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Deng W, Zhao Z, Zou T, Kuang T, Wang J. Research Advances in Fusion Protein-Based Drugs for Diabetes Treatment. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes 2024; 17:343-362. [PMID: 38288338 PMCID: PMC10823413 DOI: 10.2147/dmso.s421527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by elevated blood glucose levels, resulting in multi-organ dysfunction and various complications. Fusion proteins can form multifunctional complexes by combining the target proteins with partner proteins. It has significant advantages in improving the performance of the target proteins, extending their biological half-life, and enhancing patient drug compliance. Fusion protein-based drugs have emerged as promising new drugs in diabetes therapeutics. However, there has not been a systematic review of fusion protein-based drugs for diabetes therapeutics. Hence, we conducted a comprehensive review of published literature on diabetic fusion protein-based drugs for diabetes, with a primary focus on immunoglobulin G (IgG) fragment crystallizable (Fc) region, albumin, and transferrin (TF). This review aims to provide a reference for the subsequent development and clinical application of fusion protein-based drugs in diabetes therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenying Deng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, 421001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zeyi Zhao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, 421001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tao Zou
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, 421001, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tongdong Kuang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Diabetic Systems Medicine, Guilin Medical University, Guilin, Guangxi Province, 541199, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jing Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan Province, 421001, People’s Republic of China
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2
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Hou HW, Bishop CA, Huckauf J, Broer I, Klaus S, Nausch H, Buyel JF. Seed- and leaf-based expression of FGF21-transferrin fusion proteins for oral delivery and treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:998596. [PMID: 36247628 PMCID: PMC9557105 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.998596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a global disease with no effective medication. The fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) can reverse this liver dysfunction, but requires targeted delivery to the liver, which can be achieved via oral administration. Therefore, we fused FGF21 to transferrin (Tf) via a furin cleavage site (F), to promote uptake from the intestine into the portal vein, yielding FGF21-F-Tf, and established its production in both seeds and leaves of commercial Nicotiana tabacum cultivars, compared their expression profile and tested the bioavailability and bioactivity in feeding studies. Since biopharmaceuticals need to be produced in a contained environment, e.g., greenhouses in case of plants, the seed production was increased in this setting from 239 to 380 g m-2 a-1 seed mass with costs of 1.64 € g-1 by side branch induction, whereas leaves yielded 8,193 g m-2 a-1 leave mass at 0.19 € g-1. FGF21-F-Tf expression in transgenic seeds and leaves yielded 6.7 and 5.6 mg kg-1 intact fusion protein, but also 4.5 and 2.3 mg kg-1 additional Tf degradation products. Removing the furin site and introducing the liver-targeting peptide PLUS doubled accumulation of intact FGF21-transferrin fusion protein when transiently expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana from 0.8 to 1.6 mg kg-1, whereas truncation of transferrin (nTf338) and reversing the order of FGF21 and nTf338 increased the accumulation to 2.1 mg kg-1 and decreased the degradation products to 7% for nTf338-FGF21-PLUS. Application of partially purified nTf338-FGF21-PLUS to FGF21-/- mice by oral gavage proved its transfer from the intestine into the blood circulation and acutely affected hepatic mRNA expression. Hence, the medication of NASH via oral delivery of nTf338-FGF21-PLUS containing plants seems possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsuan-Wu Hou
- Department Bioprocess Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
- Chair for Agrobiotechnology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Christopher A. Bishop
- Department of Physiology of Energy Metabolism, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Nuthetal, Germany
- Institute of Nutritional Science, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Jana Huckauf
- Chair for Agrobiotechnology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Inge Broer
- Chair for Agrobiotechnology, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Susanne Klaus
- Department of Physiology of Energy Metabolism, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbrücke, Nuthetal, Germany
- Institute of Nutritional Science, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Henrik Nausch
- Department Bioprocess Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
| | - Johannes F. Buyel
- Department Bioprocess Engineering, Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Institute of Bioprocess Science and Engineering (IBSE), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
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3
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Yu G, Zhang M, Gao L, Zhou Y, Qiao L, Yin J, Wang Y, Zhou J, Ye H. Far-red light-activated human islet-like designer cells enable sustained fine-tuned secretion of insulin for glucose control. Mol Ther 2022; 30:341-354. [PMID: 34530162 PMCID: PMC8753431 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Diabetes affects almost half a billion people, and all individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and a large portion of individuals with type 2 diabetes rely on self-administration of the peptide hormone insulin to achieve glucose control. However, this treatment modality has cumbersome storage and equipment requirements and is susceptible to fatal user error. Here, reasoning that a cell-based therapy could be coupled to an external induction circuit for blood glucose control, as a proof of concept we developed far-red light (FRL)-activated human islet-like designer (FAID) cells and demonstrated how FAID cell implants achieved safe and sustained glucose control in diabetic model mice. Specifically, by introducing a FRL-triggered optogenetic device into human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), which we encapsulated in poly-(l-lysine)-alginate and implanted subcutaneously under the dorsum of T1D model mice, we achieved FRL illumination-inducible secretion of insulin that yielded improvements in glucose tolerance and sustained blood glucose control over traditional insulin glargine treatment. Moreover, the FAID cell implants attenuated both oxidative stress and development of multiple diabetes-related complications in kidneys. This optogenetics-controlled "living cell factory" platform could be harnessed to develop multiple synthetic designer therapeutic cells to achieve long-term yet precisely controllable drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiling Yu
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Mingliang Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, China
| | - Ling Gao
- Department of Endocrinology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430061, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Longliang Qiao
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jianli Yin
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yiwen Wang
- Electron Microscopy Center, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai 200233, China.
| | - Haifeng Ye
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China.
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Ardaiz N, Gomar C, Vasquez M, Tenesaca S, Fernandez-Sendin M, Di Trani CA, Belsué V, Escalada J, Werner U, Tennagels N, Berraondo P. Insulin Fused to Apolipoprotein A-I Reduces Body Weight and Steatosis in DB/DB Mice. Front Pharmacol 2021; 11:591293. [PMID: 33679386 PMCID: PMC7934061 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.591293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Targeting long-lasting insulins to the liver may improve metabolic alterations that are not corrected with current insulin replacement therapies. However, insulin is only able to promote lipogenesis but not to block gluconeogenesis in the insulin-resistant liver, exacerbating liver steatosis associated with diabetes. Methods: In order to overcome this limitation, we fused a single-chain insulin to apolipoprotein A-I, and we evaluated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of this novel fusion protein in wild type mice and in db/db mice using both recombinant proteins and recombinant adenoassociated virus (AAV). Results: Here, we report that the fusion protein between single-chain insulin and apolipoprotein A-I prolonged the insulin half-life in circulation, and accumulated in the liver. We analyzed the long-term effect of these insulin fused to apolipoprotein A-I or insulin fused to albumin using AAVs in the db/db mouse model of diabetes, obesity, and liver steatosis. While AAV encoding insulin fused to albumin exacerbated liver steatosis in several mice, AAV encoding insulin fused to apolipoprotein A-I reduced liver steatosis. These results were confirmed upon daily subcutaneous administration of the recombinant insulin-apolipoprotein A-I fusion protein for six weeks. The reduced liver steatosis was associated with reduced body weight in mice treated with insulin fused to apolipoprotein A-I. Recombinant apolipoprotein A-I alone significantly reduces body weight and liver weight, indicating that the apolipoprotein A-I moiety is the main driver of these effects. Conclusion: The fusion protein of insulin and apolipoprotein A-I could be a promising insulin derivative for the treatment of diabetic patients with associated fatty liver disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Ardaiz
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Celia Gomar
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Marcos Vasquez
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Shirley Tenesaca
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Myriam Fernandez-Sendin
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Claudia Augusta Di Trani
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Virginia Belsué
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Javier Escalada
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain.,Department of Endocrinology, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ulrich Werner
- Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, TA Diabetes, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Norbert Tennagels
- Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, TA Diabetes, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Pedro Berraondo
- Program of Immunology and Immunotherapy, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain
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5
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Characterization of viral insulins reveals white adipose tissue-specific effects in mice. Mol Metab 2020; 44:101121. [PMID: 33220491 PMCID: PMC7770979 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2020.101121] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Members of the insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IGF) superfamily are well conserved across the evolutionary tree. We recently showed that four viruses in the Iridoviridae family possess genes that encode proteins highly homologous to human insulin/IGF-1. Using chemically synthesized single-chain (sc), i.e., IGF-1-like, forms of the viral insulin/IGF-1-like peptides (VILPs), we previously showed that they can stimulate human receptors. Because these peptides possess potential cleavage sites to form double chain (dc), i.e., more insulin-like, VILPs, in this study, we have characterized dc forms of VILPs for Grouper iridovirus (GIV), Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) and Lymphocystis disease virus-1 (LCDV-1) for the first time. Methods The dcVILPs were chemically synthesized. Using murine fibroblast cell lines overexpressing insulin receptor (IR-A or IR-B) or IGF1R, we first determined the binding affinity of dcVILPs to the receptors and characterized post-receptor signaling. Further, we used C57BL/6J mice to study the effect of dcVILPs on lowering blood glucose. We designed a 3-h dcVILP in vivo infusion experiment to determine the glucose uptake in different tissues. Results GIV and SGIV dcVILPs bind to both isoforms of human insulin receptor (IR-A and IR-B) and to the IGF1R, and for the latter, show higher affinity than human insulin. These dcVILPs stimulate IR and IGF1R phosphorylation and post-receptor signaling in vitro and in vivo. Both GIV and SGIV dcVILPs stimulate glucose uptake in mice. In vivo infusion experiments revealed that while insulin (0.015 nmol/kg/min) and GIV dcVILP (0.75 nmol/kg/min) stimulated a comparable glucose uptake in heart and skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue, GIV dcVILP stimulated 2-fold higher glucose uptake in white adipose tissue (WAT) compared to insulin. This was associated with increased Akt phosphorylation and glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) gene expression compared to insulin in WAT. Conclusions Our results show that GIV and SGIV dcVILPs are active members of the insulin superfamily with unique characteristics. Elucidating the mechanism of tissue specificity for GIV dcVILP will help us to better understand insulin action, design new analogs that specifically target the tissues and provide new insights into their potential role in disease. Viral insulin/IGF1-like peptides (VILPs) are microbial members of the insulin superfamily. VILPs bind to human IR and IGF1R and stimulate post-receptor signaling. Grouper iridovirus (GIV) VILP has white adipose tissue (WAT)-specific characteristics. GIV VILP stimulates increased glucose uptake in WAT via increased GLUT4 expression.
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Enhanced insulin receptor interaction by a bifunctional insulin-transferrin fusion protein: an approach to overcome insulin resistance. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7724. [PMID: 32382087 PMCID: PMC7206000 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64731-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Bifunctional fusion protein design has been widely utilized as a strategy to increase the efficacy of protein therapeutics. Previously, we proposed a novel application of the bifunctional fusion protein design through the introduction of proinsulin-transferrin (ProINS-Tf) fusion protein as a liver-specific protein prodrug to achieve a glucose-lowering effect in type 1 diabetic mice. In this report, we studied the binding characteristics of this activated fusion protein to the insulin receptor to elucidate its mechanism in eliciting insulin receptor-mediated signaling. We found that, with the assistance of the transferrin moiety binding to the transferrin receptor, the activated ProINS-Tf exhibited significantly higher binding affinity to the insulin receptor compared with the native insulin, resulting in a prolonged and stronger Akt phosphorylation. This enhanced induction by activated ProINS-Tf overcame insulin resistance in palmitate-treated HepG2 cells. ProINS-Tf also demonstrated a better glucose-lowering effect than native insulin, even with a much lower dose and less frequent injections, in non-obese diabetic mice with insulin resistance symptoms. The activated ProINS-Tf, serving as a bivalent protein molecule, could be a new insulin analog to overcome insulin resistance, which is associated with several diseases, including type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
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Tan H, Su W, Zhang W, Wang P, Sattler M, Zou P. Recent Advances in Half-life Extension Strategies for Therapeutic Peptides and Proteins. Curr Pharm Des 2019; 24:4932-4946. [PMID: 30727869 DOI: 10.2174/1381612825666190206105232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Peptides and proteins are two classes of molecules with attractive possibilities for therapeutic applications. However, the bottleneck for the therapeutic application of many peptides and proteins is their short halflives in vivo, typically just a few minutes to hours. Half-life extension strategies have been extensively studied and many of them have been proven to be effective in the generation of long-acting therapeutics with improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in half-life extension strategies, illustrate their potential applications and give some examples, highlighting the strategies that have been used in approved drugs and for drugs in clinical trials. Meanwhile, several novel strategies that are still in the process of discovery or at a preclinical stage are also introduced. In these strategies, the two most frequently used half-life extension methods are the reduction in the rate of renal clearance or the exploitation of the recycling mechanism of FcRn by binding to the albumin or IgG-Fc. Here, we discuss half-life extension strategies of recombinant therapeutic protein via genetic fusion, rather than chemical conjugation such as PEGylation. With the rapid development of genetic engineering and protein engineering, novel strategies for half-life extension have been emerged consistently. Some of these will be evaluated in clinical trials and may become viable alternatives to current strategies for making next-generation biodrugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanbo Tan
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Wencheng Su
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Pengju Wang
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Michael Sattler
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Structural Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich at Chair Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy, Department Chemie, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
| | - Peijian Zou
- Industrial Enzymes National Engineering Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Structural Biology, Helmholtz Center Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Center for Integrated Protein Science Munich at Chair Biomolecular NMR Spectroscopy, Department Chemie, Technische Universität München, Garching, Germany
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Backman M, Flenkenthaler F, Blutke A, Dahlhoff M, Ländström E, Renner S, Philippou-Massier J, Krebs S, Rathkolb B, Prehn C, Grzybek M, Coskun Ü, Rothe M, Adamski J, de Angelis MH, Wanke R, Fröhlich T, Arnold GJ, Blum H, Wolf E. Multi-omics insights into functional alterations of the liver in insulin-deficient diabetes mellitus. Mol Metab 2019; 26:30-44. [PMID: 31221621 PMCID: PMC6667734 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2019.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The liver regulates the availability of insulin to other tissues and is the first line insulin response organ physiologically exposed to higher insulin concentrations than the periphery. Basal insulin during fasting inhibits hepatic gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, whereas postprandial insulin peaks stimulate glycogen synthesis. The molecular consequences of chronic insulin deficiency for the liver have not been studied systematically. METHODS We analyzed liver samples of a genetically diabetic pig model (MIDY) and of wild-type (WT) littermate controls by RNA sequencing, proteomics, and targeted metabolomics/lipidomics. RESULTS Cross-omics analyses revealed increased activities in amino acid metabolism, oxidation of fatty acids, ketogenesis, and gluconeogenesis in the MIDY samples. In particular, the concentrations of the ketogenic enzyme 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2) and of retinol dehydrogenase 16 (RDH16), which catalyzes the first step in retinoic acid biogenesis, were highly increased. Accordingly, elevated levels of retinoic acid, which stimulates the expression of the gluconeogenic enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK1), were measured in the MIDY samples. In contrast, pathways related to extracellular matrix and inflammation/pathogen defense response were less active than in the WT samples. CONCLUSIONS The first multi-omics study of a clinically relevant diabetic large animal model revealed molecular signatures and key drivers of functional alterations of the liver in insulin-deficient diabetes mellitus. The multi-omics data set provides a valuable resource for comparative analyses with other experimental or clinical data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mattias Backman
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; Graduate School of Quantitative Biosciences Munich (QBM), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Florian Flenkenthaler
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Blutke
- Research Unit Analytical Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maik Dahlhoff
- Chair for Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Erik Ländström
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; Graduate School of Quantitative Biosciences Munich (QBM), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Simone Renner
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Chair for Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; Center for Innovative Medical Models (CiMM), LMU Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany
| | - Julia Philippou-Massier
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Stefan Krebs
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Birgit Rathkolb
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Chair for Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; German Mouse Clinic (GMC), Institute of Experimental Genetics, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Cornelia Prehn
- Research Unit of Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism (MEM), Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Michal Grzybek
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ünal Coskun
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Jerzy Adamski
- Research Unit of Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism (MEM), Helmholtz Zentrum München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Chair of Experimental Genetics, School of Life Science Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Department of Biochemistry, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Martin Hrabĕ de Angelis
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; German Mouse Clinic (GMC), Institute of Experimental Genetics, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Chair of Experimental Genetics, School of Life Science Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Wanke
- Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Center for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, LMU Munich, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Fröhlich
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Georg J Arnold
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Helmut Blum
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Eckhard Wolf
- Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), 85764 Neuherberg, Germany; Chair for Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, Gene Center and Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 81377 Munich, Germany; Center for Innovative Medical Models (CiMM), LMU Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany.
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9
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Iyengar ARS, Gupta S, Jawalekar S, Pande AH. Protein Chimerization: A New Frontier for Engineering Protein Therapeutics with Improved Pharmacokinetics. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2019; 370:703-714. [DOI: 10.1124/jpet.119.257063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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10
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Zaman R, Islam RA, Ibnat N, Othman I, Zaini A, Lee CY, Chowdhury EH. Current strategies in extending half-lives of therapeutic proteins. J Control Release 2019; 301:176-189. [PMID: 30849445 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Macromolecular protein and peptide therapeutics have been proven to be effective in treating critical human diseases precisely. Thanks to biotechnological advancement, a huge number of proteins and peptide therapeutics were made their way to pharmaceutical market in past few decades. However, one of the biggest challenges to be addressed for protein therapeutics during clinical application is their fast degradation in serum and quick elimination owing to enzymatic degradation, renal clearance, liver metabolism and immunogenicity, attributing to the short half-lives. Size and hydrophobicity of protein molecules make them prone to kidney filtration and liver metabolism. On the other hand, proteasomes responsible for protein destruction possess the capability of specifically recognizing almost all kinds of foreign proteins while avoiding any unwanted destruction of cellular components. At present almost all protein-based drug formulations available in market are administered intravenously (IV) or subcutaneously (SC) with high dosing at frequent interval, eventually creating dose-fluctuation-related complications and reducing patient compliance vastly. Therefore, artificially increasing the therapeutic half-life of a protein by attaching to it a molecule that increases the overall size (eg, PEG) or helps with receptor mediated recycling (eg, albumin), or manipulating amino acid chain in a way that makes it more prone towards aggregate formation, are some of the revolutionary approaches to avoid the fast degradation in vivo. Half-life extension technologies that are capable of dramatically enhancing half-lives of proteins in circulation (2-100 folds) and thus improving their overall pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters have been successfully applied on a wide range of protein therapeutics from hormones and enzymes, growth factor, clotting factor to interferon. The focus of the review is to assess the technological advancements made so far in enhancing circulatory half-lives and improving therapeutic potency of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahela Zaman
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Rowshan Ara Islam
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nabilah Ibnat
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Iekhsan Othman
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Anuar Zaini
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Chooi Yeng Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ezharul Hoque Chowdhury
- Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, Bandar Sunway, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
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Liu Y, Wang HY, Zhou L, Su Y, Shen WC. Biodistribution, activation, and retention of proinsulin-transferrin fusion protein in the liver: Mechanism of liver-targeting as an insulin prodrug. J Control Release 2018; 275:186-191. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2018.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Revised: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Characterization and Oral Delivery of Proinsulin-Transferrin Fusion Protein Expressed Using ExpressTec. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19020378. [PMID: 29373562 PMCID: PMC5855600 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19020378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Proinsulin-transferrin fusion protein (ProINS-Tf) has been designed and successfully expressed from the mammalian HEK293 cells (HEK-ProINS-Tf). It was found that HEK-ProINS-Tf could be converted into an activated form in the liver. Furthermore, HEK-ProINS-Tf was demonstrated as an extra-long acting insulin analogue with liver-specific insulin action in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetic mice. However, due to the low production yield from transfected HEK293 cells, there are other interesting features, including the oral bioavailability, which have not been fully explored and characterized. To improve the protein production yield, an alternative protein expression system, ExpressTec using transgenic rice (Oryza sativa L.), was used. The intact and active rice-derived ProINS-Tf (ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf) was successfully expressed from the transgenic rice expression system. Our results suggested that, although the insulin-like bioactivity of ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf was slightly lower in vitro, its potency of in vivo blood glucose control was considerably stronger than that of HEK-ProINS-Tf. The oral delivery studies in type 1 diabetic mice demonstrated a prolonged control of blood glucose to near-normal levels after oral administration of ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf. Results in this report suggest that ExpressTec-ProINS-Tf is a promising insulin analog with advantages including low cost, prolonged and liver targeting effects, and most importantly, oral bioactivity.
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Mathieu C, Gillard P, Benhalima K. Insulin analogues in type 1 diabetes mellitus: getting better all the time. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2017; 13:385-399. [PMID: 28429780 DOI: 10.1038/nrendo.2017.39] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus consists of external replacement of the functions of β cells in an attempt to achieve blood levels of glucose as close to the normal range as possible. This approach means that glucose sensing needs to be replaced and levels of insulin need to mimic physiological insulin-action profiles, including basal coverage and changes around meals. Training and educating patients are crucial for the achievement of good glycaemic control, but having insulin preparations with action profiles that provide stable basal insulin coverage and appropriate mealtime insulin peaks helps people with type 1 diabetes mellitus to live active lives without sacrificing tight glycaemic control. Insulin analogues enable patients to achieve this goal, as some have fast action profiles, and some have very slow action profiles, which gives people with type 1 diabetes mellitus the tools to achieve dynamic insulin-action profiles that enable tight glycaemic control with a risk of hypoglycaemia that is lower than that with human short-acting and long-acting insulins. This Review discusses the established and novel insulin analogues that are used to treat patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and provides insights into the future development of insulin analogues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal Mathieu
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Pieter Gillard
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Katrien Benhalima
- Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, University of Leuven, Herestraat 49, Leuven 3000, Belgium
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Shao J, Zaro JL, Shen WC. Proinsulin-Transferrin Fusion Protein Exhibits a Prolonged and Selective Effect on the Control of Hepatic Glucose Production in an Experimental Model of Type 1 Diabetes. Mol Pharm 2016; 13:2641-6. [PMID: 27280852 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.6b00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
An ideal basal insulin (INS) replacement therapy requires the distribution or action of exogenous INS to more closely mimic physiological INS in terms of its preferential hepatic action. In this paper, we introduce a novel strategy to exert liver-specific INS action by hepatic activation of INS's precursor, proinsulin (ProINS). We demonstrated the conversion of human ProINS-transferrin (Tf) fusion protein, ProINS-Tf, into an active and immuno-reactive form of INS-Tf in the liver via the slow Tf receptor mediated recycling pathway. ProINS-Tf displayed prolonged basal blood glucose lowering effects for up to 40 h in streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic mice following a single subcutaneous injection. The effect of ProINS-Tf on blood glucose levels was observed predominantly under fasting conditions, with little effect under free-feeding conditions. In addition, both the pyruvate tolerance assay in normal mice and the Akt-phosphorylation assay in H-4-II-E hepatoma cells indicated that the hepatic-activated ProINS-Tf possessed a much longer effect on the control of hepatic glucose production than INS. These results indicated that ProINS-Tf may serve as an effective and safe hepatoselective INS analog to reduce the frequency of INS injections as well as avert severe hypoglycemia episodes and other side effects frequently encountered with long-acting INS therapeutics due to their peripheral action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juntang Shao
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California , 1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
| | - Jennica L Zaro
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California , 1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
| | - Wei-Chiang Shen
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California , 1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90033, United States
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many of the biotherapeutics approved or under development suffer from a short half-life necessitating frequent applications in order to maintain a therapeutic concentration over an extended period of time. The implementation of half-life extension strategies allows the generation of long-lasting therapeutics with improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. AREAS COVERED This review gives an overview of the different half-life extension strategies developed over the past years and their application to generate next-generation biotherapeutics. It focuses on srategies already used in approved drugs and drugs that are in clinical development. These strategies include those aimed at increasing the hydrodynamic radius of the biotherapeutic and strategies which further implement recycling by the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn). EXPERT OPINION Half-life extension strategies have become an integral part of development for many biotherapeutics. A diverse set of these strategies is available for the fine-tuning of half-life and adaption to the intended treatment modality and disease. Currently, half-life extension is dominated by strategies utilizing albumin binding or fusion, fusion to an immunoglobulin Fc region and PEGylation. However, a variety of alternative strategies, such as fusion of flexible polypeptide chains as PEG mimetic substitute, have reached advanced stages and offer further alternatives for half-life extension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland E Kontermann
- a Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology , University of Stuttgart , Stuttgart , Germany
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Abstract
Insulin remains indispensable in the treatment of diabetes, but its use is hampered by its narrow therapeutic index. Although advances in peptide chemistry and recombinant DNA-based macromolecule synthesis have enabled the synthesis of structurally optimized insulin analogues, the growing epidemics of obesity and diabetes have emphasized the need for diabetes therapies that are more efficacious, safe and convenient. Accordingly, a broad set of drug candidates, targeting hyperglycaemia plus other disease abnormalities, is now progressing through the clinic. The development of an insulin therapy that is responsive to glucose concentration remains an ultimate goal, with initial prototypes now reaching the proof-of-concept stage. Simultaneously, the first alternatives to injectable delivery have progressed to registration.
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Shao J, Zaro JL, Shen WC. Tissue barriers and novel approaches to achieve hepatoselectivity of subcutaneously-injected insulin therapeutics. Tissue Barriers 2016; 4:e1156804. [PMID: 27358753 DOI: 10.1080/21688370.2016.1156804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Current subcutaneously (s.c.)-injected insulin (INS) products result in a hyperinsulin exposure to peripheral tissues (skeletal muscle and adipose) while INS hardly accesses to liver after injection. This unphysiological distribution raises risks of hypoglycemia episode and causes weight gain after long term treatment. An ideal INS replacement therapy requires the distribution or action of exogenous INS to more closely mimic physiological INS in terms of its preferential hepatic action. However, there are 2 factors that limit the ability of s.c. injected INS to restore the liver: peripheral gradient in INS deficient diabetes patients: (1) the transport of INS in capillary endothelium and peripheral tissues from the injection site; and (2) peripheral INS receptor (IR) mediated INS degradation. In this review, the tissue barriers against efficient liver targeting of s.c. injected INS are discussed and current advances in developing hepatoselective insulin therapeutics are introduced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juntang Shao
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jennica L Zaro
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wei-Chiang Shen
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California , Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark L Evans
- Department of Medicine and Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, U.K.
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Abstract
The purpose of making a "biobetter" biologic is to improve on the salient characteristics of a known biologic for which there is, minimally, clinical proof of concept or, maximally, marketed product data. There already are several examples in which second-generation or biobetter biologics have been generated by improving the pharmacokinetic properties of an innovative drug, including Neulasta(®) [a PEGylated, longer-half-life version of Neupogen(®) (filgrastim)] and Aranesp(®) [a longer-half-life version of Epogen(®) (epoetin-α)]. This review describes the use of protein fusion technologies such as Fc fusion proteins, fusion to human serum albumin, fusion to carboxy-terminal peptide, and other polypeptide fusion approaches to make biobetter drugs with more desirable pharmacokinetic profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- William R Strohl
- Janssen BioTherapeutics, Janssen Research and Development, LLC, Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, SH31-21757, 1400 Welsh and McKean Roads, PO Box 776, Spring House, PA, 19477, USA,
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