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Nealy ES, Reed SJ, Adelmund SM, Badeau BA, Shadish JA, Girard EJ, Pakiam FJ, Mhyre AJ, Price JP, Sarkar S, Kalia V, DeForest CA, Olson JM. Versatile Tissue-Injectable Hydrogels with Extended Hydrolytic Release of Bioactive Protein Therapeutics. bioRxiv 2023:2023.09.01.554391. [PMID: 37693598 PMCID: PMC10491173 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.01.554391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Hydrogels generally have broad utilization in healthcare due to their tunable structures, high water content, and inherent biocompatibility. FDA-approved applications of hydrogels include spinal cord regeneration, skin fillers, and local therapeutic delivery. Drawbacks exist in the clinical hydrogel space, largely pertaining to inconsistent therapeutic exposure, short-lived release windows, and difficulties inserting the polymer into tissue. In this study, we engineered injectable, biocompatible hydrogels that function as a local protein therapeutic depot with a high degree of user-customizability. We showcase a PEG-based hydrogel functionalized with bioorthogonal strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC) handles for its polymerization and functionalization with a variety of payloads. Small-molecule and protein cargos, including chemokines and antibodies, were site-specifically modified with hydrolysable "azidoesters" of varying hydrophobicity via direct chemical conjugation or sortase-mediated transpeptidation. These hydrolysable esters afforded extended release of payloads linked to our hydrogels beyond diffusion; with timescales spanning days to months dependent on ester hydrophobicity. Injected hydrogels polymerize in situ and remain in tissue over extended periods of time. Hydrogel-delivered protein payloads elicit biological activity after being modified with SPAAC-compatible linkers, as demonstrated by the successful recruitment of murine T-cells to a mouse melanoma model by hydrolytically released murine CXCL10. These results highlight a highly versatile, customizable hydrogel-based delivery system for local delivery of protein therapeutics with payload release profiles appropriate for a variety of clinical needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S. Nealy
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle WA
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle WA
| | | | - Steve M. Adelmund
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA
| | - Barry A. Badeau
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA
| | - Jared A. Shadish
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA
| | - Emily J. Girard
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle WA
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle WA
| | | | - Andrew J. Mhyre
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle WA
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle WA
| | - Jason P. Price
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle WA
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle WA
| | - Surojit Sarkar
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle WA
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle WA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle WA
| | - Vandana Kalia
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle WA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle WA
| | - Cole A. DeForest
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle WA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle WA
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle WA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle WA
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle WA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle WA
| | - James M. Olson
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle WA
- Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Seattle WA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle WA
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2
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Crook ZR, Girard EJ, Sevilla GP, Brusniak MY, Rupert PB, Friend DJ, Gewe MM, Clarke M, Lin I, Ruff R, Phi D, Bandaranayake A, Correnti CE, Mhyre AJ, Nairn NW, Strong RK, Olson JM. Abstract 1043: Advances in cystine-dense peptide (CDP) screening and therapeutic applications. Cancer Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2022-1043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Cystine-dense peptides (CDPs) are a class of drug-like miniproteins that marry many of the advantages of biologics (high affinity and specificity) and small molecule therapeutics (high tissue permeability and low immunogenicity). The beneficial properties of CDPs, and miniproteins in general, have driven interest in therapeutic applications. However, CDP diversity is vast from every clade of life, and properly interrogating “CDP space” requires specialized screening and modeling tools.
With this in mind, we have created an optimized mammalian surface display platform to screen for CDPs of clinical interest using libraries of structurally-diverse native scaffolds optimized for stability. These native CDPs can be structurally modeled, which we did in determining the structures of over 4200 native CDPs. This modeling permits further selection in silico as well as targeted mutagenesis for favorable target-binding capabilities. Hits from these screens are routinely matured to sub-nM affinity. These CDPs can play numerous roles in a drug design pipeline, from an independent drug candidate to a delivery agent for tissue-targeting to a module in a polyspecific biologic. Recent novel CDP candidates have shown promise in immune-oncology space as part of a bispecific T-cell engager targeting PD-L1, where a single 2-week treatment was capable of eliminating subcutaneous PC3 prostate cancer xenograft tumors in 27/30 mice.
Besides bispecifics, future directions for the platform include exploring targeted protein degradation. Additionally, we are expanding upon our previous work on CDPs to explore CNS or tumor delivery of therapeutic cargo. The versatility of CDPs and novel screening tools to rapidly identify and mature candidates of interest can facilitate rapid advancement of CDP therapeutics to address difficult targets in oncology.
Citation Format: Zachary R. Crook, Emily J. Girard, Gregory P. Sevilla, Mi-Youn Brusniak, Peter B. Rupert, Della J. Friend, Mesfin M. Gewe, Midori Clarke, Ida Lin, Raymond Ruff, Doan Phi, Ashok Bandaranayake, Colin E. Correnti, Andrew J. Mhyre, Natalie W. Nairn, Roland K. Strong, James M. Olson. Advances in cystine-dense peptide (CDP) screening and therapeutic applications [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 1043.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Midori Clarke
- 2Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Ida Lin
- 2Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
| | - Raymond Ruff
- 2Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA
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3
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Crook ZR, Girard EJ, Sevilla GP, Brusniak MY, Rupert PB, Friend DJ, Gewe MM, Clarke M, Lin I, Ruff R, Pakiam F, Phi TD, Bandaranayake A, Correnti CE, Mhyre AJ, Nairn NW, Strong RK, Olson JM. Ex silico engineering of cystine-dense peptides yielding a potent bispecific T cell engager. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabn0402. [PMID: 35584229 PMCID: PMC10118748 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abn0402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Cystine-dense peptides (CDPs) are a miniprotein class that can drug difficult targets with high affinity and low immunogenicity. Tools for their design, however, are not as developed as those for small-molecule and antibody drugs. CDPs have diverse taxonomic origins, but structural characterization is lacking. Here, we adapted Iterative Threading ASSEmbly Refinement (I-TASSER) and Rosetta protein modeling software for structural prediction of 4298 CDP scaffolds and performed in silico prescreening for CDP binders to targets of interest. Mammalian display screening of a library of docking-enriched, methionine and tyrosine scanned (DEMYS) CDPs against PD-L1 yielded binders from four distinct CDP scaffolds. One was affinity-matured, and cocrystallography yielded a high-affinity (KD = 202 pM) PD-L1-binding CDP that competes with PD-1 for PD-L1 binding. Its subsequent incorporation into a CD3-binding bispecific T cell engager produced a molecule with pM-range in vitro T cell killing potency and which substantially extends survival in two different xenograft tumor-bearing mouse models. Both in vitro and in vivo, the CDP-incorporating bispecific molecule outperformed a comparator antibody-based molecule. This CDP modeling and DEMYS technique can accelerate CDP therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R Crook
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Blaze Bioscience Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Emily J Girard
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Gregory P Sevilla
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Blaze Bioscience Inc., Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Mi-Youn Brusniak
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Peter B Rupert
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Della J Friend
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Mesfin M Gewe
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Midori Clarke
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Ida Lin
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Raymond Ruff
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Fiona Pakiam
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Ashok Bandaranayake
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Colin E Correnti
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Andrew J Mhyre
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | - Roland K Strong
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
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4
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Cook Sangar ML, Girard EJ, Hopping G, Yin C, Pakiam F, Brusniak MY, Nguyen E, Ruff R, Gewe MM, Byrnes-Blake K, Nairn NW, Miller DM, Mehlin C, Strand AD, Mhyre AJ, Correnti CE, Strong RK, Simon JA, Olson JM. A potent peptide-steroid conjugate accumulates in cartilage and reverses arthritis without evidence of systemic corticosteroid exposure. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/533/eaay1041. [PMID: 32132215 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aay1041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
On-target, off-tissue toxicity limits the systemic use of drugs that would otherwise reduce symptoms or reverse the damage of arthritic diseases, leaving millions of patients in pain and with limited physical mobility. We identified cystine-dense peptides (CDPs) that rapidly accumulate in cartilage of the knees, ankles, hips, shoulders, and intervertebral discs after systemic administration. These CDPs could be used to concentrate arthritis drugs in joints. A cartilage-accumulating peptide, CDP-11R, reached peak concentration in cartilage within 30 min after administration and remained detectable for more than 4 days. Structural analysis of the peptides by crystallography revealed that the distribution of positive charge may be a distinguishing feature of joint-accumulating CDPs. In addition, quantitative whole-body autoradiography showed that the disulfide-bonded tertiary structure is critical for cartilage accumulation and retention. CDP-11R distributed to joints while carrying a fluorophore imaging agent or one of two different steroid payloads, dexamethasone (dex) and triamcinolone acetonide (TAA). Of the two payloads, the dex conjugate did not advance because the free drug released into circulation was sufficient to cause on-target toxicity. In contrast, the CDP-11R-TAA conjugate alleviated joint inflammation in the rat collagen-induced model of rheumatoid arthritis while avoiding toxicities that occurred with nontargeted steroid treatment at the same molar dose. This conjugate shows promise for clinical development and establishes proof of concept for multijoint targeting of disease-modifying therapeutic payloads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Cook Sangar
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Emily J Girard
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Gene Hopping
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Chunfeng Yin
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Fiona Pakiam
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Mi-Youn Brusniak
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Elizabeth Nguyen
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Raymond Ruff
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Mesfin M Gewe
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | | | | | | | - Christopher Mehlin
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Andrew D Strand
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Andrew J Mhyre
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Colin E Correnti
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Roland K Strong
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Julian A Simon
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.,Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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5
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Vitanza NA, Biery MC, Myers C, Ferguson E, Zheng Y, Girard EJ, Przystal JM, Park G, Noll A, Pakiam F, Winter CA, Morris SM, Sarthy J, Cole BL, Leary SES, Crane C, Lieberman NAP, Mueller S, Nazarian J, Gottardo R, Brusniak MY, Mhyre AJ, Olson JM. Optimal therapeutic targeting by HDAC inhibition in biopsy-derived treatment-naïve diffuse midline glioma models. Neuro Oncol 2021; 23:376-386. [PMID: 33130903 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/noaa249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs), including diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs), have a dismal prognosis, with less than 2% surviving 5 years postdiagnosis. The majority of DIPGs and all DMGs harbor mutations altering the epigenetic regulatory histone tail (H3 K27M). Investigations addressing DMG epigenetics have identified a few promising drugs, including the HDAC inhibitor (HDACi) panobinostat. Here, we use clinically relevant DMG models to identify and validate other effective HDACi and their biomarkers of response. METHODS HDAC inhibitors were tested across biopsy-derived treatment-naïve in vitro and in vivo DMG models with biologically relevant radiation resistance. RNA sequencing was performed to define and compare drug efficacy and to map predictive biomarkers of response. RESULTS Quisinostat and romidepsin showed efficacy with low nanomolar half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values (~50 and ~5 nM, respectively). Comparative transcriptome analyses across quisinostat, romidepsin, and panobinostat showed a greater degree of shared biological effects between quisinostat and panobinostat, and less overlap with romidepsin. However, some transcriptional changes were consistent across all 3 drugs at similar biologically effective doses, such as overexpression of troponin T1 slow skeletal type (TNNT1) and downregulation of collagen type 20 alpha 1 chain (COL20A1), identifying these as potential vulnerabilities or on-target biomarkers in DMG. Quisinostat and romidepsin significantly (P < 0.0001) inhibited in vivo tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS Our data highlight the utility of treatment-naïve biopsy-derived models; establishes quisinostat and romidepsin as effective in vivo; illuminates potential mechanisms and/or biomarkers of DMG cell lethality due to HDAC inhibition; and emphasizes the need for brain tumor-penetrant versions of potentially efficacious agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A Vitanza
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Matt C Biery
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Carrie Myers
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Eric Ferguson
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Ye Zheng
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Emily J Girard
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Giulia Park
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alyssa Noll
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program and Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Fiona Pakiam
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Conrad A Winter
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Shelli M Morris
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Jay Sarthy
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Bonnie L Cole
- Department of Laboratories, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sarah E S Leary
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Courtney Crane
- Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nicole A P Lieberman
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sabine Mueller
- University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Javad Nazarian
- University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington DC, USA
| | - Raphael Gottardo
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Public Health Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Department of Statistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Mi-Youn Brusniak
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Andrew J Mhyre
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - James M Olson
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.,Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle Children's Hospital, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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6
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Crook ZR, Girard E, Sevilla GP, Merrill M, Friend D, Rupert PB, Pakiam F, Nguyen E, Yin C, Ruff RO, Hopping G, Strand AD, Finton KAK, Coxon M, Mhyre AJ, Strong RK, Olson JM. A TfR-Binding Cystine-Dense Peptide Promotes Blood-Brain Barrier Penetration of Bioactive Molecules. J Mol Biol 2020; 432:3989-4009. [PMID: 32304700 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2020.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The impenetrability of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to most conventional drugs impedes the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Interventions for diseases like brain cancer, neurodegeneration, or age-associated inflammatory processes require varied approaches to CNS drug delivery. Cystine-dense peptides (CDPs) have drawn recent interest as drugs or drug-delivery vehicles. Found throughout the phylogenetic tree, often in drug-like roles, their size, stability, and protein interaction capabilities make CDPs an attractive mid-size biologic scaffold to complement conventional antibody-based drugs. Here, we describe the identification, maturation, characterization, and utilization of a CDP that binds to the transferrin receptor (TfR), a native receptor and BBB transporter for the iron chaperone transferrin. We developed variants with varying binding affinities (KD as low as 216 pM), co-crystallized it with the receptor, and confirmed murine cross-reactivity. It accumulates in the mouse CNS at ~25% of blood levels (CNS blood content is only ~1%-6%) and delivers neurotensin, an otherwise non-BBB-penetrant neuropeptide, at levels capable of modulating CREB signaling in the mouse brain. Our work highlights the utility of CDPs as a diverse, easy-to-screen scaffold family worthy of inclusion in modern drug discovery strategies, demonstrated by the discovery of a candidate CNS drug delivery vehicle ready for further optimization and preclinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R Crook
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Emily Girard
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Gregory P Sevilla
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Morgan Merrill
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Della Friend
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Peter B Rupert
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Fiona Pakiam
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Elizabeth Nguyen
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Chunfeng Yin
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Raymond O Ruff
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Gene Hopping
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Andrew D Strand
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Kathryn A K Finton
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Margo Coxon
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Andrew J Mhyre
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - Roland K Strong
- Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
| | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
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7
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Abstract
Many diseases are mediated by targets that are not amenable to conventional small-molecule drug approaches. While antibody-based drugs have undeniable utility, peptides of the 1-9 kDa size range (10-80 amino acids) have drawn interest as alternate drug scaffolds This is born of a desire to identify compounds with the advantages of antibody-based therapeutics (affinity, potency, specificity, and ability to disrupt protein:protein interactions) without all of their liabilities (large size, expensive manufacturing, and necessity of humanization). Of these alternate scaffolds, cystine-dense peptides (CDPs) have several specific benefits. Due to their stable intra-chain disulfide bridges, CDPs often demonstrate resistance to heat and proteolysis, along with low immunogenicity. These properties do not require chemical modifications, permitting CDP screening by conventional genetic means. The cystine topology of a typical CDP requires an oxidative environment, and we have found that the mammalian secretory pathway is most effective at allowing diverse CDPs to achieve a stable fold. As such, high-diversity screens to identify CDPs that interact with targets of interest can be efficiently conducted using mammalian surface display. In this protocol, we present the theory and tools to conduct a mammalian surface display screen for CDPs that bind with targets of interest, including the steps to validate binding and mature the affinity of preliminary candidates. With these methods, CDPs of all kinds can be brought to bear against targets that would benefit from a peptide-based intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary R Crook
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gregory P Sevilla
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrew J Mhyre
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
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8
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Morris SM, Mhyre AJ, Carmack SS, Myers CH, Burns C, Ye W, Ferrer M, Olson JM, Klinghoffer RA. A modified gene trap approach for improved high-throughput cancer drug discovery. Oncogene 2018; 37:4226-4238. [PMID: 29717260 PMCID: PMC6076322 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-018-0274-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2017] [Revised: 03/01/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
While advances in laboratory automation has dramatically increased throughout of compound screening efforts, development of robust cell-based assays in relevant disease models remain resource-intensive and time-consuming, presenting a bottleneck to drug discovery campaigns. To address this issue, we present a modified gene trap approach to efficiently generate pathway-specific reporters that result in a robust "on" signal when the pathway of interest is inhibited. In this proof-of-concept study, we used vemurafenib and trametinib to identify traps that specifically detect inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in a model of BRAFV600E driven human malignant melanoma. We demonstrate that insertion of our trap into particular loci results in remarkably specific detection of MAPK pathway inhibitors over compounds targeting any other pathway or cellular function. The accuracy of our approach was highlighted in a pilot screen of ~6000 compounds where 40 actives were detected, including 18 MEK, 10 RAF, and 3 ERK inhibitors along with a few compounds representing previously under-characterized inhibitors of the MAPK pathway. One such compound, bafetinib, a second generation BCR/ABL inhibitor, reduced phosphorylation of ERK and when combined with trametinib, both in vitro and in vivo, reduced growth of vemurafenib resistant melanoma cells. While piloted in a model of BRAF-driven melanoma, our results set the stage for using this approach to rapidly generate reporters against any transcriptionally active pathway across a wide variety of disease-relevant cell-based models to expedite drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelli M Morris
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andrew J Mhyre
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Savanna S Carmack
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Carrie H Myers
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | | | | | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA, USA.
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9
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Sottero TL, Girard EJ, Myers C, Hopping G, Mhyre AJ, Olson JM. Pacifastin-derived Peptides Target Tumors for Use in In Vivo Imaging. Anticancer Res 2017; 38:51-60. [PMID: 29277756 DOI: 10.21873/anticanres.12191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM Developments in imaging have improved cancer diagnosis, but identification of malignant cells during surgical resection remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to investigate the pacifastin family of peptides for novel activity targeting tumor cells and the delivery of either imaging or therapeutic agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS Variants of pacifastin family peptides were generated, chemically modified and tested in human tumor xenografts. RESULTS A tumor-homing peptide-dye conjugate (THP1) accumulated in tumors in vivo and was internalized into cells. Examination of related peptides revealed residues critical for accumulation and allowed the engineering of improved tumor-targeting variants. A THP1-drug conjugate carrying the microtubule inhibitor, MMAE, showed limited activity in vitro and no difference compared to vehicle control in vivo. CONCLUSION Although there are some obstacles to developing pacifastin-derived peptides for therapeutic activity, these optimized peptides have great promise for cancer imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theo L Sottero
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Emily J Girard
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Carrie Myers
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Gene Hopping
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - Andrew J Mhyre
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, U.S.A
| | - James M Olson
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, U.S.A.
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Morris SM, Mhyre AJ, Carmack SS, Burns C, Ferrer M, Ye W, Olson JM, Klinghoffer RA. Abstract 4023: The SABRE platform: A novel, unbiased technology for drug discovery and prioritization. Cancer Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2017-4023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Targeted therapies designed to inhibit hyperactive oncogenic signaling have demonstrated some encouraging clinical responses. However, most of the time these responses are not durable as tumors “work around” pathway inhibition, often reactivating the inhibited pathway, leading to drug resistance and disease relapse. New technologies that enable more efficient discovery and development of “suites” of drugs that comprehensively inhibit multiple pathway nodes are needed. The SABRE (Splice Acceptor Brilliant Reporter) platform was developed to provide an unbiased method to screen large compound libraries and dramatically improve the speed and efficiency of which novel targeted therapeutics can be identified. SABRE is built off the premise that oncogenic output is exerted through changes in gene transcription and that such changes can be harnessed as powerful reporters of pathway activation status. SABRE utilizes the power of gene trap technology coupled with a drug selection process to isolate cells that generate a robust “off to on” signal in response to target or pathway inhibition. Via massively parallel comparative analysis, multiple traps let nature provide the best reporter for further analysis and drug discovery. In this proof-of-concept study, we employed the SABRE technology to identify insertion sites that are specifically regulated by the MAPK pathway. Experiments were performed using the human BRAFV600E mutant melanoma cell line A375. SABRE lentiviral transduced A375 cells were treated with trametinib, a MEK inhibitor, and clones were isolated that emitted a positive luciferase signal upon drug treatment. To determine if these reporters were MAPK pathway specific, the platform was miniaturized to a 1536 well format and used to screen a 6000+ compound library. Results from the screen found that 70% (28/40) of the top drug hits were known to directly modulate the MAPK pathway. Since drug resistance is a common occurrence in melanoma, we generated a “resistant” A375 SABRE reporter line to increasing concentrations of vemurafenib and interrogated the top drug candidates identified in the screen. As expected, the resistant SABRE line failed to respond to BRAFV600E specific inhibitors but continued to respond to downstream MEK inhibitors, which is helping to delineate the mechanism of resistance. We were also interested in the screening hits that were not previously known to influence the MAPK pathway including bafetinib and a Tie2 inhibitor. In follow-up testing, we found that these drugs induced robust and titratable reporter signals in both the SABRE A375 vemurafenib sensitive and resistant lines. In addition, treatment of either bafetinib or the Tie2 inhibitor reduced ERK phosphorylation in the vemurafenib resistant cells, suggesting that these drugs could be useful in the treatment of drug resistant melanomas. Studies are currently underway to determine the in vivo efficacy of these drugs in A375 SABRE reporter xenograft models.
Citation Format: Shelli M. Morris, Andrew J. Mhyre, Savanna S. Carmack, Connor Burns, Marc Ferrer, Wenjuan Ye, James M. Olson, Richard A. Klinghoffer. The SABRE platform: A novel, unbiased technology for drug discovery and prioritization [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4023. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4023
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11
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Mhyre AJ, Turnbaugh S, Morris SM, Xin H, Paddison PJ, Ferrer M, Olson JM. Abstract 3200: Targeting PHF5A for the treatment of glioblastoma and other Myc-driven cancers. Cancer Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2017-3200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most aggressive and invasive types of brain cancer, but targeted treatment options remain elusive. The standard of care (surgery chemotherapy and radiation) falls far short of where it should be with two-year survival rates less than 10%. Using stem cell isolates from GBM patients, we found that perturbing PHF5A, a component of the spliceosome machinery, was lethal and caused hundreds of genes to be mis-spliced. These mis-splicing events included both exon skipping and intron inclusions. In contrast, similar levels of PHF5A suppression in normal control stem cells and astrocytes failed to induce cell death and mis-splicing, indicating that PHF5A plays a specific role in the cancer biology. Moreover, when normal astrocytes were transformed with the Myc oncogene, they became sensitive to PHF5A perturbation. Taken together, these results suggested that specifically inhibiting PHF5A would be an effective therapy for glioblastoma and other Myc-driven cancers. Specifically targeting PHF5A would also likely result in reduced side-effects seen with general spliceosome inhibitors. Unfortunately, there are currently no known inhibitors that target PHF5A.
In order to discovery novel PHF5A inhibitors, we created a mini-gene mis-splicing reporter assay that was sensitive to both general spliceosome inhibitors and PHF5A perturbation. In a 96-well assay format, the assay was robust with a 200-fold assay window and Z’ values over 0.8. Following miniaturization to a 1536-well format, we conducted a high throughput screening (HTS) campaign testing 450,000 small molecule compounds. The initial hits were retested and counter-screened yielding 381 confirmed actives and we are further interrogating these actives in secondary and tertiary assays. Future efforts will focus on developing an SAR of the lead and backup series and identifying potential liabilities that will be addressed, if necessary, in further lead optimization efforts. We are enthusiastic about the potential of developing a targeted PHF5A inhibitor as a novel and effective therapy for patients and their families fighting GBM and other Myc-driven cancers.
Citation Format: Andrew J. Mhyre, Shanon Turnbaugh, Shelli M. Morris, Hu Xin, Patrick J. Paddison, Marc Ferrer, James M. Olson. Targeting PHF5A for the treatment of glioblastoma and other Myc-driven cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3200. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-3200
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Hu Xin
- 2National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Marc Ferrer
- 2National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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Cioffi CL, Liu S, Wolf MA, Guzzo PR, Sadalapure K, Parthasarathy V, Loong DTJ, Maeng JH, Carulli E, Fang X, Karunakaran K, Matta L, Choo SH, Panduga S, Buckle RN, Davis RN, Sakwa SA, Gupta P, Sargent BJ, Moore NA, Luche MM, Carr GJ, Khmelnitsky YL, Ismail J, Chung M, Bai M, Leong WY, Sachdev N, Swaminathan S, Mhyre AJ. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of N-((1-(4-(Sulfonyl)piperazin-1-yl)cycloalkyl)methyl)benzamide Inhibitors of Glycine Transporter-1. J Med Chem 2016; 59:8473-94. [PMID: 27559615 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b00914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
We previously disclosed the discovery of rationally designed N-((1-(4-(propylsulfonyl)piperazin-1-yl)cycloalkyl)methyl)benzamide inhibitors of glycine transporter-1 (GlyT-1), represented by analogues 10 and 11. We describe herein further structure-activity relationship exploration of this series via an optimization strategy that primarily focused on the sulfonamide and benzamide appendages of the scaffold. These efforts led to the identification of advanced leads possessing a desirable balance of excellent in vitro GlyT-1 potency and selectivity, favorable ADME and in vitro pharmacological profiles, and suitable pharmacokinetic and safety characteristics. Representative analogue (+)-67 exhibited robust in vivo activity in the cerebral spinal fluid glycine biomarker model in both rodents and nonhuman primates. Furthermore, rodent microdialysis experiments also demonstrated that oral administration of (+)-67 significantly elevated extracellular glycine levels within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Cioffi
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI , East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Shuang Liu
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI , East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Mark A Wolf
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI , East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Peter R Guzzo
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI , East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Kashinath Sadalapure
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Visweswaran Parthasarathy
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - David T J Loong
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Jun-Ho Maeng
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Edmund Carulli
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Xiao Fang
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Kalesh Karunakaran
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Lakshman Matta
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Sok Hui Choo
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Shailijia Panduga
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Ronald N Buckle
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI , East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Randall N Davis
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI , East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Samuel A Sakwa
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI , East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Priya Gupta
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Bruce J Sargent
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI , East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Nicholas A Moore
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, AMRI , East Campus, 3 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Michele M Luche
- Bothell Research Center, AMRI , 22215 26th Ave SE, Bothell, Washington 98021-4425, United States
| | - Grant J Carr
- Bothell Research Center, AMRI , 22215 26th Ave SE, Bothell, Washington 98021-4425, United States
| | - Yuri L Khmelnitsky
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, AMRI , East Campus, 17 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Jiffry Ismail
- Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, AMRI , East Campus, 17 University Place, Rensselaer, New York 12144, United States
| | - Mark Chung
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Mei Bai
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Wei Yee Leong
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Nidhi Sachdev
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Srividya Swaminathan
- Discovery Research and Development Chemistry, Singapore Research Center, AMRI , 61 Science Park Road, Science Park III, 117525, Singapore
| | - Andrew J Mhyre
- Bothell Research Center, AMRI , 22215 26th Ave SE, Bothell, Washington 98021-4425, United States
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Sottero T, Girard EJ, Correnti C, Stroud MR, Kier BL, Mhyre AJ, Olson J. Abstract LB-231: An optide (optimized knottin-peptide) that inhibits tumor cell growth In vitro and accumulates in sarcoma flank tumors in vivo. Cancer Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2016-lb-231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have been FDA approved for the targeted delivery of chemotherapy to cancer. However, ADCs are limited for solid tumors and brain cancer by their poor penetration and inability to cross the blood-brain-barrier. A number of groups have shown that cystine-knot peptides (knottins) can be modified in ways that allow them to target cancer cells. Our lab demonstrated that an optide (optimized knottin-peptides) conjugate such as chlorotoxin-Cy5.5 are able to accumulate throughout tumors and cross an intact blood-brain barrier. However, chlorotoxin-Cy5.5 accumulates in mouse liver - a potential liability if used as a peptide-drug conjugate. We sought to identify a novel peptide that is capable of delivering chemotherapy selectively to tumor cells in vitro and in vivo.
Our group has developed a mammalian protein expression system that is able to produce >20mg scale, endotoxin-free knottins and can rapidly generate variants of those peptides. We went in vivo to investigate if there was selective accumulation of our novel peptide-dye conjugates in sarcoma flank xenografts. Mice were injected intravenously with conjugate and accumulation was quantified in a number of tissues using IVIS imaging. We identified a novel peptide that accumulated in sarcoma flank tumors >10-fold relative to liver. We tested the ability of this peptide to deliver cytotoxic chemotherapy in vitro as a peptide-drug conjugate. We identified a novel conjugate capable of efficiently inhibiting the growth of a number of tumor cell lines in vitro. We tested the ability of various endocytosis inhibitors to prevent the uptake of this peptide and showed that inhibitors of GPI-anchored protein endocytosis prevented this accumulation. To verify tumor accumulation in preparation for efficacy studies we tracked the distribution of a radiolabeled form of the peptide in a whole body autoradiography model and observed sustained tumor uptake.
Our novel peptide-conjugate is able to potently inhibit the growth of a number of tumor cell lines in vitro and the endocytosis of GPI-anchored proteins is involved in this accumulation. Additionally, this peptide accumulates in tumor tissue in vivo. Optide-drug conjugates may offer enhanced tumor penetration over antibody-drug conjugates and therefore increase the therapeutic index in delivering cytotoxic chemotherapy.
Citation Format: Theo Sottero, Emily J. Girard, Colin Correnti, Mark R. Stroud, Brandon L. Kier, Andrew J. Mhyre, James Olson. An optide (optimized knottin-peptide) that inhibits tumor cell growth In vitro and accumulates in sarcoma flank tumors in vivo. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-231.
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Crook ZR, Bradley P, King C, Mhyre AJ, Baker D, Olson JM. Abstract 2971: Optides (optimized knottin peptides) computationally designed to target the oncogenic HIPPO pathway. Cancer Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1158/1538-7445.am2016-2971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The HIPPO pathway plays a critical role in contact inhibition, a pathway that is commonly dysregulated in many human cancers (including liver, colon, ovarian, and lung) and which relies on the intranuclear interaction of the transcriptional coactivator YAP and the transcription factor TEAD(1-4). This pathway also plays a crucial role in recovery from injury; for example, its regulated repression allows hepatocytes to divide and replace tissue lost to a partial hepatectomy, after which its activation suppresses cell growth and prevents tissue overgrowth. While small molecule enzyme inhibitors have proven to be a revelation in cancer therapy, cell growth signaling via protein-protein interactions has proven much more difficult to drug. While Antibodies can be effective in targeting extracellular or cell surface epitopes, intracellular targets, such as the interaction between YAP and TEAD, are not amenable to antibody-based therapeutics. Optides are small disulfide-knotted peptides (knottins) and serve to bridge these capabilities; they are large enough to interfere with protein-protein interactions, but small enough to penetrate into the cytosol. Examples include imperatoxin, an activator of mitochondrial ryanodine receptors, and Tumor Paint, which contains an optimized variant of chlorotoxin conjugated to a fluorescent probe and is capable of accumulating in a wide range of tumor types.
To test whether Optides can abrogate oncogenic signaling mediated by protein-protein interactions, we created libraries of computationally designed candidates to target the TEAD/YAP interface. The library is expressed on the surface of mammalian cells, chosen for the improved fidelity of disulfide bridge connectivity observed in the mammalian secretory pathway as compared to that found in yeast. By repetitive screening against soluble TEAD protein, we are optimizing the pool of candidates for targeting TEAD. The lead Optides will be characterized for their ability to reduce YAP-TEAD interaction, and to impair YAP-mediated cell growth. Owing to the wide variety of knottin scaffolds, both natural and in silico designed, this flexible technology could be applied to other targets in order to impair oncogenic protein-protein interactions.
Citation Format: Zachary R. Crook, Philip Bradley, Chris King, Andrew J. Mhyre, David Baker, James M. Olson. Optides (optimized knottin peptides) computationally designed to target the oncogenic HIPPO pathway. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2971.
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Guo C, Hu M, DeOrazio RJ, Usyatinsky A, Fitzpatrick K, Zhang Z, Maeng JH, Kitchen DB, Tom S, Luche M, Khmelnitsky Y, Mhyre AJ, Guzzo PR, Liu S. The design and synthesis of novel SGLT2 inhibitors: C-glycosides with benzyltriazolopyridinone and phenylhydantoin as the aglycone moieties. Bioorg Med Chem 2014; 22:3414-22. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2014.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Revised: 04/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Cioffi CL, Wolf MA, Guzzo PR, Sadalapure K, Parthasarathy V, Dethe D, Maeng JH, Carulli E, Loong DT, Fang X, Hu M, Gupta P, Chung M, Bai M, Moore N, Luche M, Khmelnitsky Y, Love PL, Watson MA, Mhyre AJ, Liu S. Design, synthesis, and SAR of N-((1-(4-(propylsulfonyl)piperazin-1-yl)cycloalkyl)methyl)benzamide inhibitors of glycine transporter-1. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2013; 23:1257-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2013.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2012] [Revised: 12/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Wacker JL, Feller DB, Tang XB, Defino MC, Namkung Y, Lyssand JS, Mhyre AJ, Tan X, Jensen JB, Hague C. Disease-causing mutation in GPR54 reveals the importance of the second intracellular loop for class A G-protein-coupled receptor function. J Biol Chem 2008; 283:31068-78. [PMID: 18772143 PMCID: PMC2576551 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m805251200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2008] [Revised: 08/26/2008] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) GPR54 is essential for the development and maintenance of reproductive function in mammals. A point mutation (L148S) in the second intracellular loop (IL2) of GPR54 causes idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, a disorder characterized by delayed puberty and infertility. Here, we characterize the molecular mechanism by which the L148S mutation causes disease and address the role of IL2 in Class A GPCR function. Biochemical, immunocytochemical, and pharmacological analysis demonstrates that the mutation does not affect the expression, ligand binding properties, or protein interaction network of GPR54. In contrast, diverse GPR54 functional responses are markedly inhibited by the L148S mutation. Importantly, the leucine residue at this position is highly conserved among class A GPCRs. Indeed, mutating the corresponding leucine of the alpha(1A)-AR recapitulates the effects observed with L148S GPR54, suggesting the critical importance of this hydrophobic IL2 residue for Class A GPCR functional coupling. Interestingly, co-immunoprecipitation studies indicate that L148S does not hinder the association of Galpha subunits with GPR54. However, fluorescence resonance energy transfer analysis strongly suggests that L148S impairs the ligand-induced catalytic activation of Galpha. Combining our data with a predictive Class A GPCR/Galpha model suggests that IL2 domains contain a conserved hydrophobic motif that, upon agonist stimulation, might stabilize the switch II region of Galpha. Such an interaction could promote opening of switch II of Galpha to facilitate GDP-GTP exchange and coupling to downstream signaling responses. Importantly, mutations that disrupt this key hydrophobic interface can manifest as human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Wacker
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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Wacker JL, Feller DB, Tang X, DeFino MC, Namkung Y, Lyssand J, Mhyre AJ, Tan X, Hague C. Unraveling the molecular mechanism by which the L148S mutation of GPR54 causes idiopathic hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. FASEB J 2008. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.729.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Andrew J. Mhyre
- Clinical ResearchFred Hutchinson Cancer Research CenterSeattleWA
| | - Xu Tan
- PharmacologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWA
| | - Chris Hague
- PharmacologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWA
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Stirewalt DL, Mhyre AJ, Marcondes M, Pogosova-Agadjanyan E, Abbasi N, Radich JP, Deeg HJ. Tumour necrosis factor-induced gene expression in human marrow stroma: clues to the pathophysiology of MDS? Br J Haematol 2007; 140:444-53. [PMID: 18162123 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2141.2007.06923.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant regulation of the tumour necrosis factor alpha gene (TNF) and stroma-derived signals are involved in the pathophysiology of myelodysplasia. Therefore, KG1a, a myeloid leukaemia cell line, was exposed to Tnf in the absence or presence of either HS-5 or HS-27a cells, two human stroma cell lines. While KG1a cells were resistant to Tnf-induced apoptosis in the absence of stroma cells, Tnf-promoted apoptosis of KG1a cells in co-culture experiments with stroma cells. To investigate the Tnf-induced signals from the stroma cells, we examined expression changes in HS-5 and HS-27a cells after Tnf exposure. DNA microarray studies found both discordant and concordant Tnf-induced expression responses in the two stroma cell lines. Tnf promoted an increased mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines [e.g. interleukin (IL)6, IL8 and IL32]. At the same time, Tnf decreased the mRNA expression of anti-apoptotic genes (e.g. BCL2L1) and increased the mRNA expression of pro-apoptotic genes (e.g. BID). Overall, the results suggested that Tnf induced a complex set of pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptotic signals in stroma cells that promote apoptosis in malignant myeloid clones. Additional studies will be required to determine which of these signals are critical for the induction of apoptosis in the malignant clones. Those insights, in turn, may point the way to novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek L Stirewalt
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Mhyre AJ, Deeg HJ. Control of hematopoiesis and apoptosis in MDS: more than FLIPing the coin. Leuk Res 2007; 31:747-9. [PMID: 17320170 DOI: 10.1016/j.leukres.2007.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2007] [Revised: 01/04/2007] [Accepted: 01/06/2007] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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Mhyre AJ, Shapiro RA, Dorsa DM. Estradiol reduces nonclassical transcription at cyclic adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate response elements in glioma cells expressing estrogen receptor alpha. Endocrinology 2006; 147:1796-804. [PMID: 16439453 DOI: 10.1210/en.2005-1316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Estradiol can protect the brain from a variety of insults by activating membrane-initiated signaling pathways, and thereby modulate gene expression and lead to functional changes in neurons. These direct neuronal effects of the hormone have been well documented; however, it is less understood what effects estradiol may have on nonneuronal cells of the central nervous system. There is evidence that estradiol levels can induce the release of glial-derived growth factors and other cytokines, suggesting that estradiol may both directly and indirectly protect neurons. To determine whether 17beta-estradiol (E2) can activate rapid signaling and modulate nonclassical transcription in astrocytes, we stably transfected the C6 rat glioblastoma cell line with human estrogen receptor (ER) alpha (C6ERalpha) or rat ERbeta (C6ERbeta). Introduction of a cAMP response element-luciferase reporter gene into C6, C6ERalpha, and C6ERbeta cells leads to the observation that E2 treatment reduced isoproterenol-stimulated luciferase activity by 35% in C6ERalpha but had no effect on reporter gene expression in C6ERbeta or untransfected C6 cells. A similar effect was seen with a membrane-impermeable estrogen (E2-BSA), suggesting the modulation of nonclassical transcription by estradiol treatment is mediated by the activation of a membrane-initiated signaling pathway. Furthermore, pretreatment with wortmannin (phosphatidylinsositol 3-kinase) or U73122 (phospholipase C) attenuated the E2-induced reduction in nonclassical transcription. We conclude that E2 treatment reduces cAMP response element-mediated transcription in glioma cells expressing ERalpha and that this reduction is dependent on the activation of membrane-initiated signaling. These findings suggest a novel model of estrogen rapid signaling in astrocytes that leads to modulation of nonclassical transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Mhyre
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, 98195, USA.
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Mhyre AJ, Dorsa DM. Estrogen activates rapid signaling in the brain: role of estrogen receptor alpha and estrogen receptor beta in neurons and glia. Neuroscience 2005; 138:851-8. [PMID: 16343790 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2005] [Revised: 09/14/2005] [Accepted: 10/10/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The aging process is known to coincide with a decline in circulating sex hormone levels in both men and women. Due to an increase in the average lifespan, a growing number of post-menopausal women are now receiving hormone therapy for extended periods of time. Recent findings of the Women's Health Initiative, however, have called into question the benefits of long-term hormone therapy for treating symptoms of menopause. The results of this study are still being evaluated, but it is clear that a better understanding of the molecular effects of estradiol is needed in order to develop new estrogenic compounds that activate specific mechanisms but lack adverse side effects. Traditionally, the effects of estradiol treatment have been ascribed to changes in gene expression, namely transcription at estrogen response elements. This review focuses on emerging information that estradiol can also activate a repertoire of membrane-initiated signaling pathways and that these rapid signaling events lead to functional changes at the cellular level. The various types of cells in the brain can respond differently to estradiol treatment based on the signaling properties of the cell, as well as which receptor, estrogen receptor alpha and/or estrogen receptor beta, is expressed. Taken together, these findings suggest that the estradiol-induced activation of membrane-initiated signaling pathways occurs in a cell-type specific manner and can differentially influence how the cells respond to various insults.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J Mhyre
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, 98195, USA
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