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Biniari G, Markatos C, Nteli A, Tzoupis H, Simal C, Vlamis-Gardikas A, Karageorgos V, Pirmettis I, Petrou P, Venihaki M, Liapakis G, Tselios T. Rational Design, Synthesis and Binding Affinity Studies of Anthraquinone Derivatives Conjugated to Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Analogues towards Selective Immunosuppression of Hormone-Dependent Cancer. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15232. [PMID: 37894912 PMCID: PMC10607160 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is pivotal in regulating human reproduction and fertility through its specific receptors. Among these, gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor type I (GnRHR I), which is a member of the G-protein-coupled receptor family, is expressed on the surface of both healthy and malignant cells. Its presence in cancer cells has positioned this receptor as a primary target for the development of novel anti-cancer agents. Moreover, the extensive regulatory functions of GnRH have underscored decapeptide as a prominent vehicle for targeted drug delivery, which is accomplished through the design of appropriate conjugates. On this basis, a rationally designed series of anthraquinone/mitoxantrone-GnRH conjugates (con1-con8) has been synthesized herein. Their in vitro binding affinities range from 0.06 to 3.42 nM, with six of them (con2-con7) demonstrating higher affinities for GnRH than the established drug leuprolide (0.64 nM). Among the mitoxantrone based GnRH conjugates, con3 and con7 show the highest affinities at 0.07 and 0.06 nM, respectively, while the disulfide bond present in the conjugates is found to be readily reduced by the thioredoxin (Trx) system. These findings are promising for further pharmacological evaluation of the synthesized conjugates with the prospect of performing future clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia Biniari
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
| | - Christos Markatos
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (C.M.); (V.K.)
| | - Agathi Nteli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
| | - Haralambos Tzoupis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
| | - Carmen Simal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
| | - Alexios Vlamis-Gardikas
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
| | - Vlasios Karageorgos
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (C.M.); (V.K.)
| | - Ioannis Pirmettis
- Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15341 Athens, Greece; (I.P.); (P.P.)
| | - Panagiota Petrou
- Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety, National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos”, 15341 Athens, Greece; (I.P.); (P.P.)
| | - Maria Venihaki
- Department of Clinical Chemistry, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece;
| | - George Liapakis
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece; (C.M.); (V.K.)
| | - Theodore Tselios
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion, Greece; (G.B.); (A.N.); (H.T.); (C.S.); (A.V.-G.)
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Triantafyllakou I, Clemente N, Khetavat RK, Dianzani U, Tselios T. Development of PLGA Nanoparticles with a Glycosylated Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Epitope (MOG 35-55) against Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis (EAE). Mol Pharm 2022; 19:3795-3805. [PMID: 36098508 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in young adults, with early clinical symptoms seen in the central nervous system (CNS) myelin sheaths due to an attack caused by the patient's immune system. Activation of the immune system is mediated by the induction of an antigen-specific immune response involving the interaction of multiple T-cell types with antigen-presenting cells (APCs), such as dendritic cells (DCs). Antigen-specific therapeutic approaches focus on immune cells and autoantigens involved in the onset of disease symptoms, which are the main components of myelin proteins. The ability of such therapeutics to bind strongly to DCs could lead to immune system tolerance to the disease. Many modern approaches are based on peptide-based research, as, in recent years, they have been of particular interest in the development of new pharmaceuticals. The characteristics of peptides, such as short lifespan in the body and rapid hydrolysis, can be overcome by their entrapment in nanospheres, providing better pharmacokinetics and bioavailability. The present study describes the development of polymeric nanoparticles with encapsulated myelin peptide analogues involved in the development of MS, along with their biological evaluation as inhibitors of MS development and progression. In particular, particles of poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) loaded with peptides based on mouse/rat (rMOG) epitope 35-55 of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) conjugated with saccharide residues were developed. More specifically, the MOG35-55 peptide was conjugated with glucosamine to promote the interaction with mannose receptors (MRs) expressed by DCs. In addition, a study of slow release (dissolution) and quantification on both initially encapsulated peptide and daily release in saline in vitro was performed, followed by an evaluation of in vivo activity of the formulation on mouse experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS, using both prophylactic and therapeutic protocols. Our results showed that the therapeutic protocol was effective in reducing EAE clinical scores and inflammation of the central nervous system and could be an alternative and promising approach against MS inducing tolerance against the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iro Triantafyllakou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion Patras, Greece.,Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Nausicaa Clemente
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Ravi Kumar Khetavat
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Umberto Dianzani
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Theodore Tselios
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Rion Patras, Greece
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Androutsou ME, Nteli A, Gkika A, Avloniti M, Dagkonaki A, Probert L, Tselios T, Golič Grdadolnik S. Characterization of Asparagine Deamidation in Immunodominant Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Peptide Potential Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E7566. [PMID: 33066323 PMCID: PMC7593956 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21207566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mannan (polysaccharide) conjugated with a myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) peptide, namely (KG)5MOG35-55, represents a potent and promising new approach for the immunotherapy of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The MOG35-55 epitope conjugated with the oxidized form of mannan (poly-mannose) via a (KG)5 linker was found to inhibit the symptoms of MOG35-55-induced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in mice using prophylactic and therapeutic vaccinated protocols. Deamidation is a common modification in peptide and protein sequences, especially for Gln and Asn residues. In this study, the structural solution motif of deaminated peptides and their functional effects in an animal model for MS were explored. Several peptides based on the MOG35-55 epitope have been synthesized in which the Asn53 was replaced with Ala, Asp, or isoAsp. Our results demonstrate that the synthesized MOG peptides were formed to the deaminated products in basic conditions, and the Asn53 was mainly modified to Asp. Moreover, both peptides (wild type and deaminated derivative) conjugated with mannan (from Saccharomyces cerevisiae) independently inhibited the development of neurological symptoms and inflammatory demyelinating spinal cord lesions in MOG35-55-induced EAE. To conclude, mannan conjugated with a deamidated product did not affect the efficacy of the parent peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agathi Nteli
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (A.N.); (A.G.)
| | - Areti Gkika
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (A.N.); (A.G.)
| | - Maria Avloniti
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vasilissis Sophias Ave., 11521 Athens, Greece; (M.A.); (A.D.); (L.P.)
| | - Anastasia Dagkonaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vasilissis Sophias Ave., 11521 Athens, Greece; (M.A.); (A.D.); (L.P.)
| | - Lesley Probert
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vasilissis Sophias Ave., 11521 Athens, Greece; (M.A.); (A.D.); (L.P.)
| | - Theodore Tselios
- Department of Chemistry, University of Patras, 26504 Patras, Greece; (A.N.); (A.G.)
| | - Simona Golič Grdadolnik
- Laboratory for Molecular Structural Dynamics, National Institute of Chemistry, Hajdrihova 19, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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The Use of Electrochemical Voltammetric Techniques and High-Pressure Liquid Chromatography to Evaluate Conjugation Efficiency of Multiple Sclerosis Peptide-Carrier Conjugates. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10090577. [PMID: 32825557 PMCID: PMC7565688 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown the ability of electrochemical methods to sense and determine, even at very low concentrations, the presence and quantity of molecules or analytes including pharmaceutical samples. Furthermore, analytical methods, such as high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), can also detect the presence and quantity of peptides at very low concentrations, in a simple, fast, and efficient way, which allows the monitoring of conjugation reactions and its completion. Graphite/SiO2 film electrodes and HPLC methods were previously shown by our group to be efficient to detect drug molecules, such as losartan. We now use these methods to detect the conjugation efficiency of a peptide from the immunogenic region of myelin oligodendrocyte to a carrier, mannan. The HPLC method furthermore confirms the stability of the peptide with time in a simple one pot procedure. Our study provides a general method to monitor, sense and detect the presence of peptides by effectively confirming the conjugation efficiency. Such methods can be used when designing conjugates as potential immunotherapeutics in the treatment of diseases, including multiple sclerosis.
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Recent Advances in Antigen-Specific Immunotherapies for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10060333. [PMID: 32486045 PMCID: PMC7348736 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10060333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system and is considered to be the leading non-traumatic cause of neurological disability in young adults. Current treatments for MS comprise long-term immunosuppressant drugs and disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) designed to alter its progress with the enhanced risk of severe side effects. The Holy Grail for the treatment of MS is to specifically suppress the disease while at the same time allow the immune system to be functionally active against infectious diseases and malignancy. This could be achieved via the development of immunotherapies designed to specifically suppress immune responses to self-antigens (e.g., myelin antigens). The present study attempts to highlight the various antigen-specific immunotherapies developed so far for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (e.g., vaccination with myelin-derived peptides/proteins, plasmid DNA encoding myelin epitopes, tolerogenic dendritic cells pulsed with encephalitogenic epitopes of myelin proteins, attenuated autologous T cells specific for myelin antigens, T cell receptor peptides, carriers loaded/conjugated with myelin immunodominant peptides, etc), focusing on the outcome of their recent preclinical and clinical evaluation, and to shed light on the mechanisms involved in the immunopathogenesis and treatment of multiple sclerosis.
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