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Ma W, Hu J. Downregulated CDH3 is correlated with a better prognosis for LUAD and decreases proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells. Genes Genomics 2024; 46:713-731. [PMID: 38064156 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-023-01476-5] [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: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CDH3 is a glycoprotein with a single-span transmembrane domain that mediates cell-to-cell adhesion. Abnormal expression of CDH3 is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with breast, thyroid, colorectal carcinomas and glioblastoma. Soluble CDH3 in pleural effusions can be used as a marker for real-time monitoring of resistance to first- and second-generation EGFR-TKIs. The CDH3 mechanism underlying lung adenocarcinomas (LUADs) has not been established. OBJECTIVE This study analyzed the correlation between CDH3 expression and lung cancer prognosis and the effect of down-regulation CDH3 expression on the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells. METHODS CDH3 expression was studied using the Oncomine, TIMER, PanglaoDB, and GEPIA databases. The effect of CDH3 on clinical prognosis was assessed with GEPIA, the PrognoScan database, and Kaplan-Meier plotter. The relationship between CDH3 to immune infiltrating cells was explored using TIMER and TISIDB. The function of CDH3 in lung cancer cell lines was determined by CCK-8 and wound healing assays in vitro. Furthermore, RNA sequencing was used to identify key signaling pathways and differentially-expressed genes. RESULTS LUAD tissues had higher CDH3 expression compared with normal tissues and were associated with worse overall survival in patients with LUAD. CDH3 expression had positive associations with infiltration of CD4 + T cells, Tregs and exhausted T cells, but negative associations with infiltration of B cells in patients with LUAD. CCK-8 and wound healing assays revealed that downregulation of CDH3 inhibited the proliferation and migration of cells. KEGG analysis revealed that the TGF-beta signaling pathways were demonstrated to be enriched pathways for genes negatively regulated by knockdown of CDH3. CONCLUSION CDH3 expression affects proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells and might serve as a potential prognostic marker in LUAD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanru Ma
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 1 Da Hua Road, Dong Dan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China
| | - Junhua Hu
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Beijing Hospital, National Center of Gerontology, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, No. 1 Da Hua Road, Dong Dan, Beijing, 100730, People's Republic of China.
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Zafar S, Armaghan M, Khan K, Hassan N, Sharifi-Rad J, Habtemariam S, Kieliszek M, Butnariu M, Bagiu IC, Bagiu RV, Cho WC. New insights into the anticancer therapeutic potential of maytansine and its derivatives. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115039. [PMID: 37364476 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115039] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Maytansine is a pharmacologically active 19-membered ansamacrolide derived from various medicinal plants and microorganisms. Among the most studied pharmacological activities of maytansine over the past few decades are anticancer and anti-bacterial effects. The anticancer mechanism of action is primarily mediated through interaction with the tubulin thereby inhibiting the assembly of microtubules. This ultimately leads to decreased stability of microtubule dynamics and cause cell cycle arrest, resulting in apoptosis. Despite its potent pharmacological effects, the therapeutic applications of maytansine in clinical medicine are quite limited due to its non-selective cytotoxicity. To overcome these limitations, several derivatives have been designed and developed mostly by modifying the parent structural skeleton of maytansine. These structural derivatives exhibit improved pharmacological activities as compared to maytansine. The present review provides a valuable insight into maytansine and its synthetic derivatives as anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameen Zafar
- Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Armaghan
- Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Khushbukhat Khan
- Department of Healthcare Biotechnology, Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Punjab, Pakistan.
| | - Nazia Hassan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Solomon Habtemariam
- Pharmacognosy Research & Herbal Analysis Services UK, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham-Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK.
| | - Marek Kieliszek
- Department of Food Biotechnology and Microbiology, Institute of Food Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159 C, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Monica Butnariu
- University of Life Sciences "King Mihai I" from Timisoara, 300645, Calea Aradului 119, Timis, Romania.
| | - Iulia-Cristina Bagiu
- Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Timisoara, Department of Microbiology, Timisoara, Romania; Multidisciplinary Research Center on Antimicrobial Resistance, Timisoara, Romania
| | - Radu Vasile Bagiu
- Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Timisoara, Department of Microbiology, Timisoara, Romania; Preventive Medicine Study Center, Timisoara, Romania
| | - William C Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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Tomabechi R, Miyasato M, Sato T, Takada T, Higuchi K, Kishimoto H, Shirasaka Y, Inoue K. Identification of 5-Carboxyfluorescein as a Probe Substrate of SLC46A3 and Its Application in a Fluorescence-Based In Vitro Assay Evaluating the Interaction with SLC46A3. Mol Pharm 2023; 20:491-499. [PMID: 36458938 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.2c00741] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
The therapeutic modalities that involve the endocytosis pathway, including antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), have recently been developed. Since the drug escape from endosomes/lysosomes is a determinant of their efficacy, it is important to optimize the escape, and the cellular evaluation system is needed. SLC46A3, a lysosomal membrane protein, has been implicated in the pharmacological efficacy of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1), a noncleavable ADC used for the treatment of breast cancer, and the cellular uptake efficacy of lipid-based nanoparticles. Recently, we identified the SLC46A3 function as a proton-coupled steroid conjugate and bile acid transporter, which can directly transport active catabolites of T-DM1. Thus, the rapid and convenient assay systems for evaluating the SLC46A3 function may help to facilitate ADC development and to clarify the physiological roles in endocytosis. Here, we show that SLC46A3 dC, which localizes to the plasma membrane owing to lacking a lysosomal-sorting motif, has a great ability to transport 5-carboxyfluorescein (5-CF), a fluorescent probe, in a pH-dependent manner. 5-CF uptake mediated by SLC46A3 was significantly inhibited by compounds reported to be SLC46A3 substrates/inhibitors and competitively inhibited by estrone 3-sulfate, a typical SLC46A3 substrate. The inhibition assays followed by uptake studies revealed that SG3199, a pyrrolobenzodiazepine dimer, which has been used as an ADC payload, is a substrate of SLC46A3. Accordingly, the fluorescence-based assay system for the SLC46A3 function using 5-CF can provide a valuable tool to evaluate the interaction of drugs/drug candidates with SLC46A3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryuto Tomabechi
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1, Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo192-0392, Japan
| | - Miki Miyasato
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1, Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo192-0392, Japan
| | - Taeka Sato
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1, Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo192-0392, Japan
| | - Tappei Takada
- Department of Pharmacy, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo113-8655, Japan
| | - Kei Higuchi
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1, Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo192-0392, Japan
| | - Hisanao Kishimoto
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1, Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo192-0392, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Shirasaka
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa920-1192, Japan
| | - Katsuhisa Inoue
- Department of Biopharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Sciences, 1432-1, Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo192-0392, Japan
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de Rauglaudre B, Finetti P, Birnbaum DJ, Lopez M, Bertucci F, Mamessier E. First-in-Human, Phase I Study of PCA062 in Solid Tumors—Letter. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:1742-1743. [DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-22-0240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bernadette de Rauglaudre
- 1Laboratory of Predictive Oncology, Centre de Recherche en Cancerologie de Marseille, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, INSERM UMR1068, CNRS UMR725, “Equipe labellisee Ligue Contre le Cancer”, Marseille, France
- 2Departement d'Oncologie Digestive, Hopital de la Timone, Assistance Publique – Hopitaux de Marseille (APHM), Marseille, France
- 3Aix-Marseille University, France
| | - Pascal Finetti
- 1Laboratory of Predictive Oncology, Centre de Recherche en Cancerologie de Marseille, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, INSERM UMR1068, CNRS UMR725, “Equipe labellisee Ligue Contre le Cancer”, Marseille, France
- 3Aix-Marseille University, France
| | - David Jérémie Birnbaum
- 1Laboratory of Predictive Oncology, Centre de Recherche en Cancerologie de Marseille, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, INSERM UMR1068, CNRS UMR725, “Equipe labellisee Ligue Contre le Cancer”, Marseille, France
- 3Aix-Marseille University, France
- 4Departement de Chirurgie digestive, Hopital Nord, APHM, Marseille, France
| | - Marc Lopez
- 1Laboratory of Predictive Oncology, Centre de Recherche en Cancerologie de Marseille, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, INSERM UMR1068, CNRS UMR725, “Equipe labellisee Ligue Contre le Cancer”, Marseille, France
- 3Aix-Marseille University, France
| | - François Bertucci
- 1Laboratory of Predictive Oncology, Centre de Recherche en Cancerologie de Marseille, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, INSERM UMR1068, CNRS UMR725, “Equipe labellisee Ligue Contre le Cancer”, Marseille, France
- 3Aix-Marseille University, France
- 5Departement d'Oncologie Medicale, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Marseille, France
| | - Emilie Mamessier
- 1Laboratory of Predictive Oncology, Centre de Recherche en Cancerologie de Marseille, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, INSERM UMR1068, CNRS UMR725, “Equipe labellisee Ligue Contre le Cancer”, Marseille, France
- 3Aix-Marseille University, France
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Matsuoka K, Yamada M, Sato M, Sato K. Near-Infrared Photoimmunotherapy for Thoracic Cancers: A Translational Perspective. Biomedicines 2022; 10:1662. [PMID: 35884975 PMCID: PMC9312913 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The conventional treatment of thoracic tumors includes surgery, anticancer drugs, radiation, and cancer immunotherapy. Light therapy for thoracic tumors has long been used as an alternative; conventional light therapy also called photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been used mainly for early-stage lung cancer. Recently, near-infrared photoimmunotherapy (NIR-PIT), which is a completely different concept from conventional PDT, has been developed and approved in Japan for the treatment of recurrent and previously treated head and neck cancer because of its specificity and effectiveness. NIR-PIT can apply to any target by changing to different antigens. In recent years, it has become clear that various specific and promising targets are highly expressed in thoracic tumors. In combination with these various specific targets, NIR-PIT is expected to be an ideal therapeutic approach for thoracic tumors. Additionally, techniques are being developed to further develop NIR-PIT for clinical practice. In this review, NIR-PIT is introduced, and its potential therapeutic applications for thoracic cancers are described.
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He J, Biswas R, Bugde P, Li J, Liu DX, Li Y. Application of CRISPR-Cas9 System to Study Biological Barriers to Drug Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14050894. [PMID: 35631480 PMCID: PMC9147533 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14050894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, sequence-specific clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated (Cas) systems have been widely used in genome editing of various cell types and organisms. The most developed and broadly used CRISPR-Cas system, CRISPR-Cas9, has benefited from the proof-of-principle studies for a better understanding of the function of genes associated with drug absorption and disposition. Genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout (KO) screen study also facilitates the identification of novel genes in which loss alters drug permeability across biological membranes and thus modulates the efficacy and safety of drugs. Compared with conventional heterogeneous expression models or other genome editing technologies, CRISPR-Cas9 gene manipulation techniques possess significant advantages, including ease of design, cost-effectiveness, greater on-target DNA cleavage activity and multiplexing capabilities, which makes it possible to study the interactions between membrane proteins and drugs more accurately and efficiently. However, many mechanistic questions and challenges regarding CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing are yet to be addressed, ranging from off-target effects to large-scale genetic alterations. In this review, an overview of the mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas9 in mammalian genome editing will be introduced, as well as the application of CRISPR-Cas9 in studying the barriers to drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji He
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (J.H.); (R.B.); (P.B.); (J.L.); (D.-X.L.)
| | - Riya Biswas
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (J.H.); (R.B.); (P.B.); (J.L.); (D.-X.L.)
| | - Piyush Bugde
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (J.H.); (R.B.); (P.B.); (J.L.); (D.-X.L.)
| | - Jiawei Li
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (J.H.); (R.B.); (P.B.); (J.L.); (D.-X.L.)
| | - Dong-Xu Liu
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (J.H.); (R.B.); (P.B.); (J.L.); (D.-X.L.)
- The Centre for Biomedical and Chemical Sciences, School of Science, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
| | - Yan Li
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand; (J.H.); (R.B.); (P.B.); (J.L.); (D.-X.L.)
- The Centre for Biomedical and Chemical Sciences, School of Science, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- School of Interprofessional Health Studies, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +64-9921-9999 (ext. 7109)
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Conde I, Ribeiro AS, Paredes J. Breast Cancer Stem Cell Membrane Biomarkers: Therapy Targeting and Clinical Implications. Cells 2022; 11:934. [PMID: 35326385 PMCID: PMC8946706 DOI: 10.3390/cells11060934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy affecting women worldwide. Importantly, there have been significant improvements in prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment options, which resulted in a significant decrease in breast cancer mortality rates. Nevertheless, the high rates of incidence combined with therapy resistance result in cancer relapse and metastasis, which still contributes to unacceptably high mortality of breast cancer patients. In this context, a small subpopulation of highly tumourigenic cancer cells within the tumour bulk, commonly designated as breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs), have been suggested as key elements in therapy resistance, which are responsible for breast cancer relapses and distant metastasis. Thus, improvements in BCSC-targeting therapies are crucial to tackling the metastatic progression and might allow therapy resistance to be overcome. However, the design of effective and specific BCSC-targeting therapies has been challenging since there is a lack of specific biomarkers for BCSCs, and the most common clinical approaches are designed for commonly altered BCSCs signalling pathways. Therefore, the search for a new class of BCSC biomarkers, such as the expression of membrane proteins with cancer stem cell potential, is an area of clinical relevance, once membrane proteins are accessible on the cell surface and easily recognized by specific antibodies. Here, we discuss the significance of BCSC membrane biomarkers as potential prognostic and therapeutic targets, reviewing the CSC-targeting therapies under clinical trials for breast cancer.
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Duca M, Lim DWT, Subbiah V, Takahashi S, Sarantopoulos J, Varga A, D'Alessio JA, Abrams T, Sheng Q, Tan EY, Rosa MS, Gonzalez-Maffe J, Sand-Dejmek J, Fabre C, Martín M. A First-in-Human, Phase 1, Multicenter, Open-label, Dose-Escalation Study of PCA062, an Antibody-Drug Conjugate Targeting P-Cadherin, in Patients with Solid Tumors. Mol Cancer Ther 2022; 21:625-634. [PMID: 35131875 DOI: 10.1158/1535-7163.mct-21-0652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This first-in-human (FIH), phase 1, multicenter, open-label study was conducted to characterize the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary efficacy, and to establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD)/recommended dose for expansion (RDE) of PCA062 in patients with solid tumors. Adult patients with any solid tumor type and having a documented P-cadherin-positive tumor were enrolled; exceptions to P-cadherin positivity requirement were head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Dose escalation was guided by an adaptive Bayesian logistic regression model with escalation with overdose control to determine the MTD/RDE. Forty-seven patients were treated at 10 different dose levels of PCA062, ranging from 0.4 to 5.0 mg/kg Q2W administered as a 1-hour intravenous infusion. All enrolled patients discontinued the treatment; primary reason for discontinuation was progressive disease (78.7%). All 47 patients experienced at least one AE, of which 32 patients had a grade {greater than or equal to}3 AE and 37 patients experienced AEs suspected to be study drug related. The MTD of PCA062 was 3.6 mg/kg Q2W and thrombocytopenia was reported as a DLT that was attributed to the known toxicities of the DM1 payload with no P cadherin-related toxicities. PK was proportional, and no patients developed antidrug antibodies, suggesting adequate exposure at the doses tested. One patient out of 47 achieved a partial response and there was no correlation between tumor P-cadherin expression and clinical efficacy. Due to limited anti-tumor activity at the maximally tolerated dose level, Novartis has terminated clinical development of PCA062 (NCT02375958).
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Duca
- Oncologia Medica 1, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori
| | | | - Vivek Subbiah
- Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
| | - Shunji Takahashi
- Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research
| | - John Sarantopoulos
- medicine, Institute for Drug Development, Mays Cancer Center at University of Texas Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center
| | - Andrea Varga
- Drug Development Department, Institut de Cancérologie Gustave Roussy
| | | | - Tinya Abrams
- Disease Area Oncology, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Miguel Martín
- Medical Oncology, Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria Gregorio Marañon, CIBERONC, Universidad Complutense, Madrid
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Ceci C, Lacal PM, Graziani G. Antibody-drug conjugates: Resurgent anticancer agents with multi-targeted therapeutic potential. Pharmacol Ther 2022; 236:108106. [PMID: 34990642 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) constitute a relatively new group of anticancer agents, whose first appearance took place about two decades ago, but a renewed interest occurred in recent years, following the success of anti-cancer immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies. Indeed, an ADC combines the selectivity of a monoclonal antibody with the cell killing properties of a chemotherapeutic agent (payload), joined together through an appropriate linker. The antibody moiety targets a specific cell surface antigen expressed by tumor cells and/or cells of the tumor microenvironment and acts as a carrier that delivers the cytotoxic payload within the tumor mass. Despite advantages in terms of selectivity and potency, the development of ADCs is not devoid of challenges, due to: i) low tumor selectivity when the target antigens are not exclusively expressed by cancer cells; ii) premature release of the cytotoxic drug into the bloodstream as a consequence of linker instability; iii) development of tumor resistance mechanisms to the payload. All these factors may result in lack of efficacy and/or in no safety improvement compared to unconjugated cytotoxic agents. Nevertheless, the development of antibodies engineered to remain inert until activated in the tumor (e.g., antibodies activated proteolytically after internalization or by the acidic conditions of the tumor microenvironment) together with the discovery of innovative targets and cytotoxic or immunomodulatory payloads, have allowed the design of next-generation ADCs that are expected to possess improved therapeutic properties. This review provides an overview of approved ADCs, with related advantages and limitations, and of novel targets exploited by ADCs that are presently under clinical investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Ceci
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Grazia Graziani
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy; IDI-IRCCS, Via Monti di Creta 104, 00167 Rome, Italy.
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