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Ji H, Englmaier F, Morigny P, Giroud M, Gräsle P, Brings S, Szendrödi J, Berriel Diaz M, Plettenburg O, Herzig S, Rohm M. Development of a peptide drug restoring AMPK and adipose tissue functionality in cancer cachexia. Mol Ther 2023; 31:2408-2421. [PMID: 37408309 PMCID: PMC10422018 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.06.020] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cachexia is a severe systemic wasting disease that negatively affects quality of life and survival in patients with cancer. To date, treating cancer cachexia is still a major unmet clinical need. We recently discovered the destabilization of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) complex in adipose tissue as a key event in cachexia-related adipose tissue dysfunction and developed an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based approach to prevent AMPK degradation and prolong cachexia-free survival. Here, we show the development and optimization of a prototypic peptide, Pen-X-ACIP, where the AMPK-stabilizing peptide ACIP is fused to the cell-penetrating peptide moiety penetratin via a propargylic glycine linker to enable late-stage functionalization using click chemistry. Pen-X-ACIP was efficiently taken up by adipocytes, inhibited lipolysis, and restored AMPK signaling. Tissue uptake assays showed a favorable uptake profile into adipose tissue upon intraperitoneal injection. Systemic delivery of Pen-X-ACIP into tumor-bearing animals prevented the progression of cancer cachexia without affecting tumor growth and preserved body weight and adipose tissue mass with no discernable side effects in other peripheral organs, thereby achieving proof of concept. As Pen-X-ACIP also exerted its anti-lipolytic activity in human adipocytes, it now provides a promising platform for further (pre)clinical development toward a novel, first-in-class approach against cancer cachexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglei Ji
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Felix Englmaier
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Center of Biomolecular Research, Leibniz University Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany
| | - Pauline Morigny
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maude Giroud
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Pamina Gräsle
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Brings
- Department of Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julia Szendrödi
- Department of Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Mauricio Berriel Diaz
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Oliver Plettenburg
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute of Medicinal Chemistry, Molecular Targets and Therapeutics Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Institute of Organic Chemistry, Center of Biomolecular Research, Leibniz University Hannover, 30167 Hannover, Germany; Laboratory of Nano- and Quantum Engineering (LNQE), Leibniz University Hannover, 30167 Hanover, Germany; Institute of Lung Health (ILH), 35392 Gießen, Germany.
| | - Stephan Herzig
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Chair Molecular Metabolic Control, Technical University Munich, 81675 Munich, Germany.
| | - Maria Rohm
- Institute for Diabetes and Cancer, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Center Munich, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Joint Heidelberg-IDC Translational Diabetes Unit, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
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