1
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Paulus J, Sewald N. Small molecule- and peptide-drug conjugates addressing integrins: A story of targeted cancer treatment. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3561. [PMID: 38382900 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Targeted cancer treatment should avoid side effects and damage to healthy cells commonly encountered during traditional chemotherapy. By combining small molecule or peptidic ligands as homing devices with cytotoxic drugs connected by a cleavable or non-cleavable linker in peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) or small molecule-drug conjugates (SMDCs), cancer cells and tumours can be selectively targeted. The development of highly affine, selective peptides and small molecules in recent years has allowed PDCs and SMDCs to increasingly compete with antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs). Integrins represent an excellent target for conjugates because they are overexpressed by most cancer cells and because of the broad knowledge about native binding partners as well as the multitude of small-molecule and peptidic ligands that have been developed over the last 30 years. In particular, integrin αVβ3 has been addressed using a variety of different PDCs and SMDCs over the last two decades, following various strategies. This review summarises and describes integrin-addressing PDCs and SMDCs while highlighting points of great interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannik Paulus
- Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Norbert Sewald
- Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
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2
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Zambra M, Ranđelović I, Talarico F, Borbély A, Svajda L, Tóvári J, Mező G, Bodero L, Colombo S, Arrigoni F, Fasola E, Gazzola S, Piarulli U. Optimizing the enzymatic release of MMAE from isoDGR-based small molecule drug conjugate by incorporation of a GPLG-PABC enzymatically cleavable linker. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1215694. [PMID: 37492088 PMCID: PMC10363981 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1215694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) and Small Molecule-Drug Conjugates (SMDCs) represent successful examples of targeted drug-delivery technologies for overcoming unwanted side effects of conventional chemotherapy in cancer treatment. In both strategies, a cytotoxic payload is connected to the tumor homing moiety through a linker that releases the drug inside or in proximity of the tumor cell, and that represents a key component for the final therapeutic effect of the conjugate. Here, we show that the replacement of the Val-Ala-p-aminobenzyloxycarbamate linker with the Gly-Pro-Leu-Gly-p-aminobenzyloxycarbamate (GPLG-PABC) sequence as enzymatically cleavable linker in the SMDC bearing the cyclo[DKP-isoDGR] αVβ3 integrin ligand as tumor homing moiety and the monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) as cytotoxic payload led to a 4-fold more potent anti-tumoral effect of the final conjugate on different cancer cell lines. In addition, the synthesized conjugate resulted to be significantly more potent than the free MMAE when tested following the "kiss-and-run" protocol, and the relative potency were clearly consistent with the expression of the αVβ3 integrin receptor in the considered cancer cell lines. In vitro enzymatic cleavage tests showed that the GPLG-PABC linker is cleaved by lysosomal enzymes, and that the released drug is observable already after 15 min of incubation. Although additional data are needed to fully characterize the releasing capacity of GPLG-PABC linker, our findings are of therapeutic significance since we are introducing an alternative to other well-established enzymatically sensitive peptide sequences that might be used in the future for generating more efficient and less toxic drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zambra
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Ivan Ranđelović
- The National Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Francesco Talarico
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Adina Borbély
- MTA-ELTE Lendület Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry Research Group and Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Laura Svajda
- KINETO Lab Ltd., Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Pathological Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - József Tóvári
- The National Tumor Biology Laboratory, Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Mező
- ELKH-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Lizeth Bodero
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Sveva Colombo
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
- Department of Chemistry Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Federico Arrigoni
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Elettra Fasola
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Silvia Gazzola
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
| | - Umberto Piarulli
- Science and High Technology Department, University of Insubria, Como, Italy
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3
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Cossu J, Thoreau F, Boturyn D. Multimeric RGD-Based Strategies for Selective Drug Delivery to Tumor Tissues. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020525. [PMID: 36839846 PMCID: PMC9961187 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
RGD peptides have received a lot of attention over the two last decades, in particular to improve tumor therapy through the targeting of the αVβ3 integrin receptor. This review focuses on the molecular design of multimeric RGD compounds, as well as the design of suitable linkers for drug delivery. Many examples of RGD-drug conjugates have been developed, and we show the importance of RGD constructs to enhance binding affinity to tumor cells, as well as their drug uptake. Further, we also highlight the use of RGD peptides as theranostic systems, promising tools offering dual modality, such as tumor diagnosis and therapy. In conclusion, we address the challenging issues, as well as ongoing and future development, in comparison with large molecules, such as monoclonal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Cossu
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM UMR 5250, F-38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Fabien Thoreau
- University Poitiers, Inst Chim Milieux & Mat Poitiers IC2MP, UMR CNRS 7285, F-86073 Poitiers, France
| | - Didier Boturyn
- University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM UMR 5250, F-38000 Grenoble, France
- Correspondence:
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4
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Collyer SE, Stack GD, Walsh JJ. Selective delivery of clinically approved tubulin binding agents through covalent conjugation to an active targeting moiety. Curr Med Chem 2022; 29:5179-5211. [DOI: 10.2174/0929867329666220401105929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract:
The efficacy and tolerability of tubulin binding agents are hampered by their low specificity for cancer cells, like most clinically used anticancer agents. To improve specificity, tubulin binding agents have been covalently conjugated to agents which target cancer cells to give actively targeted drug conjugates. These conjugates are designed to increase uptake of the drug by cancer cells, while having limited uptake by normal cells thereby improving efficacy and tolerability.
Approaches used include attachment to small molecules, polysaccharides, peptides, proteins and antibodies that exploit the overexpression of receptors for these substances. Antibody targeted strategies have been the most successful to date with six such examples having gained clinical approval. Many other conjugate types, especially those targeting the folate receptor, have shown promising efficacy and toxicity profiles in pre-clinical models and in early-stage clinical studies. Presented herein is a discussion of the success or otherwise of the recent strategies used to form these actively targeted conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel E. Collyer
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gary D. Stack
- Department of Nursing and Healthcare, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Athlone, Ireland
| | - John J. Walsh
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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5
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Balachandra C, Padhi D, Govindaraju T. Cyclic Dipeptide: A Privileged Molecular Scaffold to Derive Structural Diversity and Functional Utility. ChemMedChem 2021; 16:2558-2587. [PMID: 33938157 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic dipeptides (CDPs) are the simplest form of cyclic peptides with a wide range of applications from therapeutics to biomaterials. CDP is a versatile molecular platform endowed with unique properties such as conformational rigidity, intermolecular interactions, structural diversification through chemical synthesis, bioavailability and biocompatibility. A variety of natural products with the CDP core exhibit anticancer, antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral activities. The inherent bioactivities have inspired the development of synthetic analogues as drug candidates and drug delivery systems. CDP plays a crucial role as conformation and molecular assembly directing core in the design of molecular receptors, peptidomimetics and fabrication of functional material architectures. In recent years, CDP has rapidly become a privileged scaffold for the design of advanced drug candidates, drug delivery agents, bioimaging, and biomaterials to mitigate numerous disease conditions. This review describes the structural diversification and multifarious biomedical applications of the CDP scaffold, discusses challenges, and provides future directions for the emerging field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenikkayala Balachandra
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, New Chemistry Unit and School of Advanced materials (SAMat), Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Jakkur P.O., Bangalore, 560064, India
| | - Dikshaa Padhi
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, New Chemistry Unit and School of Advanced materials (SAMat), Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Jakkur P.O., Bangalore, 560064, India
| | - Thimmaiah Govindaraju
- Bioorganic Chemistry Laboratory, New Chemistry Unit and School of Advanced materials (SAMat), Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Jakkur P.O., Bangalore, 560064, India
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6
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Bodero L, Parente S, Arrigoni F, Klimpel A, Neundorf I, Gazzola S, Piarulli U. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of an
iso
DGR‐Paclitaxel Conjugate Containing a Cell‐Penetrating Peptide to Promote Cellular Uptake. European J Org Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202100241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lizeth Bodero
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Via Valleggio 11 22100 Como Italy
| | - Sara Parente
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Via Valleggio 11 22100 Como Italy
| | - Federico Arrigoni
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Via Valleggio 11 22100 Como Italy
| | - Annika Klimpel
- University of Cologne Department of Chemistry Institute for Biochemistry Zuelpicher Str. 47a 50674 Cologne Germany
| | - Ines Neundorf
- University of Cologne Department of Chemistry Institute for Biochemistry Zuelpicher Str. 47a 50674 Cologne Germany
| | - Silvia Gazzola
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Via Valleggio 11 22100 Como Italy
| | - Umberto Piarulli
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta Tecnologia Università degli Studi dell'Insubria Via Valleggio 11 22100 Como Italy
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7
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Porubský M, Gurská S, Stanková J, Hajdúch M, Džubák P, Hlaváč J. AminoBODIPY Conjugates for Targeted Drug Delivery Systems and Real-Time Monitoring of Drug Release. Mol Pharm 2021; 18:2385-2396. [PMID: 33961440 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.1c00219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In this work, we report two concepts of drug delivery based on small-molecule drug conjugates with the ability of specific targeting and drug release monitoring via ratiometric fluorescence. The functionality of these concepts has been verified by two model systems consisting of three parts: (i) fluorescent aminoBODIPY for real-time detection of conjugate cleavage, (ii) a c(RGDfK) peptide specific for αvβ3 integrin receptors targeting angiogenesis in most solid tumors or redBODIPY for conjugate cleavage monitoring via FRET, and (iii) pegylated-2-phenyl-3-hydroxy-4(1H)-quinolinone (3HQ) as a model drug. The model drug release is based on a self-immolative disulfide linker sensitive to environments containing thiols, especially glutathione, which is overexpressed in cancer cells. The results show effective thiol-mediated cleavage of the fluorescent reporter and the subsequent liberation of the drug in a tube. The conjugate with c(RGDfK) was confirmed to penetrate the cells via interaction with integrin receptors. Drug release from this conjugate is possible to monitor inside the cells. Further, the synthetic approach to the conjugates and the method of fluorescence monitoring of the drug release have also been described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Porubský
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Tr. 17. Listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Soňa Gurská
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jarmila Stanková
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Marián Hajdúch
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Džubák
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Palacký University, Hněvotínská 5, 779 00 Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Hlaváč
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, Tr. 17. Listopadu 12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic
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8
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Battistini L, Bugatti K, Sartori A, Curti C, Zanardi F. RGD Peptide‐Drug Conjugates as Effective Dual Targeting Platforms: Recent Advances. European J Org Chem 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202100240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Battistini
- Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco Università di Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 27 A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - Kelly Bugatti
- Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco Università di Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 27 A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - Andrea Sartori
- Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco Università di Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 27 A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - Claudio Curti
- Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco Università di Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 27 A 43124 Parma Italy
| | - Franca Zanardi
- Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti e del Farmaco Università di Parma Parco Area delle Scienze 27 A 43124 Parma Italy
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9
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Dordoni F, Scarpi D, Bianchini F, Contini A, Occhiato EG. Enantioselective Synthesis of cis
and trans
4-Aminopipecolic Acids as γ-Amino Acids for the Construction of Cyclic RGD-Containing Peptidomimetics Antagonists of α V
β 3
Integrin. European J Org Chem 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.202000634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Dordoni
- Dipartimento di Chimica “U. Schiff”; Università degli Studi di Firenze; Via della Lastruccia 13 50019 Sesto Fiorentino Italy
| | - Dina Scarpi
- Dipartimento di Chimica “U. Schiff”; Università degli Studi di Firenze; Via della Lastruccia 13 50019 Sesto Fiorentino Italy
| | - Francesca Bianchini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche Sperimentali e Cliniche “Mario Serio”; Università degli Studi di Firenze; Viale Morgagni 50 50134 Firenze Italy
| | - Alessandro Contini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche; Università degli Studi di Milano; Via Venezian 21 20133 Milano Italy
| | - Ernesto G. Occhiato
- Dipartimento di Chimica “U. Schiff”; Università degli Studi di Firenze; Via della Lastruccia 13 50019 Sesto Fiorentino Italy
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10
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Pina A, Kadri M, Arosio D, Dal Corso A, Coll JL, Gennari C, Boturyn D. Multimeric Presentation of RGD Peptidomimetics Enhances Integrin Binding and Tumor Cell Uptake. Chemistry 2020; 26:7492-7496. [PMID: 32227540 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202001115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The use of multimeric ligands is considered as a promising strategy to improve tumor targeting for diagnosis and therapy. Herein, tetrameric RGD (Arg-Gly-Asp) peptidomimetics were designed to target αv β3 integrin-expressing tumor cells. These compounds were prepared by an oxime chemoselective assembly of cyclo(DKP-RGD) ligands and a cyclodecapeptide scaffold, which allows a tetrameric presentation. The resulting tetrameric RGD peptidomimetics were shown to improve αv β3 integrin binding compared with the monomeric form. Interestingly, these compounds were also able to enhance tumor cell endocytosis in the same way as tetrameric RGD peptides. Altogether, the results show the potential of the tetrameric cyclo(DKP-RGD) ligands for in vivo imaging and drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Pina
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Chimica, Via C. Golgi 19, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Malika Kadri
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, CNRS, Site Santé, Allée des Alpes, 38700, La Tronche, France
| | - Daniela Arosio
- CNR, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche (SCITEC) "Giulio Natta", Via C. Golgi, 19, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Dal Corso
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Chimica, Via C. Golgi 19, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Jean-Luc Coll
- Institute for Advanced Biosciences, University Grenoble Alpes, INSERM, CNRS, Site Santé, Allée des Alpes, 38700, La Tronche, France
| | - Cesare Gennari
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Chimica, Via C. Golgi 19, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Didier Boturyn
- Department of Molecular Chemistry, University Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, 570, rue de la chimie, CS 40700, 38041, GRENOBLE Cedex 9, France
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11
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López Rivas P, Müller C, Breunig C, Hechler T, Pahl A, Arosio D, Belvisi L, Pignataro L, Dal Corso A, Gennari C. β-Glucuronidase triggers extracellular MMAE release from an integrin-targeted conjugate. Org Biomol Chem 2020; 17:4705-4710. [PMID: 31020985 DOI: 10.1039/c9ob00617f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
A non-internalizing αvβ3 integrin ligand was conjugated to the anticancer drug MMAE through a β-glucuronidase-responsive linker. In the presence of β-glucuronidase, only the conjugate bearing a PEG4 spacer inhibited the proliferation of integrin-expressing cancer cells at low nanomolar concentrations, indicating important structural requirements for the efficacy of these therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula López Rivas
- Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Chimica, Via C. Golgi, 19 I-20133, Milan, Italy.
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12
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Shen HM, Zhang L, Deng JH, Sun J, She YB. Enhanced catalytic performance of porphyrin cobalt(II) in the solvent-free oxidation of cycloalkanes (C5~C8) with molecular oxygen promoted by porphyrin zinc(II). CATAL COMMUN 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.catcom.2019.105809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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13
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Ranđelović I, Schuster S, Kapuvári B, Fossati G, Steinkühler C, Mező G, Tóvári J. Improved In Vivo Anti-Tumor and Anti-Metastatic Effect of GnRH-III-Daunorubicin Analogs on Colorectal and Breast Carcinoma Bearing Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E4763. [PMID: 31557968 PMCID: PMC6801585 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Among various homing devices, gonadotropin-releasing hormone-III (GnRH-III) peptide represents a suitable targeting moiety for drug delivery systems. The anti-tumor activity of the previously developed GnRH-III-[4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau=Aoa)] conjugate and the novel synthesized GnRH-III-[2ΔHis,3d-Tic,4Lys(Bu),8Lys(Dau=Aoa)] conjugate, containing the anti-cancer drug daunorubicin, were evaluated. Here, we demonstrate that both GnRH-III-Dau conjugates possess an efficient growth inhibitory effect on more than 20 cancer cell lines, whereby the biological activity is strongly connected to the expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors (GnRH-R). The novel conjugate showed a higher in vitro anti-proliferative activity and a higher uptake capacity. Moreover, the treatment with GnRH-III-Dau conjugates cause a significant in vivo tumor growth and metastases inhibitory effect in three different orthotopic models, including 4T1 mice and MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma, as well as HT-29 human colorectal cancer bearing BALB/s and SCID mice, while toxic side-effects were substantially reduced in comparison to the treatment with the free drug. These findings illustrate that our novel lead compound is a highly promising candidate for targeted tumor therapy in both colon cancer and metastatic breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Ranđelović
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Sabine Schuster
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Bence Kapuvári
- Department of Biochemistry, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Gianluca Fossati
- Preclinical R&D, Italfarmaco SpA, 20092 Cinisello Balsamo (Milan), Italy.
| | | | - Gábor Mező
- Faculty of Science, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - József Tóvári
- Department of Experimental Pharmacology, National Institute of Oncology, 1122 Budapest, Hungary.
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14
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Borbély A, Figueras E, Martins A, Bodero L, Raposo Moreira Dias A, López Rivas P, Pina A, Arosio D, Gallinari P, Frese M, Steinkühler C, Gennari C, Piarulli U, Sewald N. Conjugates of Cryptophycin and RGD or isoDGR Peptidomimetics for Targeted Drug Delivery. ChemistryOpen 2019; 8:737-742. [PMID: 31275795 PMCID: PMC6587324 DOI: 10.1002/open.201900110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
RGD-cryptophycin and isoDGR-cryptophycin conjugates were synthetized by combining peptidomimetic integrin ligands and cryptophycin, a highly potent tubulin-binding antimitotic agent across lysosomally cleavable Val-Ala or uncleavable linkers. The conjugates were able to effectively inhibit binding of biotinylated vitronectin to integrin αvβ3, showing a binding affinity in the same range as that of the free ligands. The antiproliferative activity of the novel conjugates was evaluated on human melanoma cells M21 and M21-L with different expression levels of integrin αvβ3, showing nanomolar potency of all four compounds against both cell lines. Conjugates containing uncleavable linker show reduced activity compared to the corresponding cleavable conjugates, indicating efficient intracellular drug release in the case of cryptophycin-based SMDCs. However, no significant correlation between the in vitro biological activity of the conjugates and the integrin αvβ3 expression level was observed, which is presumably due to a non-integrin-mediated uptake. This reveals the complexity of effective and selective αvβ3 integrin-mediated drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adina Borbély
- Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of ChemistryBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 25DE-33615BielefeldGermany
| | - Eduard Figueras
- Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of ChemistryBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 25DE-33615BielefeldGermany
| | - Ana Martins
- Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of ChemistryBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 25DE-33615BielefeldGermany
- Exiris s.r.l.Via di Castel Romano 100IT-00128RomeItaly
| | - Lizeth Bodero
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta TecnologiaUniversità degli Studi dell'InsubriaVia Valleggio, 11IT-22100ComoItaly
| | | | - Paula López Rivas
- Dipartimento di ChimicaUniversità degli Studi di MilanoVia C. Golgi, 19IT-20133MilanoItaly
| | - Arianna Pina
- Dipartimento di ChimicaUniversità degli Studi di MilanoVia C. Golgi, 19IT-20133MilanoItaly
| | - Daniela Arosio
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari (ISTM)CNRVia C. Golgi, 19IT-20133MilanoItaly
| | | | - Marcel Frese
- Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of ChemistryBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 25DE-33615BielefeldGermany
| | | | - Cesare Gennari
- Dipartimento di ChimicaUniversità degli Studi di MilanoVia C. Golgi, 19IT-20133MilanoItaly
| | - Umberto Piarulli
- Dipartimento di Scienza e Alta TecnologiaUniversità degli Studi dell'InsubriaVia Valleggio, 11IT-22100ComoItaly
| | - Norbert Sewald
- Organic and Bioorganic Chemistry, Department of ChemistryBielefeld UniversityUniversitätsstraße 25DE-33615BielefeldGermany
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15
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Raposo Moreira Dias A, Bodero L, Martins A, Arosio D, Gazzola S, Belvisi L, Pignataro L, Steinkühler C, Dal Corso A, Gennari C, Piarulli U. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of RGD and isoDGR-Monomethyl Auristatin Conjugates Targeting Integrin α V β 3. ChemMedChem 2019; 14:938-942. [PMID: 30840356 PMCID: PMC6593765 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201900049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This work reports the synthesis of a series of small-molecule-drug conjugates containing the αV β3 -integrin ligand cyclo[DKP-RGD] or cyclo[DKP-isoDGR], a lysosomally cleavable Val-Ala (VA) linker or an "uncleavable" version devoid of this sequence, and monomethyl auristatin E (MMAE) or F (MMAF) as the cytotoxic agent. The conjugates were obtained via a straightforward synthetic scheme taking advantage of a copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition as the key step. The conjugates were tested for their binding affinity for the isolated αv β3 receptor and were shown to retain nanomolar IC50 values, in the same range as those of the free ligands. The cytotoxic activity of the conjugates was evaluated in cell viability assays with αv β3 integrin overexpressing human glioblastoma (U87) and human melanoma (M21) cells. The conjugates possess markedly lower cytotoxic activity than the free drugs, which is consistent with inefficient integrin-mediated internalization. In almost all cases the conjugates featuring isoDGR as integrin ligand exhibited higher potency than their RGD counterparts. In particular, the cyclo[DKP-isoDGR]-VA-MMAE conjugate has low nanomolar IC50 values in cell viability assays with both cancer cell lines tested (U87: 11.50±0.13 nm; M21: 6.94±0.09 nm) and is therefore a promising candidate for in vivo experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lizeth Bodero
- Università degli Studi dell'InsubriaDipartimento di Scienza e Alta TecnologiaVia Valleggio, 1122100ComoItaly
| | - Ana Martins
- Exiris SrlVia di Castel Romano, 10000128RomeItaly
| | - Daniela Arosio
- CNRIstituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari (ISTM)Via C. Golgi, 1920133MilanItaly
| | - Silvia Gazzola
- Università degli Studi dell'InsubriaDipartimento di Scienza e Alta TecnologiaVia Valleggio, 1122100ComoItaly
| | - Laura Belvisi
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di ChimicaVia C. Golgi, 1920133MilanItaly
- CNRIstituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari (ISTM)Via C. Golgi, 1920133MilanItaly
| | - Luca Pignataro
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di ChimicaVia C. Golgi, 1920133MilanItaly
| | | | - Alberto Dal Corso
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di ChimicaVia C. Golgi, 1920133MilanItaly
| | - Cesare Gennari
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di ChimicaVia C. Golgi, 1920133MilanItaly
- CNRIstituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari (ISTM)Via C. Golgi, 1920133MilanItaly
| | - Umberto Piarulli
- Università degli Studi dell'InsubriaDipartimento di Scienza e Alta TecnologiaVia Valleggio, 1122100ComoItaly
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16
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Raposo Moreira Dias A, Pina A, Dean A, Lerchen H, Caruso M, Gasparri F, Fraietta I, Troiani S, Arosio D, Belvisi L, Pignataro L, Dal Corso A, Gennari C. Neutrophil Elastase Promotes Linker Cleavage and Paclitaxel Release from an Integrin-Targeted Conjugate. Chemistry 2019; 25:1696-1700. [PMID: 30452790 PMCID: PMC6471013 DOI: 10.1002/chem.201805447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This work takes advantage of one of the hallmarks of cancer, that is, the presence of tumor infiltrating cells of the immune system and leukocyte-secreted enzymes, to promote the activation of an anticancer drug at the tumor site. The peptidomimetic integrin ligand cyclo(DKP-RGD) was found to accumulate on the surface of αv β3 integrin-expressing human renal cell carcinoma 786-O cells. The ligand was conjugated to the anticancer drug paclitaxel through a Asn-Pro-Val (NPV) tripeptide linker, which is a substrate of neutrophil-secreted elastase. In vitro linker cleavage assays and cell antiproliferative experiments demonstrate the efficacy of this tumor-targeting conjugate, opening the way to potential therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arianna Pina
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di ChimicaVia C. Golgi, 19I-20133MilanItaly
| | - Amelia Dean
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di ChimicaVia C. Golgi, 19I-20133MilanItaly
| | | | - Michele Caruso
- Nerviano Medical SciencesViale Pasteur, 10I-20014NervianoItaly
| | - Fabio Gasparri
- Nerviano Medical SciencesViale Pasteur, 10I-20014NervianoItaly
| | - Ivan Fraietta
- Nerviano Medical SciencesViale Pasteur, 10I-20014NervianoItaly
| | - Sonia Troiani
- Nerviano Medical SciencesViale Pasteur, 10I-20014NervianoItaly
| | - Daniela Arosio
- CNR, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari (ISTM)Via C. Golgi, 19I-20133MilanItaly
| | - Laura Belvisi
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di ChimicaVia C. Golgi, 19I-20133MilanItaly
- CNR, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari (ISTM)Via C. Golgi, 19I-20133MilanItaly
| | - Luca Pignataro
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di ChimicaVia C. Golgi, 19I-20133MilanItaly
| | - Alberto Dal Corso
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di ChimicaVia C. Golgi, 19I-20133MilanItaly
| | - Cesare Gennari
- Università degli Studi di MilanoDipartimento di ChimicaVia C. Golgi, 19I-20133MilanItaly
- CNR, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Molecolari (ISTM)Via C. Golgi, 19I-20133MilanItaly
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