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Zeng H, Wang W, Zhang L, Lin Z. HER3-targeted therapy: the mechanism of drug resistance and the development of anticancer drugs. CANCER DRUG RESISTANCE (ALHAMBRA, CALIF.) 2024; 7:14. [PMID: 38835349 PMCID: PMC11149107 DOI: 10.20517/cdr.2024.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (HER3), which is part of the HER family, is aberrantly expressed in various human cancers. Since HER3 only has weak tyrosine kinase activity, when HER3 ligand neuregulin 1 (NRG1) or neuregulin 2 (NRG2) appears, activated HER3 contributes to cancer development and drug resistance by forming heterodimers with other receptors, mainly including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Inhibition of HER3 and its downstream signaling, including PI3K/AKT, MEK/MAPK, JAK/STAT, and Src kinase, is believed to be necessary to conquer drug resistance and improve treatment efficiency. Until now, despite multiple anti-HER3 antibodies undergoing preclinical and clinical studies, none of the HER3-targeted therapies are licensed for utilization in clinical cancer treatment because of their safety and efficacy. Therefore, the development of HER3-targeted drugs possessing safety, tolerability, and sensitivity is crucial for clinical cancer treatment. This review summarizes the progress of the mechanism of HER3 in drug resistance, the HER3-targeted therapies that are conducted in preclinical and clinical trials, and some emerging molecules that could be used as future designed drugs for HER3, aiming to provide insights for future research and development of anticancer drugs targeting HER3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huilan Zeng
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Cancer Center, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, School of Medicine, Chongqing University, Chongqing 404000, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chongqing University Jiangjin Hospital, Chongqing 402260, China
| | - Zhenghong Lin
- School of Life Sciences, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331, China
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2
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Capone E, Tryggvason T, Cela I, Dufrusine B, Pinti M, Del Pizzo F, Gunnarsdottir HS, Grottola T, De Laurenzi V, Iacobelli S, Lattanzio R, Sala G. HER-3 surface expression increases in advanced colorectal cancer representing a potential therapeutic target. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:400. [PMID: 37898642 PMCID: PMC10613198 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01692-8] [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: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
HER-3 (also known as ErbB-3) is a human epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinases family member, and its expression in CRC (colorectal cancer) tissues was previously associated with poor prognosis. In this study, HER-3 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in two cohorts of early and advanced metastatic CRC patients. The first cohort included 180 patients diagnosed with CRC in absence of lymph nodes or distant metastases (Stage I and Stage II), while the second was obtained from 53 advanced metastatic CRC patients who developed synchronous (SM) and metachronous (MM) liver metastases. In the first early-stage CRC cohort, 86 out of 180 (47.8%) tumors showed membranous expression of HER-3, with a mean percentage of positive tumor cells of 25.7%; conversely, in advanced metastatic CRC primary tumors, HER-3 was detected in all specimens, with a mean percentage of positive tumor cells of 76.1%. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that in the advanced metastatic CRC group, patients with HER-3high tumors had a significantly lower Cancer-Specific Survival (CSS) rate compared to patients with HER-3low tumors (p = 0.021). Importantly, this worse CSS rate was observed only in the MM subgroup of patients with HER-3high tumors (p = 0.002). Multivariate analysis confirmed that high HER-3 expression represents a significant and strong risk factor for death in patients developing MM liver metastases (Hazard Ratio = 64.9; 95% Confidence Interval, 4.7-886.6; p = 0.002). In addition, using a specific anti-HER-3 antibody-drug conjugate, named EV20/MMAF, we showed that HER-3 + CRC cells can be efficiently targeted in vitro and in vivo. Overall, this study confirms that surface HER-3 is highly expressed in CRC and reveals that HER-3 expression increases in metastatic CRC patients compared to early stage. Importantly, the results suggest that HER-3 has a prognostic and therapeutic value in patients developing MM liver metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Capone
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Thordur Tryggvason
- Department of Pathology, Landspítali - The National University Hospital of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Ilaria Cela
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Beatrice Dufrusine
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Department of Bioscience and Technology for Food, Agriculture and Environment, University of Teramo, Teramo, Italy
| | - Morena Pinti
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Francesco Del Pizzo
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | - Tommaso Grottola
- Surgical Oncology Unit, Casa di Cura Pierangeli, 65124, Pescara, Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Laurenzi
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | - Rossano Lattanzio
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Gianluca Sala
- Department of Innovative Technologies in Medicine & Dentistry, University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
- Center for Advanced Studies and Technology (CAST), University "Gabriele d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
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Wang Z, Li H, Gou L, Li W, Wang Y. Antibody-drug conjugates: Recent advances in payloads. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:4025-4059. [PMID: 37799390 PMCID: PMC10547921 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2023.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody‒drug conjugates (ADCs), which combine the advantages of monoclonal antibodies with precise targeting and payloads with efficient killing, show great clinical therapeutic value. The ADCs' payloads play a key role in determining the efficacy of ADC drugs and thus have attracted great attention in the field. An ideal ADC payload should possess sufficient toxicity, low immunogenicity, high stability, and modifiable functional groups. Common ADC payloads include tubulin inhibitors and DNA damaging agents, with tubulin inhibitors accounting for more than half of the ADC drugs in clinical development. However, due to clinical limitations of traditional ADC payloads, such as inadequate efficacy and the development of acquired drug resistance, novel highly efficient payloads with diverse targets and reduced side effects are being developed. This perspective summarizes the recent research advances of traditional and novel ADC payloads with main focuses on the structure-activity relationship studies, co-crystal structures, and designing strategies, and further discusses the future research directions of ADC payloads. This review also aims to provide valuable references and future directions for the development of novel ADC payloads that will have high efficacy, low toxicity, adequate stability, and abilities to overcome drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijia Wang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, China
| | - Hanxuan Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Lantu Gou
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Yuxi Wang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Targeted Tracer Research and Development Laboratory, Institute of Respiratory Health, Frontiers Science Center for Disease-related Molecular Network, National Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, Precision Medicine Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province & Precision Medicine Research Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Frontiers Medical Center, Tianfu Jincheng Laboratory, Chengdu 610212, China
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4
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Gandullo-Sánchez L, Ocaña A, Pandiella A. HER3 in cancer: from the bench to the bedside. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2022; 41:310. [PMID: 36271429 PMCID: PMC9585794 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02515-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The HER3 protein, that belongs to the ErbB/HER receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) family, is expressed in several types of tumors. That fact, together with the role of HER3 in promoting cell proliferation, implicate that targeting HER3 may have therapeutic relevance. Furthermore, expression and activation of HER3 has been linked to resistance to drugs that target other HER receptors such as agents that act on EGFR or HER2. In addition, HER3 has been associated to resistance to some chemotherapeutic drugs. Because of those circumstances, efforts to develop and test agents targeting HER3 have been carried out. Two types of agents targeting HER3 have been developed. The most abundant are antibodies or engineered antibody derivatives that specifically recognize the extracellular region of HER3. In addition, the use of aptamers specifically interacting with HER3, vaccines or HER3-targeting siRNAs have also been developed. Here we discuss the state of the art of the preclinical and clinical development of drugs aimed at targeting HER3 with therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Gandullo-Sánchez
- grid.428472.f0000 0004 1794 2467Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC, IBSAL and CIBERONC, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Alberto Ocaña
- grid.411068.a0000 0001 0671 5785Hospital Clínico San Carlos and CIBERONC, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Atanasio Pandiella
- grid.428472.f0000 0004 1794 2467Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC, IBSAL and CIBERONC, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
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Bagheri A, Culp PA, DuBridge RB, Chen THT. CRISPR/Cas9 disruption of EpCAM Exon 2 results in cell-surface expression of a truncated protein targeted by an EpCAM specific T cell engager. Biochem Biophys Rep 2022; 29:101205. [PMID: 35071801 PMCID: PMC8761601 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology allows researchers to study protein function by specifically introducing double-stranded breaks in the gene of interest then analyze its subsequent loss in sensitive biological assays. To help characterize one of a series of highly potent, conditionally active, T cell engaging bispecific molecules called COBRA™, the human EpCAM gene was disrupted in HT29 cells using CRISPR/Cas9 and guide RNA targeting its Exon 2. Although a commercially available antibody indicated loss of cell-surface expression, the EpCAM targeting bispecific COBRA was still able to lyse these cells in a T cell dependent cellular cytotoxicity assay. RT-PCR sequence analysis of these cells showed a major alternative transcript generated after CRISPR/Cas9, with Exon 1 and 3 spliced together in-frame, skipping Exon 2 completely, to express a truncated cell-surface receptor recognized by the EpCAM-COBRA. Researchers who use CRISPR/Cas9 must be cognizant of this potential to express alternative versions of their proteins and use sensitive orthogonal detection methods to ensure complete gene disruption. CRISPR/Cas9 allows researchers to target gene disruption and analyze its loss of expression. After CRISPR/Cas9 targeting the EpCAM gene, no protein was detected after staining with a commercial antibody. An in-house EpCAM T-cell engager was able to lyse these supposedly EpCAM KO cells. cDNA analysis showed an alternative mRNA transcript arose after CRISPR/Cas9, creating a truncated version on the cell's surface. Scientists using CRISPR must be aware of the potential to make alternate forms and try other means to ensure no expression.
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Eliseev IE, Ukrainskaya VM, Yudenko AN, Mikushina AD, Shmakov SV, Afremova AI, Ekimova VM, Vronskaia AA, Knyazev NA, Shamova OV. Targeting ErbB3 Receptor in Cancer with Inhibitory Antibodies from Llama. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9091106. [PMID: 34572289 PMCID: PMC8467012 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9091106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The human ErbB3 receptor confers resistance to the pharmacological inhibition of EGFR and HER2 receptor tyrosine kinases in cancer, which makes it an important therapeutic target. Several anti-ErbB3 monoclonal antibodies that are currently being developed are all classical immunoglobulins. We took a different approach and discovered a group of novel heavy-chain antibodies targeting the extracellular domain of ErbB3 via a phage display of an antibody library from immunized llamas. We first produced three selected single-domain antibodies, named BCD090-P1, BCD090-M2, and BCD090-M456, in E. coli, as SUMO fusions that yielded up to 180 mg of recombinant protein per liter of culture. Then, we studied folding, aggregation, and disulfide bond formation, and showed their ultimate stability with half-denaturation of the strongest candidate, BCD090-P1, occurring in 8 M of urea. In surface plasmon resonance experiments, two most potent antibodies, BCD090-P1 and BCD090-M2, bound the extracellular domain of ErbB3 with 1.6 nM and 15 nM affinities for the monovalent interaction, respectively. The receptor binding was demonstrated by immunofluorescent confocal microscopy on four different ErbB3+ cancer cell lines. We observed that BCD090-P1 and BCD090-M2 bind noncompetitively to two distinct epitopes on the receptor. Both antibodies inhibited the ErbB3-driven proliferation of MCF-7 breast adenocarcinoma cells and HER2-overexpressing SK-BR-3 cells, with the EC50 in the range of 0.1–25 μg/mL. BCD090-M2 directly blocks ligand binding, whereas BCD090-P1 does not compete with the ligand and presumably acts through a distinct allosteric mechanism. We anticipate that these llama antibodies can be used to engineer new biparatopic anti-ErbB3 or bispecific anti-ErbB2/3 antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor E. Eliseev
- Laboratory of Renewable Energy Sources, Alferov University, St. Petersburg 194021, Russia; (A.D.M.); (S.V.S.); (A.A.V.)
- Center for Personalized Medicine, FSBSI Institute of Experimental Medicine, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia;
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia;
- Correspondence:
| | - Valeria M. Ukrainskaya
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia;
| | - Anna N. Yudenko
- Research Center for Molecular Mechanisms of Aging and Age-Related Diseases, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Dolgoprudny 141700, Russia;
| | - Anna D. Mikushina
- Laboratory of Renewable Energy Sources, Alferov University, St. Petersburg 194021, Russia; (A.D.M.); (S.V.S.); (A.A.V.)
| | - Stanislav V. Shmakov
- Laboratory of Renewable Energy Sources, Alferov University, St. Petersburg 194021, Russia; (A.D.M.); (S.V.S.); (A.A.V.)
| | | | | | - Anna A. Vronskaia
- Laboratory of Renewable Energy Sources, Alferov University, St. Petersburg 194021, Russia; (A.D.M.); (S.V.S.); (A.A.V.)
| | - Nickolay A. Knyazev
- Saint-Petersburg Clinical Scientific and Practical Center for Specialized Types of Medical Care (Oncological), St. Petersburg 197758, Russia;
| | - Olga V. Shamova
- Center for Personalized Medicine, FSBSI Institute of Experimental Medicine, St. Petersburg 197376, Russia;
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7
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Madheswaran S, Mungra N, Biteghe FAN, De la Croix Ndong J, Arowolo AT, Adeola HA, Ramamurthy D, Naran K, Khumalo NP, Barth S. Antibody-Based Targeted Interventions for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Skin Cancers. Anticancer Agents Med Chem 2021; 21:162-186. [PMID: 32723261 DOI: 10.2174/1871520620666200728123006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Revised: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cutaneous malignancies most commonly arise from skin epidermal cells. These cancers may rapidly progress from benign to a metastatic phase. Surgical resection represents the gold standard therapeutic treatment of non-metastatic skin cancer while chemo- and/or radiotherapy are often used against metastatic tumors. However, these therapeutic treatments are limited by the development of resistance and toxic side effects, resulting from the passive accumulation of cytotoxic drugs within healthy cells. OBJECTIVE This review aims to elucidate how the use of monoclonal Antibodies (mAbs) targeting specific Tumor Associated Antigens (TAAs) is paving the way to improved treatment. These mAbs are used as therapeutic or diagnostic carriers that can specifically deliver cytotoxic molecules, fluorophores or radiolabels to cancer cells that overexpress specific target antigens. RESULTS mAbs raised against TAAs are widely in use for e.g. differential diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of skin cancers. Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) particularly show remarkable potential. The safest ADCs reported to date use non-toxic photo-activatable Photosensitizers (PSs), allowing targeted Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) resulting in targeted delivery of PS into cancer cells and selective killing after light activation without harming the normal cell population. The use of near-infrared-emitting PSs enables both diagnostic and therapeutic applications upon light activation at the specific wavelengths. CONCLUSION Antibody-based approaches are presenting an array of opportunities to complement and improve current methods employed for skin cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suresh Madheswaran
- Medical Biotechnology & Immunotherapy Research Unit, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Neelakshi Mungra
- Medical Biotechnology & Immunotherapy Research Unit, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Fleury A N Biteghe
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical, 8700 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jean De la Croix Ndong
- Department of Orthopedic Surgery, New York University Langone Orthopedic Hospital, 301 East 17th Street, New York, NY, United States
| | - Afolake T Arowolo
- The Hair and Skin Research Lab, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Henry A Adeola
- The Hair and Skin Research Lab, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dharanidharan Ramamurthy
- Medical Biotechnology & Immunotherapy Research Unit, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Krupa Naran
- Medical Biotechnology & Immunotherapy Research Unit, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nonhlanhla P Khumalo
- The Hair and Skin Research Lab, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Stefan Barth
- Medical Biotechnology & Immunotherapy Research Unit, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Haikala HM, Jänne PA. Thirty Years of HER3: From Basic Biology to Therapeutic Interventions. Clin Cancer Res 2021; 27:3528-3539. [PMID: 33608318 DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.ccr-20-4465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
HER3 is a pseudokinase member of the EGFR family having a role in both tumor progression and drug resistance. Although HER3 was discovered more than 30 years ago, no therapeutic interventions have reached clinical approval to date. Because the evidence of the importance of HER3 is accumulating, increased amounts of preclinical and clinical trials with HER3-targeting agents are emerging. In this review article, we discuss the most recent HER3 biology in tumorigenic events and drug resistance and provide an overview of the current and emerging strategies to target HER3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi M Haikala
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Pasi A Jänne
- Lowe Center for Thoracic Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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9
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Targeting Receptors on Cancer Cells with Protein Toxins. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10091331. [PMID: 32957689 PMCID: PMC7563326 DOI: 10.3390/biom10091331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells frequently upregulate surface receptors that promote growth and survival. These receptors constitute valid targets for intervention. One strategy involves the delivery of toxic payloads with the goal of killing those cancer cells with high receptor levels. Delivery can be accomplished by attaching a toxic payload to either a receptor-binding antibody or a receptor-binding ligand. Generally, the cell-binding domain of the toxin is replaced with a ligand or antibody that dictates a new binding specificity. The advantage of this “immunotoxin” approach lies in the potency of these chimeric molecules for killing cancer cells. However, receptor expression on normal tissue represents a significant obstacle to therapeutic intervention.
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10
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Zhou C, Xia Y, Wei Y, Cheng L, Wei J, Guo B, Meng F, Cao S, van Hest JCM, Zhong Z. GE11 peptide-installed chimaeric polymersomes tailor-made for high-efficiency EGFR-targeted protein therapy of orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma. Acta Biomater 2020; 113:512-521. [PMID: 32562803 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading malignancy with a high mortality and little improvement in treatments. Protein drugs though known for their extraordinary potency and specificity have rarely been investigated for HCC therapy owing to lack of appropriate delivery systems. Here, we designed GE11 peptide-installed chimaeric polymersomes (GE11-CPs) for high-efficiency EGFR-targeted protein therapy of orthotopic SMMC-7721 HCC-bearing nude mice. GE11-CPs were assembled from poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-dithiolane trimethylene carbonate)-b-poly(aspartic acid) (PEG-P(TMC-DTC)-PAsp) and GE11-functionalized PEG-P(TMC-DTC), which allowed efficient loading and protection of proteins in the watery interior and fine-tuning of GE11 densities at the surface. CPs with short PAsp segments (degree of polymerization (DP) = 5, 10 and 15) exhibited a protein loading efficiency of 60%-72% and glutathione-responsive protein release. Saporin-loaded GE11-CPs had a size of 36 - 62 nm depending on GE11 densities and DP of PAsp. Notably, GE11-CPs with 10% GE11 revealed greatly enhanced uptake in SMMC-7721 cells, boosting the anticancer potency of saporin for over 3-folds compared with non-targeted control (half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) = 11.0 versus 36.3 nM). The biodistribution studies using Cy5-labeled cytochrome C as a model protein demonstrated about 3-fold higher accumulation of GE11-CPs formulation than CPs counterpart in both subcutaneous and orthotopic SMMC-7721 tumor models. Notably, saporin-loaded GE11-CPs revealed low toxicity, effective tumor inhibition and significant improvement of survival rate compared with PBS and non-targeted groups (median survival time: 99 versus 37 and 42 days). EGFR-targeted chimaeric polymersomes carrying proteins appear an interesting HCC treatment modality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Zhou
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, PR China
| | - Yifeng Xia
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, PR China
| | - Yaohua Wei
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, PR China
| | - Liang Cheng
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, PR China; Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, PR China.
| | - Jingjing Wei
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, PR China
| | - Beibei Guo
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, PR China
| | - Fenghua Meng
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, PR China.
| | - Shoupeng Cao
- Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513 (STO 3.31), 5600MB Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Jan C M van Hest
- Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513 (STO 3.31), 5600MB Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Zhiyuan Zhong
- Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, and State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, PR China.
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11
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Antibody-Drug Conjugates: The New Frontier of Chemotherapy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21155510. [PMID: 32752132 PMCID: PMC7432430 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21155510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have become promising antitumor agents to be used as one of the tools in personalized cancer medicine. ADCs are comprised of a drug with cytotoxic activity cross-linked to a monoclonal antibody, targeting antigens expressed at higher levels on tumor cells than on normal cells. By providing a selective targeting mechanism for cytotoxic drugs, ADCs improve the therapeutic index in clinical practice. In this review, the chemistry of ADC linker conjugation together with strategies adopted to improve antibody tolerability (by reducing antigenicity) are examined, with particular attention to ADCs approved by the regulatory agencies (the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA)) for treating cancer patients. Recent developments in engineering Immunoglobulin (Ig) genes and antibody humanization have greatly reduced some of the problems of the first generation of ADCs, beset by problems, such as random coupling of the payload and immunogenicity of the antibody. ADC development and clinical use is a fast, evolving area, and will likely prove an important modality for the treatment of cancer in the near future.
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12
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Gandullo-Sánchez L, Capone E, Ocaña A, Iacobelli S, Sala G, Pandiella A. HER3 targeting with an antibody-drug conjugate bypasses resistance to anti-HER2 therapies. EMBO Mol Med 2020; 12:e11498. [PMID: 32329582 PMCID: PMC7207167 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201911498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite impressive clinical benefit obtained with anti‐HER2‐targeted therapies, in advances stages, especially in the metastatic setting, HER2‐positive tumors remain incurable. Therefore, it is important to develop novel strategies to fight these tumors, especially when they become resistant to available therapies. We show here that the anti‐HER3 antibody–drug conjugate EV20/MMAF exerted potent anti‐tumoral properties against several models of primary resistance and secondary resistance to common anti‐HER2 available therapies, including trastuzumab, lapatinib, neratinib, and trastuzumab‐emtansine. HER3 was expressed in these HER2+ breast cancer cells and knockdown experiments demonstrated that HER3 expression was required for the action of EV20/MMAF. In mice injected with trastuzumab‐resistant HER2+ cells, a single dose of EV20/MMAF caused complete and long‐lasting tumor regression. Mechanistically, EV20/MMAF bound to cell surface HER3 and became internalized to the lysosomes. Treatment with EV20/MMAF caused cell cycle arrest in mitosis and promoted cell death through mitotic catastrophe. These findings encourage the clinical testing of EV20/MMAF for several indications in the HER2+ cancer clinic, including situations in which HER2+ tumors become refractory to approved anti‐HER2 therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Gandullo-Sánchez
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC, IBSAL and CIBERONC, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Emily Capone
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, Center for Advanced Studiesand Technology (CAST), University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | | | - Gianluca Sala
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, Center for Advanced Studiesand Technology (CAST), University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy.,MediaPharma s.r.l, Chieti, Italy
| | - Atanasio Pandiella
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular del Cáncer, CSIC, IBSAL and CIBERONC, Salamanca, Spain
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13
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Koganemaru S, Kuboki Y, Koga Y, Kojima T, Yamauchi M, Maeda N, Kagari T, Hirotani K, Yasunaga M, Matsumura Y, Doi T. U3-1402, a Novel HER3-Targeting Antibody-Drug Conjugate, for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer. Mol Cancer Ther 2019; 18:2043-2050. [PMID: 31395690 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-19-0452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Revised: 06/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
HER3 is overexpressed in several cancers, including colorectal cancer. Although therapies with anti-HER3 antibodies have been investigated, significant clinical benefits have not been reported. U3-1402 is a novel HER3-antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) composed of the HER3 antibody patritumab and a novel topoisomerase I inhibitor, DX-8951 derivative (DXd). The sensitivity of DXd was evaluated by a growth inhibition assay. The antitumor activity of U3-1402 was evaluated in a murine xenograft model in which its effects on cells, with a range of HER3 expression levels, were compared with those of patritumab alone, irinotecan, control-ADC, and saline. In the growth inhibition assay, all colorectal cancer cell lines were sensitive to DXd. In the tumor xenograft model, significant tumor regression with U3-1402 was observed both in the DiFi cell line (high HER3 expression; KRAS wild type) and in SW620 (high HER3 expression; KRAS mutation), but no treatment effect was observed in Colo320DM (low HER3 expression). Notably, SW620 tumor growth was significantly suppressed with U3-1402 compared with the saline-treated group (P < 0.001) and showed greater activity compared with the irinotecan group. By contrast, patritumab alone, control-ADC, and saline did not significantly differ in tumor growth inhibition. The antitumor activity of U3-1402 was dependent on HER3 expression level, but not on KRAS mutation status. These results support further investigation of development strategies for U3-1402 in patients with HER3-expressing colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigehiro Koganemaru
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan.,Medical Science Program, Graduate School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasutoshi Kuboki
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan.
| | - Yoshikatsu Koga
- Division of Developmental Therapeutics, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Takashi Kojima
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Mayumi Yamauchi
- Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Maeda
- Biomarker Department, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Kagari
- Oncology Research Laboratories I, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Hirotani
- Oncology Clinical Development Department, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masahiro Yasunaga
- Division of Developmental Therapeutics, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Matsumura
- Division of Developmental Therapeutics, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Doi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Japan
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14
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Black LE, Longo JF, Carroll SL. Mechanisms of Receptor Tyrosine-Protein Kinase ErbB-3 (ERBB3) Action in Human Neoplasia. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PATHOLOGY 2019; 189:1898-1912. [PMID: 31351986 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2019.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor, receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2 (ERBB2)/human EGF receptor 2 (HER2), and, to a lesser extent, ERBB4/HER4, promote the pathogenesis of many types of human cancers. In contrast, the role that ERBB3/HER3, the fourth member of the ERBB family of receptor tyrosine kinases, plays in these diseases is poorly understood and, until recently, underappreciated. In large part, this was because early structural and functional studies suggested that ERBB3 had little, if any, intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity and, thus, was unlikely to be an important therapeutic target. Since then, however, numerous publications have demonstrated an important role for ERBB3 in carcinogenesis, metastasis, and acquired drug resistance. Furthermore, somatic ERBB3 mutations are frequently encountered in many types of human cancers. Dysregulation of ERBB3 trafficking as well as cooperation with other receptor tyrosine kinases further enhance ERBB3's role in tumorigenesis and drug resistance. As a result of these advances in our understanding of the structure and biochemistry of ERBB3, and a growing focus on the development of precision and combinatorial therapeutic regimens, ERBB3 is increasingly considered to be an important therapeutic target in human cancers. In this review, we discuss the unique structural and functional features of ERBB3 and how this information is being used to develop effective new therapeutic agents that target ERBB3 in human cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel E Black
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Jody F Longo
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Steven L Carroll
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.
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15
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Bourillon L, Bourgier C, Gaborit N, Garambois V, Llès E, Zampieri A, Ogier C, Jarlier M, Radosevic-Robin N, Orsetti B, Delpech H, Theillet C, Colombo PE, Azria D, Pèlegrin A, Larbouret C, Chardès T. An auristatin-based antibody-drug conjugate targeting HER3 enhances the radiation response in pancreatic cancer. Int J Cancer 2019; 145:1838-1851. [PMID: 30882895 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.32273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer characterized by poor response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy due to the lack of efficient therapeutic tools and early diagnostic markers. We previously generated the nonligand competing anti-HER3 antibody 9F7-F11 that binds to pancreatic tumor cells and induces tumor regression in vivo in experimental models. Here, we asked whether coupling 9F7-F11 with a radiosensitizer, such as monomethylauristatin E (MMAE), by using the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) technology could improve radiation therapy efficacy in PDAC. We found that the MMAE-based HER3 antibody-drug conjugate (HER3-ADC) was efficiently internalized in tumor cells, increased the fraction of cells arrested in G2/M, which is the most radiosensitive phase of the cell cycle, and promoted programmed cell death of irradiated HER3-positive pancreatic cancer cells (BxPC3 and HPAC cell lines). HER3-ADC decreased the clonogenic survival of irradiated cells by increasing DNA double-strand break formation (based on γH2AX level), and by modulating DNA damage repair. Tumor radiosensitization with HER3-ADC favored the inhibition of the AKT-induced survival pathway, together with more efficient caspase 3/PARP-mediated apoptosis. Incubation with HER3-ADC before irradiation synergistically reduced the phosphorylation of STAT3, which is involved in chemoradiation resistance. In vivo, the combination of HER3-ADC with radiation therapy increased the overall survival of mice harboring BxPC3, HPAC cell xenografts or patient-derived xenografts, and reduced proliferation (KI67-positive cells). Combining auristatin radiosensitizer delivery via an HER3-ADC with radiotherapy is a new promising therapeutic strategy in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bourillon
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Céline Bourgier
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France.,Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Nadège Gaborit
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Véronique Garambois
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Eva Llès
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Alexandre Zampieri
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Charline Ogier
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Marta Jarlier
- Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Nina Radosevic-Robin
- Department of Biopathology, Jean Perrin Comprehensive Cancer Center and INSERM/UCA UMR 1240, 63011, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Béatrice Orsetti
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Hélène Delpech
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Charles Theillet
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Pierre-Emmanuel Colombo
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France.,Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - David Azria
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France.,Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - André Pèlegrin
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Christel Larbouret
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France
| | - Thierry Chardès
- Institut de Recherche en Cancérologie de Montpellier (IRCM), INSERM U1194, Université de Montpellier, Institut Régional du Cancer de Montpellier (ICM), 34298, Montpellier, France.,Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France
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16
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Padayachee ER, Adeola HA, Van Wyk JC, Nsole Biteghe FA, Chetty S, Khumalo NP, Barth S. Applications of SNAP-tag technology in skin cancer therapy. Health Sci Rep 2019; 2:e103. [PMID: 30809593 PMCID: PMC6375544 DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer treatment in the 21st century has seen immense advances in optical imaging and immunotherapy. Significant progress has been made in the bioengineering and production of immunoconjugates to achieve the goal of specifically targeting tumors. DISCUSSION In the 21st century, antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) have been the focus of immunotherapeutic strategies in cancer. ADCs combine the unique targeting of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with the cancer killing ability of cytotoxic drugs. However, due to random conjugation methods of drug to antibody, ADCs are associated with poor antigen specificity and low cytotoxicity, resulting in a drug to antibody ratio (DAR) >1. This means that the cytotoxic drugs in ADCs are conjugated randomly to antibodies, by cysteine or lysine residues. This generates heterogeneous ADC populations with 0 to 8 drugs per an antibody, each with distinct pharmacokinetic, efficacy, and toxicity properties. Additionally, heterogeneity is created not only by different antibody to ligand ratios but also by different sites of conjugation. Hence, much effort has been made to find and establish antibody conjugation strategies that enable us to better control stoichiometry and site-specificity. This includes utilizing protein self-labeling tags as fusion partners to the original protein. Site-specific conjugation is a significant characteristic of these engineered proteins. SNAP-tag is one such engineered self-labeling protein tag shown to have promising potential in cancer treatment. The SNAP-tag is fused to an antibody of choice and covalently reacts specifically in a 1:1 ratio with benzylguanine (BG) substrates, eg, fluorophores or photosensitizers, to target skin cancer. This makes SNAP-tag a versatile technique in optical imaging and photoimmunotherapy of skin cancer. CONCLUSION SNAP-tag technology has the potential to contribute greatly to a broad range of molecular oncological applications because it combines efficacious tumor targeting, minimized local and systemic toxicity, and noninvasive assessment of diagnostic/prognostic molecular biomarkers of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eden Rebecca Padayachee
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Henry Ademola Adeola
- The Hair and Skin Research Lab, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape Town and Groote Schuur HospitalCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Jennifer Catherine Van Wyk
- The Hair and Skin Research Lab, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape Town and Groote Schuur HospitalCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Fleury Augustine Nsole Biteghe
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Shivan Chetty
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Nonhlanhla Patience Khumalo
- The Hair and Skin Research Lab, Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape Town and Groote Schuur HospitalCape TownSouth Africa
| | - Stefan Barth
- Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of Cape TownCape TownSouth Africa
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17
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Mishra R, Patel H, Alanazi S, Yuan L, Garrett JT. HER3 signaling and targeted therapy in cancer. Oncol Rev 2018; 12:355. [PMID: 30057690 PMCID: PMC6047885 DOI: 10.4081/oncol.2018.355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
ERBB family members including epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) also known as HER1, ERBB2/HER2/Neu, ERBB3/HER3 and ERBB4/HER4 are aberrantly activated in multiple cancers and hence serve as drug targets and biomarkers in modern precision therapy. The therapeutic potential of HER3 has long been underappreciated, due to impaired kinase activity and relatively low expression in tumors. However, HER3 has received attention in recent years as it is a crucial heterodimeric partner for other EGFR family members and has the potential to regulate EGFR/HER2-mediated resistance. Upregulation of HER3 is associated with several malignancies where it fosters tumor progression via interaction with different receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Studies also implicate HER3 contributing significantly to treatment failure, mostly through the activation of PI3K/AKT, MAPK/ERK and JAK/STAT pathways. Moreover, activating mutations in HER3 have highlighted the role of HER3 as a direct therapeutic target. Therapeutic targeting of HER3 includes abrogating its dimerization partners’ kinase activity using small molecule inhibitors (lapatinib, erlotinib, gefitinib, afatinib, neratinib) or direct targeting of its extracellular domain. In this review, we focus on HER3-mediated signaling, its role in drug resistance and discuss the latest advances to overcome resistance by targeting HER3 using mono- and bispecific antibodies and small molecule inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalin Mishra
- James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Hima Patel
- James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Samar Alanazi
- James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Long Yuan
- James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Joan T Garrett
- James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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18
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Capone E, Lamolinara A, D'Agostino D, Rossi C, De Laurenzi V, Iezzi M, Iacobelli S, Sala G. EV20-mediated delivery of cytotoxic auristatin MMAF exhibits potent therapeutic efficacy in cutaneous melanoma. J Control Release 2018; 277:48-56. [PMID: 29550398 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2018.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Cutaneous melanoma is one of the cancers with the fastest rising incidence and in its advanced metastatic form is a highly lethal disease. Despite the recent approval of several new drugs, the 5-year overall survival rate for advanced cutaneous melanoma is still below 20% and therefore, the development of novel treatments remains a primary need. Antibody-Drug Conjugates are an emerging novel class of anticancer agents, whose preclinical and clinical development has recently seen a remarkable increase in different tumors, including melanoma. Here, we have coupled the anti-HER-3 internalizing antibody EV20 to the cytotoxic drug monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF) to form a novel antibody-drug conjugate (EV20/MMAF). In a panel of human melanoma cell lines, this novel ADC shows a powerful, specific and target-dependent cell killing activity, independently of BRAF status. Efficacy studies demonstrated that a single administration of EV20/MMAF leads to a long-lasting tumor growth inhibition. Remarkably, the effect of this novel ADC was superior to the BRAF inhibitor vemurafenib in preventing kidney, liver and lung melanoma metastases. Overall, these results highlight EV20/MMAF as a novel ADC with promising therapeutic efficacy, warranting extensive pre-clinical evaluation in melanoma with high levels of HER-3 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Capone
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Alessia Lamolinara
- Department of Medicine and Aging Science, CeSi-Met, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Daniela D'Agostino
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Cosmo Rossi
- Aging Research Center and Translational Medicine (CeSI-Met), Italy
| | - Vincenzo De Laurenzi
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Manuela Iezzi
- Department of Medicine and Aging Science, CeSi-Met, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | - Gianluca Sala
- Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy; MediaPharma s.r.l., Via della Colonnetta 50/A, Chieti, Italy.
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19
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Giansanti F, Flavell DJ, Angelucci F, Fabbrini MS, Ippoliti R. Strategies to Improve the Clinical Utility of Saporin-Based Targeted Toxins. Toxins (Basel) 2018; 10:toxins10020082. [PMID: 29438358 PMCID: PMC5848183 DOI: 10.3390/toxins10020082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Revised: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant Ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs) including the type I RIP Saporin have been used for the construction of Immunotoxins (ITxs) obtained via chemical conjugation of the toxic domain to whole antibodies or by generating genetic fusions to antibody fragments/targeting domains able to direct the chimeric toxin against a desired sub-population of cancer cells. The high enzymatic activity, stability and resistance to conjugation procedures and especially the possibility to express recombinant fusions in yeast, make Saporin a well-suited tool for anti-cancer therapy approaches. Previous clinical work on RIPs-based Immunotoxins (including Saporin) has shown that several critical issues must be taken into deeper consideration to fully exploit their therapeutic potential. This review focuses on possible combinatorial strategies (chemical and genetic) to augment Saporin-targeted toxin efficacy. Combinatorial approaches may facilitate RIP escape into the cytosolic compartment (where target ribosomes are), while genetic manipulations may minimize potential adverse effects such as vascular-leak syndrome or may identify T/B cell epitopes in order to decrease the immunogenicity following similar strategies as those used in the case of bacterial toxins such as Pseudomonas Exotoxin A or as for Type I RIP Bouganin. This review will further focus on strategies to improve recombinant production of Saporin-based chimeric toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Giansanti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, I-67100 L'Aquila, Italy.
| | - David J Flavell
- The Simon Flavell Leukaemia Research Laboratory (Leukaemia Busters), Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 8AT, UK.
| | - Francesco Angelucci
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, I-67100 L'Aquila, Italy.
| | | | - Rodolfo Ippoliti
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, I-67100 L'Aquila, Italy.
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20
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Oroz A, Bokun Z, Lazović B, Čukić O, Valjarević S. Rare malignant skin tumours of the head and neck. SANAMED 2018. [DOI: 10.24125/sanamed.v13i3.245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Malignant skin tumors in the majority of cases arise from the squamous epithelium, although they may occur in other accompanying skin structures, such as skin adnexa (hair follicle, sweat and sebaceous glands), as well as soft tissues participating in the building of skin structure, such as muscles, fibrous, fatty tissue and cartilagå. Those tumors may also have a neuroendocrine origin or may arise from a premalignant lesion (solar keratosis and lentigo maligna). Regardless of their origin, they usually present as a nodule or longstanding, non-healing ulceration. Their early recognition enhances the treatment results and decreases the possibility of complications (invasion of deeper tissue structures and occurrence of regional and distant metastases). Material and methods: Our retrospective study included 100 patients of both sexes surgically treated for skin malignancy in the Department for Otorhinolaryngology and Maxillofacial surgery of the Clinical Hospital Centre "Zemun" , Belgrade, Serbia. The goal of this paper is to highlight the frequency of rare malignant tumors compared to the more frequent ones and consider the most appropriate clinical-diagnostic approach as well as the treatment modality for the patient. Conclusion: Our study has shown that the most frequent tumor of the head and neck skin is basal cell carcinoma.
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