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Li C, Jin K. Chemical Strategies towards the Development of Effective Anticancer Peptides. Curr Med Chem 2024; 31:1839-1873. [PMID: 37170992 DOI: 10.2174/0929867330666230426111157] [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: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is increasingly recognized as one of the primary causes of death and has become a multifaceted global health issue. Modern medical science has made significant advancements in the diagnosis and therapy of cancer over the past decade. The detrimental side effects, lack of efficacy, and multidrug resistance of conventional cancer therapies have created an urgent need for novel anticancer therapeutics or treatments with low cytotoxicity and drug resistance. The pharmaceutical groups have recognized the crucial role that peptide therapeutic agents can play in addressing unsatisfied healthcare demands and how these become great supplements or even preferable alternatives to biological therapies and small molecules. Anticancer peptides, as a vibrant therapeutic strategy against various cancer cells, have demonstrated incredible anticancer potential due to high specificity and selectivity, low toxicity, and the ability to target the surface of traditional "undruggable" proteins. This review will provide the research progression of anticancer peptides, mainly focusing on the discovery and modifications along with the optimization and application of these peptides in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuicui Li
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
| | - Kang Jin
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, 250012, China
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2
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Shen X, Rao Y, Wang J, Niu X, Wang Y, Chen W, Liu F, Guo L, Chen H. Biocompatible cationic polypeptoids with antibacterial selectivity depending on hydrophobic carbon chain length. J Mater Chem B 2023. [PMID: 37326556 DOI: 10.1039/d3tb00643c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The overuse of antibiotics has triggered a new infection crisis and natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been extensively studied as an alternative to fight microorganisms. Polypeptoids, or polypeptide-biomimetics, offer similar properties to polypeptides and a highly tunable structure that has been synthesized by various methods such as ring opening polymerization (ROP) using N-carboxyanhydride monomers. Simultaneous high antibacterial activity and biocompatibility of a structure by efficient synthesis is desired in the application of those materials. Herein, a series of cationic polypeptoids (PNBs) with variable side chain lengths was obtained by introducing positive charges to the main chain in one step and preserving the backbone structure, namely polypeptoids (PNBM, PNBE, PNBB) with different end groups (methyl (M), ethyl (E), butyl (B)). To address the issue of infection in interventional biomedical implants, we report cost-effective modified polyurethane (PU) films (PU-PNBM, PU-PNBE, PU-PNBB) as physical-biological synergistic antibacterial surfaces that overcome problems such as steric hindrance and the solubility of the materials. Antibacterial selectivity was achieved by regulating the different side chain lengths. When methyl and ethyl were used as hydrophobic side chains, they can only selectively kill Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus. PNBB, the most hydrophobic and with a butyl side chain can kill both Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and inhibit the growth of bacterial biofilms. Effective in both solution and modified substrate, its biocompatibility is not compromised while the antibacterial properties are substantially improved. Furthermore, PU-PNBB films demonstrated their potential in vivo antimicrobial efficiency in a model of S. aureus infection established on mouse skin. The synthesis route and the surface modification strategies are convenient, providing a solution to the problem of poor biocompatibility in antimicrobial surface applications and a strategy for the use of peptide polymers for targeted therapy after specific infections in the biomedical field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiran Shen
- Research School of Polymeric Materials, School of Material Science & Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 202113, P. R. China.
- State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yu Rao
- State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Jinghong Wang
- Jiangsu Biosurf Biotech Co., Ltd, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
- The SIP Biointerface Engineering Research Institute, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Xiaomeng Niu
- State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yichen Wang
- State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Wentao Chen
- State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
| | - Fan Liu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China.
| | - Li Guo
- Research School of Polymeric Materials, School of Material Science & Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 202113, P. R. China.
| | - Hong Chen
- State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, P. R. China
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Li G, Lai Z, Shan A. Advances of Antimicrobial Peptide-Based Biomaterials for the Treatment of Bacterial Infections. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2206602. [PMID: 36722732 PMCID: PMC10104676 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Owing to the increase in multidrug-resistant bacterial isolates in hospitals globally and the lack of truly effective antimicrobial agents, antibiotic resistant bacterial infections have increased substantially. There is thus an urgent need to develop new antimicrobial drugs and their related formulations. In recent years, natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), AMP optimization, self-assembled AMPs, AMP hydrogels, and biomaterial-assisted delivery of AMPs have shown great potential in the treatment of bacterial infections. In this review, it is focused on the development prospects and shortcomings of various AMP-based biomaterials for treating animal model infections, such as abdominal, skin, and eye infections. It is hoped that this review will inspire further innovations in the design of AMP-based biomaterials for the treatment of bacterial infections and accelerate their commercialization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoyu Li
- The Institute of Animal NutritionNortheast Agricultural UniversityHarbin150030P. R. China
| | - Zhenheng Lai
- The Institute of Animal NutritionNortheast Agricultural UniversityHarbin150030P. R. China
| | - Anshan Shan
- The Institute of Animal NutritionNortheast Agricultural UniversityHarbin150030P. R. China
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Shen X, Zhang Y, Mao Q, Huang Z, Yan T, Lin T, Chen W, Wang Y, Cai X, Liang Y. Peptide–Polymer Conjugates: A Promising Therapeutic Solution for Drug-Resistant Bacteria. INT J POLYM SCI 2022; 2022:1-18. [DOI: 10.1155/2022/7610951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
By 2050, it is estimated that 10 million people will die of drug-resistant bacterial infection caused by antibiotic abuse. Antimicrobial peptide (AMP) is widely used to prevent such circumstances, for the positively charged AMPs can kill drug-resistant bacteria by destroying negatively charged bacterial cell membrane, and has excellent antibacterial efficiency and low drug resistance. However, due to the defects in low in vivo stability, easy degradation, and certain cytotoxicity, its practical clinical application is limited. The emergence of peptide–polymer conjugates (PPC) helps AMPs overcome these shortcomings. By combining with functional polymers, the positive charge of AMPs is partially shielded, and its stability and water solubility are improved, so as to prolong the in vivo circulation time of AMPs and reduce its cytotoxicity. At the same time, the self-assembly ability of PPC enables it to assemble into different nanostructures to undertake specific antibacterial tasks. At present, PPC is mainly used in wound dressing, bone tissue repair, antibacterial coating of medical devices, nerve repair, tumor treatment, and oral health maintenance. In this study, we summarize the structure, synthesis methods, and the clinical applications of PPC, so as to present the current challenges and discuss the future prospects of antibacterial therapeutic materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuqiu Shen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yiyin Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Qijiang Mao
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Zhengze Huang
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Tingting Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Tianyu Lin
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Wenchao Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yifan Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Xiujun Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
| | - Yuelong Liang
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310016, China
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5
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Anticancer peptides mechanisms, simple and complex. Chem Biol Interact 2022; 368:110194. [PMID: 36195187 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbi.2022.110194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Peptide therapy has started since 1920s with the advent of insulin application, and now it has emerged as a new approach in treatment of diseases including cancer. Using anti-cancer peptides (ACPs) is a promising way of cancer therapy as ACPs are continuing to be approved and arrived at major pharmaceutical markets. Traditional cancer treatments face different problems like intensive adverse effects to patient's body, cell resistance to conventional chemical drugs and in some worse cases the occurrence of cell multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancerous tissues against chemotherapy. On the other hand, there are some benefits conceived for peptides usage in treatment of diseases specifically cancer, as these compounds present favorable characteristics such as smaller size, high activity, low immunogenicity, good biocompatibility in vivo, convenient and rapid way of synthesis, amenable to sequence modification and revision and there is no limitation for the type of cargo they carry. It is possible to achieve an optimum molecular and functional structure of peptides based on previous experience and bank of peptide motif data which may result in novel peptide design. Bioactive peptides are able to form pores in cell membrane and induce necrosis or apoptosis of abnormal cells. Moreover, recent researches have focused on the tumor recognizing peptide motifs with the ability to permeate to cancerous cells with the aim of cancer treatment at earlier stages. In this strategy the most important factors for addressing cancer are choosing peptides with easy accessibility to tumor cell without cytotoxicity effect towards normal cells. The peptides must also meet acceptable pharmacokinetic requirements. In this review, the characteristics of peptides and cancer cells are discussed. The various mechanisms of peptides' action proposed against cancer cells make the next part of discussion. It will be followed by giving information on peptides application, various methods of peptide designing along with introducing various databases. Future aspects of peptides for employing in area of cancer treatment come as conclusion at the end.
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Parchebafi A, Tamanaee F, Ehteram H, Ahmad E, Nikzad H, Haddad Kashani H. The dual interaction of antimicrobial peptides on bacteria and cancer cells; mechanism of action and therapeutic strategies of nanostructures. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:118. [PMID: 35717207 PMCID: PMC9206340 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01848-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial infection and cancer are two leading causes of global mortality. Discovering and developing new therapeutics with better specificity having minimal side-effects and no drug resistance are of an immense need. In this regard, cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMP) with dual antimicrobial and anticancer activities are the ultimate choice. For better efficacy and improved stability, the AMPs available for treatment still required to be modified. There are several strategies in which AMPs can be enhanced through, for instance, nano-carrier application with high selectivity and specificity enables researchers to estimate the rate of drug delivery to a particular tissue. In this review we present the biology and modes of action of AMPs for both anticancer and antimicrobial activities as well as some modification strategies to improve the efficacy and selectivity of these AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Parchebafi
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Farzaneh Tamanaee
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Hassan Ehteram
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Ejaz Ahmad
- Department of Pathology, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hossein Nikzad
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Hamed Haddad Kashani
- Anatomical Sciences Research Center, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran.
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7
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Artim CM, Kunala M, O'Leary MK, Alabi CA. PEGylated Oligothioetheramide Prodrugs Activated by Host Serum Proteases. Chembiochem 2021; 22:2697-2702. [PMID: 34227209 PMCID: PMC8497000 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202100146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Due to the increasing prominence of antibiotic resistance, novel drug discovery and delivery approaches targeting bacteria are essential. In this work we evaluate a prodrug design to improve the cytotoxic profile of polycationic oligothioetheramides (oligoTEAs), which are promising antimicrobials. Herein we chemically modify the oligoTEA, PDT-4G, with a polyethylene glycol (PEG) and show that 1, 2, and 5 kDa PEGs mitigate cytotoxicity. As PEGylation reduces antibacterial activity, we evaluate two peptide linkers which, unlike oligoTEAs, are susceptible to proteolytic cleavage in serum. To gain insight into the prodrug reactivation, two linkers were tested, the 5-residue peptide sequence LMPTG, and the dipeptide sequence VC-PABC. In the presence of 20 % serum, prodrugs made with the VC-PABC linker successfully inhibited bacterial growth. Overall, we observed reactivation of oligoTEAs facilitated by serum protease cleavage of the peptide linkers. This work opens the door to the future design of antimicrobial prodrugs with tunable release profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Artim
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 120 Olin Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Manisha Kunala
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 120 Olin Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Meghan K O'Leary
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 120 Olin Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Christopher A Alabi
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, 120 Olin Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Synthetic Peptide ΔM4-Induced Cell Death Associated with Cytoplasmic Membrane Disruption, Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Cell Cycle Arrest in Human Melanoma Cells. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25235684. [PMID: 33276536 PMCID: PMC7730669 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Melanoma is the most dangerous and lethal form of skin cancer, due to its ability to spread to different organs if it is not treated at an early stage. Conventional chemotherapeutics are failing as a result of drug resistance and weak tumor selectivity. Therefore, efforts to evaluate novel molecules for the treatment of skin cancer are necessary. Antimicrobial peptides have become attractive anticancer agents because they execute their biological activity with features such as a high potency of action, a wide range of targets, and high target specificity and selectivity. In the present study, the antiproliferative activity of the synthetic peptide ΔM4 on A375 human melanoma cells and spontaneously immortalized HaCaT human keratinocytes was investigated. The cytotoxic effect of ΔM4 treatment was evaluated through propidium iodide uptake by flow cytometry. The results indicated selective toxicity in A375 cells and, in order to further investigate the mode of action, assays were carried out to evaluate morphological changes, mitochondrial function, and cell cycle progression. The findings indicated that ΔM4 exerts its antitumoral effects by multitarget action, causing cell membrane disruption, a change in the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, an increase of reactive oxygen species, and cell cycle accumulation in S-phase. Further exploration of the peptide may be helpful in the design of novel anticancer peptides.
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9
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Ng CX, Lee SH. The Potential Use of Anticancer Peptides (ACPs) in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Curr Cancer Drug Targets 2020; 20:187-196. [PMID: 31713495 DOI: 10.2174/1568009619666191111141032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Peptides have acquired increasing interest as promising therapeutics, particularly as anticancer alternatives during recent years. They have been reported to demonstrate incredible anticancer potentials due to their low manufacturing cost, ease of synthesis and great specificity and selectivity. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the leading cause of cancer death globally, and the effectiveness of current liver treatment has turned out to be a critical issue in treating the disease efficiently. Hence, new interventions are being explored for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Anticancer peptides (ACPs) were first identified as part of the innate immune system of living organisms, demonstrating promising activity against infectious diseases. Differentiated beyond the traditional effort on endogenous human peptides, the discovery of peptide drugs has evolved to rely more on isolation from other natural sources or through the medicinal chemistry approach. Up to the present time, the pharmaceutical industry intends to conduct more clinical trials for the development of peptides as alternative therapy since peptides possess numerous advantages such as high selectivity and efficacy against cancers over normal tissues, as well as a broad spectrum of anticancer activity. In this review, we present an overview of the literature concerning peptide's physicochemical properties and describe the contemporary status of several anticancer peptides currently engaged in clinical trials for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chu Xin Ng
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Sau Har Lee
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
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10
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New opportunities and challenges of venom-based and bacteria-derived molecules for anticancer targeted therapy. Semin Cancer Biol 2020; 80:356-369. [PMID: 32846203 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2020.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Due to advances in detection and treatment of cancer, especially the rise in the targeted therapy, the five-year relative survival rate of all cancers has increased significantly. However, according to the analysis of the survival rate of cancer patients in 2019, the survival rate of most cancers is still less than five years. Therefore, to combat complex cancer and further improve the 5-year survival rate of cancer patients, it is necessary to develop some new anticancer drugs. Because of the adaptive evolution of toxic species for millions of years, the venom sac is a "treasure bank", which has millions of biomolecules with high affinity and stability awaiting further development. Complete utilization of venom-based and bacteria-derived drugs in the market is still staggering because of incomplete understanding regarding their mode of action. In this review, we focused on the currently identified targets for anticancer effects based on venomous and bacterial biomolecules, such as ion channels, membrane non-receptor molecules, integrins, and other related target molecules. This review will serve as the key for exploring the molecular mechanisms behind the anticancer potential of venom-based and bacteria-derived drugs and will also lay the path for the development of anticancer targeted therapy.
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11
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Zandsalimi F, Talaei S, Noormohammad Ahari M, Aghamiri S, Raee P, Roshanzamiri S, Yarian F, Bandehpour M, Zohrab Zadeh Z. Antimicrobial peptides: a promising strategy for lung cancer drug discovery? Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:1343-1354. [PMID: 32749935 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1791080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also called host defense peptides (HDPs), are identified in almost any form of life, which play an important role in innate immune systems. They have a broad spectrum of antifungal, antiviral, antibacterial, and anticancer activities. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of global cancer-related death. Unfortunately, lung cancer chemotherapy is accompanied by serious side effects, nonspecific toxicity, and multidrug resistance. Hence, to overcome these drawbacks, anticancer peptides (ACPs) derived from AMPs may represent a potential promising synergistic treatment strategy for lung cancer. AREAS COVERED In this review, the authors provide the recent advancements in the use of AMPs for the treatment of lung cancer. Furthermore, the anti-lung cancer modes of action of these peptides have been fully reviewed. Importantly, various strategies for increasing the efficiency and safety of AMPs have been discussed. EXPERT OPINION The combination of AMPs and other cancer treatment approaches such as chemotherapy, nanoparticle-based delivery systems, and photodynamic therapy can be used as a promising revolutionary strategy for the treatment of lung cancer. The most significant limitations of this strategy that need to be focused on are low efficiency and off-target events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farshid Zandsalimi
- Students' Scientific Research Center, Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Sam Talaei
- School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Noormohammad Ahari
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahin Aghamiri
- Student Research Committee, Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran.,Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Pourya Raee
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Soheil Roshanzamiri
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Yarian
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran.,Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojgan Bandehpour
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran.,Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Zohrab Zadeh
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences , Ahvaz, Iran
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12
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Tornesello AL, Borrelli A, Buonaguro L, Buonaguro FM, Tornesello ML. Antimicrobial Peptides as Anticancer Agents: Functional Properties and Biological Activities. Molecules 2020; 25:E2850. [PMID: 32575664 PMCID: PMC7356147 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), or host defense peptides, are small cationic or amphipathic molecules produced by prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms that play a key role in the innate immune defense against viruses, bacteria and fungi. AMPs have either antimicrobial or anticancer activities. Indeed, cationic AMPs are able to disrupt microbial cell membranes by interacting with negatively charged phospholipids. Moreover, several peptides are capable to trigger cytotoxicity of human cancer cells by binding to negatively charged phosphatidylserine moieties which are selectively exposed on the outer surface of cancer cell plasma membranes. In addition, some AMPs, such as LTX-315, have shown to induce release of tumor antigens and potent damage associated molecular patterns by causing alterations in the intracellular organelles of cancer cells. Given the recognized medical need of novel anticancer drugs, AMPs could represent a potential source of effective therapeutic agents, either alone or in combination with other small molecules, in oncology. In this review we summarize and describe the properties and the mode of action of AMPs as well as the strategies to increase their selectivity toward specific cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lucia Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (F.M.B.); (M.L.T.)
| | - Antonella Borrelli
- Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Luigi Buonaguro
- Innovative Immunological Models, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Franco Maria Buonaguro
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (F.M.B.); (M.L.T.)
| | - Maria Lina Tornesello
- Molecular Biology and Viral Oncology Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS “Fondazione G. Pascale”, 80131 Napoli, Italy; (F.M.B.); (M.L.T.)
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13
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Pakdel M, Raissi H, Hosseini ST. Evaluation the synergistic antitumor effect of methotrexate-camptothecin codelivery prodrug from self-assembly process to acid-catalyzed both drugs release: A comprehensive theoretical study. J Comput Chem 2020; 41:1486-1496. [PMID: 32190916 DOI: 10.1002/jcc.26192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic efficiency of amphiphilic methotrexate-camptothecin (MTX-CPT) prodrug compared to free drug mixture (MTX/CPT) has been investigated using all-atom molecular dynamics simulation and first principles density functional theory calculations. This comparison revealed that MTX-CPT prodrug tends to form spherical self-assembled nanoparticle (NP), while free MTX/CPT mixture forms rod-shape NP. These observations are attributed to a structural defect in the MTX-CPT prodrug and solvation free energies of MTX, CPT and MTX-CPT molecules. The results provided evidence that noncovalent interactions (NCIs) among the pharmaceutical drugs play a very important role in anticancer agents aggregation process, leading to enhanced stability of the self-assembled NPs. It is found that the stability of MTX-CPT self-assembled NP is greater than the MTX/CPT NP due to the synergistic effect of hydrogen bonding between monomers and solvent (water). Moreover, the noncatalyzed as well as catalyzed hydrolysis reactions of MTX-CPT prodrug are theoretically studied at the PCM(water)//M06-2X/6-31G(d,p) computational level to shed additional light on the role of acidic condition in tumor tissues. We found that the ester hydrolysis in mild acidic solutions is a concerted reaction. In an agreement between theory and experiment, we also confirmed that the activation energies of the catalyzed-hydrolysis steps are much lower than the activation energies of the corresponding steps in the noncatalyzed reaction. Thus, the MTX-CPT prodrug reveals very promising properties as a pH-controlled drug delivery system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Majid Pakdel
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
| | - Heidar Raissi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
| | - Seyede T Hosseini
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Birjand, Birjand, Iran
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14
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Wang J, Chen Q, Shan Y, Pan X, Zhang J. Activity-based proteomic profiling: application of releasable linker in photoaffinity probes. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:133-140. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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15
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In Vitro and MD Simulation Study to Explore Physicochemical Parameters for Antibacterial Peptide to Become Potent Anticancer Peptide. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2019; 16:7-19. [PMID: 31909181 PMCID: PMC6940675 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2019.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Although the physicochemical properties of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and anticancer peptides (ACPs) are very similar, it remains unclear which specific parameter(s) of ACPs confer the major anticancer activity. By answering how to construct a short AMP/ACP that could easily be synthesized in the most cost effective way plus conferring a maximum anticancer effect is a very important scientific breakthrough in the development of protein/peptide drugs. In this study, an 18-amino-acids antimicrobial peptide, AcrAP1 (named AP1-Z1), was used as a template. Bioinformatics algorithms were then performed to design its six mutants (AP1-Z3a, AP1-Z3b, AP1-Z5a, AP1-Z5b, AP1-Z7, and AP1-Z9). After a series of in vitro experiments plus intensive computational analysis, the data demonstrated that AP1-Z5a and AP1-Z5b induced both apoptosis and anti-angiogenic effects to achieve the maximum anticancer activity. Specifically, the most effective mutant, AP1-Z5b, exhibited high selectivity for the charged membrane in molecular dynamics simulations. These findings clearly demonstrated that both charge and hydrophobicity play an important role and are necessary to reach an optimum equilibrium for optimizing the anticancer activity of AMPs. Overall, the present study provides a very crucial theoretical basis and important scientific evidence on the key physicochemical parameters of ACP drugs development.
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16
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Martin-Serrano Á, Gómez R, Ortega P, de la Mata FJ. Nanosystems as Vehicles for the Delivery of Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs). Pharmaceutics 2019; 11:E448. [PMID: 31480680 PMCID: PMC6781550 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics11090448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 08/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also called host defence peptides (HDPs), are attracting great interest, as they are a highly viable alternative in the search of new approaches to the resistance presented by bacteria against antibiotics in infectious diseases. However, due to their nature, they present a series of disadvantages such as low bioavailability, easy degradability by proteases, or low solubility, among others, which limits their use as antimicrobial agents. For all these reasons, the use of vehicles for the delivery of AMPs, such as polymers, nanoparticles, micelles, carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, and other types of systems, allows the use of AMPs as a real alternative to treatment with antibiotics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángela Martin-Serrano
- Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, and Research Institute in Chemistry "Andrés M. Del Río" (IQAR), University of Alcalá, 28805 Madrid, Spain
- Institute Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael Gómez
- Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, and Research Institute in Chemistry "Andrés M. Del Río" (IQAR), University of Alcalá, 28805 Madrid, Spain
- Institute Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain
- Networking Research Centre on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Paula Ortega
- Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, and Research Institute in Chemistry "Andrés M. Del Río" (IQAR), University of Alcalá, 28805 Madrid, Spain.
- Institute Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain.
- Networking Research Centre on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - F Javier de la Mata
- Department of Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, and Research Institute in Chemistry "Andrés M. Del Río" (IQAR), University of Alcalá, 28805 Madrid, Spain.
- Institute Ramón y Cajal for Health Research (IRYCIS), 28034 Madrid, Spain.
- Networking Research Centre on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), 28029 Madrid, Spain.
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17
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Rodrigues G, Silva GGO, Buccini DF, Duque HM, Dias SC, Franco OL. Bacterial Proteinaceous Compounds With Multiple Activities Toward Cancers and Microbial Infection. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1690. [PMID: 31447795 PMCID: PMC6691048 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, cancer and multidrug resistance have become a worldwide problem, resulting in high morbidity and mortality. Some infectious agents like Streptococcus pneumoniae, Stomatococcus mucilaginous, Staphylococcus spp., E. coli. Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida spp., Helicobacter pylori, hepatitis B and C, and human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been associated with the development of cancer. Chemotherapy, radiotherapy and antibiotics are the conventional treatment for cancer and infectious disease. This treatment causes damage in healthy cells and tissues, and usually triggers systemic side-effects, as well as drug resistance. Therefore, the search for new treatments is urgent, in order to improve efficacy and also reduce side-effects. Proteins and peptides originating from bacteria can thus be a promising alternative to conventional treatments used nowadays against cancer and infectious disease. These molecules have demonstrated specific activity against cancer cells and bacterial infection; indeed, proteins and peptides can be considered as future antimicrobial and anticancer drugs. In this context, this review will focus on the desirable characteristics of proteins and peptides from bacterial sources that demonstrated activity against microbial infections and cancer, as well as their efficacy in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisele Rodrigues
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Danieli Fernanda Buccini
- S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Harry Morales Duque
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Simoni Campos Dias
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Octávio Luiz Franco
- Centro de Análises Proteômicas e Bioquímicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Genômicas e Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica de Brasília, Brasília, Brazil.,S-Inova Biotech, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Brazil
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18
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Spontaneous and Stress-Induced Pore Formation in Membranes: Theory, Experiments and Simulations. J Membr Biol 2019; 252:241-260. [PMID: 31363808 DOI: 10.1007/s00232-019-00083-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The large plasticity, dynamics and adaptability of biological membranes allow different modes of intrinsic and inducible permeability. These phenomena are of physiological importance for a number of natural functions related to cell death and can also be manipulated artificially for practical purposes like gene transfer, drug delivery, prevention of infections or anticancer therapy. For these advances to develop in a controllable and specific way, we need a sufficient understanding of the membrane permeability phenomena. Since the formulation of early concepts of pore formation, there has been an enormous effort to describe membrane permeability by using theory, simulations and experiments. A major breakthrough has come recently through theoretical developments that allow building continuous trajectories of pore formation both in the absence and presence of stress conditions. The new model provides a coherent quantitative view of membrane permeabilization, useful to test the impact of known lipid properties, make predictions and postulate specific pore intermediates that can be studied by simulations. For example, this theory predicts unprecedented dependencies of the line tension on the pore radius and on applied lateral tension which explain previous puzzling results. In parallel, important concepts have also come from molecular dynamics simulations, of which the role of water for membrane permeabilization is of special interest. These advances open new challenges and perspectives for future progress in the study of membrane permeability, as experiments and simulations will need to test the theoretical predictions, while theory achieves new refinements that provide a physical ground for observations.
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19
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Xing H, Lu M, Yang T, Liu H, Sun Y, Zhao X, Xu H, Yang L, Ding P. Structure-function relationships of nonviral gene vectors: Lessons from antimicrobial polymers. Acta Biomater 2019; 86:15-40. [PMID: 30590184 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.12.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, substantial advances have been achieved in the design and synthesis of nonviral gene vectors. However, lack of effective and biocompatible vectors still remains a major challenge that hinders their application in clinical settings. In the past decade, there has been a rapid expansion of cationic antimicrobial polymers, due to their potent, rapid, and broad-spectrum biocidal activity against resistant microbes, and biocompatible features. Given that antimicrobial polymers share common features with nonviral gene vectors in various aspects, such as membrane affinity, functional groups, physicochemical characteristics, and unique macromolecular architectures, these polymers may provide us with inspirations to overcome challenges in the design of novel vectors toward more safe and efficient gene delivery in clinic. Building off these observations, we provide here an overview of the structure-function relationships of polymers for both antimicrobial applications and gene delivery by elaborating some key structural parameters, including functional groups, charge density, hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance, MW, and macromolecular architectures. By borrowing a leaf from antimicrobial agents, great advancement in the development of newer nonviral gene vectors with high transfection efficiency and biocompatibility will be more promising. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The development of gene delivery is still in the preclinical stage for the lack of effective and biocompatible vectors. Given that antimicrobial polymers share common features with gene vectors in various aspects, such as membrane affinity, functional groups, physicochemical characteristics, and unique macromolecular architectures, these polymers may provide us with inspirations to overcome challenges in the design of novel vectors toward more safe and efficient gene delivery in clinic. In this review, we systematically summarized the structure-function relationships of antimicrobial polymers and gene vectors, with which the design of more advanced nonviral gene vectors is anticipated to be further boosted in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Xing
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Mei Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Tianzhi Yang
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Husson University, Bangor, ME, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yanping Sun
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaoyun Zhao
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Hui Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Li Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China.
| | - Pingtian Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China.
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20
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Shoombuatong W, Schaduangrat N, Nantasenamat C. Unraveling the bioactivity of anticancer peptides as deduced from machine learning. EXCLI JOURNAL 2018; 17:734-752. [PMID: 30190664 PMCID: PMC6123611 DOI: 10.17179/excli2018-1447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancer imposes a global health burden as it represents one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality while also giving rise to significant economic burden owing to the associated expenditures for its monitoring and treatment. In spite of advancements in cancer therapy, the low success rate and recurrence of tumor has necessitated the ongoing search for new therapeutic agents. Aside from drugs based on small molecules and protein-based biopharmaceuticals, there has been an intense effort geared towards the development of peptide-based therapeutics owing to its favorable and intrinsic properties of being relatively small, highly selective, potent, safe and low in production costs. In spite of these advantages, there are several inherent weaknesses that are in need of attention in the design and development of therapeutic peptides. An abundance of data on bioactive and therapeutic peptides have been accumulated over the years and the burgeoning area of artificial intelligence has set the stage for the lucrative utilization of machine learning to make sense of these large and high-dimensional data. This review summarizes the current state-of-the-art on the application of machine learning for studying the bioactivity of anticancer peptides along with future outlook of the field. Data and R codes used in the analysis herein are available on GitHub at https://github.com/Shoombuatong2527/anticancer-peptides-review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Watshara Shoombuatong
- Center of Data Mining and Biomedical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Nalini Schaduangrat
- Center of Data Mining and Biomedical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
| | - Chanin Nantasenamat
- Center of Data Mining and Biomedical Informatics, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10700, Thailand
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21
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Fang Y, Xue J, Gao S, Lu A, Yang D, Jiang H, He Y, Shi K. Cleavable PEGylation: a strategy for overcoming the "PEG dilemma" in efficient drug delivery. Drug Deliv 2018; 24:22-32. [PMID: 29069920 PMCID: PMC8812578 DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2017.1388451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
To prolong the circulation time of drug, PEGylation has been widely used via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, thereby providing new hope for better treatment. However, PEGylation also brings the "PEG dilemma", which is difficult for the cellular absorption of drugs and subsequent endosomal escape. As a result, the activity of drugs is inevitably lost after PEG modification. To achieve successful drug delivery for effective treatment, the crucial issue associated with the use of PEG-lipids, that is, “PEG dilemma” must be addressed. In this paper, we introduced the development and application of nanocarriers with cleavable PEGylation, and discussed various strategies for overcoming the PEG dilemma. Compared to the traditional ones, the vehicle systems with different environmental-sensitive PEG-lipids were discussed, which cleavage can be achieved in response to the intracellular as well as the tumor microenvironment. This smart cleavable PEGylation provides us an efficient strategy to overcome “PEG dilemma”, thereby may be a good candidate for the cancer treatment in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Fang
- a Department of Pharmaceutics , School of Pharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University , Shenyang , China
| | - Jianxiu Xue
- a Department of Pharmaceutics , School of Pharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University , Shenyang , China
| | - Shan Gao
- a Department of Pharmaceutics , School of Pharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University , Shenyang , China
| | - Anqi Lu
- a Department of Pharmaceutics , School of Pharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University , Shenyang , China
| | - Dongjuan Yang
- a Department of Pharmaceutics , School of Pharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University , Shenyang , China
| | - Hong Jiang
- a Department of Pharmaceutics , School of Pharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University , Shenyang , China
| | - Yang He
- a Department of Pharmaceutics , School of Pharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University , Shenyang , China
| | - Kai Shi
- a Department of Pharmaceutics , School of Pharmaceutical Science, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University , Shenyang , China
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22
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Deslouches B, Di YP. Antimicrobial peptides with selective antitumor mechanisms: prospect for anticancer applications. Oncotarget 2018; 8:46635-46651. [PMID: 28422728 PMCID: PMC5542299 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.16743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 201] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last several decades, there have been significant advances in anticancer therapy. However, the development of resistance to cancer drugs and the lack of specificity related to actively dividing cells leading to toxic side effects have undermined these achievements. As a result, there is considerable interest in alternative drugs with novel antitumor mechanisms. In addition to the recent approach using immunotherapy, an effective but much cheaper therapeutic option of pharmaceutical drugs would still provide the best choice for cancer patients as the first line treatment. Ribosomally synthesized cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) or host defense peptides (HDP) display broad-spectrum activity against bacteria based on electrostatic interactions with negatively charged lipids on the bacterial surface. Because of increased proportions of phosphatidylserine (negatively charged) on the surface of cancer cells compared to normal cells, cationic amphipathic peptides could be an effective source of anticancer agents that are both selective and refractory to current resistance mechanisms. We reviewed herein the prospect for AMP application to cancer treatment, with a focus on modes of action of cationic AMPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berthony Deslouches
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Y Peter Di
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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23
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Felício MR, Silva ON, Gonçalves S, Santos NC, Franco OL. Peptides with Dual Antimicrobial and Anticancer Activities. Front Chem 2017; 5:5. [PMID: 28271058 PMCID: PMC5318463 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2017.00005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, the number of people suffering from cancer and multi-resistant infections has increased, such that both diseases are already seen as current and future major causes of death. Moreover, chronic infections are one of the main causes of cancer, due to the instability in the immune system that allows cancer cells to proliferate. Likewise, the physical debility associated with cancer or with anticancer therapy itself often paves the way for opportunistic infections. It is urgent to develop new therapeutic methods, with higher efficiency and lower side effects. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are found in the innate immune system of a wide range of organisms. Identified as the most promising alternative to conventional molecules used nowadays against infections, some of them have been shown to have dual activity, both as antimicrobial and anticancer peptides (ACPs). Highly cationic and amphipathic, they have demonstrated efficacy against both conditions, with the number of nature-driven or synthetically designed peptides increasing year by year. With similar properties, AMPs that can also act as ACPs are viewed as future chemotherapeutic drugs, with the advantage of low propensity to resistance, which started this paradigm in the pharmaceutical market. These peptides have already been described as molecules presenting killing mechanisms at the membrane level, but also acting toward intracellular targets, which increases their success compartively to one-target specific drugs. This review will approach the desirable characteristics of small peptides that demonstrated dual activity against microbial infections and cancer, as well as the peptides engaged in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mário R Felício
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Osmar N Silva
- S-Inova Biotech, Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Sônia Gonçalves
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Nuno C Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Octávio L Franco
- S-Inova Biotech, Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Dom BoscoCampo Grande, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia Molecular, Universidade de BrasíliaBrasília, Brazil
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24
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Zhang P, Ma J, Yan Y, Chen B, Liu B, Jian C, Zhu B, Liang S, Zeng Y, Liu Z. Arginine modification of lycosin-I to improve inhibitory activity against cancer cells. Org Biomol Chem 2017; 15:9379-9388. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ob02233f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Herein, arginine modification rendered Lycosin-I with higher anticancer activity, penetrability, and dissemination ability against solid tumor cells due to the optimized physicochemical properties and high serum stability.
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