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Carrera-Pacheco SE, Mueller A, Puente-Pineda JA, Zúñiga-Miranda J, Guamán LP. Designing cytochrome P450 enzymes for use in cancer gene therapy. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1405466. [PMID: 38860140 PMCID: PMC11164052 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1405466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a significant global socioeconomic burden, as millions of new cases and deaths occur annually. In 2020, almost 10 million cancer deaths were recorded worldwide. Advancements in cancer gene therapy have revolutionized the landscape of cancer treatment. An approach with promising potential for cancer gene therapy is introducing genes to cancer cells that encode for chemotherapy prodrug metabolizing enzymes, such as Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes, which can contribute to the effective elimination of cancer cells. This can be achieved through gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT). CYP enzymes can be genetically engineered to improve anticancer prodrug conversion to its active metabolites and to minimize chemotherapy side effects by reducing the prodrug dosage. Rational design, directed evolution, and phylogenetic methods are some approaches to developing tailored CYP enzymes for cancer therapy. Here, we provide a compilation of genetic modifications performed on CYP enzymes aiming to build highly efficient therapeutic genes capable of bio-activating different chemotherapeutic prodrugs. Additionally, this review summarizes promising preclinical and clinical trials highlighting engineered CYP enzymes' potential in GDEPT. Finally, the challenges, limitations, and future directions of using CYP enzymes for GDEPT in cancer gene therapy are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saskya E. Carrera-Pacheco
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica (CENBIO), Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad UTE, Quito, Ecuador
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Chang MC, Chen YL, Chiang YC, Chen TC, Tang YC, Chen CA, Sun WZ, Cheng WF. Mesothelin-specific cell-based vaccine generates antigen-specific immunity and potent antitumor effects by combining with IL-12 immunomodulator. Gene Ther 2015; 23:38-49. [PMID: 26262583 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2015.85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2014] [Revised: 06/12/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is a gynecologic malignancy with a high mortality rate. In the present study, we developed a novel cell-based vaccine, Meso-VAX, to generate mesothelin antigen-specific immune responses and immunotherapy against ovarian cancer. Mesothelin, a secreted protein anchored at the cell membrane, has recently been identified as a potential new tumor antigen for ovarian cancer. In this study, mice vaccinated with Meso-VAX and adeno-associated virus (AAV)-IL-12 exhibited dramatic increases in the number of mesothelin-specific CD4(+) helper and CD8(+) cytotoxic T-cell precursors, higher titers of anti-mesothelin Abs and in vitro tumor killing activity, and all of these mice were tumor-free after 60 days of tumor challenge. In addition, a significant reduction in peritoneal tumors and longer survival were noted in the mice vaccinated with Meso-VAX combined with AAV-IL-12. CD4(+) helper and CD8(+) cytotoxic T lymphocytes were essential for the antitumor effect generated by Meso-VAX combined with AAV-IL-12. The post-vaccination sera of the mice vaccinated with Meso-VAX and AAV-IL-12 also showed mesothelin-specific complement-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that a Meso-VAX cell-based vaccine combined with AAV-IL-12 can generate antigen-specific immunological responses and antitumor effects on ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- M-C Chang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medicine College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Anesthesiology, Medicine College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Y-L Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cathay General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Y-C Chiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medicine College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - T-C Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medicine College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Y-C Tang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medicine College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - C-A Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medicine College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - W-Z Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medicine College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - W-F Cheng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medicine College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, Medicine College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Oncology, Medicine College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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