABC, Dett FHM, Barbugli PA, Roque-Borda CA, Pavan FR. Antimicrobial peptides as drugs with double response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis coinfections in lung cancer. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1183247. [PMID: 37342560 PMCID: PMC10277934 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1183247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis and lung cancer are, in many cases, correlated diseases that can be confused because they have similar symptoms. Many meta-analyses have proven that there is a greater chance of developing lung cancer in patients who have active pulmonary tuberculosis. It is, therefore, important to monitor the patient for a long time after recovery and search for combined therapies that can treat both diseases, as well as face the great problem of drug resistance. Peptides are molecules derived from the breakdown of proteins, and the membranolytic class is already being studied. It has been proposed that these molecules destabilize cellular homeostasis, performing a dual antimicrobial and anticancer function and offering several possibilities of adaptation for adequate delivery and action. In this review, we focus on two important reason for the use of multifunctional peptides or peptides, namely the double activity and no harmful effects on humans. We review some of the main antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory bioactive peptides and highlight four that have anti-tuberculosis and anti-cancer activity, which may contribute to obtaining drugs with this dual functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Polinário
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Paula Aboud Barbugli
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Fernando Rogério Pavan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araraquara, São Paulo, Brazil
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9
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Dho M, Candian V, Tedeschi R. Insect Antimicrobial Peptides: Advancements, Enhancements and New Challenges. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:952. [PMID: 37370271 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12060952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Several insects are known as vectors of a wide range of animal and human pathogens causing various diseases. However, they are also a source of different substances, such as the Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs), which can be employed in the development of natural bioactive compounds for medical, veterinary and agricultural applications. It is well known that AMP activity, in contrast to most classical antibiotics, does not lead to the development of natural bacterial resistance, or at least the frequency of resistance is considered to be low. Therefore, there is a strong interest in assessing the efficacy of the various peptides known to date, identifying new compounds and evaluating possible solutions in order to increase their production. Moreover, implementing AMP modulation in insect rearing could preserve insect health in large-scale production. This review describes the current knowledge on insect AMPs, presenting the validated ones for the different insect orders. A brief description of their mechanism of action is reported with focus on proposed applications. The possible effects of insect diet on AMP translation and synthesis have been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Dho
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari (DISAFA), University of Torino, Largo P. Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Valentina Candian
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari (DISAFA), University of Torino, Largo P. Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
| | - Rosemarie Tedeschi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie, Forestali e Alimentari (DISAFA), University of Torino, Largo P. Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy
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10
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Zheng X, Hou Z, Qian Y, Zhang Y, Cui Q, Wang X, Shen Y, Liu Z, Zhou Y, Fu B, Sun R, Tian Z, Huang G, Wei H. Tumors evade immune cytotoxicity by altering the surface topology of NK cells. Nat Immunol 2023; 24:802-813. [PMID: 36959292 DOI: 10.1038/s41590-023-01462-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
The highly variable response rates to immunotherapies underscore our limited knowledge about how tumors can manipulate immune cells. Here the membrane topology of natural killer (NK) cells from patients with liver cancer showed that intratumoral NK cells have fewer membrane protrusions compared with liver NK cells outside tumors and with peripheral NK cells. Dysregulation of these protrusions prevented intratumoral NK cells from recognizing tumor cells, from forming lytic immunological synapses and from killing tumor cells. The membranes of intratumoral NK cells have altered sphingomyelin (SM) content and dysregulated serine metabolism in tumors contributed to the decrease in SM levels of intratumoral NK cells. Inhibition of SM biosynthesis in peripheral NK cells phenocopied the disrupted membrane topology and cytotoxicity of the intratumoral NK cells. Targeting sphingomyelinase confers powerful antitumor efficacy, both as a monotherapy and as a combination therapy with checkpoint blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohu Zheng
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Zhuanghao Hou
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science and National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yeben Qian
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yongwei Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Quanwei Cui
- Department of General Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xuben Wang
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yiqing Shen
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zhenbang Liu
- Core Facility Center for Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Yonggang Zhou
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Binqing Fu
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Rui Sun
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zhigang Tian
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- Research Unit Of NK Cells, Chinese Academy Of Medical Sciences, Hefei, China.
| | - Guangming Huang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- School of Chemistry and Materials Science and National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
| | - Haiming Wei
- Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- Institute of Immunology, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
- Research Unit Of NK Cells, Chinese Academy Of Medical Sciences, Hefei, China.
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11
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Unraveling the Role of Antimicrobial Peptides in Insects. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065753. [PMID: 36982826 PMCID: PMC10059942 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short, mainly positively charged, amphipathic molecules. AMPs are important effectors of the immune response in insects with a broad spectrum of antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic activity. In addition to these well-known roles, AMPs exhibit many other, often unobvious, functions in the host. They support insects in the elimination of viral infections. AMPs participate in the regulation of brain-controlled processes, e.g., sleep and non-associative learning. By influencing neuronal health, communication, and activity, they can affect the functioning of the insect nervous system. Expansion of the AMP repertoire and loss of their specificity is connected with the aging process and lifespan of insects. Moreover, AMPs take part in maintaining gut homeostasis, regulating the number of endosymbionts as well as reducing the number of foreign microbiota. In turn, the presence of AMPs in insect venom prevents the spread of infection in social insects, where the prey may be a source of pathogens.
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12
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Liu Z, Zhang C, Cui B, Wang Y, Lim K, Li K, Thiery JP, Chen J, Ho CL. Targeted EpCAM-binding for the development of potent and effective anticancer proteins. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 161:114443. [PMID: 36863098 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.114443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein-based cancer therapies are considered an alternative to conventional anticancer regimens, providing multifunctional properties while showing low toxicity. However, its widespread use is limited by absorption and instability issues, resulting in higher dosage requirements and a prolonged onset of bioactivity to elicit the desired response. Here, we developed a non-invasive antitumor treatment using designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin)-anticancer protein-conjugate that specifically targets the cancer biomarker, epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM). The DARPin-anticancer proteins bind to EpCAM-positive cancer cells and improve the in vitro anticancer efficacy by over 100-folds within 24 h, where the DARPin-tagged human lactoferrin fragment (drtHLF4) IC50 value is within the nanomolar range. Orally administered drtHLF4 was readily absorbed into the systemic flow of the HT-29 cancer murine model, exerting its anticancer effect on other tumors in the host body. Orally administered drtHFL4 cleared HT29-colorectal tumors using a single dose, whereas intratumoral injection cleared HT29-subcutaneous tumors within three doses. This approach addresses the limitations of other protein-based anticancer treatments by providing a non-invasive anticancer therapy with improved potency and tumor-specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China.
| | - Chen Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China.
| | - Beiming Cui
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Yijie Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China.
| | - Kaisheng Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Kai Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China.
| | - Jean Paul Thiery
- Guangzhou Laboratory, No. 9 XingDaoHuanBei Road, Guangzhou International Bio Island, Guangzhou 510005, Guangdong Province, China.
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
| | - Chun Loong Ho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China.
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13
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Vakili B, Jahanian-Najafabadi A. Application of Antimicrobial Peptides in the Design and Production of Anticancer Agents. Int J Pept Res Ther 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-023-10501-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
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14
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Hyaluronan-cecropin B interactions studied by ultrasound velocimetry and isothermal titration calorimetry. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 227:786-794. [PMID: 36549616 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.12.144] [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: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between hyaluronan and the antimicrobial peptide cecropin B were studied in water and PBS using high-resolution ultrasonic spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetry. Although each technique is fundamentally different, they both gave identical results. It was found that the molecular weight of hyaluronan plays an important role in the interactions - in particular, the transition between the rod conformation and the random coil conformation. In water, interactions were saturated in a molar charge ratio of 1.5 and not 1.0 as expected. The later saturation of the interaction probably occurred either for steric reasons or due to the interaction between functional groups in the cecropin structure, which allowed complete dissociation of the antimicrobial peptide. In PBS, in contrast to water, no interactions were observed, irrespective of the molecular weight of hyaluronan. Thus, at a sufficiently high ionic strength, the interactions were suppressed.
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15
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Cecropin a Improves the Antibacterial Activity of Hen Egg White Lysozyme against Challenging Salmonella enterica Serovars. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14102201. [PMID: 36297635 PMCID: PMC9610619 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14102201] [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: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica among animal- and plant-derived food products threatens global healthcare and economic sectors. Hen egg white lysozyme is widely exploited as a food preservative against Gram-positive pathogens. Nevertheless, its limited penetration of the outer membrane renders it ineffective against Gram-negative bacteria. Herein, we present a safe and effective approach to facilitate HEWL access to peptidoglycan layers using cecropin A. In silico analysis of cecropin A peptide revealed an amphipathic α-helical peptide with potential outer membrane permeabilizing activity through its interaction with both hydrophobic and ionic stabilizing forces. Evaluation of HEWL/cecropin A combination showed a cecropin A dose-dependent bacterial count reduction up to 4.16 and 3.18 ± 0.26 log units against Salmonella enterica ATCC 35664 at the logarithmic and stationary growth phases, respectively. Moreover, the combination displayed antibacterial activity of 2.1 ± 0.31 and ~1 log-unit reductions against Salmonella enterica serovars Kentucky, Typhimurium, and Enteritidis, respectively, whereas Hato and Shangani were found irresponsive. The cytotoxicity assay revealed compatibility of cecropin A with oral epithelial cells. These observations suggest HEWL/cecropin A combination as an effective and safe alternative to lysozyme against Salmonella enterica.
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16
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Latsko KN, Jacob AT, Junod NA, Haas CE, Castiglia KR, Kastelitz SR, Huffman ER, Trombley MP, Stobart CC. Role of Differences in Respiratory Syncytial Virus F and G Glycoproteins on Susceptibility to Inactivation by Antimicrobial Peptides LL-37 and Human Beta-Defensins. Viral Immunol 2022; 35:559-565. [PMID: 35944261 DOI: 10.1089/vim.2022.0063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides are proteins that have been found to be an important factor in the natural immune response to a variety of pathogens. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a respiratory pathogen with the capability to cause serious upper and lower respiratory infections in infants and children and is a major viral cause of infant mortality. There is currently no functional vaccine for the virus, as recent efforts have been hindered by the virus's low immunogenicity, its ability to effectively mutate, and underlying instabilities of potential vaccines. Previous studies have shown that antimicrobial peptides may affect viral replication and spread of RSV. Our study evaluates the susceptibility of chimeric strains of RSV that express different fusion (F) and attachment (G) proteins to susceptibilities to inactivation by LL-37 and human beta-defensins (hBDs) hBD-1, hBD-3, and hBD-4. We show that LL-37 and hBD-3 result in dose-dependent, strain-independent inactivation of RSV, whereas treatment with either hBD-1 or hBD-4 appears more variable between strains. This suggests a potential role of the viral structural proteins in mitigating the inhibitory effects of the peptides. This study provides the first evidence of the sensitivity of RSV to several hBDs and indicates a role of LL-37 and beta-defensins in both limiting establishment of natural RSV infections and in the therapeutic treatment of severe RSV disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina N Latsko
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Andrew T Jacob
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Nathan A Junod
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Caitlin E Haas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Katelyn R Castiglia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Sydney R Kastelitz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Elise R Huffman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
| | - Michael P Trombley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
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17
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Moeinabadi-Bidgoli K, Rezaee M, Rismanchi H, Mohammadi MM, Babajani A. Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Antimicrobial Peptides as Potential Anti-Neoplastic Agents: New Insight into Anticancer Mechanisms of Stem Cells and Exosomes. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:900418. [PMID: 35874827 PMCID: PMC9298847 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.900418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), as adult multipotent cells, possess considerable regenerative and anti-neoplastic effects, from inducing apoptosis in the cancer cells to reducing multidrug resistance that bring them up as an appropriate alternative for cancer treatment. These cells can alter the behavior of cancer cells, the condition of the tumor microenvironment, and the activity of immune cells that result in tumor regression. It has been observed that during inflammatory conditions, a well-known feature of the tumor microenvironment, the MSCs produce and release some molecules called “antimicrobial peptides (AMPs)” with demonstrated anti-neoplastic effects. These peptides have remarkable targeted anticancer effects by attaching to the negatively charged membrane of neoplastic cells, disrupting the membrane, and interfering with intracellular pathways. Therefore, AMPs could be considered as a part of the wide-ranging anti-neoplastic effects of MSCs. This review focuses on the possible anti-neoplastic effects of MSCs-derived AMPs and their mechanisms. It also discusses preconditioning approaches and using exosomes to enhance AMP production and delivery from MSCs to cancer cells. Besides, the clinical administration of MSCs-derived AMPs, along with their challenges in clinical practice, were debated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasra Moeinabadi-Bidgoli
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastroenterology Disorders Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Malihe Rezaee
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Tehran Heart Center, Cardiovascular Diseases Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Rismanchi
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Amirhesam Babajani
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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18
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Chen CH, Liu Y, Eskandari A, Ghimire J, Lin LC, Fang Z, Wimley WC, Ulmschneider JP, Suntharalingam K, Hu CJ, Ulmschneider MB. Integrated Design of a Membrane-Lytic Peptide-Based Intravenous Nanotherapeutic Suppresses Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2105506. [PMID: 35246961 PMCID: PMC9069370 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202105506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Membrane-lytic peptides offer broad synthetic flexibilities and design potential to the arsenal of anticancer therapeutics, which can be limited by cytotoxicity to noncancerous cells and induction of drug resistance via stress-induced mutagenesis. Despite continued research efforts on membrane-perforating peptides for antimicrobial applications, success in anticancer peptide therapeutics remains elusive given the muted distinction between cancerous and normal cell membranes and the challenge of peptide degradation and neutralization upon intravenous delivery. Using triple-negative breast cancer as a model, the authors report the development of a new class of anticancer peptides. Through function-conserving mutations, the authors achieved cancer cell selective membrane perforation, with leads exhibiting a 200-fold selectivity over non-cancerogenic cells and superior cytotoxicity over doxorubicin against breast cancer tumorspheres. Upon continuous exposure to the anticancer peptides at growth-arresting concentrations, cancer cells do not exhibit resistance phenotype, frequently observed under chemotherapeutic treatment. The authors further demonstrate efficient encapsulation of the anticancer peptides in 20 nm polymeric nanocarriers, which possess high tolerability and lead to effective tumor growth inhibition in a mouse model of MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer. This work demonstrates a multidisciplinary approach for enabling translationally relevant membrane-lytic peptides in oncology, opening up a vast chemical repertoire to the arms race against cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles H. Chen
- Department of ChemistryKing's College LondonLondonSE1 1DBUK
- Synthetic Biology GroupResearch Laboratory of ElectronicsMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Yu‐Han Liu
- Institute of Biomedical SciencesAcademia SinicaTaipei115Taiwan
| | | | - Jenisha Ghimire
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyTulane UniversityNew OrleansLA70112USA
| | | | - Zih‐Syun Fang
- Institute of Biomedical SciencesAcademia SinicaTaipei115Taiwan
| | - William C. Wimley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular BiologyTulane UniversityNew OrleansLA70112USA
| | - Jakob P. Ulmschneider
- Department of PhysicsInstitute of Natural SciencesShanghai Jiao Tong UniversityShanghai200240China
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19
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Jafari A, Babajani A, Sarrami Forooshani R, Yazdani M, Rezaei-Tavirani M. Clinical Applications and Anticancer Effects of Antimicrobial Peptides: From Bench to Bedside. Front Oncol 2022; 12:819563. [PMID: 35280755 PMCID: PMC8904739 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.819563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a multifaceted global health issue and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. In recent years, medical science has achieved great advances in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Despite the numerous advantages of conventional cancer therapies, there are major drawbacks including severe side effects, toxicities, and drug resistance. Therefore, the urgency of developing new drugs with low cytotoxicity and treatment resistance is increasing. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have attracted attention as a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of various cancers, targeting tumor cells with less toxicity to normal tissues. In this review, we present the structure, biological function, and underlying mechanisms of AMPs. The recent experimental studies and clinical trials on anticancer peptides in different cancer types as well as the challenges of their clinical application have also been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameneh Jafari
- Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirhesam Babajani
- School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ramin Sarrami Forooshani
- Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product (ATMP) Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohsen Yazdani
- Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Drug Design, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Rezaei-Tavirani
- Proteomics Research Center, Faculty of Paramedical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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20
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Mahmoud S, Hassab El-Nabi S, Hawash A, El-Seedi HR, Khalifa SAM, Ullah S, Al-Sehemi AG, El-Garawani IM. Curcumin-Injected Musca domestica Larval Hemolymph: Cecropin Upregulation and Potential Anticancer Effect. Molecules 2022; 27:1570. [PMID: 35268671 PMCID: PMC8911634 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27051570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Over recent decades, much attention has been given to imply the natural products in cancer therapy alone or in combination with other established procedures. Insects have a rich history in traditional medicine across the globe, which holds promise for the future of natural product drug discovery. Cecropins, peptides produced by insects, are components of a defense system against infections and are well known to exert antimicrobial and antitumor capabilities. The present study aimed to investigate, for the first time, the role of curcumin in enhancing the anticancer effect of Musca domestica larval hemolymph. Third larval instars of M. domestica were injected with curcumin and the hemolymph was picked at 4, 8, and 24 h post-curcumin injection. M. domestica cecropin A (MdCecA) was evaluated in control and injected larval hemolymphs. The cytotoxicity on breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7) and normal Vero cells was assessed to be comparable to control larval hemolymph. Curcumin-injected larval hemolymphs exhibited significant cytotoxicity with respect to the uninjected ones against MCF-7; however, Vero cells showed no cytotoxicity. The IC50 was 106 ± 2.9 and 388 ± 9.2 μg/mL for the hemolymphs of injected larvae at 4 and 8 h, respectively, while the control larval hemolymph revealed the IC50 of >500 μg/mL. For mechanistic anticancer evaluation, concentrations of 30, 60, and 100 μg/mL of curcumin-injected larval hemolymphs were examined. A significant G2/M cell cycle arrest was observed, confirming the anti-proliferative properties of hemolymphs over the tested concentrations. The MdCecA transcripts were significantly (p < 0.05) upregulated at 4 and 8 h post-injection, while a significant downregulation was observed after 24 h. Cecropin quantification by LC−MS revealed that MdCecA peptides have the highest expression in the hemolymph of the treated larvae at 8 h relative to the control group. The upregulation of cecropin expression at mRNA and protein levels may be attributed to the curcumin stimulation and linked to the increased cytotoxicity toward the cancer cell line. In conclusion, the results suggest that the apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects of M. domestica hemolymph on MCF-7 cells following the curcumin injection can be used as a natural candidate in future pharmaceutical industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaymaa Mahmoud
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Menoufia 32511, Egypt; (S.M.); (S.H.E.-N.); (A.H.)
| | - Sobhy Hassab El-Nabi
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Menoufia 32511, Egypt; (S.M.); (S.H.E.-N.); (A.H.)
| | - Asmaa Hawash
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Menoufia 32511, Egypt; (S.M.); (S.H.E.-N.); (A.H.)
- Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Dentistry, Sinai University, Ismailia 41632, Egypt
| | - Hesham R. El-Seedi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Menoufia 32511, Egypt
- International Joint Research Laboratory of Intelligent Agriculture and Agri-Products Processing, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Shaden A. M. Khalifa
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden;
| | - Sami Ullah
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia; (S.U.); (A.G.A.-S.)
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdullah G. Al-Sehemi
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Science (RCAMS), King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia; (S.U.); (A.G.A.-S.)
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, Abha 61413, Saudi Arabia
| | - Islam M. El-Garawani
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Menoufia University, Menoufia 32511, Egypt; (S.M.); (S.H.E.-N.); (A.H.)
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21
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Sancar S, Bolkent S. Cyclic Dodecapeptide Induces Cell Death Through Membrane–Peptide Interactions in Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Pept Res Ther 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-022-10369-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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22
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Elrayess RA, Mohallal ME, Mobarak YM, Ebaid HM, Haywood-Small S, Miller K, Strong PN, Abdel-Rahman MA. Scorpion Venom Antimicrobial Peptides Induce Caspase-1 Dependant Pyroptotic Cell Death. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:788874. [PMID: 35082671 PMCID: PMC8784870 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.788874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the last decade, several peptides have been identified according to their ability to inhibit the growth of microbial pathogens. These antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a part of the innate immune system of all living organisms. Many studies on their effects on prokaryotic microorganisms have been reported; some of these peptides have cytotoxic properties although the molecular mechanisms underlying their activity on eukaryotic cells remain poorly understood. Smp24 and Smp43 are novel cationic AMPs which were identified from the venom of the Egyptian scorpion Scorpio maurus palmatus. Smp24 and Smp43 showed potent activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi. Here we describe cytotoxicity of these peptides towards two acute leukaemia cell lines (myeloid (KG1-a) and lymphoid (CCRF-CEM) leukaemia cell lines) and three non-tumour cell lines CD34+ (hematopoietic stem progenitor from cord blood), HRECs (human renal epithelial cells) and HaCaT (human skin keratinocytes). Smp24 and Smp43 (4–256 µg/ml) decreased the viability of all cell lines, although HaCaT cells were markedly less sensitive. With the exception HaCaT cells, the caspase-1 gene was uniquely up-regulated in all cell lines studied. However, all cell lines showed an increase in downstream interleukin-1β (IL-1β) expression. Transmission electron microscope studies revealed the formation of cell membrane blebs and the appearance of autolysosomes and lipid droplets in all cell lines; KG1-a leukemia cells also showed the unique appearance of glycogen deposits. Our results reveal a novel mechanism of action for scorpion venom AMPs, activating a cascade of events leading to cell death through a programmed pyroptotic mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranwa A Elrayess
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom.,Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud E Mohallal
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Yomn M Mobarak
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez University, Suez, Egypt
| | - Hala M Ebaid
- Zoology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Sarah Haywood-Small
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Keith Miller
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Peter N Strong
- Biomolecular Sciences Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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23
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Carboni AL, Hanson MA, Lindsay SA, Wasserman SA, Lemaitre B. Cecropins contribute to Drosophila host defense against a subset of fungal and Gram-negative bacterial infection. Genetics 2022; 220:iyab188. [PMID: 34791204 PMCID: PMC8733632 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyab188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cecropins are small helical secreted peptides with antimicrobial activity that are widely distributed among insects. Genes encoding Cecropins are strongly induced upon infection, pointing to their role in host defense. In Drosophila, four cecropin genes clustered in the genome (CecA1, CecA2, CecB, and CecC) are expressed upon infection downstream of the Toll and Imd pathways. In this study, we generated a short deletion ΔCecA-C removing the whole cecropin locus. Using the ΔCecA-C deficiency alone or in combination with other antimicrobial peptide (AMP) mutations, we addressed the function of Cecropins in the systemic immune response. ΔCecA-C flies were viable and resisted challenge with various microbes as wild-type. However, removing ΔCecA-C in flies already lacking 10 other AMP genes revealed a role for Cecropins in defense against Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Measurements of pathogen loads confirm that Cecropins contribute to the control of certain Gram-negative bacteria, notably Enterobacter cloacae and Providencia heimbachae. Collectively, our work provides the first genetic demonstration of a role for Cecropins in insect host defense and confirms their in vivo activity primarily against Gram-negative bacteria and fungi. Generation of a fly line (ΔAMP14) that lacks 14 immune inducible AMPs provides a powerful tool to address the function of these immune effectors in host-pathogen interactions and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia L Carboni
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Mark A Hanson
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Scott A Lindsay
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Steven A Wasserman
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Bruno Lemaitre
- Global Health Institute, School of Life Science, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Henao Arias DC, Toro LJ, Téllez Ramirez GA, Osorio-Méndez JF, Rodríguez-Carlos A, Valle J, Marín-Luevano SP, Rivas-Santiago B, Andreu D, Castaño Osorio JC. Novel antimicrobial cecropins derived from O. curvicornis and D. satanas dung beetles. Peptides 2021; 145:170626. [PMID: 34391826 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2021.170626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Antibiotic resistance is an increasing global problem and therapeutic alternatives to traditional antibiotics are needed. Antimicrobial and host defense peptides represent an attractive source for new therapeutic strategies, given their wide range of activities including antimicrobial, antitumoral and immunomodulatory. Insects produce several families of these peptides, including cecropins. Herein, we characterized the sequence, structure, and biological activity of three cecropins called satanin 1, 2, and curvicin, found in the transcriptome of two dung beetle species Dichotomius satanas and Onthophagus curvicornis. Sequence and circular dichroism analyses show that they have typical features of the cecropin family: short length (38-39 amino acids), positive charge, and amphipathic α-helical structure. They are active mainly against Gram-negative bacteria (3.12-12.5 μg/mL), with low toxicity on eukaryotic cells resulting in high therapeutic indexes (TI > 30). Peptides also showed effects on TNFα production in LPS-stimulated PBMCs. The biological activity of Satanin 1, 2 and Curvicin makes them interesting leads for antimicrobial strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Carolina Henao Arias
- Center of Biomedical Research, Group of Molecular Immunology, Universidad del Quindío, Cra, 15 calle 12 norte, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
| | - Lily Johana Toro
- Center of Biomedical Research, Group of Molecular Immunology, Universidad del Quindío, Cra, 15 calle 12 norte, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
| | - Germán Alberto Téllez Ramirez
- Center of Biomedical Research, Group of Molecular Immunology, Universidad del Quindío, Cra, 15 calle 12 norte, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia.
| | - Juan Felipe Osorio-Méndez
- Center of Biomedical Research, Group of Molecular Immunology, Universidad del Quindío, Cra, 15 calle 12 norte, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
| | - Adrián Rodríguez-Carlos
- Medical Research Unit Zacatecas, IMSS, Interior de la Alameda #45, col. Centro, Zacatecas, Cp. 98000, Mexico
| | - Javier Valle
- Proteomics and Protein Chemistry Unit, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Paulina Marín-Luevano
- Medical Research Unit Zacatecas, IMSS, Interior de la Alameda #45, col. Centro, Zacatecas, Cp. 98000, Mexico
| | - Bruno Rivas-Santiago
- Medical Research Unit Zacatecas, IMSS, Interior de la Alameda #45, col. Centro, Zacatecas, Cp. 98000, Mexico.
| | - David Andreu
- Proteomics and Protein Chemistry Unit, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park Dr Aiguader 88, 08003 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jhon Carlos Castaño Osorio
- Center of Biomedical Research, Group of Molecular Immunology, Universidad del Quindío, Cra, 15 calle 12 norte, Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
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Okasha H, Nasr SM, Samir S. Recombinant Expression of Cec-B Peptide in Escherichia coli with a Significant Anticancer Effect on Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Curr Pharm Biotechnol 2021; 22:1235-1245. [PMID: 33397234 DOI: 10.2174/1389201022666210104121709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cecropin-B (Cec-B) is an Antimicrobial Peptide (AMP) found in insects. OBJECTIVES Recombinant production of Cec-B peptide in Escherichia coli (Rosetta™ DE3), and studying its anticancer effect on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell line (HCC). METHODS The Cec-B gene of Drosophila melanogaster was synthesized by PCR assembly using the Simplified Gene Synthesis (SGS) method. To express the recombinant peptide in E. coli (Rosetta™ DE3); the synthesized gene was cloned into pET-15b expression vector. The recombinant peptide was expressed as insoluble aggregates called Inclusion Bodies (IBs) using 2mM lactose inducer. IBs were solubilized in a denatured form using 8 M urea followed by in-vitro protein refolding using rapid dilution method. The refolded Cec-B was purified using cation-exchange SP-FF column. Cytotoxicity of recombinant Cec-B (rCec-B) was reported on normal human lung cell line (WI-38), and Hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2). RESULTS The Cec-B gene was expressed and purified at concentration 1.212±0.1 mg/ml which represents 48.49±4% of the total proteins injected to the column (2.5±0.2 mg/ml). The safe dose of purified rCec-B on normal WI-38 cells was calculated to be 1.57 mg/ml. The half-maximal Inhibitory Concentration (IC50) of rCec-B on HepG2 cell line was calculated to be 25 μg/ml. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) showed that untreated and treated HepG2 cells had cell diameters from 11-12.92 μm and 14.18-21.58 μm, respectively. CONCLUSION The results of this study revealed a successful expression of the rCec-B peptide using a pET-based expression system with a simple purification step. The purified peptide could be considered as a hopeful anticancer drug against HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hend Okasha
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
| | - Sami Mohamed Nasr
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
| | - Safia Samir
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, Egypt
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Ghasemi A, Ghavimi R, Momenzadeh N, Hajian S, Mohammadi M. Characterization of Antitumor Activity of a Synthetic Moronecidin-Like Peptide Computationally Predicted from the Tiger Tail Seahorse Hippocampus Comes in Tumor-bearing Mice. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10260-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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El-Dirany R, Shahrour H, Dirany Z, Abdel-Sater F, Gonzalez-Gaitano G, Brandenburg K, Martinez de Tejada G, Nguewa PA. Activity of Anti-Microbial Peptides (AMPs) against Leishmania and Other Parasites: An Overview. Biomolecules 2021; 11:984. [PMID: 34356608 PMCID: PMC8301979 DOI: 10.3390/biom11070984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-microbial peptides (AMPs), small biologically active molecules, produced by different organisms through their innate immune system, have become a considerable subject of interest in the request of novel therapeutics. Most of these peptides are cationic-amphipathic, exhibiting two main mechanisms of action, direct lysis and by modulating the immunity. The most commonly reported activity of AMPs is their anti-bacterial effects, although other effects, such as anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic, as well as anti-tumor mechanisms of action have also been described. Their anti-parasitic effect against leishmaniasis has been studied. Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease. Currently among parasitic diseases, it is the second most threating illness after malaria. Clinical treatments, mainly antimonial derivatives, are related to drug resistance and some undesirable effects. Therefore, the development of new therapeutic agents has become a priority, and AMPs constitute a promising alternative. In this work, we describe the principal families of AMPs (melittin, cecropin, cathelicidin, defensin, magainin, temporin, dermaseptin, eumenitin, and histatin) exhibiting a potential anti-leishmanial activity, as well as their effectiveness against other microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rima El-Dirany
- ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
- Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath 1003, Lebanon; (H.S.); (F.A.-S.)
| | - Hawraa Shahrour
- Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath 1003, Lebanon; (H.S.); (F.A.-S.)
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
| | - Zeinab Dirany
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (Z.D.); (G.G.-G.)
| | - Fadi Abdel-Sater
- Faculty of Sciences I, Lebanese University, Hadath 1003, Lebanon; (H.S.); (F.A.-S.)
| | - Gustavo Gonzalez-Gaitano
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, University of Navarra, 31080 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain; (Z.D.); (G.G.-G.)
| | - Klaus Brandenburg
- Brandenburg Antiinfektiva GmbH, c/o Forschungszentrum Borstel, Leibniz Lungenzentrum, 23845 Borstel, Germany;
| | - Guillermo Martinez de Tejada
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
| | - Paul A. Nguewa
- ISTUN Instituto de Salud Tropical, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, IdiSNA (Navarra Institute for Health Research), University of Navarra, c/Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain;
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Velázquez-Hernández ME, Ochoa-Zarzosa A, López-Meza JE. Defensin γ-thionin from Capsicum chinense improves butyrate cytotoxicity on human colon adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2. ELECTRON J BIOTECHN 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejbt.2021.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
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Maaroufi H, Potvin M, Cusson M, Levesque RC. Novel antimicrobial anionic cecropins from the spruce budworm feature a poly-L-aspartic acid C-terminus. Proteins 2021; 89:1205-1215. [PMID: 33973678 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cecropins form a family of amphipathic α-helical cationic peptides with broad-spectrum antibacterial properties and potent anticancer activity. The emergence of bacteria and cancer cells showing resistance to cationic antimicrobial peptides (CAMPs) has fostered a search for new, more selective and more effective alternatives to CAMPs. With this goal in mind, we looked for cecropin homologs in the genome and transcriptome of the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana. Not only did we find paralogs of the conventional cationic cecropins (Cfcec+ ), our screening also led to the identification of previously uncharacterized anionic cecropins (Cfcec- ), featuring a poly-l-aspartic acid C-terminus. Comparative peptide analysis indicated that the C-terminal helix of Cfcec- is amphipathic, unlike that of Cfcec+ , which is hydrophobic. Interestingly, molecular dynamics simulations pointed to the lower conformational flexibility of Cfcec- peptides, relative to that of Cfcec+ . Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the evolution of distinct Cfcec+ and Cfcec- peptides may have resulted from an ancient duplication event within the Lepidoptera. Finally, we found that both anionic and cationic cecropins contain a BH3-like motif (G-[KQR]-[HKQNR]-[IV]-[KQR]) that could interact with Bcl-2, a protein involved in apoptosis; this observation is congruent with previous reports indicating that cecropins induce apoptosis. Altogether, our observations suggest that cecropins may provide templates for the development of new anticancer drugs. We also estimated the antibacterial activity of Cfcec-2 and a ∆Cfce-2 peptide as AMPs by testing directly their ability in inhibiting bacterial growth in a disk diffusion assay and their potential for development of novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halim Maaroufi
- Institut de biologie intégrative et des systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Marianne Potvin
- Institut de biologie intégrative et des systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Michel Cusson
- Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Roger C Levesque
- Institut de biologie intégrative et des systèmes (IBIS) and Faculté de médecine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
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30
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Ramos-Martín F, D’Amelio N. Molecular Basis of the Anticancer and Antibacterial Properties of CecropinXJ Peptide: An In Silico Study. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:E691. [PMID: 33445613 PMCID: PMC7826669 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Esophageal cancer is an aggressive lethal malignancy causing thousands of deaths every year. While current treatments have poor outcomes, cecropinXJ (CXJ) is one of the very few peptides with demonstrated in vivo activity. The great interest in CXJ stems from its low toxicity and additional activity against most ESKAPE bacteria and fungi. Here, we present the first study of its mechanism of action based on molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and sequence-property alignment. Although unstructured in solution, predictions highlight the presence of two helices separated by a flexible hinge containing P24 and stabilized by the interaction of W2 with target biomembranes: an amphipathic helix-I and a poorly structured helix-II. Both MD and sequence-property alignment point to the important role of helix I in both the activity and the interaction with biomembranes. MD reveals that CXJ interacts mainly with phosphatidylserine (PS) but also with phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) headgroups, both found in the outer leaflet of cancer cells, while salt bridges with phosphate moieties are prevalent in bacterial biomimetic membranes composed of PE, phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and cardiolipin (CL). The antibacterial activity of CXJ might also explain its interaction with mitochondria, whose phospholipid composition recalls that of bacteria and its capability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ramos-Martín
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire UMR 7025 CNRS, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 80039 Amiens, France
| | - Nicola D’Amelio
- Unité de Génie Enzymatique et Cellulaire UMR 7025 CNRS, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 80039 Amiens, France
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31
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Colella F, Scillitani G, Pierri CL. Sweet as honey, bitter as bile: Mitochondriotoxic peptides and other therapeutic proteins isolated from animal tissues, for dealing with mitochondrial apoptosis. Toxicology 2020; 447:152612. [PMID: 33171268 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2020.152612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria are subcellular organelles involved in cell metabolism and cell life-cycle. Their role in apoptosis regulation makes them an interesting target of new drugs for dealing with cancer or rare diseases. Several peptides and proteins isolated from animal and plant sources are known for their therapeutic properties and have been tested on cancer cell-lines and xenograft murine models, highlighting their ability in inducing cell-death by triggering mitochondrial apoptosis. Some of those molecules have been even approved as drugs. Conversely, many other bioactive compounds are still under investigation for their proapoptotic properties. In this review we report about a group of peptides, isolated from animal venoms, with potential therapeutic properties related to their ability in triggering mitochondrial apoptosis. This class of compounds is known with different names, such as mitochondriotoxins or mitocans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Colella
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology, Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies, Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, Via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy
| | | | - Ciro Leonardo Pierri
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Molecular and Structural Biology, Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies, Biopharmaceutics, University of Bari, Via E. Orabona, 4, 70125, Bari, Italy; BROWSer S.r.l. (https://browser-bioinf.com/) c/o Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies, Biopharmaceutics, University "Aldo Moro" of Bari, Via E. Orabona, 4, 70126, Bari, Italy.
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Orozco-Flores AA, Valadez-Lira JA, Covarrubias-Cárdenas KE, Pérez-Trujillo JJ, Gomez-Flores R, Caballero-Hernández D, Tamez-Guerra R, Rodríguez-Padilla C, Tamez-Guerra P. In vitro antitumor, pro-inflammatory, and pro-coagulant activities of Megalopyge opercularis J.E. Smith hemolymph and spine venom. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18395. [PMID: 33110124 PMCID: PMC7592054 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75231-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Contact with stinging spines venom from several Lepidoptera larvae may result in skin lesions. In Mexico, envenomation outbreaks caused by Megalopyge opercularis were reported between 2015 and 2016. The aim of this study was to identify the venomous caterpillars in Nuevo Leon, Mexico and evaluate several biological activities of their hemolymph (HEV) and spine setae (SSV) venoms. M. opercularis was identified by cytochrome oxidase subunit (COI) designed primers. HEV and SSV extracts cytotoxic activity was assessed on the L5178Y-R lymphoma cell line. For apoptotic cells number and apoptosis, cells were stained with acridine orange/ethidium bromide and validated by DNA fragmentation. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMC) cytokine response to the extracts was measured by the cytometric bead array assay. Extracts effect on pro-coagulation activity on human plasma was also evaluated. HEV and SSV extracts significantly inhibited (p < 0.01) up to 63% L5178Y-R tumor cell growth at 125–500 µg/mL, as compared with 43% of Vincristine. About 79% extracts-treated tumor cells death was caused by apoptosis. Extracts stimulated (p < 0.01) up to 60% proliferation of resident murine lymphocytes, upregulated IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α production by hPBMC, and showed potent pro-coagulant effects. The pharmacological relevance of these venoms is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alonso A Orozco-Flores
- Departamento de Microbiología E Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (FCB), Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), Cd. Universitaria, AP. 46-F., 66455, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL, Mexico
| | - José A Valadez-Lira
- Departamento de Microbiología E Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (FCB), Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), Cd. Universitaria, AP. 46-F., 66455, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL, Mexico
| | - Karina E Covarrubias-Cárdenas
- Departamento de Microbiología E Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (FCB), Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), Cd. Universitaria, AP. 46-F., 66455, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL, Mexico
| | | | - Ricardo Gomez-Flores
- Departamento de Microbiología E Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (FCB), Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), Cd. Universitaria, AP. 46-F., 66455, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL, Mexico
| | - Diana Caballero-Hernández
- Departamento de Microbiología E Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (FCB), Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), Cd. Universitaria, AP. 46-F., 66455, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL, Mexico
| | - Reyes Tamez-Guerra
- Departamento de Microbiología E Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (FCB), Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), Cd. Universitaria, AP. 46-F., 66455, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL, Mexico
| | - Cristina Rodríguez-Padilla
- Departamento de Microbiología E Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (FCB), Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), Cd. Universitaria, AP. 46-F., 66455, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL, Mexico
| | - Patricia Tamez-Guerra
- Departamento de Microbiología E Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas (FCB), Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), Cd. Universitaria, AP. 46-F., 66455, San Nicolás de los Garza, NL, Mexico.
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Cell-penetrating peptides in oncologic pharmacotherapy: A review. Pharmacol Res 2020; 162:105231. [PMID: 33027717 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world and its treatment is extremely challenging, mainly due to its complexity. Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) are peptides that can transport into the cell a wide variety of biologically active conjugates (or cargoes), and are, therefore, promising in the treatment and in the diagnosis of several types of cancer. Some notable examples are TAT and Penetratin, capable of penetrating the central nervous system (CNS) and, therefore, acting in cancers of this system, such as Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). These above-mentioned peptides, conjugated with traditional chemotherapeutic such as Doxorubicin (DOX) and Paclitaxel (PTX), have also been shown to induce apoptosis of breast and liver cancer cells, as well as in lung cancer cells, respectively. In other cancers, such as esophageal cancer, the attachment of Magainin 2 (MG2) to Bombesin (MG2B), another CPP, led to pronounced anticancer effects. Other examples are CopA3, that selectively decreased the viability of gastric cancer cells, and the CPP p28. Furthermore, in preclinical tests, the anti-tumor efficacy of this peptide was evaluated on human breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer, and melanoma cells in vitro, leading to high expression of p53 and promoting cell cycle arrest. Despite the numerous in vitro and in vivo studies with promising results, and the increasing number of clinical trials using CPPs, few treatments reach the expected clinical efficacy. Usually, their clinical application is limited by its poor aqueous solubility, immunogenicity issues and dose-limiting toxicity. This review describes the most recent advances and innovations in the use of CPPs in several types of cancer, highlighting their crucial importance for various purposes, from therapeutic to diagnosis. Further clinical trials with these peptides are warranted to examine its effects on various types of cancer.
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Ziaja M, Dziedzic A, Szafraniec K, Piastowska-Ciesielska A. Cecropins in cancer therapies-where we have been? Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 882:173317. [PMID: 32603694 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Oncological diseases are invariably a challenge for the modern world. Therefore, in recent decades, scientists have begun to look for compounds of natural origin that will be able to support or independently be used in oncological therapy. Among the antimicrobial proteins (AMPs), a promising family of peptides isolated from the immunized hemolymph of Hyalophora cecropia pupae has been distinguished. The cecropin family is not only characterized by antimicrobial and antifungal properties, but most importantly also has anticancer properties. Their antitumor potential is confirmed by in vitro studies conducted on several different cell lines, among others, prostate and breast cancer cell lines. This paper presents publications demonstrating cytolytic properties against tumour cells of members belonging to the cecropin family, as well as synthesized cecropin B with the introduced modification of its sequence and conjugated cecropin B with a modified luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH). Moreover, three models of cecropin mechanisms of action are also described. The benefits and limitations associated with the use of these peptides in oncological therapy have also been demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maksymilian Ziaja
- Medical University of Lodz, Department of Cell Culture and Genomic Analysis, Poland.
| | - Ada Dziedzic
- Medical University of Lodz, Department of Cell Culture and Genomic Analysis, Poland
| | - Kacper Szafraniec
- Medical University of Lodz, Department of Cell Culture and Genomic Analysis, Poland
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Shen W, Zhang Y, Wan P, An L, Zhang P, Xiao C, Chen X. Antineoplastic Drug-Free Anticancer Strategy Enabled by Host-Defense-Peptides-Mimicking Synthetic Polypeptides. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2020; 32:e2001108. [PMID: 32700437 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202001108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
An antineoplastic drug-free anticancer strategy enabled by host defense peptides (HDPs)-mimicking synthetic polypeptides is reported. The polypeptide exhibits a broad spectrum of anticancer activity in 12 cancer cell lines, including drug-resistant and highly metastatic tumor cells. Detailed mechanistic studies reveal that the cationic anticancer polypeptide (ACPP) can directly induce rapid necrosis of cancer cells within minutes through a membrane-lytic mechanism. Moreover, a pH-sensitive zwitterionic derivative of ACPP (DA-ACPP) is prepared for in vivo application. DA-ACPP shows negligible hemolysis under neutral physiological conditions, and can be converted back to ACPP in slightly acidic tumor environments, resulting in selective killing of cancer cells. Consequently, DA-ACPP shows an effective inhibition of tumor growth in both 4T1 orthotopic breast tumor models and B16-F10 melanoma pulmonary metastatic models. Overall, these findings demonstrate that synthetic HDPs-mimicking polypeptides represent safe and effective antineoplastic agents, which sheds new light on the development of drug-free synthetic polymers for cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Shen
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Pengqi Wan
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Lin An
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- Department of Dermatology, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, 130033, P. R. China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- Jilin Biomedical Polymers Engineering Laboratory, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Chunsheng Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- Jilin Biomedical Polymers Engineering Laboratory, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
| | - Xuesi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
- Jilin Biomedical Polymers Engineering Laboratory, Changchun, 130022, P. R. China
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Xu P, Lv D, Wang X, Wang Y, Hou C, Gao K, Guo X. Inhibitory effects of Bombyx mori antimicrobial peptide cecropins on esophageal cancer cells. Eur J Pharmacol 2020; 887:173434. [PMID: 32763299 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2020.173434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Bombyx mori antimicrobial peptides (BmAMPs) are important effectors in silkworm immune system. They can inhibit and kill a variety of bacteria and fungi. Recent studies have shown that some kinds of BmAMPs exert strong inhibitory effects on a variety of tumor cells. In the present study, the antitumor activity of BmAMP Cecropin A (BmCecA) and BmAMP Cecropin D (BmCecD) was investigated against human esophageal cancer cells and their antitumor mechanism preliminary explored. Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays indicated that BmCecA and BmCecD suppressed cell proliferation and reduced colony formation of both Eca109 and TE13 cells in a dose-dependent manner, but exhibited no inhibitory effect on normal human embryonic kidney 293T cells. Wound healing and invasion experiments indicated that both BmCecA and BmCecD inhibited migration and invasion of Eca109 and TE13 cells in vitro. Annexin V/propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry detection suggested that BmCecA induced the apoptosis of Eca109 cells in a dose-dependent manner. RT-qPCR and western blot analysis showed that BmCecA induced apoptosis of Eca109 cells through the activation of a mitochondria-mediated caspase pathway, the upregulation of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein and the downregulation of Bcl-2. In addition, BmCecA significantly inhibited the growth of xenograft tumors in Eca109-bearing mice. These results suggested that BmCecA and BmCecD might serve as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Xu
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dingding Lv
- Nursing School, Zhenjiang College, Zhenjiang, 21200, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xihui Wang
- School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yongsheng Wang
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chengxiang Hou
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kun Gao
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xijie Guo
- School of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212018, Jiangsu, China.
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Tan J, Tay J, Hedrick J, Yang YY. Synthetic macromolecules as therapeutics that overcome resistance in cancer and microbial infection. Biomaterials 2020; 252:120078. [PMID: 32417653 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic macromolecular antimicrobials have shown efficacy in the treatment of multidrug resistant (MDR) pathogens. These synthetic macromolecules, inspired by Nature's antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), mitigate resistance by disrupting microbial cell membrane or targeting multiple intracellular proteins or genes. Unlike AMPs, these polymers are less prone to degradation by proteases and are easier to synthesize on a large scale. Recently, various studies have revealed that cancer cell membrane, like that of microbes, is negatively charged, and AMPs can be used as anticancer agents. Nevertheless, efforts in developing polymers as anticancer agents has remained limited. This review highlights the recent advancement in the development of synthetic biodegradable antimicrobial polymers (e.g. polycarbonates, polyesters and polypeptides) and anticancer macromolecules including peptides and polymers. Additionally, strategies to improve their in vivo bioavailability and selectivity towards bacteria and cancer cells are examined. Lastly, future perspectives, including use of artificial intelligence or machine learning, in the development of antimicrobial and anticancer macromolecules are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Tan
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138669, Singapore; Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
| | - Joyce Tay
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138669, Singapore; Division of Chemistry and Biological Chemistry, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore, 637371, Singapore
| | - James Hedrick
- IBM Almaden Research Center, 650 Harry Road, San Jose, CA, 95120, United States
| | - Yi Yan Yang
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore, 138669, Singapore.
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38
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Nesa J, Sadat A, Buccini DF, Kati A, Mandal AK, Franco OL. Antimicrobial peptides fromBombyx mori: a splendid immune defense response in silkworms. RSC Adv 2020; 10:512-523. [PMID: 35492565 PMCID: PMC9047522 DOI: 10.1039/c9ra06864c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Bombyx mori L., a primary producer of silk, is the main tool in the sericulture industry and provides the means of livelihood to a large number of people. Silk cocoon crop losses due to bacterial infection pose a major threat to the sericulture industry. Bombyx mori L., a silkworm of the mulberry type, has a sophisticated inherent innate immune mechanism to combat such invasive pathogens. Among all the components in this defense system, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are notable due to their specificity towards the invading pathogens without harming the normal host cells. Bombyx mori L. so far has had AMPs identified that belong to six different families, namely cecropin, defensin, moricin, gloverin, attacin and lebocin, which are produced by the Toll and immune deficiency (IMD) pathways. Their diverse modes of action depend on microbial pathogens and are still under investigation. This review examines the recent progress in understanding the immune defense mechanism of Bombyx mori based on AMPs. AMPs produced by B. mori induced by microbial challenge in the fat body.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannatun Nesa
- Chemical Biology Laboratory
- Department of Sericulture
- Raiganj University
- India
| | - Abdul Sadat
- Insect Ecology and Conservation Biology Laboratory
- Department of Sericulture
- Raiganj University
- India
| | - Danieli F. Buccini
- S-INOVA Biotech, Post-Graduate Program in Biotechnology
- Catholic University Dom Bosco
- Campo Grande
- Brazil
| | - Ahmet Kati
- Biotechnology Department
- Institution of Health Science
- University of Health Science
- Istanbul
- Turkey
| | - Amit K. Mandal
- Chemical Biology Laboratory
- Department of Sericulture
- Raiganj University
- India
- Centre for Nanotechnology Sciences
| | - Octavio L. Franco
- S-INOVA Biotech, Post-Graduate Program in Biotechnology
- Catholic University Dom Bosco
- Campo Grande
- Brazil
- Center of Proteomic and Biochemical Analysis
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Brady D, Grapputo A, Romoli O, Sandrelli F. Insect Cecropins, Antimicrobial Peptides with Potential Therapeutic Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5862. [PMID: 31766730 PMCID: PMC6929098 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20235862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 11/19/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The alarming escalation of infectious diseases resistant to conventional antibiotics requires urgent global actions, including the development of new therapeutics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent potential alternatives in the treatment of multi-drug resistant (MDR) infections. Here, we focus on Cecropins (Cecs), a group of naturally occurring AMPs in insects, and on synthetic Cec-analogs. We describe their action mechanisms and antimicrobial activity against MDR bacteria and other pathogens. We report several data suggesting that Cec and Cec-analog peptides are promising antibacterial therapeutic candidates, including their low toxicity against mammalian cells, and anti-inflammatory activity. We highlight limitations linked to the use of peptides as therapeutics and discuss methods overcoming these constraints, particularly regarding the introduction of nanotechnologies. New formulations based on natural Cecs would allow the development of drugs active against Gram-negative bacteria, and those based on Cec-analogs would give rise to therapeutics effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens. Cecs and Cec-analogs might be also employed to coat biomaterials for medical devices as an approach to prevent biomaterial-associated infections. The cost of large-scale production is discussed in comparison with the economic and social burden resulting from the progressive diffusion of MDR infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Brady
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; (D.B.); (A.G.); (O.R.)
| | - Alessandro Grapputo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; (D.B.); (A.G.); (O.R.)
| | - Ottavia Romoli
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; (D.B.); (A.G.); (O.R.)
- Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, 23 Avenue Pasteur, 97306 Cayenne, French Guiana, France
| | - Federica Sandrelli
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, via U. Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy; (D.B.); (A.G.); (O.R.)
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Cytotoxic Effects of Smp24 and Smp43 Scorpion Venom Antimicrobial Peptides on Tumour and Non-tumour Cell Lines. Int J Pept Res Ther 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-019-09932-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Smp24 and Smp43 are novel cationic AMPs identified from the venom of the Egyptian scorpion Scorpio maurus palmatus, having potent activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as fungi. Here we describe cytotoxicity of these peptides towards three non-tumour cell lines (CD34+ (hematopoietic stem progenitor from cord blood), HRECs (human renal epithelial cells) and HACAT (human skin keratinocytes) and two acute leukaemia cell lines (myeloid (KG1a) and lymphoid (CCRF-CEM) leukaemia cell lines) using a combination of biochemical and imaging techniques. Smp24 and Smp43 (4–256 µg/mL) decreased the cell viability (as measured by intracellular ATP) of all cells tested, although keratinocytes were markedly less sensitive. Cell membrane leakage as evidenced by the release of lactate dehydrogenase was evident throughout and was confirmed by scanning electron microscope studies.
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Shaw P, Kumar N, Hammerschmid D, Privat-Maldonado A, Dewilde S, Bogaerts A. Synergistic Effects of Melittin and Plasma Treatment: A Promising Approach for Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2019; 11:cancers11081109. [PMID: 31382579 PMCID: PMC6721819 DOI: 10.3390/cancers11081109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Melittin (MEL), a small peptide component of bee venom, has been reported to exhibit anti-cancer effects in vitro and in vivo. However, its clinical applicability is disputed because of its non-specific cytotoxicity and haemolytic activity in high treatment doses. Plasma-treated phosphate buffered saline solution (PT-PBS), a solution rich in reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) can disrupt the cell membrane integrity and induce cancer cell death through oxidative stress-mediated pathways. Thus, PT-PBS could be used in combination with MEL to facilitate its access into cancer cells and to reduce the required therapeutic dose. The aim of our study is to determine the reduction of the effective dose of MEL required to eliminate cancer cells by its combination with PT-PBS. For this purpose, we have optimised the MEL threshold concentration and tested the combined treatment of MEL and PT-PBS on A375 melanoma and MCF7 breast cancer cells, using in vitro, in ovo and in silico approaches. We investigated the cytotoxic effect of MEL and PT-PBS alone and in combination to reveal their synergistic cytological effects. To support the in vitro and in ovo experiments, we showed by computer simulations that plasma-induced oxidation of the phospholipid bilayer leads to a decrease of the free energy barrier for translocation of MEL in comparison with the non-oxidized bilayer, which also suggests a synergistic effect of MEL with plasma induced oxidation. Overall, our findings suggest that MEL in combination with PT-PBS can be a promising combinational therapy to circumvent the non-specific toxicity of MEL, which may help for clinical applicability in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Shaw
- Research Group PLASMANT, Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, BE-2610 Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Naresh Kumar
- Research Group PLASMANT, Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, BE-2610 Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Dietmar Hammerschmid
- Laboratory of Protein Science, Proteomics & Epigenetic Signaling, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, BE-2610 Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Angela Privat-Maldonado
- Research Group PLASMANT, Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, BE-2610 Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sylvia Dewilde
- Laboratory of Protein Science, Proteomics & Epigenetic Signaling, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, BE-2610 Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annemie Bogaerts
- Research Group PLASMANT, Department of Chemistry, University of Antwerp, BE-2610 Wilrijk-Antwerp, Belgium.
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Romoli O, Mukherjee S, Mohid SA, Dutta A, Montali A, Franzolin E, Brady D, Zito F, Bergantino E, Rampazzo C, Tettamanti G, Bhunia A, Sandrelli F. Enhanced Silkworm Cecropin B Antimicrobial Activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa from Single Amino Acid Variation. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:1200-1213. [PMID: 31045339 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.9b00042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen causing severe infections in hospitalized and immunosuppressed patients, particularly individuals affected by cystic fibrosis. Several clinically isolated P. aeruginosa strains were found to be resistant to three or more antimicrobial classes indicating the importance of identifying new antimicrobials active against this pathogen. Here, we characterized the antimicrobial activity and the action mechanisms against P. aeruginosa of two natural isoforms of the antimicrobial peptide cecropin B, both isolated from the silkworm Bombyx mori. These cecropin B isoforms differ in a single amino acid substitution within the active portion of the peptide, so that the glutamic acid of the E53 CecB variant is replaced by a glutamine in the Q53 CecB isoform. Both peptides showed a high antimicrobial and membranolytic activity against P. aeruginosa, with Q53 CecB displaying greater activity compared with the E53 CecB isoform. Biophysical analyses, live-cell NMR, and molecular-dynamic-simulation studies indicated that both peptides might act as membrane-interacting elements, which can disrupt outer-membrane organization, facilitating their translocation toward the inner membrane of the bacterial cell. Our data also suggest that the amino acid variation of the Q53 CecB isoform represents a critical factor in stabilizing the hydrophobic segment that interacts with the bacterial membrane, determining the highest antimicrobial activity of the whole peptide. Its high stability to pH and temperature variations, tolerance to high salt concentrations, and low toxicity against human cells make Q53 CecB a promising candidate in the development of CecB-derived compounds against P. aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ottavia Romoli
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Shruti Mukherjee
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII (M), 700 054 Kolkata, India
| | - Sk Abdul Mohid
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII (M), 700 054 Kolkata, India
| | - Arkajyoti Dutta
- Department of Chemistry, Bose Institute, 93/1 A P C Road, 700 009 Kolkata, India
| | - Aurora Montali
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Via Jean Henry Dunant, 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Elisa Franzolin
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Daniel Brady
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Zito
- Laboratoire de Biologie Physico-Chimique des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, CNRS, UMR7099, University Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Elisabetta Bergantino
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Chiara Rampazzo
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Gianluca Tettamanti
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Sciences, University of Insubria, Via Jean Henry Dunant, 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Anirban Bhunia
- Department of Biophysics, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII (M), 700 054 Kolkata, India
| | - Federica Sandrelli
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, 35131 Padova, Italy
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43
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Popa C, Shi X, Ruiz T, Ferrer P, Coca M. Biotechnological Production of the Cell Penetrating Antifungal PAF102 Peptide in Pichia pastoris. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1472. [PMID: 31316491 PMCID: PMC6610294 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have potent and durable antimicrobial activity to a wide range of fungi and bacteria. The growing problem of drug-resistant pathogenic microorganisms, together with the lack of new effective compounds, has stimulated interest in developing AMPs as anti-infective molecules. PAF102 is an AMP that was rationally designed for improved antifungal properties. This cell penetrating peptide has potent and specific activity against major fungal pathogens. Cecropin A is a natural AMP with strong and fast lytic activity against bacterial and fungal pathogens, including multidrug resistant pathogens. Both peptides, PAF102 and Cecropin A, are alternative antibiotic compounds. However, their exploitation requires fast, cost-efficient production systems. Here, we developed an innovative system to produce AMPs in Pichia pastoris using the oleosin fusion technology. Oleosins are plant-specific proteins with a structural role in lipid droplet formation and stabilization, which are used as carriers for recombinant proteins to lipid droplets in plant-based production systems. This study reports the efficient production of PAF102 in P. pastoris when fused to the rice plant Oleosin 18, whereas no accumulation of Cecropin A was detected. The Ole18-PAF102 fusion protein targets the lipid droplets of the heterologous system where it accumulates to high levels. Interestingly, the production of this fusion protein induces the formation of lipid droplets in yeast cells, which can be additionally enhanced by the coexpression of a diacylglycerol transferase gene that allows a three-fold increase in the production of the fusion protein. Using this high producer strain, PAF102 reaches commercially relevant yields of up to 180 mg/l of yeast culture. Moreover, the accumulation of PAF102 in the yeast lipid droplets facilitates its downstream extraction and recovery by flotation on density gradients, with the recovered PAF102 being biologically active against pathogenic fungi. Our results demonstrate that plant oleosin fusion technology can be transferred to the well-established P. pastoris cell factory to produce the PAF102 antifungal peptide, and potentially other AMPs, for multiple applications in crop protection, food preservation and animal and human therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Crina Popa
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xiaoqing Shi
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Tarik Ruiz
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pau Ferrer
- Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María Coca
- Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB), Barcelona, Spain
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Osorio C, Kanukuntla T, Diaz E, Jafri N, Cummings M, Sfera A. The Post-amyloid Era in Alzheimer's Disease: Trust Your Gut Feeling. Front Aging Neurosci 2019; 11:143. [PMID: 31297054 PMCID: PMC6608545 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2019.00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The amyloid hypothesis, the assumption that beta-amyloid toxicity is the primary cause of neuronal and synaptic loss, has been the mainstream research concept in Alzheimer's disease for the past two decades. Currently, this model is quietly being replaced by a more holistic, “systemic disease” paradigm which, like the aging process, affects multiple body tissues and organs, including the gut microbiota. It is well-established that inflammation is a hallmark of cellular senescence; however, the infection-senescence link has been less explored. Microbiota-induced senescence is a gradually emerging concept promoted by the discovery of pathogens and their products in Alzheimer's disease brains associated with senescent neurons, glia, and endothelial cells. Infectious agents have previously been associated with Alzheimer's disease, but the cause vs. effect issue could not be resolved. A recent study may have settled this debate as it shows that gingipain, a Porphyromonas gingivalis toxin, can be detected not only in Alzheimer's disease but also in the brains of older individuals deceased prior to developing the illness. In this review, we take the position that gut and other microbes from the body periphery reach the brain by triggering intestinal and blood-brain barrier senescence and disruption. We also surmise that novel Alzheimer's disease findings, including neuronal somatic mosaicism, iron dyshomeostasis, aggressive glial phenotypes, and loss of aerobic glycolysis, can be explained by the infection-senescence model. In addition, we discuss potential cellular senescence targets and therapeutic strategies, including iron chelators, inflammasome inhibitors, senolytic antibiotics, mitophagy inducers, and epigenetic metabolic reprograming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Osorio
- Psychiatry, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Tulasi Kanukuntla
- Department of Psychiatry, Patton State Hospital, San Bernardino, CA, United States
| | - Eddie Diaz
- Department of Psychiatry, Patton State Hospital, San Bernardino, CA, United States
| | - Nyla Jafri
- Department of Psychiatry, Patton State Hospital, San Bernardino, CA, United States
| | - Michael Cummings
- Department of Psychiatry, Patton State Hospital, San Bernardino, CA, United States
| | - Adonis Sfera
- Department of Psychiatry, Patton State Hospital, San Bernardino, CA, United States
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45
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Sarode GS, Gupta K, Maniyar N, Sarode SC, Panta P, Patil S. Use of Tilapia Hepcidin in Oral Cancer Therapeutics: A Proposal. J Contemp Dent Pract 2019; 20:403-404. [PMID: 31308267 DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10024-2529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Tilapia hepcidin (TH), an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) derived from tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) forms an important component of the fish innate immune defense.1 However, the functionality of TH is not just limited to its antimicrobial actions, significant applications in cancer research remain an area to be explored. Antimicrobial peptides derived from fish and shrimp demonstrated anticancer activities in addition to their previously discovered antimicrobial action. Three hepcidin-like AMPs can be isolated from tilapia, namely TH1-5, TH2-2, and TH2-3. Of these, TH1-5 and TH2-3 have shown potent antitumor activity.2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gargi S Sarode
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr DY Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaramnagar, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, India, Phone: +919823871462, e-mail:
| | - Krithika Gupta
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr DY Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaramnagar, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Nikunj Maniyar
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr DY Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaramnagar, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Sachin C Sarode
- Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr DY Patil Dental College and Hospital, Dr DY Patil Vidyapeeth, Sant-Tukaramnagar, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | - Prashanth Panta
- Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, MNR Dental College and Hospital, Sangareddy, Telangana, India
| | - Shankargouda Patil
- Department of Preventive Dental Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jazan University, Jazan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Murphy TW, Sheng J, Naler LB, Feng X, Lu C. On-chip manufacturing of synthetic proteins for point-of-care therapeutics. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2019; 5:13. [PMID: 31057940 PMCID: PMC6431678 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-019-0051-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic proteins have recently received increasing attention because of their clinical potential. Currently, most therapeutic proteins are produced on a large scale using various cell culture systems. However, storing and transporting these therapeutic proteins at low temperatures makes their distribution expensive and problematic, especially for applications in remote locations. To this end, an emerging solution is to use point-of-care technologies that enable immediate and accessible protein production at or near the patient's bedside. Here we present the development of "Therapeutics-On-a-Chip (TOC)", an integrated microfluidic platform that enables point-of-care synthesis and purification of therapeutic proteins. We used fresh and lyophilized materials for cell-free synthesis of therapeutic proteins on microfluidic chips and applied immunoprecipitation for highly efficient, on-chip protein purification. We first demonstrated this approach by expressing and purifying a reporter protein, green fluorescent protein. Next, we used TOC to produce cecropin B, an antimicrobial peptide that is widely used to control biofilm-associated diseases. We successfully synthesized and purified cecropin B at 63 ng/μl within 6 h with a 92% purity, followed by confirming its antimicrobial functionality using a growth inhibition assay. Our TOC technology provides a new platform for point-of-care production of therapeutic proteins at a clinically relevant quantity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis W. Murphy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
| | - Jiayuan Sheng
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
| | - Lynette B. Naler
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
| | - Xueyang Feng
- Department of Biological Systems Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
| | - Chang Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
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Hanson MA, Dostálová A, Ceroni C, Poidevin M, Kondo S, Lemaitre B. Synergy and remarkable specificity of antimicrobial peptides in vivo using a systematic knockout approach. eLife 2019; 8:e44341. [PMID: 30803481 PMCID: PMC6398976 DOI: 10.7554/elife.44341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are host-encoded antibiotics that combat invading microorganisms. These short, cationic peptides have been implicated in many biological processes, primarily involving innate immunity. In vitro studies have shown AMPs kill bacteria and fungi at physiological concentrations, but little validation has been done in vivo. We utilized CRISPR gene editing to delete all known immune-inducible AMPs of Drosophila, namely: 4 Attacins, 4 Cecropins, 2 Diptericins, Drosocin, Drosomycin, Metchnikowin and Defensin. Using individual and multiple knockouts, including flies lacking all 14 AMP genes, we characterize the in vivo function of individual and groups of AMPs against diverse bacterial and fungal pathogens. We found that Drosophila AMPs act primarily against Gram-negative bacteria and fungi, contributing either additively or synergistically. We also describe remarkable specificity wherein certain AMPs contribute the bulk of microbicidal activity against specific pathogens, providing functional demonstrations of highly specific AMP-pathogen interactions in an in vivo setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Austin Hanson
- Global Health Institute, School of Life ScienceÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Anna Dostálová
- Global Health Institute, School of Life ScienceÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Camilla Ceroni
- Global Health Institute, School of Life ScienceÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
| | - Mickael Poidevin
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC)Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris SudGif-sur-YvetteFrance
| | - Shu Kondo
- Invertebrate Genetics Laboratory, Genetic Strains Research CenterNational Institute of GeneticsMishimaJapan
| | - Bruno Lemaitre
- Global Health Institute, School of Life ScienceÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)LausanneSwitzerland
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Hazam PK, Goyal R, Ramakrishnan V. Peptide based antimicrobials: Design strategies and therapeutic potential. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 142:10-22. [PMID: 30125585 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic activity of antibiotics is noteworthy, as they are used in the treatment of microbial infections. Regardless of their utility, there has been a steep decrease in the number of drug candidates due to antibiotic resistance, an inevitable consequence of noncompliance with the full therapeutic regimen. A variety of resistant species like MDR (Multi-Drug Resistant), XDR (Extensively Drug-Resistant) and PDR (Pan Drug-Resistant) species have evolved, but discovery pipeline has already shown signs of getting dried up. Therefore, the need for newer antibiotics is of utmost priority to combat the microbial infections of future times. Peptides have some interesting features like minimal side effect, high tolerability and selectivity towards specific targets, which would help them successfully comply with the stringent safety standards set for clinical trials. In this review, we attempt to present the state of the art in the discovery of peptide-based antimicrobials from a design perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash Kishore Hazam
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, 781039, India
| | - Ruchika Goyal
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, 781039, India
| | - Vibin Ramakrishnan
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, 781039, India.
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Deslouches B, Di YP. Antimicrobial peptides with selective antitumor mechanisms: prospect for anticancer applications. Oncotarget 2018; 8:46635-46651. [PMID: 28422728 PMCID: PMC5542299 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 244] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last several decades, there have been significant advances in anticancer therapy. However, the development of resistance to cancer drugs and the lack of specificity related to actively dividing cells leading to toxic side effects have undermined these achievements. As a result, there is considerable interest in alternative drugs with novel antitumor mechanisms. In addition to the recent approach using immunotherapy, an effective but much cheaper therapeutic option of pharmaceutical drugs would still provide the best choice for cancer patients as the first line treatment. Ribosomally synthesized cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) or host defense peptides (HDP) display broad-spectrum activity against bacteria based on electrostatic interactions with negatively charged lipids on the bacterial surface. Because of increased proportions of phosphatidylserine (negatively charged) on the surface of cancer cells compared to normal cells, cationic amphipathic peptides could be an effective source of anticancer agents that are both selective and refractory to current resistance mechanisms. We reviewed herein the prospect for AMP application to cancer treatment, with a focus on modes of action of cationic AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berthony Deslouches
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Y Peter Di
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Zhang J, Su X, Yang D, Luan C. Label-free liquid crystal biosensor for cecropin B detection. Talanta 2018; 186:60-64. [PMID: 29784409 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
A label-free liquid crystal (LC) biosensor based on orientation changes of LC molecules was reported for the detection of cecropin B. The homeotropic-to-tilted alignment transition of LC molecules, induced by the specific binding event between cecropin B and anti-cecropin B antibody immobilized via glutaraldehyde, could result in obvious change of the optical appearance from a dark to a bright response and as a result, the detection limit of cecropin B was as low as 50 ng/mL. The average gray-scale intensities (GIs) of optical appearances were calculated to quantitatively analyse cecropin B concentrations. This study offers a simple, highly sensitive and specific, lable-free method for cecropin B detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zhang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Xiuxia Su
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China.
| | - Dong Yang
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi'an 710021, China
| | - Chonglin Luan
- School of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Polytechnic, Shenzhen 518088, China.
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