1
|
Dessaux C, Ganier L, Guiraud L, Borg JP. Recent insights into the therapeutic strategies targeting the pseudokinase PTK7 in cancer. Oncogene 2024; 43:1973-1984. [PMID: 38773263 PMCID: PMC11196218 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-024-03060-x] [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: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024]
Abstract
The generation of drugs counteracting deregulated protein kinases has been a major focus in cancer therapy development. Breakthroughs in this effort have produced many therapeutic agents to the benefit of patients, mostly through the development of chemical or antibody-based drugs targeting active kinases. These strategies are challenged when considering catalytically inactive protein kinases (or pseudokinases), which represent 10% of the human kinome with many of relevance in cancer. Among the so-called pseudotyrosine kinases, the PTK7 receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) stands as a bona fide target overexpressed in several solid tumors and hematological malignancies and linked to metastasis, poor prognosis, and resistance to treatment. Despite the lack of catalytic activity, PTK7 has signaling capacities through heterodimerization with active RTKs and offers pharmacological targeting opportunities through its inactive kinase domain. Moreover, PTK7-targeting strategies based on antibody-drug conjugates, aptamers, and CAR-T cell-based therapies have demonstrated encouraging results in preclinical and clinical settings. We review the most recent data assigning to PTK7 a prominent role in cancer progression as well as current preclinical and clinical targeting strategies against RTK family pseudokinases including PTK7.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Dessaux
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, CRCM, Equipe labellisée Ligue 'Cell polarity, Cell signaling and Cancer', Marseille, France
| | - Laetitia Ganier
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, CRCM, Equipe labellisée Ligue 'Cell polarity, Cell signaling and Cancer', Marseille, France
- adMare BioInnovations, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Louis Guiraud
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, CRCM, Equipe labellisée Ligue 'Cell polarity, Cell signaling and Cancer', Marseille, France
| | - Jean-Paul Borg
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, CRCM, Equipe labellisée Ligue 'Cell polarity, Cell signaling and Cancer', Marseille, France.
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Lin B, Xiao F, Jiang J, Zhao Z, Zhou X. Engineered aptamers for molecular imaging. Chem Sci 2023; 14:14039-14061. [PMID: 38098720 PMCID: PMC10718180 DOI: 10.1039/d3sc03989g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular imaging, including quantification and molecular interaction studies, plays a crucial role in visualizing and analysing molecular events occurring within cells or organisms, thus facilitating the understanding of biological processes. Moreover, molecular imaging offers promising applications for early disease diagnosis and therapeutic evaluation. Aptamers are oligonucleotides that can recognize targets with a high affinity and specificity by folding themselves into various three-dimensional structures, thus serving as ideal molecular recognition elements in molecular imaging. This review summarizes the commonly employed aptamers in molecular imaging and outlines the prevalent design approaches for their applications. Furthermore, it highlights the successful application of aptamers to a wide range of targets and imaging modalities. Finally, the review concludes with a forward-looking perspective on future advancements in aptamer-based molecular imaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bingqian Lin
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Department of Hematology of Zhongnan Hospital, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University Wuhan 430072 China
| | - Feng Xiao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Department of Hematology of Zhongnan Hospital, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University Wuhan 430072 China
| | - Jinting Jiang
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Department of Hematology of Zhongnan Hospital, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University Wuhan 430072 China
| | - Zhengjia Zhao
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Department of Hematology of Zhongnan Hospital, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University Wuhan 430072 China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers-Ministry of Education, Department of Hematology of Zhongnan Hospital, Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University Wuhan 430072 China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Xiao R, Zheng F, Kang K, Xiao L, Bi A, Chen Y, Zhou Q, Feng X, Chen Z, Yin H, Wang W, Chen Z, Cheng X, Zeng W. Precise visualization and ROS-dependent photodynamic therapy of colorectal cancer with a novel mitochondrial viscosity photosensitive fluorescent probe. Biomater Res 2023; 27:112. [PMID: 37941059 PMCID: PMC10634017 DOI: 10.1186/s40824-023-00450-2] [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: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prominent global cancer with high mortality rates among human beings. Efficient diagnosis and treatment have always been a challenge for CRC management. Fluorescence guided cancer therapy, which combines diagnosis with therapy into one platform, has brought a new chance for achieving precise cancer theranostics. Among this, photosensitizers, applied in photodynamic therapy (PDT), given the integration of real-time imaging capacity and efficacious treatment feasibility, show great potential to serve as remarkable tools. Although much effort has been put into constructing photosensitizers for locating and destroying CRC cells, it is still in high need to develop novel photosensitizers to attain specific detection and fulfil effective therapy. METHODS Probe HTI was rational synthesized for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC. Spectrometric determination was carried out first, followed by the 1O2 generation ability test. Then, HTI was displayed in distinguishing CRC cells from normal cells Further, the PDT effect of the photosensitizer was studied in vitro. Additionally, HTI was used in CRC BALB/c nude mice model to validate its viscosity labelling and tumor suppression characteristics. RESULTS We successfully fabricated a mitochondrial targeting probe, HTI, together with remarkable viscosity sensitivity, ultralow background interference, and excellent 1O2 generation capacity. HTI was favorably applied to the viscosity detection, displaying a 11-fold fluorescent intensity enhancement in solvents from 1.57 cp to 2043 cp. Then, it was demonstrated that HTI could distinguish CRC cells from normal cells upon the difference in mitochondrial viscosity. Moreover, HTI was qualified for producing 1O2 with high efficiency in cells, supported by the sparkling signals of DCFH after incubation with HTI under light irradiation. More importantly, the viscosity labelling and tumor suppression performance in CRC CDX model was determined, enriching the multifunctional validation of HTI in vivo. CONCLUSIONS In this study, HTI was demonstrated to show a sensitive response to mitochondrial viscosity and possess a high 1O2 generation capacity. Both in vitro cell imaging and in vivo tumor treatment trials proved that HTI was effectively served as a robust scaffold for tumor labeling and CRC cells clearance. This breakthrough discovery held immense potential for advancing the early diagnosis and management of CRC through PDT. By leveraging HTI's properties, medical professionals could benefit from improved diagnostic accuracy and targeted treatment in CRC management, ultimately leading to enhanced patient outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Runsha Xiao
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410013, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Zheng
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Drug Research for Chronic Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Kuo Kang
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410013, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Lei Xiao
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Anyao Bi
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Drug Research for Chronic Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiting Chen
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Zhou
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueping Feng
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- Institute of Medical Sciences, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhikang Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410013, Changsha, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Yin
- Organ Transplant Center, Shanghai Changzheng Hospital, Shanghai, 200003, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Cell Transplantation and Gene Therapy Institute, The Third Xiang Ya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
- Engineering and Technology Research Center for Xenotransplantation of Hunan Province, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China
| | - Zihua Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410013, Changsha, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xiaomiao Cheng
- Department of Nephrology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China.
- Department of Nephrology, Xiangya Changde Hospital, Changde, 415000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Wenbin Zeng
- Xiangya School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Drug Research for Chronic Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chen H, Li Y, Xiao Z, Li J, Li T, Wang Z, Liu Y, Tan W. Chemical Amplification-Enabled Topological Modification of Nucleic Acid Aptamers for Enhanced Cancer-Targeted Theranostics. ACS NANO 2023; 17:17740-17750. [PMID: 37656667 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c01955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Site-specific chemical conjugation has long been a challenging endeavor in the field of ligand-directed modification to produce homogeneous conjugates for precision medicine. Here, we develop a chemical amplification-enabled topological modification (Chem-ATM) methodology to establish a versatile platform for the programmable modification of nucleic acid aptamers with designated functionalities. Differing from conventional conjugation strategies, a three-dimensional artificial base is designed in Chem-ATM as a chemical amplifier, giving access to structurally and functionally diversified conjugation of aptamers, with precise control over loading capacity but in a sequence-independent manner. Meanwhile, the sp3 hybridized atom-containing amplifier enables planar-to-stereo conformational transformation of the entire conjugate, eliciting high steric hindrance against enzymatic degradation in complex biological environments. The versatility of Chem-ATM is successfully demonstrated by its delivery of anticancer drugs and imaging agents for enhanced therapy and high-contrast noninvasive tumor imaging in xenograft and orthotopic tumor models. This study offers a different perspective for ligand-directed chemical conjugation to enrich the molecular toolbox for bioimaging and drug development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hong Chen
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yazhou Li
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Zhenzhen Xiao
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Jili Li
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Ting Li
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wang
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yanlan Liu
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Weihong Tan
- Molecular Science and Biomedicine Laboratory (MBL), State Key Laboratory of Chemo/Biosensing and Chemometrics, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Aptamer Engineering Center of Hunan Province, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Zhejiang Cancer Hospital), Hangzhou Institute of Medicine (HIM), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310022, China
- Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ruiz-Ciancio D, Lin LH, Veeramani S, Barros MN, Sanchez D, Di Bartolo AL, Masone D, Giangrande PH, Mestre MB, Thiel WH. Selection of a novel cell-internalizing RNA aptamer specific for CD22 antigen in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 33:698-712. [PMID: 37662970 PMCID: PMC10469072 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite improvements in B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) treatment, a significant number of patients experience relapse of the disease, resulting in poor prognosis and high mortality. One of the drawbacks of current B-ALL treatments is the high toxicity associated with the non-specificity of chemotherapeutic drugs. Targeted therapy is an appealing strategy to treat B-ALL to mitigate these toxic off-target effects. One such target is the B cell surface protein CD22. The restricted expression of CD22 on the B-cell lineage and its ligand-induced internalizing properties make it an attractive target in cases of B cell malignancies. To target B-ALL and the CD22 protein, we performed cell internalization SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment) followed by molecular docking to identify internalizing aptamers specific for B-ALL cells that bind the CD22 cell-surface receptor. We identified two RNA aptamers, B-ALL1 and B-ALL2, that target human malignant B cells, with B-ALL1 the first documented RNA aptamer interacting with the CD22 antigen. These B-ALL-specific aptamers represent an important first step toward developing novel targeted therapies for B cell malignancy treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dario Ruiz-Ciancio
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Católica de Cuyo, Av. José Ignacio de la Roza 1516, Rivadavia, San Juan 5400, Argentina
- National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - Li-Hsien Lin
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA
| | - Suresh Veeramani
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA
- Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
| | - Maya N. Barros
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA
| | - Diego Sanchez
- Instituto de Medicina y Biología Experimental de Cuyo (IMBECU), CONICET, CCT-Mendoza 5500, Argentina
| | - Ary Lautaro Di Bartolo
- Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza (IHEM) – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza M5502JMA, Argentina
| | - Diego Masone
- Instituto de Histología y Embriología de Mendoza (IHEM) – Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCuyo), Mendoza M5502JMA, Argentina
| | - Paloma H. Giangrande
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA
- VP Platform Discovery Sciences, Biology, Wave Life Sciences, 733 Concord Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - María Belén Mestre
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas (ICBM), Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Católica de Cuyo, Av. José Ignacio de la Roza 1516, Rivadavia, San Juan 5400, Argentina
- National Council of Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET), Godoy Cruz 2290, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1425FQB, Argentina
| | - William H. Thiel
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52246, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Yang LT, Abudureheman T, Zheng WW, Zhou H, Chen J, Duan CW, Chen KM. A novel His-tag-binding aptamer for recombinant protein detection and T cell-based immunotherapy. Talanta 2023; 263:124722. [PMID: 37247456 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.124722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Screening novel aptamers for recombinant protein detection is of great significance in industrial mass production of antibody drugs. In addition, construction of structurally stable bispecific circular aptamers (bc-apts) may provide a tumor-targeted treatment strategy by simultaneously binding two different cell types. In this study, we obtained a high-affinity hexahistidine tag (His-tag)-binding aptamer 20S and explored its application in recombinant protein detection and T cell-based immunotherapy. We developed a new molecular beacon (MB) 20S-MB to detect His-tagged proteins in vitro and in vivo with high sensitivity and specificity, and the results showed high consistency with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Moreover, we constructed two kinds of bc-apts by cyclizing 20S or another His-tag-binding aptamer, 6H5-MU, with Sgc8, which specifically recognizes protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) on tumor cells. After forming a complex with His-tagged OKT3, an anti-CD3 antibody for T cell activation, we utilized these aptamer-antibody complexes (ap-ab complex) to enhance cytotoxicity of T cells by linking T cells and target cells together, and 20S-sgc8 exhibited antitumor efficacy superior to that of 6H5-sgc8. In conclusion, we screened a novel His-tag-binding aptamer and used it to construct a new type of MB for rapid detection of recombinant proteins, as well as establish a feasible approach for T cell-based immunotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Ting Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Tuersunayi Abudureheman
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei-Wei Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hang Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Cai-Wen Duan
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Pathology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China; Fujian Branch of Shanghai Children's Medical Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, And Fujian Children's Hospital, China; Key Laboratory of Technical Evaluation of Fertility Regulation for Non-human Primate, National Health Commission, Fujian Maternity and Child Health Hospital, China.
| | - Kai-Ming Chen
- Key Laboratory of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Ministry of Health and Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Fujian Branch of Shanghai Children's Medical Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, And Fujian Children's Hospital, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Bohrmann L, Burghardt T, Rodríguez-Rodríguez C, Herth MM, Saatchi K, Häfeli UO. Quantitative Evaluation of a Multimodal Aptamer-Targeted Long-Circulating Polymer for Tumor Targeting. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:11003-11020. [PMID: 37008162 PMCID: PMC10061651 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c07762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Aptamers are promising targeting agents for imaging and therapy of numerous diseases, including cancer. However, a significant shortcoming of aptamers is their poor stability and fast excretion, limiting their application in vivo. Common strategies to overcome these challenges is to chemically modify aptamers in order to increase their stability and/or to apply formulation technologies such as conjugating them to polymers or nanocarriers in order to increase their circulation half-life. This is expected to result in improved cellular uptake or retention to passively targeted nanomedicines. Herein, we report a modular conjugation strategy based on click chemistry between functionalized tetrazines and trans-cyclooctene (TCO), for the modification of high molecular weight hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG) with sgc8 aptamer, fluorescent dyes, and 111In. Our data indicate strong affinity of sgc8 against a range of solid tumor-derived cell lines that have previously not been tested with this aptamer. Nevertheless, nonspecific uptake of scrambled ssDNA-functionalized HPG in cells highlights inherent challenges of aptamer-targeted probes that remain to be solved for clinical translation. We validate HPG-sgc8 as a nontoxic nanoprobe with high affinity against MDA-MB-468 breast and A431 lung cancer cells and show significantly increased plasma stability compared to free sgc8. In vivo quantitative SPECT/CT imaging indicates EPR-mediated tumor uptake of HPG-sgc8 and nontargeted or scrambled ssDNA-conjugated HPG but no statistically significant difference between these formulations in terms of total tumor uptake or retention. Our study emphasizes the need for stringent controls and quantification in the evaluation of aptamer-targeted probes. For this purpose, our versatile synthesis strategy provides a simple approach for the design and evaluation of long-circulating aptamer-conjugated nanoformulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Bohrmann
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Department
of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tobias Burghardt
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | | | - Matthias M. Herth
- Department
of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medicinal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department
of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Rigshospitalet, Blegdamsvej
9, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Katayoun Saatchi
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Urs O. Häfeli
- Faculty
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Department
of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Targeted-Lymphoma Drug Delivery System Based on the Sgc8-c Aptamer. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15030922. [PMID: 36765879 PMCID: PMC9913644 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15030922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Aptamers are emerging as a promising new class of functional nucleic acids because they can specifically bind to any target with high affinity and be easily modified chemically with different pharmacophoric subunits for therapy. The truncated aptamer, Sgc8-c, binds to tyrosine-protein kinase-like 7 receptor, a promising cancer therapeutic target, allowing the recognition of haemato-oncological malignancies, among others. We have previously developed aptamer-drug conjugates by chemical synthesis, hybridizing Sgc8-c and dasatinib, a drug proposed for lymphoma chemotherapy. One of the best-characterised Sgc8-c-dasatinib hybrids, namely Sgc8-c-carb-da, was capable of releasing dasatinib at an endosomal-pH. Herein, we probed the therapeutic potential of this aptamer-drug conjugate. Sgc8-c-carb-da specifically inhibited murine A20 B lymphocyte growth and produced cell death, mainly by late apoptosis and necrosis. In addition, Sgc8-c-carb-da generated an arrest in cell proliferation, with a cell cycle arrest in the Sub-G1-peak. The mitochondrial potential was altered accordingly to these pathways. Moreover, using an in vitro cell-targeting assay that mimics in vivo conditions, we showed that Sgc8-c-carb-da displayed higher (2.5-fold) cytotoxic effects than dasatinib. These findings provide proof-of-concept of the therapeutic value of Sgc8-c-carb-da for lymphoma, creating new opportunities for the chemical synthesis of targeted biotherapeutics.
Collapse
|