1
|
Gross DA, Leborgne C, Chappert P, Masurier C, Leboeuf M, Monteilhet V, Boutin S, Lemonnier FA, Davoust J, Kichler A. Induction of tumor-specific CTL responses using the C-terminal fragment of Viral protein R as cell penetrating peptide. Sci Rep 2019; 9:3937. [PMID: 30850685 PMCID: PMC6408526 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40594-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of tumor-associated antigens recognized by T lymphocytes opens the possibility of vaccinating cancer patients with defined antigens. However, one of the major limitation of peptide-based vaccines is the low immunogenicity of antigenic peptides. Interestingly, if these epitopes are directly delivered into the cytoplasm of antigen presenting cells, they can be efficiently presented via the direct MHC class I presentation pathway. To improve antigen entry, one promising approach is the use of cell penetrating peptides (CPPs). However, most studies use a covalent binding of the CPP with the antigen. In the present study, we focused on the C-terminal domain of Vpr which was previously demonstrated to efficiently deliver plasmid DNA into cells. We provide evidence that the peptides Vpr55-91 and Vpr55-82 possess the capacity of delivering proteins and epitopes into cell lines as well as into human primary dendritic cells, without the necessicity for a chemical linkage. Moreover, immunization of HLA-A2 transgenic mice with Vpr55-91 as the sole adjuvant is able to induce antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes against multiple tumor epitopes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D A Gross
- Genethon, 91002, Evry cedex, France. .,INSERM U1151, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, CNRS, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR8253, Paris, France.
| | | | - P Chappert
- Genethon, 91002, Evry cedex, France.,INSERM U1151, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, CNRS, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR8253, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | - S Boutin
- Genethon, 91002, Evry cedex, France
| | - F A Lemonnier
- INSERM, Unité 1016, Institut Cochin, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75014, Paris, France
| | - J Davoust
- Genethon, 91002, Evry cedex, France.,INSERM U1151, Institut Necker Enfants Malades, CNRS, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UMR8253, Paris, France
| | - A Kichler
- Genethon, 91002, Evry cedex, France. .,Laboratoire de Conception et Application de Molécules Bioactives UMR7199 CNRS - Université de Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, 67401, Illkirch, France.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Urnauer S, Morys S, Krhac Levacic A, Müller AM, Schug C, Schmohl KA, Schwenk N, Zach C, Carlsen J, Bartenstein P, Wagner E, Spitzweg C. Sequence-defined cMET/HGFR-targeted Polymers as Gene Delivery Vehicles for the Theranostic Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) Gene. Mol Ther 2016; 24:1395-404. [PMID: 27157666 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2016.95] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The sodium iodide symporter (NIS) as well-characterized theranostic gene represents an outstanding tool to target different cancer types allowing noninvasive imaging of functional NIS expression and therapeutic radioiodide application. Based on its overexpression on the surface of most cancer types, the cMET/hepatocyte growth factor receptor serves as ideal target for tumor-selective gene delivery. Sequence-defined polymers as nonviral gene delivery vehicles comprising polyethylene glycol (PEG) and cationic (oligoethanoamino) amide cores coupled with a cMET-binding peptide (cMBP2) were complexed with NIS-DNA and tested for receptor-specificity, transduction efficiency, and therapeutic efficacy in hepatocellular cancer cells HuH7. In vitro iodide uptake studies demonstrated high transduction efficiency and cMET-specificity of NIS-encoding polyplexes (cMBP2-PEG-Stp/NIS) compared to polyplexes without targeting ligand (Ala-PEG-Stp/NIS) and without coding DNA (cMBP2-PEG-Stp/Antisense-NIS). Tumor recruitment and vector biodistribution were investigated in vivo in a subcutaneous xenograft mouse model showing high tumor-selective iodide accumulation in cMBP2-PEG-Stp/NIS-treated mice (6.6 ± 1.6% ID/g (123)I, biological half-life 3 hours) by (123)I-scintigraphy. Therapy studies with three cycles of polyplexes and (131)I application resulted in significant delay in tumor growth and prolonged survival. These data demonstrate the enormous potential of cMET-targeted sequence-defined polymers combined with the unique theranostic function of NIS allowing for optimized transfection efficiency while eliminating toxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Urnauer
- Department of Internal Medicine II, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Stephan Morys
- Department of Pharmacy, Center of Drug Research, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ana Krhac Levacic
- Department of Pharmacy, Center of Drug Research, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea M Müller
- Department of Internal Medicine II, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Christina Schug
- Department of Internal Medicine II, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Christian Zach
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Ernst Wagner
- Department of Pharmacy, Center of Drug Research, Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
| | | |
Collapse
|