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Wang Y, Shi D, Zou W, Jiang Y, Wang T, Chen X, Ma C, Li W, Chen T, Burrows JF, Wang L, Zhou M. An Effective Modification Strategy to Build Multifunctional Peptides Based on a Trypsin Inhibitory Peptide of the Kunitz Family. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:597. [PMID: 38794259 PMCID: PMC11125039 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16050597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Peptides with antimicrobial activity or protease inhibitory activity are potential candidates to supplement traditional antibiotics or cancer chemotherapies. However, the potential of many peptides are limited by drawbacks such as cytotoxicity or susceptibility to hydrolysis. Therefore, strategies to modify the structure of promising peptides may represent an effective approach for developing more promising clinical candidates. In this study, the mature peptide OSTI-1949, a Kunitz-type inhibitor from Odorrana schmackeri, and four designed analogues were successfully synthesised. In contrast to the parent peptide, the analogues showed impressive multi-functionality including antimicrobial, anticancer, and trypsin inhibitory activities. In terms of safety, there were no obvious changes observed in the haemolytic activity at the highest tested concentration, and the analogue OSTI-2461 showed an increase in activity against cancer cell lines without cytotoxicity to normal cells (HaCaT). In summary, through structural modification of a natural Kunitz-type peptide, the biological activity of analogues was improved whilst retaining low cytotoxicity. The strategy of helicity enhancement by forming an artificial α-helix and ß-sheet structure provides a promising way to develop original bioactive peptides for clinical therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.J.); (T.W.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (J.F.B.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Daning Shi
- Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, No.12 Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Wanchen Zou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.J.); (T.W.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (J.F.B.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
- College of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center for the Development and Utilization of Authentic Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Yangyang Jiang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.J.); (T.W.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (J.F.B.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Tao Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.J.); (T.W.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (J.F.B.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Xiaoling Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.J.); (T.W.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (J.F.B.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Chengbang Ma
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.J.); (T.W.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (J.F.B.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Wei Li
- College of Chinese Medicinal Materials, Jilin Provincial International Joint Research Center for the Development and Utilization of Authentic Medicinal Materials, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
| | - Tianbao Chen
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.J.); (T.W.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (J.F.B.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - James F. Burrows
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.J.); (T.W.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (J.F.B.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Lei Wang
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.J.); (T.W.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (J.F.B.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
| | - Mei Zhou
- Natural Drug Discovery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland, UK; (Y.W.); (W.Z.); (Y.J.); (T.W.); (C.M.); (T.C.); (J.F.B.); (L.W.); (M.Z.)
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2
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Zhuang Y, Quirk S, Stover ER, Bureau HR, Allen CR, Hernandez R. Tertiary Plasticity Drives the Efficiency of Enterocin 7B Interactions with Lipid Membranes. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:2100-2113. [PMID: 38412510 PMCID: PMC10926100 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c08199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
The ability of antimicrobial peptides to efficiently kill their bacterial targets depends on the efficiency of their binding to the microbial membrane. In the case of enterocins, there is a three-part interaction: initial binding, unpacking of helices on the membrane surface, and permeation of the lipid bilayer. Helical unpacking is driven by disruption of the peptide hydrophobic core when in contact with membranes. Enterocin 7B is a leaderless enterocin antimicrobial peptide produced from Enterococcus faecalis that functions alone, or with its cognate partner enterocin 7A, to efficiently kill a wide variety of Gram-stain positive bacteria. To better characterize the role that tertiary structural plasticity plays in the ability of enterocin 7B to interact with the membranes, a series of arginine single-site mutants were constructed that destabilize the hydrophobic core to varying degrees. A series of experimental measures of structure, stability, and function, including CD spectra, far UV CD melting profiles, minimal inhibitory concentrations analysis, and release kinetics of calcein, show that decreased stabilization of the hydrophobic core is correlated with increased efficiency of a peptide to permeate membranes and in killing bacteria. Finally, using the computational technique of adaptive steered molecular dynamics, we found that the atomistic/energetic landscape of peptide mechanical unfolding leads to free energy differences between the wild type and its mutants, whose trends correlate well with our experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhuang
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Stephen Quirk
- Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia 30076-2199, United States
| | - Erica R Stover
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Hailey R Bureau
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Caley R Allen
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Rigoberto Hernandez
- Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
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3
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Zhong G, Deng L. ACPScanner: Prediction of Anticancer Peptides by Integrated Machine Learning Methodologies. J Chem Inf Model 2024; 64:1092-1104. [PMID: 38277774 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c01860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Novel therapeutic alternatives for cancer treatment are increasingly attracting global research attention. Although chemotherapy remains a primary clinical solution, it often results in significant side effects for patients. In recent years, anticancer peptides (ACPs) have emerged as promising candidates for highly specific anticancer drugs, and a number of computational approaches have been developed to identify ACPs. However, existing methods do not recognize specific types of anticancer function. In this article, we propose ACPScanner, an integrated approach to predict ACPs and non-ACPs at first and then predict several specific activity types for potential ACPs. We incorporate sequential, physicochemical properties, secondary structural information, and deep representation learning embeddings which are generated from artificial intelligence methods to build feature space. Customized deep learning and statistical learning methods are combined to form an integral architecture for the comprehensive two-level prediction task. To the best of our knowledge, ACPScanner is the first approach for specific ACP activity prediction. The comparative evaluation illustrates that ACPScanner achieves competitive prediction performance in both prediction phases in independent testings. We establish a web server at http://acpscanner.denglab.org to provide convenient usage of ACPScanner and make the predictive framework, source code, and data sets publicly available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guolun Zhong
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
| | - Lei Deng
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China
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4
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de Almeida Gomes I, da Lima AB, da Silva Brito DM, Almeida Lima A, de Oliveira FL, Espino Zelaya EA, Magalhães Rebello Alencar L, Castelo Branco de Souza Collares Maia D, Amaral de Moraes ME, Pantoja Mesquita F, Noronha Souza PF, Montenegro RC. Recalculating the Route: Repositioning Antimicrobial Peptides for Cancer Treatment. Chem Biodivers 2024; 21:e202301840. [PMID: 38088493 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.202301840] [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: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Resistance to antimicrobial drugs has been considered a public health problem. Likewise, the increasing resistance of cancer cells to drugs currently used in therapy has also become a problem. Therefore, the research and development of synthetic peptides bring a new perspective on the emergence of new drugs for treating this resistance since bioinformatics provides a means to optimize these molecules and save time and costs in research. Peptides have several mechanisms of action, such as forming pores on the cell membrane and inhibiting protein synthesis. Some studies report the use of antimicrobial peptides with the potential for action against cancer cells, suggesting a repositioning of antimicrobial peptides to fight back cancer resistance. There is an alteration in the microenvironment, making its net charge negative for the survival and growth of cancer cells. The changes in glycoproteins favor the membrane to have a more negative charge, favoring the interaction between the cells and the peptide, thus making possible the repositioning of these antimicrobial peptides against cancer. Here, we will discuss the mechanism of action, targets and effects of peptides, comparison between microbial and cancer cells, and proteomic changes caused by the interaction of peptides and cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isadora de Almeida Gomes
- Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Rua Coronel Nunes de Melo 1000, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
| | - Ana Beatriz da Lima
- Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Rua Coronel Nunes de Melo 1000, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
| | - Daiane Maria da Silva Brito
- Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Rua Coronel Nunes de Melo 1000, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, 60020-181, CE, Brazil
| | - Arlene Almeida Lima
- Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Rua Coronel Nunes de Melo 1000, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
| | - Francisco Laio de Oliveira
- Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Rua Coronel Nunes de Melo 1000, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
| | - Elmer Adilson Espino Zelaya
- Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Rua Coronel Nunes de Melo 1000, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
| | | | | | - Maria Elisabete Amaral de Moraes
- Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Rua Coronel Nunes de Melo 1000, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
| | - Felipe Pantoja Mesquita
- Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Rua Coronel Nunes de Melo 1000, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
| | - Pedro Filho Noronha Souza
- Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Rua Coronel Nunes de Melo 1000, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
| | - Raquel C Montenegro
- Pharmacogenetics Laboratory, Drug Research and Development Center (NPDM), Federal University of Ceará, Rua Coronel Nunes de Melo 1000, Fortaleza, CE, 60430-275, Brazil
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5
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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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6
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Liu H, Shen W, Liu W, Yang Z, Yin D, Xiao C. From oncolytic peptides to oncolytic polymers: A new paradigm for oncotherapy. Bioact Mater 2024; 31:206-230. [PMID: 37637082 PMCID: PMC10450358 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional cancer therapy methods, especially those directed against specific intracellular targets or signaling pathways, are not powerful enough to overcome tumor heterogeneity and therapeutic resistance. Oncolytic peptides that can induce membrane lysis-mediated cancer cell death and subsequent anticancer immune responses, has provided a new paradigm for cancer therapy. However, the clinical application of oncolytic peptides is always limited by some factors such as unsatisfactory bio-distribution, poor stability, and off-target toxicity. To overcome these limitations, oncolytic polymers stand out as prospective therapeutic materials owing to their high stability, chemical versatility, and scalable production capacity, which has the potential to drive a revolution in cancer treatment. This review provides an overview of the mechanism and structure-activity relationship of oncolytic peptides. Then the oncolytic peptides-mediated combination therapy and the nano-delivery strategies for oncolytic peptides are summarized. Emphatically, the current research progress of oncolytic polymers has been highlighted. Lastly, the challenges and prospects in the development of oncolytic polymers are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanmeng Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Wei Shen
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Preparation Technology and Application, Hefei, Anhui, 230012, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Modernized Pharmaceutics, Anhui Education Department (AUCM), Hefei, Anhui, 230012, China
| | - Wanguo Liu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, 130033, China
| | - Zexin Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
| | - Dengke Yin
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, 230012, China
- Engineering Technology Research Center of Modernized Pharmaceutics, Anhui Education Department (AUCM), Hefei, Anhui, 230012, China
| | - Chunsheng Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130022, China
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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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Chernov A, Kudryavtsev I, Komlev A, Alaverdian D, Tsapieva A, Galimova E, Shamova O. Nerve Growth Factor, Antimicrobial Peptides and Chemotherapy: Glioblastoma Combination Therapy to Improve Their Efficacy. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3009. [PMID: 38002009 PMCID: PMC10669874 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11113009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive and lethal malignancy of the central nervous system with a median survival rate of 15 months. We investigated the combined anticancer effects of nerve growth factor (NGF), cathelicidin (LL-37), and protegrin-1 (PG-1) with chemotherapy (temozolomide, doxorubicin, carboplatin, cisplatin, and etoposide) in the glioblastoma U251 cell line to overcome the limitations of conventional chemotherapy and to guarantee specific treatments to succeed. The MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay was used to study cell viability and to determine the cytotoxic effects of NGF, LL-37, and PG-1 and their combination with chemotherapy in U251 cells. Synergism or antagonism was determined using the combination index (CI) method. Caspase-3 activity was evaluated spectrophotometrically using a caspase-3 activity assay kit. Apoptosis was analyzed with flow cytometry using propidium iodide (PI) and YO-PRO-1. NGF and the peptides showed a strong cytotoxic effect on U251 glioma cells in the MTT test (IC50 0.0214, 3.1, and 26.1 μM, respectively) compared to chemotherapy. The combination of PG-1 + etoposide had a synergistic effect on apoptosis of U251 glioma cells. It should be noted that the cells were in the early and late stages of apoptosis, respectively, compared with the control cells. The caspase-3 activation analysis revealed that the caspase-3 level was not significantly (p > 0.05) increased in U251 cells following PG-1 with etoposide treatment compared with that in the untreated cells, suggesting that the combination of PG-1 and etoposide may induce caspase-independent apoptosis in U251 cells. NGF, LL-37, and PG-1 represent promising drug candidates as the treatment regimen for GBM. Furthermore, the synergistic efficacy of the combined protocol using PG-1 and etoposide may overcome some of the typical limitations of the conventional therapeutic protocols, thus representing a promising approach for GBM therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandr Chernov
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, WCRC “Center for Personalized Medicine”, Saint-Petersburg 197022, Russia; (I.K.); (A.K.); (A.T.); (O.S.)
| | - Igor Kudryavtsev
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, WCRC “Center for Personalized Medicine”, Saint-Petersburg 197022, Russia; (I.K.); (A.K.); (A.T.); (O.S.)
| | - Aleksei Komlev
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, WCRC “Center for Personalized Medicine”, Saint-Petersburg 197022, Russia; (I.K.); (A.K.); (A.T.); (O.S.)
| | - Diana Alaverdian
- Medical Genetics, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy;
| | - Anna Tsapieva
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, WCRC “Center for Personalized Medicine”, Saint-Petersburg 197022, Russia; (I.K.); (A.K.); (A.T.); (O.S.)
| | - Elvira Galimova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, WCRC “Center for Personalized Medicine”, Saint-Petersburg 197022, Russia; (I.K.); (A.K.); (A.T.); (O.S.)
- Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint-Petersburg 194223, Russia
| | - Olga Shamova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, WCRC “Center for Personalized Medicine”, Saint-Petersburg 197022, Russia; (I.K.); (A.K.); (A.T.); (O.S.)
- Department of Biochemistry, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg 199034, Russia
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9
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Alamdari-Palangi V, Jaberi KR, Shahverdi M, Naeimzadeh Y, Tajbakhsh A, Khajeh S, Razban V, Fallahi J. Recent advances and applications of peptide-agent conjugates for targeting tumor cells. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:15249-15273. [PMID: 37581648 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05144-9] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer, being a complex disease, presents a major challenge for the scientific and medical communities. Peptide therapeutics have played a significant role in different medical practices, including cancer treatment. METHOD This review provides an overview of the current situation and potential development prospects of anticancer peptides (ACPs), with a particular focus on peptide vaccines and peptide-drug conjugates for cancer treatment. RESULTS ACPs can be used directly as cytotoxic agents (molecularly targeted peptides) or can act as carriers (guiding missile) of chemotherapeutic agents and radionuclides by specifically targeting cancer cells. More than 60 natural and synthetic cationic peptides are approved in the USA and other major markets for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Compared to traditional cancer treatments, peptides exhibit anticancer activity with high specificity and the ability to rapidly kill target cancer cells. ACP's target and kill cancer cells via different mechanisms, including membrane disruption, pore formation, induction of apoptosis, necrosis, autophagy, and regulation of the immune system. Modified peptides have been developed as carriers for drugs, vaccines, and peptide-drug conjugates, which have been evaluated in various phases of clinical trials for the treatment of different types of solid and leukemia cancer. CONCLUSIONS This review highlights the potential of ACPs as a promising therapeutic option for cancer treatment, particularly through the use of peptide vaccines and peptide-drug conjugates. Despite the limitations of peptides, such as poor metabolic stability and low bioavailability, modified peptides show promise in addressing these challenges. Various mechanism of action of anticancer peptides. Modes of action against cancer cells including: inducing apoptosis by cytochrome c release, direct cell membrane lysis (necrosis), inhibiting angiogenesis, inducing autophagy-mediated cell death and immune cell regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahab Alamdari-Palangi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 7133654361, Iran
| | - Khojaste Rahimi Jaberi
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Mahshid Shahverdi
- Medical Biotechnology Research Center, Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran
| | - Yasaman Naeimzadeh
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 7133654361, Iran
| | - Amir Tajbakhsh
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 7133654361, Iran
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sahar Khajeh
- Bone and Joint Diseases Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Vahid Razban
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 7133654361, Iran.
| | - Jafar Fallahi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and Technologies, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, 7133654361, Iran.
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10
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Cui C, Huo Q, Xiong X, Li K, Fishel ML, Li B, Yokota H. Anticancer Peptides Derived from Aldolase A and Induced Tumor-Suppressing Cells Inhibit Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cells. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2447. [PMID: 37896207 PMCID: PMC10610494 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15102447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
PDAC (pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor. We have previously developed induced tumor-suppressing cells (iTSCs) that secrete a group of tumor-suppressing proteins. Here, we examined a unique procedure to identify anticancer peptides (ACPs), using trypsin-digested iTSCs-derived protein fragments. Among the 10 ACP candidates, P04 (IGEHTPSALAIMENANVLAR) presented the most efficient anti-PDAC activities. P04 was derived from aldolase A (ALDOA), a glycolytic enzyme. Extracellular ALDOA, as well as P04, was predicted to interact with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and P04 downregulated oncoproteins such as Snail and Src. Importantly, P04 has no inhibitory effect on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). We also generated iTSCs by overexpressing ALDOA in MSCs and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). iTSC-derived conditioned medium (CM) inhibited the progression of PDAC cells as well as PDAC tissue fragments. The inhibitory effect of P04 was additive to that of CM and chemotherapeutic drugs such as 5-Flu and gemcitabine. Notably, applying mechanical vibration to PBMCs elevated ALDOA and converted PBMCs into iTSCs. Collectively, this study presented a unique procedure for selecting anticancer P04 from ALDOA in an iTSCs-derived proteome for the treatment of PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changpeng Cui
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; (C.C.); (Q.H.); (X.X.); (K.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Qingji Huo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; (C.C.); (Q.H.); (X.X.); (K.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Xue Xiong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; (C.C.); (Q.H.); (X.X.); (K.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Kexin Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; (C.C.); (Q.H.); (X.X.); (K.L.)
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Melissa L. Fishel
- Department of Pediatrics, Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA;
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Baiyan Li
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China; (C.C.); (Q.H.); (X.X.); (K.L.)
| | - Hiroki Yokota
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Indiana University Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Indiana Center for Musculoskeletal Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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11
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Nguyen TN, Teimouri H, Kolomeisky AB. Increasing Heterogeneity in Antimicrobial Peptide Combinations Enhances Their Synergistic Activities. J Phys Chem Lett 2023; 14:8405-8411. [PMID: 37708492 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c02216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short biopolymers produced by living organisms as an immune system defense against infections. They have been considered as potential alternatives to conventional antibiotics. Experiments suggest that combining several types of different AMPs might enhance their antimicrobial activity more effectively than using single-component AMPs. However, a clear understanding of the underlying microscopic mechanisms is still lacking. We present a theoretical investigation of antibacterial cooperativity mechanisms involving several types of AMPs. It is argued that synergy results from intermolecular interactions when the presence of one type of AMP stimulates the association of another type of AMP to bacteria. It is found that increasing the number of different AMPs in the mixtures increases the number of such interactions, making them more efficient in eliminating infections. Our theoretical framework provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of antimicrobial action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thao N Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Applied Physics Graduate Program, Smalley-Curl Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Hamid Teimouri
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Anatoly B Kolomeisky
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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12
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Velayutham M, Priya PS, Sarkar P, Murugan R, Almutairi BO, Arokiyaraj S, Kari ZA, Tellez-Isaias G, Guru A, Arockiaraj J. Aquatic Peptide: The Potential Anti-Cancer and Anti-Microbial Activity of GE18 Derived from Pathogenic Fungus Aphanomyces invadans. Molecules 2023; 28:6746. [PMID: 37764521 PMCID: PMC10534430 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28186746] [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: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Small molecules as well as peptide-based therapeutic approaches have attracted global interest due to their lower or no toxicity in nature, and their potential in addressing several health complications including immune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, osteoporosis and cancer. This study proposed a peptide, GE18 of subtilisin-like peptidase from the virulence factor of aquatic pathogenic fungus Aphanomyces invadans, which elicits anti-cancer and anti-microbial activities. To understand the potential GE18 peptide-induced biological effects, an in silico analysis, in vitro (L6 cells) and in vivo toxicity assays (using zebrafish embryo), in vitro anti-cancer assays and anti-microbial assays were performed. The outcomes of the in silico analyses demonstrated that the GE18 peptide has potent anti-cancer and anti-microbial activities. GE18 is non-toxic to in vitro non-cancerous cells and in vivo zebrafish larvae. However, the peptide showed significant anti-cancer properties against MCF-7 cells with an IC50 value of 35.34 µM, at 24 h. Besides the anti-proliferative effect on cancer cells, the peptide exposure does promote the ROS concentration, mitochondrial membrane potential and the subsequent upregulation of anti-cancer genes. On the other hand, GE18 elicits significant anti-microbial activity against P. aeruginosa, wherein GE18 significantly inhibits bacterial biofilm formation. Since the peptide has positively charged amino acid residues, it targets the cell membrane, as is evident in the FESEM analysis. Based on these outcomes, it is possible that the GE18 peptide is a significant anti-cancer and anti-microbial molecule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manikandan Velayutham
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Integrative Physiology, Institute of Biotechnology, Saveetha School of Engineering, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Thandalam, Chennai 602105, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - P. Snega Priya
- Toxicology and Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, Kattankulathur 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Purabi Sarkar
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Allied Healthcare and Sciences, Jain Deemed-to-be University, Whitefield, Bangalore 560066, Karnataka, India
| | - Raghul Murugan
- Toxicology and Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, Kattankulathur 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Bader O. Almutairi
- Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Selvaraj Arokiyaraj
- Department of Food Science & Biotechnology, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
| | - Zulhisyam Abdul Kari
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Agro-Based Industry, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, Jeli 17600, Malaysia
- Advanced Livestock and Aquaculture Research Group, Faculty of Agro-Based Industry, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Jeli Campus, Jeli 17600, Malaysia
| | | | - Ajay Guru
- Department of Cariology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, Tamil Nadu, India;
| | - Jesu Arockiaraj
- Toxicology and Pharmacology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chengalpattu District, Kattankulathur 603203, Tamil Nadu, India
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13
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Liu J, Chen P, Song H, Zhang P, Wang M, Sun Z, Guan X. Prediction of Cholecystokinin-Secretory Peptides Using Bidirectional Long Short-term Memory Model Based on Transfer Learning and Hierarchical Attention Network Mechanism. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1372. [PMID: 37759772 PMCID: PMC10526265 DOI: 10.3390/biom13091372] [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: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cholecystokinin (CCK) can make the human body feel full and has neurotrophic and anti-inflammatory effects. It is beneficial in treating obesity, Parkinson's disease, pancreatic cancer, and cholangiocarcinoma. Traditional biological experiments are costly and time-consuming when it comes to finding and identifying novel CCK-secretory peptides, and there is an urgent need to develop a new computational method to predict new CCK-secretory peptides. This study combines the transfer learning method with the SMILES enumeration data augmentation strategy to solve the data scarcity problem. It establishes a fusion model of the hierarchical attention network (HAN) and bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM), which fully extracts peptide chain features to predict CCK-secretory peptides efficiently. The average accuracy of the proposed method in this study is 95.99%, with an AUC of 98.07%. The experimental results show that the proposed method is significantly superior to other comparative methods in accuracy and robustness. Therefore, this method is expected to be applied to the preliminary screening of CCK-secretory peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- College of Information Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 201306, China; (J.L.); (P.C.)
| | - Pu Chen
- College of Information Engineering, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 201306, China; (J.L.); (P.C.)
| | - Hongdong Song
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China;
| | - Pengxiao Zhang
- Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Southern Medical University Affiliated Fengxian Hospital, Shanghai 201499, China; (P.Z.); (M.W.)
| | - Man Wang
- Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Southern Medical University Affiliated Fengxian Hospital, Shanghai 201499, China; (P.Z.); (M.W.)
| | - Zhenliang Sun
- Joint Center for Translational Medicine, Southern Medical University Affiliated Fengxian Hospital, Shanghai 201499, China; (P.Z.); (M.W.)
| | - Xiao Guan
- School of Health Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China;
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14
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Phung CD, Nguyen BL, Jeong J, Chang J, Jin SG, Choi H, Ku SK, Kim JO. Shaping the "hot" immunogenic tumor microenvironment by nanoparticles co-delivering oncolytic peptide and TGF-β1 siRNA for boosting checkpoint blockade therapy. Bioeng Transl Med 2023; 8:e10392. [PMID: 37693065 PMCID: PMC10487304 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Induction of potent immune responses toward tumors remains challenging in cancer immunotherapy, in which it only showed benefits in a minority of patients with "hot" tumors, which possess pre-existing effector immune cells within the tumor. In this study, we proposed a nanoparticle-based strategy to fire up the "cold" tumor by upregulating the components associated with T and NK cell recruitment and activation and suppressing TGF-β1 secretion by tumor cells. Specifically, LTX-315, a first-in-class oncolytic cationic peptide, and TGF-β1 siRNA were co-entrapped in a polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticle comprising PLGA, DSPE-mPEG, and DSPE-PEG-conjugated with cRGD peptide (LTX/siR-NPs). The LTX/siR-NPs showed significant inhibition of TGF-β1 expression, induction of type I interferon release, and triggering immunogenic cell death (ICD) in treated tumor cells, indicated via the increased levels of danger molecules, an in vitro setting. The in vivo data showed that the LTX/siR-NPs could effectively protect the LTX-315 peptide from degradation in serum, which highly accumulated in tumor tissue. Consequently, the LTX/siR-NPs robustly suppressed TGF-β1 production by tumor cells and created an immunologically active tumor with high infiltration of antitumor effector immune cells. As a result, the combination of LTX/siR-NP treatment with NKG2A checkpoint inhibitor therapy remarkably increased numbers of CD8+NKG2D+ and NK1.1+NKG2D+ within tumor masses, and importantly, inhibited the tumor growth and prolonged survival rate of treated mice. Taken together, this study suggests the potential of the LTX/siR-NPs for inflaming the "cold" tumor for potentiating the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cao Dai Phung
- College of PharmacyYeungnam UniversityGyeongsanRepublic of Korea
| | - Bao Loc Nguyen
- College of PharmacyYeungnam UniversityGyeongsanRepublic of Korea
| | - Jee‐Heon Jeong
- Department of Precision Medicine, School of MedicineSungkyunkwan UniversitySuwonRepublic of Korea
| | - Jae‐Hoon Chang
- College of PharmacyYeungnam UniversityGyeongsanRepublic of Korea
| | - Sung Giu Jin
- Department of Pharmaceutical EngineeringDankook UniversityCheonanRepublic of Korea
| | - Han‐Gon Choi
- College of Pharmacy & Institute of Pharmaceutical Science and TechnologyHanyang UniversityAnsanRepublic of Korea
| | - Sae Kwang Ku
- College of Korean MedicineDaegu Haany UniversityGyeongsanRepublic of Korea
| | - Jong Oh Kim
- College of PharmacyYeungnam UniversityGyeongsanRepublic of Korea
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15
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Mazurkiewicz-Pisarek A, Baran J, Ciach T. Antimicrobial Peptides: Challenging Journey to the Pharmaceutical, Biomedical, and Cosmeceutical Use. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24109031. [PMID: 37240379 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24109031] [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: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), or host defence peptides, are short proteins in various life forms. Here we discuss AMPs, which may become a promising substitute or adjuvant in pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmeceutical uses. Their pharmacological potential has been investigated intensively, especially as antibacterial and antifungal drugs and as promising antiviral and anticancer agents. AMPs exhibit many properties, and some of these have attracted the attention of the cosmetic industry. AMPs are being developed as novel antibiotics to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens and as potential treatments for various diseases, including cancer, inflammatory disorders, and viral infections. In biomedicine, AMPs are being developed as wound-healing agents because they promote cell growth and tissue repair. The immunomodulatory effects of AMPs could be helpful in the treatment of autoimmune diseases. In the cosmeceutical industry, AMPs are being investigated as potential ingredients in skincare products due to their antioxidant properties (anti-ageing effects) and antibacterial activity, which allows the killing of bacteria that contribute to acne and other skin conditions. The promising benefits of AMPs make them a thrilling area of research, and studies are underway to overcome obstacles and fully harness their therapeutic potential. This review presents the structure, mechanisms of action, possible applications, production methods, and market for AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mazurkiewicz-Pisarek
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Baran
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Ciach
- Centre for Advanced Materials and Technologies CEZAMAT, Warsaw University of Technology, Poleczki 19, 02-822 Warsaw, Poland
- Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Warynskiego 1, 00-645 Warsaw, Poland
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16
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Conlon JM, Hunter L, Attoub S, Casciaro B, Mechkarska M, Abdel-Wahab YHA. Antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and insulin-releasing activities of the amphibian host-defense peptide ocellatin-3N and its L-lysine-substituted analogs. J Pept Sci 2023; 29:e3463. [PMID: 36426386 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The host-defense peptide ocellatin-3N (GIFDVLKNLAKGVITSLAS.NH2 ), first isolated from the Caribbean frog Leptodactylus nesiotus, inhibited growth of clinically relevant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as a strain of the major emerging yeast pathogen Candida parapsilosis. Increasing cationicity while maintaining amphipathicity by the substitution Asp4 →Lys increased potency against the microorganisms by between 4- and 16-fold (MIC ≤3 μM) compared with the naturally occurring peptide. The substitution Ala18 →Lys and the double substitution Asp4 →Lys and Ala18 →Lys had less effects on potency. The [D4K] analog also showed 2.5- to 4-fold greater cytotoxic potency against non-small-cell lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells, breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells, and colorectal adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells (LC50 values in the range of 12-20 μM) compared with ocellatin-3N but was less hemolytic to mouse erythrocytes. However, the peptide showed no selectivity for tumor-derived cells [LC50 = 20 μM for human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs)]. Ocellatin-3N and [D4K]ocellatin-3N stimulated the release of insulin from BRIN-BD11 clonal β-cells at concentrations ≥1 nM, and [A18K]ocellatin-3N, at concentrations ≥0.1 nM. No peptide stimulated the release of lactate dehydrogenase at concentrations up to 3 μM, indicating that plasma membrane integrity had been preserved. The three peptides produced an increase in intracellular [Ca2+ ] in BRIN-BD11 cells when incubated at a concentration of 1 μM. In view of its high insulinotropic potency and relatively low hemolytic activity, the [A18K] ocellatin analog may represent a template for the design of agents with therapeutic potential for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Michael Conlon
- Diabetes Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK
| | - Lauren Hunter
- Diabetes Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK
| | - Samir Attoub
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bruno Casciaro
- Laboratory Affiliated to Istituto Pasteur Italia-Fondazione Cenci Bolognetti, Department of Biochemical Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Milena Mechkarska
- Department of Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Yasser H A Abdel-Wahab
- Diabetes Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK
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17
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Gándara Z, Rubio N, Castillo RR. Delivery of Therapeutic Biopolymers Employing Silica-Based Nanosystems. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020351. [PMID: 36839672 PMCID: PMC9963032 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020351] [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: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of nanoparticles is crucial for the development of a new generation of nanodevices for clinical applications. Silica-based nanoparticles can be tailored with a wide range of functional biopolymers with unique physicochemical properties thus providing several advantages: (1) limitation of interparticle interaction, (2) preservation of cargo and particle integrity, (3) reduction of immune response, (4) additional therapeutic effects and (5) cell targeting. Therefore, the engineering of advanced functional coatings is of utmost importance to enhance the biocompatibility of existing biomaterials. Herein we will focus on the most recent advances reported on the delivery and therapeutic use of silica-based nanoparticles containing biopolymers (proteins, nucleotides, and polysaccharides) with proven biological effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoila Gándara
- Departamento de Química Orgánica y Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Química “Andrés M. del Río” (IQAR), Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Correspondence: (Z.G.); (N.R.); (R.R.C.)
| | - Noelia Rubio
- Departamento de Química Orgánica y Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Química “Andrés M. del Río” (IQAR), Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Correspondence: (Z.G.); (N.R.); (R.R.C.)
| | - Rafael R. Castillo
- Departamento de Química Orgánica y Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Química “Andrés M. del Río” (IQAR), Universidad de Alcalá, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Correspondence: (Z.G.); (N.R.); (R.R.C.)
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18
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Zhao X, Lu M, Liu Z, Zhang M, Yuan H, Dan Z, Wang D, Ma B, Yang Y, Yang F, Sun R, Li L, Dang C. Comprehensive analysis of alfa defensin expression and prognosis in human colorectal cancer. Front Oncol 2023; 12:974654. [PMID: 36703795 PMCID: PMC9872005 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.974654] [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: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a serious threat to human health. Screening new biomarkers can provide basis for improving the prognosis and individualized treatment of CRC. Although some members of the defensin family were found increased in pancreatic cancer and CRC, their exact function and clinical significance remain unclear. Methods In this study, the expression, correlation, mutation, and functional enrichment of several defensin family members in pancreatic cancer and CRC were analyzed using tumor public databases and verified in several patients. Results Results showed no significant correlation between the expression levels of DEFA1-4 and CRC. The expression levels of DEFA5 and DEFA6 significantly increased in CRC tissues compared with those in normal tissues. DEFA5 may be associated with better prognosis of CRC, while DEFA6 may be associated with poor prognosis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) experiments showed that the expression of DEFA6 was significantly higher in adenoma than in normal mucosa and slightly higher in carcinoma than in normal mucosa. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis found that DEFAs were closely related to hsa05202: transcriptional misregulation in cancer and Hsa04015: Rap1 signaling pathway. DEFA5 may be a stable and good prognostic marker, and DEFA6 may be a poor prognostic marker in CRC of metastasis. Conclusion Overall, DEFA5 and DEFA6 have a certain degree of sensitivity and specificity in predicting CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinliang Zhao
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,Department of General Surgery, 521 Hospital of Norinco Group, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Mengnan Lu
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,Department of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhigang Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shaanxi Provincial Tumor Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Mingming Zhang
- Department of Medical Section, 521 Hospital of Norinco Group, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hongmei Yuan
- Department of General Surgery, 521 Hospital of Norinco Group, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Zhaoqiang Dan
- Department of General Surgery, 521 Hospital of Norinco Group, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Daihua Wang
- Department of General Surgery, 521 Hospital of Norinco Group, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Bingbing Ma
- Department of Cardio-Thoracic Surgery, 521 Hospital of Norinco Group, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yanqi Yang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Funing Yang
- Department of General Surgery, 521 Hospital of Norinco Group, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Ruifang Sun
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,*Correspondence: Ruifang Sun, ; Lin Li, ; Chengxue Dang,
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shaanxi Provincial Tumor Hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,*Correspondence: Ruifang Sun, ; Lin Li, ; Chengxue Dang,
| | - Chengxue Dang
- Department of Surgical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China,*Correspondence: Ruifang Sun, ; Lin Li, ; Chengxue Dang,
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19
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Dubovskii PV, Ignatova AA, Alekseeva AS, Starkov VG, Boldyrev IA, Feofanov AV, Utkin YN. Membrane-Disrupting Activity of Cobra Cytotoxins Is Determined by Configuration of the N-Terminal Loop. Toxins (Basel) 2022; 15:6. [PMID: 36668826 PMCID: PMC9866941 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15010006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In aqueous solutions, cobra cytotoxins (CTX), three-finger folded proteins, exhibit conformational equilibrium between conformers with either cis or trans peptide bonds in the N-terminal loop (loop-I). The equilibrium is shifted to the cis form in toxins with a pair of adjacent Pro residues in this loop. It is known that CTX with a single Pro residue in loop-I and a cis peptide bond do not interact with lipid membranes. Thus, if a cis peptide bond is present in loop-I, as in a Pro-Pro containing CTX, this should weaken its lipid interactions and likely cytotoxic activities. To test this, we have isolated seven CTX from Naja naja and N. haje cobra venoms. Antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of these CTX, as well as their capability to induce calcein leakage from phospholipid liposomes, were evaluated. We have found that CTX with a Pro-Pro peptide bond indeed exhibit attenuated membrane-perturbing activity in model membranes and lower cytotoxic/antibacterial activity compared to their counterparts with a single Pro residue in loop-I.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter V. Dubovskii
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anastasia A. Ignatova
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna S. Alekseeva
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladislav G. Starkov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan A. Boldyrev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexey V. Feofanov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
- Bioengineering Department, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Yuri N. Utkin
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
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20
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Yadav N, Singh D, Rawat M, Sangwan N. Novel archetype in cancer therapeutics: exploring prospective of phytonanocarriers. 3 Biotech 2022; 12:324. [PMID: 36276448 PMCID: PMC9569404 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-022-03372-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper reports various types of cancer, their incidence, and prevalence all over the globe. Along with the discovery of novel natural drugs for cancer treatment, these present a promising option which are eco-friendly, safe, and provide better acceptability in comparison to synthetic agents that carries multiple side effects. This paper provides an idea about various nanocarriers and phytochemicals, along with how their solubility and bioavailability can be enhanced in nanocarrier system. This report combines the data from various literature available on public domain including PubMed on research articles, reviews, and along with report from various national and international sites. Specialized metabolites (polyphenols, alkaloids, and steroids etc) from medicinal plants are promising alternatives to existing drugs. Studies have suggested that the treatment of cancer using plant products could be an alternative and a safe option. Studies have shown with the several cell lines as well as animal models, that phytomolecules are important in preventing/treating cancer. Phytochemicals often outperform chemical treatments by modulating a diverse array of cellular signaling pathways, promoting cell cycle arrest, apoptosis activation, and metastatic suppression, among others. However, limited water solubility, bioavailability, and cell penetration limit their potential clinical manifestations. The development of plant extract loaded nanostructures, rendering improved specificity and efficacy at lower concentrations could prove effective. Nanocarriers, such as liposomes, nanostructured lipids, polymers, and metal nanoparticles, have been tested for the delivery of plant products with enhanced effects. Recent advances have achieved improvement in the the stability, solubility, bioavailability, circulation time, and target specificity by nanostructure-mediated delivery of phytochemicals. Nanoparticles have been considered and attempted as a novel, targeted, and safe option. Newer approaches such as phyto-nanocarriers with carbohydrates, lignin, and polymers have been considered even more selective and effective modes of drug delivery in biomedical or diagnostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Yadav
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Interdisciplinary and Applied Sciences, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, 123031 India
| | - Deependra Singh
- University Institute of Pharmacy, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492010 India
| | - Manju Rawat
- University Institute of Pharmacy, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh 492010 India
| | - Neelam Sangwan
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Interdisciplinary and Applied Sciences, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, 123031 India
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21
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Anticancer peptides mechanisms, simple and complex. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 368:110194. [PMID: 36195187 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Peptide therapy has started since 1920s with the advent of insulin application, and now it has emerged as a new approach in treatment of diseases including cancer. Using anti-cancer peptides (ACPs) is a promising way of cancer therapy as ACPs are continuing to be approved and arrived at major pharmaceutical markets. Traditional cancer treatments face different problems like intensive adverse effects to patient's body, cell resistance to conventional chemical drugs and in some worse cases the occurrence of cell multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancerous tissues against chemotherapy. On the other hand, there are some benefits conceived for peptides usage in treatment of diseases specifically cancer, as these compounds present favorable characteristics such as smaller size, high activity, low immunogenicity, good biocompatibility in vivo, convenient and rapid way of synthesis, amenable to sequence modification and revision and there is no limitation for the type of cargo they carry. It is possible to achieve an optimum molecular and functional structure of peptides based on previous experience and bank of peptide motif data which may result in novel peptide design. Bioactive peptides are able to form pores in cell membrane and induce necrosis or apoptosis of abnormal cells. Moreover, recent researches have focused on the tumor recognizing peptide motifs with the ability to permeate to cancerous cells with the aim of cancer treatment at earlier stages. In this strategy the most important factors for addressing cancer are choosing peptides with easy accessibility to tumor cell without cytotoxicity effect towards normal cells. The peptides must also meet acceptable pharmacokinetic requirements. In this review, the characteristics of peptides and cancer cells are discussed. The various mechanisms of peptides' action proposed against cancer cells make the next part of discussion. It will be followed by giving information on peptides application, various methods of peptide designing along with introducing various databases. Future aspects of peptides for employing in area of cancer treatment come as conclusion at the end.
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22
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Nguyen TN, Teimouri H, Medvedeva A, Kolomeisky AB. Cooperativity in Bacterial Membrane Association Controls the Synergistic Activities of Antimicrobial Peptides. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:7365-7372. [PMID: 36108158 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c05345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), or defence peptides, are compounds naturally produced during immune responses of living organisms against bacterial infections that are currently actively considered as promising alternatives to antibiotics. Recent experimental studies uncovered that in many situations, combinations of different AMPs are much more successful in eliminating the bacterial pathogens than single peptide species. However, the microscopic origin of such synergistic activities remains not fully understood. We present and investigate a possible mechanism of synergy between AMPs. It is based on the idea that due to inter-molecular interactions, the presence of an AMP of one type stimulates the association of an AMP of another type, and this accelerates the overall association to the membrane, eventually killing the bacteria. This approach allows us to fully quantify the synergistic activities of AMPs, and it is successfully applied for several experimental systems. It is found that strong cooperativity can be achieved for relatively weak inter-molecular interactions, suggesting that the application of combinations of AMPs can be further rationally optimized to make it a powerful antibacterial treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thao N Nguyen
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Applied Physics Program, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Hamid Teimouri
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Angela Medvedeva
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Anatoly B Kolomeisky
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Center for Theoretical Biological Physics, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States.,Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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23
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Anti-cancer Effect of Recombinant PI-Laterosporulin10 as a Novel Bacteriocin with Selective Cytotoxicity on Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Int J Pept Res Ther 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-022-10453-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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24
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Komarov IV, Tolstanova G, Kuznietsova H, Dziubenko N, Yanchuk PI, Shtanova LY, Veselsky SP, Garmanchuk LV, Khranovska N, Gorbach O, Dovbynchuk T, Borysko P, Babii O, Schober T, Ulrich AS, Afonin S. Towards in vivo photomediated delivery of anticancer peptides: Insights from pharmacokinetic and -dynamic data. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY. B, BIOLOGY 2022; 233:112479. [PMID: 35660309 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2022.112479] [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: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
An in vivo study of a photoswitchable cytotoxic peptide LMB040 has been undertaken on a chemically induced hepatocellular carcinoma model in immunocompetent rats. We analysed the pharmacokinetic profile of the less toxic photoform ("ring-closed" dithienylethene) of the compound in tumors, plasma, and healthy liver. Accordingly, the peptide can reach a tumor concentration sufficiently high to exert a cytotoxic effect upon photoconversion into the more active ("ring-open") photoform. Tissue morphology, histology, redox state of the liver, and hepatic biochemical parameters in blood serum were analysed upon treatment with (i) the less active photoform, (ii) the in vivo light-activated alternative photoform, and (iii) compared with a reference chemotherapeutic 5-fluorouracil. We found that application of the less toxic form followed by a delayed in vivo photoconversion into the more toxic ring-open form of LMB040 led to a higher overall survival of the animals, and signs of enhanced immune response were observed compared to the untreated animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor V Komarov
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine; Lumobiotics, Karlsruhe, Germany; Enamine, Kyiv, Ukraine.
| | | | - Halyna Kuznietsova
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine; Enamine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Oleg Babii
- Lumobiotics, Karlsruhe, Germany; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Tim Schober
- Lumobiotics, Karlsruhe, Germany; Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Anne S Ulrich
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany; Institute of Organic Chemistry of Karlsruhe KIT, Fritz-Haber-Weg 6, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany..
| | - Sergii Afonin
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany.
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25
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Tomeh MA, Hadianamrei R, Xu D, Brown S, Zhao X. Peptide-functionalised magnetic silk nanoparticles produced by a swirl mixer for enhanced anticancer activity of ASC-J9. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 216:112549. [PMID: 35636321 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.112549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Silk fibroin is an FDA approved biopolymer for clinical applications with great potential in nanomedicine. However, silk-based nanoformulations are still facing several challenges in processing and drug delivery efficiency (such as reproducibility and targetability), especially in cancer therapy. To address these challenges, robust and controllable production methods are required for generating nanocarriers with desired properties. This study aimed to develop a novel method for the production of peptide-functionalized magnetic silk nanoparticles with higher selectivity for cancer cells for targeted delivery of the hydrophobic anticancer agent ASC-J9. A new microfluidic device with a swirl mixer was designed to fabricate magnetic silk nanoparticles (MSNP) with desired size and narrow size distribution. The surface of MSNPs was functionalized with a cationic amphiphilic anticancer peptide, G(IIKK)3I-NH2 (G3), to enhance their selectivity towards cancer cells. The G3-MSNPs increased the cellular uptake and anticancer activity of G3 in HCT 116 colorectal cancer cells compared to free G3. Moreover, the G3-MSNPs exhibited considerably higher cellular uptake and cytotoxicity in HCT 116 colorectal cancer cells compared to normal cells (HDFs). Encapsulating ASC-J9 in G3-MSNPs resulted in augmented anticancer activity compared to free ASC-J9 and non-functionalized ASC-J9 loaded MSNPs within its biological half-life. Hence, functionalizing MSNPs with G3 enabled targeted delivery of ASC-J9 to cancer cells and enhanced its anticancer effect. Functionalization of nanoparticles with anticancer peptides could be regarded as a new strategy for targeted delivery and enhanced efficiency of anticancer drugs. Furthermore, the microfluidic device introduced in this paper offers a robust and reproducible method for fabrication of small sized homogenous nanoparticles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mhd Anas Tomeh
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Roja Hadianamrei
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK
| | - Defeng Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China
| | - Stephen Brown
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 2TN, UK
| | - Xiubo Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 3JD, UK; School of Pharmacy, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
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26
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Hou D, Hu F, Mao Y, Yan L, Zhang Y, Zheng Z, Wu A, Forouzanfar T, Pathak JL, Wu G. Cationic antimicrobial peptide NRC-03 induces oral squamous cell carcinoma cell apoptosis via CypD-mPTP axis-mediated mitochondrial oxidative stress. Redox Biol 2022; 54:102355. [PMID: 35660629 PMCID: PMC9511698 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Pleurocidin-family cationic antimicrobial peptide NRC-03 exhibits potent and selective cytotoxicity towards cancer cells. However, the anticancer effect of NRC-03 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and the molecular mechanism of NRC-03 induced cancer cell death is still unclear. This study focused to investigate mitochondrial oxidative stress-mediated altered mitochondrial function involved in NRC-03-induced apoptosis of OSCC cells. NRC-03 entered the OSCC cells more easily than that of normal cells and bound to mitochondria as well as the nucleus, causing cell membrane blebbing, mitochondria swelling, and DNA fragmentation. NRC-03 induced high oxygen consumption, reactive oxygen species (ROS) release, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis in OSCC cells. Non-specific antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), or mitochondria-specific antioxidant mitoquinone (MitoQ) alleviated NRC-03-induced apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction indicated that NRC-03 exerts a cytotoxic effect in cancer cells via inducing cellular and mitochondrial oxidative stress. Moreover, the expression of cyclophilin D (CypD), the key component of mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), was upregulated in NRC-03-treated cancer cells. Blockade of CypD by siRNA-mediated depletion or pharmacological inhibitor cyclosporine A (CsA) significantly suppressed NRC-03-induced mitochondrial oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis. NRC-03 also activated MAPK/ERK and NF-κB pathways. Importantly, intratumoral administration of NRC-03 inhibited the growth of CAL-27 cells-derived tumors on xenografted animal models. Taken together, our study indicates that NRC-03 induces apoptosis in OSCC cells via the CypD-mPTP axis mediated mitochondrial oxidative stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Hou
- Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Oral Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research of Oral Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Pathology, Amsterdam UMC/VUmc and Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Science, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, the Netherlands
| | - Fengjun Hu
- Institute of Information Technology, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, China
| | - Yixin Mao
- Department of Prosthodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China; Institute of Stomatology, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China; Laboratory for Myology, Department of Human Movement Sciences, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Sciences, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, Netherlands
| | - Liang Yan
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632, China
| | - Yuhui Zhang
- Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Oral Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research of Oral Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Zhichao Zheng
- Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Oral Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research of Oral Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Antong Wu
- Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Oral Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research of Oral Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Tymour Forouzanfar
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Pathology, Amsterdam UMC/VUmc and Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Science, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, the Netherlands
| | - Janak L Pathak
- Affiliated Stomatology Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangdong Engineering Research Center of Oral Restoration and Reconstruction, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Basic and Applied Research of Oral Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China.
| | - Gang Wu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Pathology, Amsterdam UMC/VUmc and Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Movement Science, Amsterdam, 1081 HZ, the Netherlands; Department of Oral Cell Biology, Academic Centre of Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA), University van Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1081LA, Netherlands.
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27
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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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28
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Marzhoseyni Z, Shayestehpour M, Salimian M, Esmaeili D, Saffari M, Fathizadeh H. Designing a novel fusion protein from Streptococcus agalactiae with apoptosis induction effects on cervical cancer cells. Microb Pathog 2022; 169:105670. [PMID: 35809755 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105670] [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: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Cervical cancer remains life-threatening cancer in women around the world. Due to the limitations of conventional treatment approaches, there is an urgent need to develop novel and more efficient strategies against cervical cancer. Therefore, the researchers attend to the alternative anti-cancer compounds like bacterial products. Rib and α are known as surface proteins of Streptococcus agalactiae with immunologic effects. In the present study, we designed a new anti-cancer fusion protein (Rib-α) originating from S. agalactiae with in silico methods, and then, the recombinant gene was cloned in the pET-22 (+) expression vector. The recombinant protein was expressed in E. coli BL21. To purify the expressed protein, we applied the Ni-NTA column. The molecular mechanism by which Rib-α is cytotoxic to cancer cells has been discussed based on MTT, flow cytometry, and real-time PCR methods. The engineered fusion protein suppressed the proliferation of the cancer cells at 180 μg/ml. Cytotoxic assessment and morphological changes, augmentation of apoptotic-related genes, upregulation of caspase-3 mRNA, and flow cytometric analysis confirmed that apoptosis might be the principal mechanism of cell death. According to our findings, Rib-α fusion protein motivated the intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Therefore, it can be an exciting candidate to discover a new class of antineoplastic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeynab Marzhoseyni
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Shayestehpour
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran; Autoimmune Diseases Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Morteza Salimian
- Anatomical Science Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
| | - Davoud Esmaeili
- Department of Microbiology and Applied Virology Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mahmood Saffari
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Hadis Fathizadeh
- Student Research Committee, Sirjan School of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran; Department of Laboratory Sciences, Sirjan School of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran
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29
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Sohn YS, Losub-Amir A, Cardenas AE, Karmi O, Yahana MD, Gruman T, Rowland L, Marjault HB, Webb LJ, Mittler R, Elber R, Friedler A, Nechushtai R. A peptide-derived strategy for specifically targeting the mitochondria and ER of cancer cells: a new approach in fighting cancer. Chem Sci 2022; 13:6929-6941. [PMID: 35774163 PMCID: PMC9200128 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01934e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An effective anti-cancer therapy should exclusively target cancer cells and trigger in them a broad spectrum of cell death pathways that will prevent avoidance. Here, we present a new approach in cancer therapy that specifically targets the mitochondria and ER of cancer cells. We developed a peptide derived from the flexible and transmembrane domains of the human protein NAF-1/CISD2. This peptide (NAF-144-67) specifically permeates through the plasma membranes of human epithelial breast cancer cells, abolishes their mitochondria and ER, and triggers cell death with characteristics of apoptosis, ferroptosis and necroptosis. In vivo analysis revealed that the peptide significantly decreases tumor growth in mice carrying xenograft human tumors. Computational simulations of cancer vs. normal cell membranes reveal that the specificity of the peptide to cancer cells is due to its selective recognition of their membrane composition. NAF-144-67 represents a promising anti-cancer lead compound that acts via a unique mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Sung Sohn
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram Jerusalem 9190401 Israel
| | - Anat Losub-Amir
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram Jerusalem 9190401 Israel
| | - Alfredo E Cardenas
- Institute for Computational Engineering and Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas 78712 USA
| | - Ola Karmi
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram Jerusalem 9190401 Israel
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center University of Missouri. 1201 Rollins St Columbia MO 65201 USA
| | - Merav Darash Yahana
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram Jerusalem 9190401 Israel
| | - Tal Gruman
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram Jerusalem 9190401 Israel
| | - Linda Rowland
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center University of Missouri. 1201 Rollins St Columbia MO 65201 USA
| | - Henri-Baptiste Marjault
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram Jerusalem 9190401 Israel
| | - Lauren J Webb
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Texas at Austin 2506 Speedway STOP A5300 Austin TX 78712 USA
| | - Ron Mittler
- Department of Surgery, University of Missouri School of Medicine, Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center University of Missouri. 1201 Rollins St Columbia MO 65201 USA
| | - Ron Elber
- Institute for Computational Engineering and Science and Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas 78712 USA
| | - Assaf Friedler
- Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram Jerusalem 9190401 Israel
| | - Rachel Nechushtai
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus at Givat Ram Jerusalem 9190401 Israel
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30
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Valenti GE, Alfei S, Caviglia D, Domenicotti C, Marengo B. Antimicrobial Peptides and Cationic Nanoparticles: A Broad-Spectrum Weapon to Fight Multi-Drug Resistance Not Only in Bacteria. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116108. [PMID: 35682787 PMCID: PMC9181033 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last few years, antibiotic resistance and, analogously, anticancer drug resistance have increased considerably, becoming one of the main public health problems. For this reason, it is crucial to find therapeutic strategies able to counteract the onset of multi-drug resistance (MDR). In this review, a critical overview of the innovative tools available today to fight MDR is reported. In this direction, the use of membrane-disruptive peptides/peptidomimetics (MDPs), such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), has received particular attention, due to their high selectivity and to their limited side effects. Moreover, similarities between bacteria and cancer cells are herein reported and the hypothesis of the possible use of AMPs also in anticancer therapies is discussed. However, it is important to take into account the limitations that could negatively impact clinical application and, in particular, the need for an efficient delivery system. In this regard, the use of nanoparticles (NPs) is proposed as a potential strategy to improve therapy; moreover, among polymeric NPs, cationic ones are emerging as promising tools able to fight the onset of MDR both in bacteria and in cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia E. Valenti
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), General Pathology Section, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (G.E.V.); (B.M.)
| | - Silvana Alfei
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, 16148 Genoa, Italy;
| | - Debora Caviglia
- Department of Surgical Sciences and Integrated Diagnostics (DISC), University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 6, 16132 Genova, Italy;
| | - Cinzia Domenicotti
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), General Pathology Section, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (G.E.V.); (B.M.)
- Inter-University Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching & Research (Centro 3R), 56122 Pisa, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-010-353-8830
| | - Barbara Marengo
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), General Pathology Section, University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy; (G.E.V.); (B.M.)
- Inter-University Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching & Research (Centro 3R), 56122 Pisa, Italy
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31
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Guo W, Liu W, Wan P, Wang H, Xiao C, Chen L, Chen X. Cationic Amphiphilic Dendrons with Anticancer Activity. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:2121-2130. [PMID: 35395157 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00181] [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: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Cancer has become the leading cause of human death worldwide, and there is an urgent need to design and develop new oncology drugs. In this study, we report series of cationic amphiphilic dendrons with different hydrophobic alkyl chains (Cn) and different generations (Gx) and demonstrate their use for anticancer applications. The results revealed that lower-generation dendrons (G1) with a longer hydrophobic alkyl chain (C12 and C18) have stronger antitumor activity. Among these dendrons, a lead candidate C12-G1 was identified that demonstrated excellent broad-spectrum antitumor activity in 7 cancer cell lines including highly metastatic tumor cells, while simultaneously, hemolysis was negligible. Mechanistic studies showed that C12-G1 could lead to cytoplasmic leakage and induce cancer cell necrosis through membrane disruption. In addition, C12-G1 showed potent inhibition of tumor growth in a B16-F10 melanoma model. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that the cationic amphiphilic dendron might be a promising agent for anticancer application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Guo
- Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, P. R. China
| | - Wenchang Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, P. R. China
| | - Pengqi Wan
- Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, P. R. China.,Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China
| | - Hao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 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
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, P. R. China
| | - Xuesi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Polymer Ecomaterials, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022, P. R. China
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Yang D, Zhu L, Lin X, Zhu J, Qian Y, Liu W, Chen J, Zhou C, He J. Therapeutic Effects of Synthetic Triblock Amphiphilic Short Antimicrobial Peptides on Human Lung Adenocarcinoma. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14050929. [PMID: 35631515 PMCID: PMC9143638 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14050929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Because of their unique properties, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) represent a potential reservoir of novel anticancer therapeutic agents. However, only a few AMPs can kill tumors with high efficiency, and obtaining inexpensive anticancer AMPs with strong activity is still a challenge. In our previous work, a series of original short amphiphilic triblock AMP (KnFmKn) analogues were developed which were demonstrated to exert excellent effects on bacterial infection, both in vitro and in vivo. Herein, the overall objectives were to assess the potent tumoricidal capacities of these analogues against human lung cancer cell line A549 and the underlying mechanism. The results of the CCK-8 assay revealed that the precise modification of the peptides’ primary sequences could modulate their tumoricidal potency. In the tumoricidal progress, positive charge and hydrophobicity were the key driving forces. Among these peptides, K4F6K4 displayed the most remarkable tumoricidal activity. Furthermore, the excellent anticancer capacity of K4F6K4 was proven by the live/dead cell staining, colony formation assay, and tumor growth observations on xenografted mice, which indicated that K4F6K4 might be a promising drug candidate for lung cancer, with no significant adverse effects in vitro or in vivo. In addition, the cell apoptosis assay using flow cytometry, the morphology observations using the optical microscope, confocal microscopy using CellMask™ Deep Red staining, and scanning electron microscope suggested that membrane disruption was the primary mechanism of its antitumor action. Through analyzing the structure–activity relationship, it was found that the amount of positive charge required for KnFmKn to exert its optimal tumoricidal effect was more than that needed for the antimicrobial activity, while the optimal proportion of hydrophobicity was less. Our findings suggest that further analysis of the structure–activity relationship of AMPs’ primary sequence variations will be beneficial. Hopefully, this work can provide guiding principles in designing peptide-based therapeutics for lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danjing Yang
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Liang Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Xiangyu Lin
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Jiaming Zhu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Yusheng Qian
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China;
| | - Wenhui Liu
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
| | - Chuncai Zhou
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China;
- Correspondence: (C.Z.); (J.H.)
| | - Jing He
- Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China; (D.Y.); (L.Z.); (X.L.); (J.Z.); (W.L.); (J.C.)
- Correspondence: (C.Z.); (J.H.)
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Molecular Docking of SA11, RF13 and DI14 Peptides from Vacuolar Protein Sorting Associated Protein 26B Against Cancer Proteins and In vitro Investigation of its Anticancer Potency in Hep-2 Cells. Int J Pept Res Ther 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-022-10395-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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34
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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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35
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Liu S, Aweya JJ, Zheng L, Zheng Z, Huang H, Wang F, Yao D, Ou T, Zhang Y. LvHemB1, a novel cationic antimicrobial peptide derived from the hemocyanin of Litopenaeus vannamei, induces cancer cell death by targeting mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel 1. Cell Biol Toxicol 2022; 38:87-110. [PMID: 33630204 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-021-09588-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Current cancer treatment regimens such as chemotherapy and traditional chemical drugs have adverse side effects including the appearance of drug-resistant tumor cells. For these reasons, it is imperative to find novel therapeutic agents that overcome these factors. To this end, we explored a cationic antimicrobial peptide derived from Litopenaeus vannamei hemocyanin (designated LvHemB1) that induces cancer cell death, but sparing normal cells. LvHemB1 inhibits the proliferation of human cervical (HeLa), esophageal (EC109), hepatocellular (HepG2), and bladder (EJ) cancer cell lines, but had no significant effect on normal liver cell lines (T-antigen-immortalized human liver epithelial (THLE-3) cells). In addition to its antiproliferative effects, LvHemB1 induced apoptosis, by permeating cells and targeting mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1). Colocalization studies revealed the localization of LvHemB1 in mitochondria, while molecular docking and pull-down analyses confirmed LvHemB1-VDAC1 interaction. Moreover, LvHemB1 causes loss in mitochondrial membrane potential and increases levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptotic proteins (caspase-9, caspase-3, and Bax (Bcl-2-associated X)), which results in mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. Thus, peptide LvHemB1 has the potential of being used as an anticancer agent due to its antiproliferation effect and targeting to VDAC1 to cause mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer cells, as well as its ability to induce apoptosis by increasing ROS levels, and the expression of proapoptotic proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangjie Liu
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
- Institute of Urology, The Affiliated Shenzhen Luohu Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
- STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - Jude Juventus Aweya
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
- STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - Liyuan Zheng
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
- STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - Zhou Zheng
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
- STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - He Huang
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
- STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
- STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - Defu Yao
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
- STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China
| | - Tong Ou
- Institute of Urology, The Affiliated Shenzhen Luohu Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China.
| | - Yueling Zhang
- Institute of Marine Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China.
- STU-UMT Joint Shellfish Research Laboratory, Shantou University, Shantou, 515063, China.
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36
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Engelberg Y, Ragonis-Bachar P, Landau M. Rare by Natural Selection: Disulfide-Bonded Supramolecular Antimicrobial Peptides. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:926-936. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c01353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yizhaq Engelberg
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Peleg Ragonis-Bachar
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Meytal Landau
- Department of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Hamburg 22607, Germany
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37
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da Silva CN, Dourado LFN, Silva LM, de Lima AB, de Lima ME, Silva-Cunha A, Fialho SL. Pathophysiological Effects of Lycosa erythrognatha Derived Peptide LyeTxI-b on RKO-AS-45-1 Colorectal Carcinoma Cell Line Using the Chicken Chorioallantoic Membrane Model. Int J Pept Res Ther 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10349-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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38
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Ahmed S, Muhammod R, Khan ZH, Adilina S, Sharma A, Shatabda S, Dehzangi A. ACP-MHCNN: an accurate multi-headed deep-convolutional neural network to predict anticancer peptides. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23676. [PMID: 34880291 PMCID: PMC8654959 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02703-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although advancing the therapeutic alternatives for treating deadly cancers has gained much attention globally, still the primary methods such as chemotherapy have significant downsides and low specificity. Most recently, Anticancer peptides (ACPs) have emerged as a potential alternative to therapeutic alternatives with much fewer negative side-effects. However, the identification of ACPs through wet-lab experiments is expensive and time-consuming. Hence, computational methods have emerged as viable alternatives. During the past few years, several computational ACP identification techniques using hand-engineered features have been proposed to solve this problem. In this study, we propose a new multi headed deep convolutional neural network model called ACP-MHCNN, for extracting and combining discriminative features from different information sources in an interactive way. Our model extracts sequence, physicochemical, and evolutionary based features for ACP identification using different numerical peptide representations while restraining parameter overhead. It is evident through rigorous experiments using cross-validation and independent-dataset that ACP-MHCNN outperforms other models for anticancer peptide identification by a substantial margin on our employed benchmarks. ACP-MHCNN outperforms state-of-the-art model by 6.3%, 8.6%, 3.7%, 4.0%, and 0.20 in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, and MCC respectively. ACP-MHCNN and its relevant codes and datasets are publicly available at: https://github.com/mrzResearchArena/Anticancer-Peptides-CNN . ACP-MHCNN is also publicly available as an online predictor at: https://anticancer.pythonanywhere.com/ .
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajid Ahmed
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, United International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rafsanjani Muhammod
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, United International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Zahid Hossain Khan
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, United International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sheikh Adilina
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, United International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Alok Sharma
- Laboratory for Medical Science Mathematics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan
- Institute for Integrated and Intelligent Systems, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia
| | - Swakkhar Shatabda
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, United International University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
| | - Abdollah Dehzangi
- Department of Computer Science, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA.
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Rutgers University, Camden, NJ, 08102, USA.
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Jaber S, Nemska V, Iliev I, Ivanova E, Foteva T, Georgieva N, Givechev I, Naydenova E, Karadjova V, Danalev D. Synthesis and Biological Studies on (KLAKLAK) 2-NH 2 Analog Containing Unnatural Amino Acid β-Ala and Conjugates with Second Pharmacophore. Molecules 2021; 26:7321. [PMID: 34885902 PMCID: PMC8658989 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26237321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Peptides are good candidates for anticancer drugs due to their natural existence in the body and lack of secondary effects. (KLAKLAK)2 is an antimicrobial peptide that also shows good anticancer properties. (2) Methods: The Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis (Fmoc-strategy) was used for the synthesis of target molecules, analogs of (KLAKLAK)2-NH2. The purity of all compounds was monitored by HPLC, and their structures were proven using mass spectrometry. Cytotoxicity and antiproliferative effects were studied using 3T3 NRU and MTT tests, respectively. For determination of antimicrobial activity, the disc-diffusion method was used. Hydrolytic stability at three pH values, which mimic the physiological pH in the body, was investigated by means of the HPLC technique. (3) Results: A good selective index against MCF-7 tumor cell lines, combined with good cytotoxicity and antiproliferative properties, was revealed for conjugates NphtG-(KLAKLAK)2-NH2 and Caf-(KLAKLAK)2-NH2. The same compounds showed very good antifungal properties and complete hydrolytic stability for 72 h. The compound Caf-(KLβ-AKLβ-AK)2-NH2 containing β-Ala in its structures exhibited good antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli K12 407 and Bacillus subtilis 3562, in combination with very good antiproliferative and cytotoxic properties, as well as hydrolytic stability. (4) Conclusions: The obtained results reveal that all synthesized conjugates could be useful for medical practice as anticancer or antimicrobial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirine Jaber
- University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.J.); (V.N.); (T.F.); (N.G.); (E.N.); (V.K.)
| | - Veronica Nemska
- University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.J.); (V.N.); (T.F.); (N.G.); (E.N.); (V.K.)
| | - Ivan Iliev
- Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 25 A, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (I.I.); (E.I.)
| | - Elena Ivanova
- Institute of Experimental Morphology, Pathology and Anthropology with Museum, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., bl. 25 A, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria; (I.I.); (E.I.)
| | - Tsvetelina Foteva
- University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.J.); (V.N.); (T.F.); (N.G.); (E.N.); (V.K.)
| | - Nelly Georgieva
- University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.J.); (V.N.); (T.F.); (N.G.); (E.N.); (V.K.)
| | - Ivan Givechev
- Testing Center Global Test Ltd., 31 Krushovski vrah Street, 1618 Sofia, Bulgaria;
| | - Emilia Naydenova
- University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.J.); (V.N.); (T.F.); (N.G.); (E.N.); (V.K.)
| | - Veronika Karadjova
- University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.J.); (V.N.); (T.F.); (N.G.); (E.N.); (V.K.)
| | - Dancho Danalev
- University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, 8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd, 1756 Sofia, Bulgaria; (S.J.); (V.N.); (T.F.); (N.G.); (E.N.); (V.K.)
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Hu X, Li R, Chen J, Mu Q. Synthesis and anti‐hepatocellular carcinoma activity
in vitro
of cyclic peptide
GG
‐8‐6 analogues. J Heterocycl Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jhet.4397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiao‐Zhi Hu
- School of Pharmacy Fudan University Shanghai China
| | | | - Jie‐Tao Chen
- School of Pharmacy Fudan University Shanghai China
| | - Qing Mu
- School of Pharmacy Fudan University Shanghai China
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Lin L, Chi J, Yan Y, Luo R, Feng X, Zheng Y, Xian D, Li X, Quan G, Liu D, Wu C, Lu C, Pan X. Membrane-disruptive peptides/peptidomimetics-based therapeutics: Promising systems to combat bacteria and cancer in the drug-resistant era. Acta Pharm Sin B 2021; 11:2609-2644. [PMID: 34589385 PMCID: PMC8463292 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2021.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Membrane-disruptive peptides/peptidomimetics (MDPs) are antimicrobials or anticarcinogens that present a general killing mechanism through the physical disruption of cell membranes, in contrast to conventional chemotherapeutic drugs, which act on precise targets such as DNA or specific enzymes. Owing to their rapid action, broad-spectrum activity, and mechanisms of action that potentially hinder the development of resistance, MDPs have been increasingly considered as future therapeutics in the drug-resistant era. Recently, growing experimental evidence has demonstrated that MDPs can also be utilized as adjuvants to enhance the therapeutic effects of other agents. In this review, we evaluate the literature around the broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties and anticancer activity of MDPs, and summarize the current development and mechanisms of MDPs alone or in combination with other agents. Notably, this review highlights recent advances in the design of various MDP-based drug delivery systems that can improve the therapeutic effect of MDPs, minimize side effects, and promote the co-delivery of multiple chemotherapeutics, for more efficient antimicrobial and anticancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liming Lin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Jiaying Chi
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Yilang Yan
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Rui Luo
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Xiaoqian Feng
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Yuwei Zheng
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Dongyi Xian
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Xin Li
- The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Guilan Quan
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Daojun Liu
- Shantou University Medical College, Shantou 515041, China
| | - Chuanbin Wu
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Chao Lu
- College of Pharmacy, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Xin Pan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
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42
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Design and Synthesis of a Novel Antimicrobial Peptide Targeting β-catenin in Human Breast Cancer Cell lines. Int J Pept Res Ther 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s10989-021-10215-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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43
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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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44
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Antimicrobial peptides as potential therapeutics for breast cancer. Pharmacol Res 2021; 171:105777. [PMID: 34298112 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2021.105777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common and deadliest cancer in women worldwide. Although notable advances have been achieved in the treatment of breast cancer, the overall survival rate of metastatic breast cancer patients is still considerably low due to the development of resistance to breast cancer chemotherapeutic agents and the non-optimal specificity of the current generation of cancer medications. Hence, there is a growing interest in the search for alternative therapeutics with novel anticancer mechanisms. Recently, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have gained much attention due to their cost-effectiveness, high specificity of action, and robust efficacy. However, there are no clinical data available about their efficacy. This warrants the increasing need for clinical trials to be conducted to assess the efficacy of this new class of drugs. Here, we will focus on the recent progress in the use of AMPs for breast cancer therapy and will highlight their modes of action. Finally, we will discuss the combination of AMP-based therapeutics with other breast cancer therapy strategies, including nanotherapy and chemotherapy, which may provide a potential avenue for overcoming drug resistance.
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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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Afonin S, Koniev S, Préau L, Takamiya M, Strizhak AV, Babii O, Hrebonkin A, Pivovarenko VG, Dathe M, le Noble F, Rastegar S, Strähle U, Ulrich AS, Komarov IV. In Vivo Behavior of the Antibacterial Peptide Cyclo[RRRWFW], Explored Using a 3-Hydroxychromone-Derived Fluorescent Amino Acid. Front Chem 2021; 9:688446. [PMID: 34262894 PMCID: PMC8273159 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.688446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Labeling biomolecules with fluorescent labels is an established tool for structural, biochemical, and biophysical studies; however, it remains underused for small peptides. In this work, an amino acid bearing a 3-hydroxychromone fluorophore, 2-amino-3-(2-(furan-2-yl)-3-hydroxy-4-oxo-4H-chromen-6-yl)propanoic acid (FHC), was incorporated in a known hexameric antimicrobial peptide, cyclo[RRRWFW] (cWFW), in place of aromatic residues. Circular dichroism spectropolarimetry and antibacterial activity measurements demonstrated that the FHC residue perturbs the peptide structure depending on labeling position but does not modify the activity of cWFW significantly. FHC thus can be considered an adequate label for studies of the parent peptide. Several analytical and imaging techniques were used to establish the activity of the obtained labeled cWFW analogues toward animal cells and to study the behavior of the peptides in a multicellular organism. The 3-hydroxychromone fluorophore can undergo excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT), resulting in double-band emission from its two tautomeric forms. This feature allowed us to get insights into conformational equilibria of the labeled peptides, localize the cWFW analogues in human cells (HeLa and HEK293) and zebrafish embryos, and assess the polarity of the local environment around the label by confocal fluorescence microscopy. We found that the labeled peptides efficiently penetrated cancerous cells and localized mainly in lipid-containing and/or other nonpolar subcellular compartments. In the zebrafish embryo, the peptides remained in the bloodstream upon injection into the cardinal vein, presumably adhering to lipoproteins and/or microvesicles. They did not diffuse into any tissue to a significant extent during the first 3 h after administration. This study demonstrated the utility of fluorescent labeling by double-emission labels to evaluate biologically active peptides as potential drug candidates in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergii Afonin
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Serhii Koniev
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Enamine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Laetitia Préau
- Institute of Zoology (ZOO), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Masanari Takamiya
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Alexander V. Strizhak
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Enamine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Oleg Babii
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Andrii Hrebonkin
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | | | - Margitta Dathe
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie, (FMP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Ferdinand le Noble
- Institute of Zoology (ZOO), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Sepand Rastegar
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Uwe Strähle
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems, Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Anne S. Ulrich
- Institute of Biological Interfaces (IBG-2), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
- Institute of Organic Chemistry (IOC), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Igor V. Komarov
- Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Enamine, Kyiv, Ukraine
- Lumobiotics, Karlsruhe, Germany
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Kumar R, Ali SA, Singh SK, Bhushan V, Kaushik JK, Mohanty AK, Kumar S. Peptide profiling in cow urine reveals molecular signature of physiology-driven pathways and in-silico predicted bioactive properties. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12427. [PMID: 34127704 PMCID: PMC8203733 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-91684-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptidomics allows the identification of peptides that are derived from proteins. Urinary peptidomics has revolutionized the field of diagnostics as the samples represent complete systemic changes happening in the body. Moreover, it can be collected in a non-invasive manner. We profiled the peptides in urine collected from different physiological states (heifer, pregnancy, and lactation) of Sahiwal cows. Endogenous peptides were extracted from 30 individual cows belonging to three groups, each group comprising of ten animals (biological replicates n = 10). Nano Liquid chromatography Mass spectrometry (nLC-MS/MS) experiments revealed 5239, 4774, and 5466 peptides in the heifer, pregnant and lactating animals respectively. Urinary peptides of <10 kDa size were considered for the study. Peptides were extracted by 10 kDa MWCO filter. Sequences were identified by scanning the MS spectra ranging from 200 to 2200 m/z. The peptides exhibited diversity in sequences across different physiological states and in-silico experiments were conducted to classify the bioactive peptides into anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, and anti-cancerous groups. We have validated the antimicrobial effect of urinary peptides on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli under an in-vitro experimental set up. The origin of these peptides was traced back to certain proteases viz. MMPs, KLKs, CASPs, ADAMs etc. which were found responsible for the physiology-specific peptide signature of urine. Proteins involved in extracellular matrix structural constituent (GO:0005201) were found significant during pregnancy and lactation in which tissue remodeling is extensive. Collagen trimers were prominent molecules under cellular component category during lactation. Homophilic cell adhesion was found to be an important biological process involved in embryo attachment during pregnancy. The in-silico study also highlighted the enrichment of progenitor proteins on specific chromosomes and their relative expression in context to specific physiology. The urinary peptides, precursor proteins, and proteases identified in the study offers a base line information in healthy cows which can be utilized in biomarker discovery research for several pathophysiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Kumar
- ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Cell Biology and Proteomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Center (ABTC), Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Syed Azmal Ali
- ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Cell Biology and Proteomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Center (ABTC), Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Sumit Kumar Singh
- ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Cell Biology and Proteomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Center (ABTC), Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Vanya Bhushan
- ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Cell Biology and Proteomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Center (ABTC), Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Jai Kumar Kaushik
- ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Cell Biology and Proteomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Center (ABTC), Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Ashok Kumar Mohanty
- ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Cell Biology and Proteomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Center (ABTC), Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Sudarshan Kumar
- ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Cell Biology and Proteomics Lab, Animal Biotechnology Center (ABTC), Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India.
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Petit N, Dyer JM, Clerens S, Gerrard JA, Domigan LJ. Oral delivery of self-assembling bioactive peptides to target gastrointestinal tract disease. Food Funct 2021; 11:9468-9488. [PMID: 33155590 DOI: 10.1039/d0fo01801e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Peptides are known for their diverse bioactivities including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer activity, all three of which are potentially useful in treating colon-associated diseases. Beside their capability to stimulate positive health effects once released in the body, peptides are able to form useful nanostructures such as hydrogels. Combining peptide bioactivity and peptide gel-forming potentials can create interesting systems that can be used for oral delivery. This combination, acting as a two-in-one system, has the potential to avoid the need for delicate entrapment of a drug or natural bioactive compound. We here review the context and research progress, to date, in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noémie Petit
- Riddet Institute, Massey University, PB 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand
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Bianchi J, Cavicchioli R, Kubota LT, Carrilho E, de Sousa CP, Freitas Anibal FD. Antigenotoxic potential of the fermentation broth produced by Paenibacillus polymyxa RNC-D in vitro. Future Microbiol 2021; 16:471-485. [PMID: 33960819 DOI: 10.2217/fmb-2020-0176] [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: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: Evaluate the chemopreventive potential of the extract from P. polymyxa RNC-D. Methods: Concentrations of P. polymyxa RNC-D extract were tested in HepG2/C3A cells to assess their genotoxic (comet assay), mutagenic (micronucleus test) and antigenotoxic potential (comet assay) in vitro. Results: 400 and 40 μg/ml concentrations induced DNA lesions, whereas the 4 μg/ml induced a desmutagenic effect. Complementary tests indicated that the extract minimized the formation of reactive oxygen species induced by methyl methanesulfonate and normalized the loss of membrane potential. The quantification of cytokines indicated that TNF-α was immunostimulated by the extract. However, when administered in conjunction with the methyl methanesulfonate, the extract blocked the TNF-α release. Conclusion: The fermentation broth from P. polymyxa RNC-D showed an antigenotoxic effect, and thus the potential to be used as chemopreventive compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaqueline Bianchi
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, 13565-905, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael Cavicchioli
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, 13565-905, SP, Brazil
| | - Lauro T Kubota
- Instituto de Química, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, 13083-970, SP, Brazil.,Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Carlos, 13566-590, SP, Brazil
| | - Emanuel Carrilho
- Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Carlos, 13566-590, SP, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Bioanalítica - INCTBio, Campinas, 13083-970, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristina P de Sousa
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, 13565-905, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda de Freitas Anibal
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos, 13565-905, SP, Brazil.,Instituto de Química de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Carlos, 13566-590, SP, Brazil
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Wei X, Tsai T, Howe S, Zhao J. Weaning Induced Gut Dysfunction and Nutritional Interventions in Nursery Pigs: A Partial Review. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:1279. [PMID: 33946901 PMCID: PMC8146462 DOI: 10.3390/ani11051279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Weaning is one of the most stressful events in the life of a pig. Unsuccessful weaning often leads to intestinal and immune system dysfunctions, resulting in poor growth performance as well as increased morbidity and mortality. The gut microbiota community is a complex ecosystem and is considered an "organ," producing various metabolites with many beneficial functions. In this review, we briefly introduce weaning-associated gut microbiota dysbiosis. Then, we explain the importance of maintaining a balanced gut microbiota. Finally, we discuss dietary supplements and their abilities to restore intestinal balance and improve the growth performance of weaning pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jiangchao Zhao
- Department of Animal Science, Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA; (X.W.); (T.T.); (S.H.)
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