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Bojko M, Węgrzyn K, Sikorska E, Ciura P, Battin C, Steinberger P, Magiera-Mularz K, Dubin G, Kulesza A, Sieradzan AK, Spodzieja M, Rodziewicz-Motowidło S. Peptide-based inhibitors targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis: potential immunotherapeutics for cancer. Transl Oncol 2024; 42:101892. [PMID: 38359715 PMCID: PMC10877416 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2024.101892] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The PD-1/PD-L1 complex belongs to the group of inhibitory immune checkpoints and plays a critical role in immune regulation. The PD-1/PD-L1 axis is also responsible for immune evasion of cancer cells, and this complex is one of the main targets of immunotherapies used in oncology. Treatment using immune checkpoint inhibitors is mainly based on antibodies. This approach has great therapeutic potential; however, it also has major drawbacks and can induce immune-related adverse events. Thus, there is a strong need for alternative, non-antibody-based therapies using small molecules, peptides, or peptidomimetics. In the present study, we designed, synthesized, and evaluated a set of PD-1-targeting peptides based on the sequence and structure of PD-L1. The binding of these peptides to PD-1 was investigated using SPR and ELISA. We also assessed their ability to compete with PD-L1 for binding to PD-1 and their inhibitory properties against the PD-1/PD-L1 complex at the cellular level. The best results were obtained for the peptide PD-L1(111-127)(Y112C-I126C), named (L11), which displaced PD-L1 from binding to PD-1 in the competitive assay and inhibited the formation of the PD-1/PD-L1 complex. The (L11) peptide also exhibited strong affinity for PD-1. NMR studies revealed that (L11) does not form a well-defined secondary structure; however, MD simulation indicated that (L11) binds to PD-1 at the same place as PD-L1. After further optimization of the structure, the peptide inhibitor obtained in this study could also be used as a potential therapeutic compound targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Bojko
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Węgrzyn
- University of Gdańsk, Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology of the University of Gdańsk and the Medical University of Gdańsk, Abrahama 58, 80-307 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Emilia Sikorska
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Piotr Ciura
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Claire Battin
- Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Immunology, Division of Immune Receptors and T cell Activation, Lazarettgasse 19, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Peter Steinberger
- Medical University of Vienna, Institute of Immunology, Division of Immune Receptors and T cell Activation, Lazarettgasse 19, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Katarzyna Magiera-Mularz
- Małopolska Centre of Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7A, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Dubin
- Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Chemistry, Gronostajowa 2, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Adam Kulesza
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Adam K Sieradzan
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marta Spodzieja
- University of Gdańsk, Faculty of Chemistry, Wita Stwosza 63, 80-308 Gdańsk, Poland.
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Zhang J, Joshua AM, Li Y, O'Meara CH, Morris MJ, Khachigian LM. Targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and small molecules and peptidomimetics as emerging immunoregulatory agents for melanoma. Cancer Lett 2024; 586:216633. [PMID: 38281663 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.216633] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Primary cutaneous melanoma is the most lethal of all skin neoplasms and its incidence is increasing. Clinical management of advanced melanoma in the last decade has been revolutionised by the availability of immunotherapies and targeted therapies, used alone and in combination. This article summarizes advances in the treatment of late-stage melanoma including use of protein kinase inhibitors, antibody-based immune checkpoint inhibitors, adoptive immunotherapy, vaccines and more recently, small molecules and peptidomimetics as emerging immunoregulatory agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Zhang
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, Department of Pathology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Anthony M Joshua
- Kinghorn Cancer Centre, St Vincent's Hospital, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Yue Li
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, Department of Pathology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Connor H O'Meara
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, ANU Medical School and Canberra Health Services, Australian National University, Acton, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Margaret J Morris
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Levon M Khachigian
- Vascular Biology and Translational Research, Department of Pathology, School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
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Biersack B, Nitzsche B, Höpfner M. Immunomodulatory properties of HDAC6 inhibitors in cancer diseases: New chances for sophisticated drug design and treatment optimization. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 154:286-294. [PMID: 36127263 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are promising targets for the design of anticancer drugs. HDAC6 is of particular interest since it is a cytoplasmic HDAC regulating the acetylation state of cancer-relevant cytoplasmic proteins such as tubulin, Hsp90, p53, and others. HDAC6 also influences the immune system, and the combination of HDAC6 inhibitors with immune therapy showed promising anticancer results. In addition, the design of new HDAC6 inhibitors led to potent anticancer drugs with immunomodulatory activities. This review describes the current state of play, and the recent developments in the research on the interactions of HDAC6 inhibitors with the immune system, and the development of new HDAC6 inhibitors with immunomodulatory activities to improve the therapy options for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Biersack
- Organic Chemistry Laboratory, University Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany.
| | - Bianca Nitzsche
- Institute of Physiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Höpfner
- Institute of Physiology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany
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Carter R, Alanazi F, Sharp A, Roman J, Luchini A, Liotta L, Paige M, Brown AM, Haymond A. Identification of the functional PD-L1 interface region responsible for PD-1 binding and initiation of PD-1 signaling. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105353. [PMID: 37858677 PMCID: PMC10663846 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105353] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint pathway is important for regulating immune responses and can be targeted by immunomodulatory drugs to treat a variety of immune disorders. However, the precise protein-protein interactions required for the initiation of PD-1/PD-L1 signaling are currently unknown. Previously, we designed a series of first-generation PD-1 targeting peptides based on the native interface region of programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) that effectively reduced PD-1/PD-L1 binding. In this work, we further characterized the previously identified lead peptide, MN1.1, to identify key PD-1 binding residues and design an optimized peptide, MN1.4. We show MN1.4 is significantly more stable than MN1.1 in serum and retains the ability to block PD-1/PD-L1 complex formation. We further characterized the immunomodulatory effects of MN1.4 treatment by measuring markers of T cell activation in a co-culture model with ovarian cancer cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We found MN1.4 treatment reduced cytokine secretion and suppressed T cell responses in a similar manner as recombinant PD-L1. Therefore, the PD-L1 interface region used to design MN1.4 appeared sufficient to initiate PD-1 signaling and likely represents the minimum necessary region of PD-L1 required for PD-1 recognition. We propose a peptide agonist for PD-1, such as MN1.4, could have several applications for treating autoimmune disorders caused by PD-1 deficiencies such as type 1 diabetes, inflammatory arthritis, or autoimmune side effects arising from monoclonal antibody-based cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Carter
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA.
| | - Fatimah Alanazi
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Amanda Sharp
- Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Jessica Roman
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Alessandra Luchini
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Lance Liotta
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Mikell Paige
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
| | - Anne M Brown
- Program in Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Data Services, University Libraries, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Amanda Haymond
- Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
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Yin H, Fu XY, Gao HY, Ma YN, Yao JF, Du SS, Qi YK, Wang KW. Design, synthesis and anticancer evaluation of novel oncolytic peptide-chlorambucil conjugates. Bioorg Chem 2023; 138:106674. [PMID: 37331169 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen mustards (NMs) are an important class of chemotherapeutic drugs and have been widely employed for the treatment of various cancers. However, due to the high reactivity of nitrogen mustard, most NMs react with proteins and phospholipids within the cell membrane. Therefore, only a very small fraction of NMs can reach the reach nucleus, alkylating and cross-linking DNA. To efficiently penetrate the cell membrane barrier, the hybridization of NMs with a membranolytic agent may be an effective strategy. Herein, the chlorambucil (CLB, a kind of NM) hybrids were first designed by conjugation with membranolytic peptide LTX-315. However, although LTX-315 could help large amounts of CLB penetrate the cytomembrane and enter the cytoplasm, CLB still did not readily reach the nucleus. Our previous work demonstrated that the hybrid peptide NTP-385 obtained by covalent conjugation of rhodamine B with LTX-315 could accumulate in the nucleus. Hence, the NTP-385-CLB conjugate, named FXY-3, was then designed and systematically evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. FXY-3 displayed prominent localization in the cancer cell nucleus and induced severe DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) to trigger cell apoptosis. Especially, compared with CLB and LTX-315, FXY-3 exhibited significantly increased in vitro cytotoxicity against a panel of cancer cell lines. Moreover, FXY-3 showed superior in vivo anticancer efficiency in the mouse cancer model. Collectively, this study established an effective strategy to increase the anticancer activity and the nuclear accumulation of NMs, which will provide a valuable reference for future nucleus-targeting modification of nitrogen mustards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yin
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; Institute of Innovative Drugs, Qingdao University, #38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Xing-Yan Fu
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Han-Yu Gao
- School of Stomatology, Jining Medical University, #133 Hehua Road, Jining 272067, China
| | - Yan-Nan Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Jing-Fang Yao
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Shan-Shan Du
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Yun-Kun Qi
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; Institute of Innovative Drugs, Qingdao University, #38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, China.
| | - Ke-Wei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; Institute of Innovative Drugs, Qingdao University, #38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, China
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Liu N, Zhang R, Shi Q, Jiang H, Zhou Q. Intelligent delivery system targeting PD-1/PD-L1 pathway for cancer immunotherapy. Bioorg Chem 2023; 136:106550. [PMID: 37121105 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [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: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The drugs targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway have gained abundant clinical applications for cancer immunotherapy. However, only a part of patients benefit from such immunotherapy. Thus, brilliant novel tactic to increase the response rate of patients is on the agenda. Nanocarriers, particularly the rationally designed intelligent delivery systems with controllable therapeutic agent release ability and improved tumor targeting capacity, are firmly recommended. In light of this, state-of-the-art nanocarriers that are responsive to tumor-specific microenvironments (internal stimuli, including tumor acidic microenvironment, high level of GSH and ROS, specifically upregulated enzymes) or external stimuli (e.g., light, ultrasound, radiation) and release the target immunomodulators at tumor sites feature the advantages of increased anti-tumor potency but decreased off-target toxicity. Given the fantastic past achievements and the rapid developments in this field, the future is promising. In this review, intelligent delivery platforms targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis are attentively appraised. Specifically, mechanisms of the action of these stimuli-responsive drug release platforms are summarized to raise some guidelines for prior PD-1/PD-L1-based nanocarrier designs. Finally, the conclusion and outlook in intelligent delivery system targeting PD-1/PD-L1 pathway for cancer immunotherapy are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Liu
- The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; Cancer Institute, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Renshuai Zhang
- The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; Cancer Institute, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Qiang Shi
- Moji-Nano Technology Co. Ltd., Yantai 264006, China
| | - Hongfei Jiang
- The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China; Cancer Institute, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
| | - Qihui Zhou
- School of Rehabilitation Sciences and Engineering, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; Tianjin Enterprise Key Laboratory for Application Research of Hyaluronic Acid, Tianjin 300038, China; Zhejiang Engineering Research Center for Tissue Repair Materials, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325000, China.
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7
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Sobral PS, Luz VCC, Almeida JMGCF, Videira PA, Pereira F. Computational Approaches Drive Developments in Immune-Oncology Therapies for PD-1/PD-L1 Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065908. [PMID: 36982981 PMCID: PMC10054797 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Computational approaches in immune-oncology therapies focus on using data-driven methods to identify potential immune targets and develop novel drug candidates. In particular, the search for PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has enlivened the field, leveraging the use of cheminformatics and bioinformatics tools to analyze large datasets of molecules, gene expression and protein-protein interactions. Up to now, there is still an unmet clinical need for improved ICIs and reliable predictive biomarkers. In this review, we highlight the computational methodologies applied to discovering and developing PD-1/PD-L1 ICIs for improved cancer immunotherapies with a greater focus in the last five years. The use of computer-aided drug design structure- and ligand-based virtual screening processes, molecular docking, homology modeling and molecular dynamics simulations methodologies essential for successful drug discovery campaigns focusing on antibodies, peptides or small-molecule ICIs are addressed. A list of recent databases and web tools used in the context of cancer and immunotherapy has been compilated and made available, namely regarding a general scope, cancer and immunology. In summary, computational approaches have become valuable tools for discovering and developing ICIs. Despite significant progress, there is still a need for improved ICIs and biomarkers, and recent databases and web tools have been compiled to aid in this pursuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia S Sobral
- LAQV and REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Vanessa C C Luz
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - João M G C F Almeida
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Paula A Videira
- UCIBIO, Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, Department of Life Sciences, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory i4HB-Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
| | - Florbela Pereira
- LAQV and REQUIMTE, Department of Chemistry, NOVA School of Science and Technology, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
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