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Sui F, Wang G, Liu J, Yuan M, Chen P, Yao Y, Zhang S, Ji M, Hou P. Targeting NG2 relieves the resistance of BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer cells to BRAF inhibitors. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:238. [PMID: 38795180 PMCID: PMC11127897 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05280-6] [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: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/27/2024]
Abstract
BRAFV600E represents a constitutively active onco-kinase and stands as the most prevalent genetic alteration in thyroid cancer. However, the clinical efficacy of small-molecule inhibitors targeting BRAFV600E is often limited by acquired resistance. Here, we find that nerve/glial antigen 2 (NG2), also known as chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), is up-regulated in thyroid cancers, and its expression is increased with tumor progression in a BRAFV600E-driven thyroid cancer mouse model. Functional studies show that NG2 knockout almost does not affect tumor growth, but significantly improves the response of BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer cells to BRAF inhibitor PLX4720. Mechanistically, the blockade of ERK-dependent feedback by BRAF inhibitor can activate receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling, causing the resistance to this inhibitor. NG2 knockout attenuates the PLX4720-mediated feedback activation of several RTKs, improving the sensitivity of BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer cells to this inhibitor. Based on this finding, we propose and demonstrate an alternative strategy for targeting NG2 to effectively treat BRAF-mutant thyroid cancers by combining multiple kinase inhibitor (MKI) Sorafenib or Lenvatinib with PLX4720. Thus, this study uncovers a new mechanism in which NG2 contributes to the resistance of BRAF-mutant thyroid cancer cells to BRAF inhibitor, and provides a promising therapeutic option for BRAF-mutant thyroid cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Sui
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, P.R. China
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, P.R. China
| | - Guanjie Wang
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, P.R. China
| | - Juan Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, P.R. China
| | - Mengmeng Yuan
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, P.R. China
| | - Pu Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, P.R. China
| | - Yao Yao
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, P.R. China
| | - Shaoqiang Zhang
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, P.R. China
| | - Meiju Ji
- Center for Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, P.R. China.
| | - Peng Hou
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, 710061, P.R. China.
- Key Laboratory for Tumor Precision Medicine of Shaanxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P.R. China.
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Mungra N, Biteghe FAN, Malindi Z, Huysamen AM, Karaan M, Hardcastle NS, Bunjun R, Chetty S, Naran K, Lang D, Richter W, Hunter R, Barth S. CSPG4 as a target for the specific killing of triple-negative breast cancer cells by a recombinant SNAP-tag-based antibody-auristatin F drug conjugate. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:12203-12225. [PMID: 37432459 PMCID: PMC10465649 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-05031-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is phenotypic of breast tumors lacking expression of the estrogen receptor (ER), the progesterone receptor (PgR), and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). The paucity of well-defined molecular targets in TNBC, coupled with the increasing burden of breast cancer-related mortality, emphasizes the need to develop targeted diagnostics and therapeutics. While antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have emerged as revolutionary tools in the selective delivery of drugs to malignant cells, their widespread clinical use has been hampered by traditional strategies which often give rise to heterogeneous mixtures of ADC products. METHODS Utilizing SNAP-tag technology as a cutting-edge site-specific conjugation method, a chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4)-targeting ADC was engineered, encompassing a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) conjugated to auristatin F (AURIF) via a click chemistry strategy. RESULTS After showcasing the self-labeling potential of the SNAP-tag component, surface binding and internalization of the fluorescently labeled product were demonstrated on CSPG4-positive TNBC cell lines through confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. The cell-killing ability of the novel AURIF-based recombinant ADC was illustrated by the induction of a 50% reduction in cell viability at nanomolar to micromolar concentrations on target cell lines. CONCLUSION This research underscores the applicability of SNAP-tag in the unambiguous generation of homogeneous and pharmaceutically relevant immunoconjugates that could potentially be instrumental in the management of a daunting disease like TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelakshi Mungra
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
- Centre for Immunity and Immunotherapies, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Washington, 98101 USA
| | - Fleury A. N. Biteghe
- Department of Radiation Oncology and Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Zaria Malindi
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Laser Research Centre, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein, Johannesburg, 2028 South Africa
| | - Allan M. Huysamen
- Department of Chemistry, PD Hahn Building, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
| | - Maryam Karaan
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
| | - Natasha S. Hardcastle
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
| | - Rubina Bunjun
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
- Division of Medical Virology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
| | - Shivan Chetty
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Witwatersrand, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2000 South Africa
| | - Krupa Naran
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
| | - Dirk Lang
- Division of Physiological Sciences, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
| | | | - Roger Hunter
- Department of Chemistry, PD Hahn Building, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
| | - Stefan Barth
- Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Research Unit, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, South African Research Chair in Cancer Biotechnology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700 South Africa
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3
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Grossauer A, Uranowska K, Kitzwögerer M, Mostegel M, Breiteneder H, Hafner C. Immunohistochemical detection of the chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 protein in primary and metastatic melanoma. Oncol Lett 2023; 26:382. [PMID: 37559576 PMCID: PMC10407859 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2023.13968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Treatment of malignant melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, continues to be a major challenge for clinicians. New targeted therapies with kinase inhibitors or drugs which modify the immune response are often accompanied by the development of resistance or severe side effects. In this context, chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), a highly immunogenic melanoma tumor antigen, could be a potential target for alternative therapeutic approaches. The aim of the present study was to identify differences in the levels of CSPG4 protein expression in primary and metastatic melanomas as well as to analyze correlations between CSPG4 expression and histopathological data and patient characteristics. A total of 189 melanoma tissue samples from Lower Austria, including primary melanomas and melanoma metastases, were immunohistochemically stained for the expression of CSPG4 and statistical analyses were performed. A total of 65.6% of melanoma tissue samples stained positive for the expression of CSPG4. Primary nodular and primary superficial spreading melanomas demonstrated a significantly higher number of positively stained tissue samples for CSPG4 compared with primary lentigo maligna melanomas. No significant differences in the expression of CSPG4 were demonstrated between primary melanomas and melanoma metastases. The present study supports the advancement of the understanding of CSPG4 tissue expression patterns in melanoma patients and provides additional information for further investigation of CSPG4 as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Grossauer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital St. Poelten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, A-3100 St. Poelten, Austria
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Krems, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, A-3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Karolina Uranowska
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital St. Poelten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, A-3100 St. Poelten, Austria
- Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Melitta Kitzwögerer
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital St. Poelten, A-3100 St. Poelten, Austria
| | - Margit Mostegel
- Department of Pathology, University Hospital Krems, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, A-3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Heimo Breiteneder
- Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Hafner
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital St. Poelten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, A-3100 St. Poelten, Austria
- Karl Landsteiner Institute of Dermatological Research, Karl Landsteiner Gesellschaft, A-3100 St. Poelten, Austria
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Chauhan J, Grandits M, Palhares LCGF, Mele S, Nakamura M, López-Abente J, Crescioli S, Laddach R, Romero-Clavijo P, Cheung A, Stavraka C, Chenoweth AM, Sow HS, Chiaruttini G, Gilbert AE, Dodev T, Koers A, Pellizzari G, Ilieva KM, Man F, Ali N, Hobbs C, Lombardi S, Lionarons DA, Gould HJ, Beavil AJ, Geh JLC, MacKenzie Ross AD, Healy C, Calonje E, Downward J, Nestle FO, Tsoka S, Josephs DH, Blower PJ, Karagiannis P, Lacy KE, Spicer J, Karagiannis SN, Bax HJ. Anti-cancer pro-inflammatory effects of an IgE antibody targeting the melanoma-associated antigen chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2192. [PMID: 37185332 PMCID: PMC10130092 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37811-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Outcomes for half of patients with melanoma remain poor despite standard-of-care checkpoint inhibitor therapies. The prevalence of the melanoma-associated antigen chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4) expression is ~70%, therefore effective immunotherapies directed at CSPG4 could benefit many patients. Since IgE exerts potent immune-activating functions in tissues, we engineer a monoclonal IgE antibody with human constant domains recognizing CSPG4 to target melanoma. CSPG4 IgE binds to human melanomas including metastases, mediates tumoricidal antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and stimulates human IgE Fc-receptor-expressing monocytes towards pro-inflammatory phenotypes. IgE demonstrates anti-tumor activity in human melanoma xenograft models engrafted with human effector cells and is associated with enhanced macrophage infiltration, enriched monocyte and macrophage gene signatures and pro-inflammatory signaling pathways in the tumor microenvironment. IgE prolongs the survival of patient-derived xenograft-bearing mice reconstituted with autologous immune cells. No ex vivo activation of basophils in patient blood is measured in the presence of CSPG4 IgE. Our findings support a promising IgE-based immunotherapy for melanoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitesh Chauhan
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Melanie Grandits
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Lais C G F Palhares
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Silvia Mele
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Mano Nakamura
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Jacobo López-Abente
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Silvia Crescioli
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Roman Laddach
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Department of Informatics, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences, King's College London, Bush House, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
| | - Pablo Romero-Clavijo
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Anthony Cheung
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Chara Stavraka
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Cancer Centre at Guy's, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Alicia M Chenoweth
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Heng Sheng Sow
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Giulia Chiaruttini
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Amy E Gilbert
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Tihomir Dodev
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Asthma UK Centre, Allergic Mechanisms in Asthma, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Alexander Koers
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Giulia Pellizzari
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Kristina M Ilieva
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Francis Man
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9NH, UK
| | - Niwa Ali
- Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Carl Hobbs
- Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Sara Lombardi
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Guy's and St. Thomas' Oncology & Haematology Clinical Trials (OHCT), Cancer Centre at Guy's, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Daniël A Lionarons
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Hannah J Gould
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Asthma UK Centre, Allergic Mechanisms in Asthma, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Andrew J Beavil
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic and Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Asthma UK Centre, Allergic Mechanisms in Asthma, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Jenny L C Geh
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, UK
- Skin Tumour Unit, St. John's Institute of Dermatology, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | | | - Ciaran Healy
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Eduardo Calonje
- Dermatopathology Department, St. John's Institute of Dermatology, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Julian Downward
- Oncogene Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Frank O Nestle
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Sanofi US, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sophia Tsoka
- Department of Informatics, Faculty of Natural, Mathematical and Engineering Sciences, King's College London, Bush House, London, WC2B 4BG, UK
| | - Debra H Josephs
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Cancer Centre at Guy's, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Philip J Blower
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 7EH, UK
| | - Panagiotis Karagiannis
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Department of Oncology, Haematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Katie E Lacy
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - James Spicer
- School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Cancer Centre at Guy's, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Sophia N Karagiannis
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
- Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
| | - Heather J Bax
- St. John's Institute of Dermatology, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, King's College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
- School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
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5
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Lambo DJ, Lebedenko CG, McCallum PA, Banerjee IA. Molecular dynamics, MMGBSA, and docking studies of natural products conjugated to tumor-targeted peptide for targeting BRAF V600E and MERTK receptors. Mol Divers 2023; 27:389-423. [PMID: 35505173 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10430-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed that MERTK and BRAF V600E receptors have been found to be over-expressed in several types of cancers including melanoma, making these receptors targets for drug design. In this study, we have designed novel peptide conjugates with the natural products vanillic acid, thiazole-2-carboxylic acid, cinnamic acid, theanine, and protocatechuic acid. Each of these compounds was conjugated with the tumor targeting peptide sequence TAASGVRSMH, known to bind to NG2 and target tumor neovasculature. We examined their binding affinities and stability with MERTK and BRAF V600E receptors using molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies. Compared to the neat compounds, the peptide conjugates displayed higher binding affinity toward both receptors. In the case of MERTK, the most stable complexes were formed with di-theaninate-peptide, vanillate-peptide, and thiazole-2-amido peptide conjugates and binding occurred in the hinge region. Additionally, it was discovered that the peptide alone also had high binding ability and stability with the MERTK receptor. In the case of BRAF V600E, the peptide conjugates of protocatechuate, vanillate and thiazole-2-amido peptide conjugates showed the formation of the most stable complexes and binding occurred in the ATP binding cleft. Further analysis revealed that the number of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions played a critical role in enhanced stability of the complexes. Docking studies also revealed that binding affinities for NG2 were similar to MERTK and higher for BRAF V600E. MMGBSA studies of the trajectories revealed that the protocatechuate-peptide conjugate showed the highest binding energy with BRAF V600E while the peptide-TAASGVRSMH showed the highest binding energy with MERTK. ADME studies revealed that each of the compounds showed medium to high permeability toward MDCK cells and were not hERG blockers. Furthermore, the conjugates were not CYP inhibitors or substrates, but they were found to be Pgp substrates. Our results indicated that the protocatechuate-TAASGVRSMH, thiazole-2-amido-TAASGVRSMH, and vanillate-TAASGVRSMH conjugates may be furthered developed for in vitro and in vivo studies as novel tumor targeting compounds for tumor cells over-expressing BRAF V600E, while di-theaninate-amido-TAASGVRSMH and thiazole-2-amido-TAASGVRSMH conjugates may be developed for targeting MERTK receptors. These studies provide insight into the molecular interactions of natural product-peptide conjugates and their potential for binding to and targeting MERTK and BRAF V600E receptors in developing new therapeutics for targeting cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic J Lambo
- Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
| | - Charlotta G Lebedenko
- Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
| | - Paige A McCallum
- Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA
| | - Ipsita A Banerjee
- Department of Chemistry, Fordham University, 441 E. Fordham Rd, Bronx, NY, 10458, USA.
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The Potential of Antibody Technology and Silver Nanoparticles for Enhancing Photodynamic Therapy for Melanoma. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10092158. [PMID: 36140259 PMCID: PMC9495799 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10092158] [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: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is highly aggressive and is known to be efficient at resisting drug-induced apoptotic signals. Resection is currently the gold standard for melanoma management, but it only offers local control of the early stage of the disease. Metastatic melanoma is prone to recurrence, and has a poor prognosis and treatment response. Thus, the need for advanced theranostic alternatives is evident. Photodynamic therapy has been increasingly studied for melanoma treatment; however, it relies on passive drug accumulation, leading to off-target effects. Nanoparticles enhance drug biodistribution, uptake and intra-tumoural concentration and can be functionalised with monoclonal antibodies that offer selective biorecognition. Antibody–drug conjugates reduce passive drug accumulation and off-target effects. Nonetheless, one limitation of monoclonal antibodies and antibody–drug conjugates is their lack of versatility, given cancer’s heterogeneity. Monoclonal antibodies suffer several additional limitations that make recombinant antibody fragments more desirable. SNAP-tag is a modified version of the human DNA-repair enzyme, O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase. It reacts in an autocatalytic and covalent manner with benzylguanine-modified substrates, providing a simple protein labelling system. SNAP-tag can be genetically fused with antibody fragments, creating fusion proteins that can be easily labelled with benzylguanine-modified payloads for site-directed delivery. This review aims to highlight the benefits and limitations of the abovementioned approaches and to outline how their combination could enhance photodynamic therapy for melanoma.
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7
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Jiang M, Shin J, Simeon R, Chang JY, Meng R, Wang Y, Shinde O, Li P, Chen Z, Zhang J. Structural dynamics of receptor recognition and pH-induced dissociation of full-length Clostridioides difficile Toxin B. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001589. [PMID: 35324891 PMCID: PMC8982864 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Clostridioides difficile secretes Toxin B (TcdB) as one of its major virulence factors, which binds to intestinal epithelial and subepithelial receptors, including frizzled proteins and chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4). Here, we present cryo-EM structures of full-length TcdB in complex with the CSPG4 domain 1 fragment (D1401-560) at cytosolic pH and the cysteine-rich domain of frizzled-2 (CRD2) at both cytosolic and acidic pHs. CSPG4 specifically binds to the autoprocessing and delivery domains of TcdB via networks of salt bridges, hydrophobic and aromatic/proline interactions, which are disrupted upon acidification eventually leading to CSPG4 drastically dissociating from TcdB. In contrast, FZD2 moderately dissociates from TcdB under acidic pH, most likely due to its partial unfolding. These results reveal structural dynamics of TcdB during its preentry step upon endosomal acidification, which provide a basis for developing therapeutics against C. difficile infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqiu Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Joonyoung Shin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Rudo Simeon
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jeng-Yih Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ran Meng
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Yuhang Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Omkar Shinde
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Pingwei Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Zhilei Chen
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis and Immunology, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Junjie Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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8
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Zhang F, Liang J, Feng D, Liu S, Wu J, Tang Y, Liu Z, Lu Y, Wang X, Wei X. Integrated Analysis of Energy Metabolism Signature-Identified Distinct Subtypes of Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:814735. [PMID: 35281080 PMCID: PMC8905247 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.814735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) is the most common type of bladder cancer. In this study, the correlation between the metabolic status and the outcome of patients with BLCA was evaluated using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. Methods: The clinical and transcriptomic data of patients with BLCA were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas and cBioPortal datasets, and energy metabolism-related gene sets were obtained from the Molecular Signature Database. A consensus clustering algorithm was then conducted to classify the patients into two clusters. Tumor prognosis, clinicopathological features, mutations, functional analysis, ferroptosis status analysis, immune infiltration, immune checkpoint-related gene expression level, chemotherapy resistance, and tumor stem cells were analyzed between clusters. An energy metabolism-related signature was further developed and verified using data from cBioPortal datasets. Results: Two clusters (C1 and C2) were identified using a consensus clustering algorithm based on an energy metabolism-related signature. The patients with subtype C1 had more metabolism-related pathways, different ferroptosis status, higher cancer stem cell scores, higher chemotherapy resistance, and better prognosis. Subtype C2 was characterized by an increased number of advanced BLCA cases and immune-related pathways. Higher immune and stromal scores were also observed for the C2 subtype. A signature containing 16 energy metabolism-related genes was then identified, which can accurately predict the prognosis of patients with BLCA. Conclusion: We found that the energy metabolism-associated subtypes of BLCA are closely related to the immune microenvironment, immune checkpoint-related gene expression, ferroptosis status, CSCs, chemotherapy resistance, prognosis, and progression of BLCA patients. The established energy metabolism-related gene signature was able to predict survival in patients with BLCA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Zhang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiayu Liang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Dechao Feng
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shengzhuo Liu
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiapei Wu
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yongquan Tang
- Department of Pediatric Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhihong Liu
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yiping Lu
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xianding Wang
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Xianding Wang, ; Xin Wei,
| | - Xin Wei
- Department of Urology, Institute of Urology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Xianding Wang, ; Xin Wei,
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Uranowska K, Samadaei M, Kalic T, Pinter M, Breiteneder H, Hafner C. A chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4‑specific monoclonal antibody inhibits melanoma cell invasion in a spheroid model. Int J Oncol 2021; 59:70. [PMID: 34318902 PMCID: PMC8357264 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2021.5250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The overexpression of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4) is associated with several tumor types, including malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, triple-negative breast carcinoma, oligodendrocytomas or gliomas. Due to its restricted distribution in normal tissues, CSPG4 has been considered a potential target for several antitumor approaches, including monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies. The aim of the present study was to characterize the impact of the CSPG4-specific mAb clone 9.2.27 on its own or in combination with the commonly used BRAF-selective inhibitor, PLX4032, on different functions of melanoma cells to assess the potential synergistic effects. The BRAF V600-mutant human melanoma cell lines, M14 (CSPG4-negative) and WM164 (CSPG4-positive), were exposed to the CSPG4-specific 9.2.27 mAb and/or PLX4032. Cell viability and colony formation capacity were evaluated. A 3D-cell culture spheroid model was used to assess the invasive properties of the treated cells. In addition, flow cytometric analysis of apoptosis and cell cycle analyses were performed. Incubation of the WM164 cell line with CSPG4-specific 9.2.27 mAb decreased viability, colony formation ability and the invasive capacity of CSPG4-positive tumor cells, which was not the case for the CSPG4-negative M14 cell line. Combined treatment of the WM164 cells with 9.2.27 mAb plus PLX4032 did not exert any significant additional effect in comparison to treatment with PLX4032 alone in the clonogenic and invasion assays. M14 cell cycle distribution was not influenced by the CSPG4-specific 9.2.27 mAb. By contrast, the exposure of WM164 cells to the mAb resulted in an arrest of the cells in the S phase. Moreover, combined treatment of the WM164 cells led to a significantly increased accumulation of cells in the subG1 phase, combined with a decrease of cells in the G2/M phase. On the whole, findings of the present study indicate that the CSPG4-specific 9.2.27 mAb exerts an anti-invasive effect on CSPG4-positive melanoma spheroids, which is not enhanced by BRAF inhibition. These findings provide the basis for further investigations on the effects of anti-CSPG4-based treatments of CSPG4-positive tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Uranowska
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital St. Poelten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, A-3100 St. Poelten, Austria
| | - Mahzeiar Samadaei
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tanja Kalic
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital St. Poelten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, A-3100 St. Poelten, Austria
| | - Matthias Pinter
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Heimo Breiteneder
- Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Hafner
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital St. Poelten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, A-3100 St. Poelten, Austria
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