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Zhang HQ, Sun C, Xu N, Liu W. The current landscape of the antimicrobial peptide melittin and its therapeutic potential. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1326033. [PMID: 38318188 PMCID: PMC10838977 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1326033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Melittin, a main component of bee venom, is a cationic amphiphilic peptide with a linear α-helix structure. It has been reported that melittin can exert pharmacological effects, such as antitumor, antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and in vivo. In particular, melittin may be beneficial for the treatment of diseases for which no specific clinical therapeutic agents exist. Melittin can effectively enhance the therapeutic properties of some first-line drugs. Elucidating the mechanism underlying melittin-mediated biological function can provide valuable insights for the application of melittin in disease intervention. However, in melittin, the positively charged amino acids enables it to directly punching holes in cell membranes. The hemolysis in red cells and the cytotoxicity triggered by melittin limit its applications. Melittin-based nanomodification, immuno-conjugation, structural regulation and gene technology strategies have been demonstrated to enhance the specificity, reduce the cytotoxicity and limit the off-target cytolysis of melittin, which suggests the potential of melittin to be used clinically. This article summarizes research progress on antiviral, antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties of melittin, and discusses the strategies of melittin-modification for its future potential clinical applications in preventing drug resistance, enhancing the selectivity to target cells and alleviating cytotoxic effects to normal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Qian Zhang
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Chengbiao Sun
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Na Xu
- Academic Affairs Office, Jilin Medical University, Jilin, Jilin, China
| | - Wensen Liu
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science, Changchun, Jilin, China
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Jin X, Wu H, Yu J, Cao Y, Zhang L, Zhang Z, Lv H. Glutamate affects self-assembly, protein corona, and anti-4 T1 tumor effects of melittin/vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)n nanoparticles. J Control Release 2024; 365:802-817. [PMID: 38092255 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Melittin (M) has attracted increasing attention for its significant antitumor effects and various immunomodulatory effects. However, various obstacles such as the short plasma half-life and adverse reactions restrict its application. This study aimed to systematically investigate the self-assembly mechanism, components of the protein corona, targeting behavior, and anti-4 T1 tumor effect of vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)n /melittin nanoparticles with varying amounts of glutamic acid. Here, we present a new vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)5 (E5), vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)10 (E10) or vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)15 (E15), and their co-assembly system with positively charged melittin in water. The molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that the electrostatic energy and van der Waals force in the system decreased significantly with the increase in the amount of glutamic acid. The melittin and E15 system exhibited the optimal stability for nanoparticle self-assembly. When nanoparticles derived from different self-assembly systems were co-incubated with plasma from patients with breast cancer, the protein corona showed heterogeneity. In vivo imaging demonstrated that an increase in the number of glutamic acid residues enhanced circulation duration and tumor-targeting effects. Both in vitro and in vivo antitumor evaluation indicated a significant increase in the antitumor effect with the addition of glutamic acid. According to our research findings, the number of glutamic acid residues plays a crucial role in the targeted delivery of melittin for immunomodulation and inhibition of 4 T1 breast cancer. Due to the self-assembly capabilities of vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)n in water, these nanoparticles carry significant potential for delivering cationic peptides such as melittin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Jin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Department of Pharmaceutics, The Affiliated Suqian First People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Suqian, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hangyi Wu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yanni Cao
- Department of Pharmaceutics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lanyi Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhenhai Zhang
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Huixia Lv
- Department of Pharmaceutics, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
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Jin X, Yang Q, Wei G, Song J, Zhang Z. A simple self-assembling system of melittin for hepatoma treatment. Cancer Nanotechnol 2023; 14:2. [DOI: 10.1186/s12645-022-00154-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Hepatoma is a serious public health concern. New attempts are urgently needed to solve this problem. Melittin, a host defense peptide derived from the venom of honeybees, has noteworthy hemolysis and non-specific cytotoxicity in clinical applications. Here, the self-assembly of melittin and vitamin E-succinic acid-(glutamate)12 (VG) was fabricated via noncovalent π-stacking and hydrogen bonding interactions using an environment-friendly method without “toxic” solvents.
Results
As expected, the designed self-assembly (denoted as M/VG nanoparticles) exhibits a uniform morphology with a particle size of approximately 60 nm and a zeta potential of approximately − 26.8 mV. Furthermore, added VG significantly decreased hemolytic activity, increased tumor-targeted effects, and accelerated apoptosis.
Conclusion
Our research provides a promising strategy for the development of natural self-assembled biological peptides for clinical application, particularly for transforming toxic peptides into safe therapeutic systems.
Graphical Abstract
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Yu X, Jia S, Yu S, Chen Y, Zhang C, Chen H, Dai Y. Recent advances in melittin-based nanoparticles for antitumor treatment: from mechanisms to targeted delivery strategies. J Nanobiotechnology 2023; 21:454. [PMID: 38017537 PMCID: PMC10685715 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-023-02223-4] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
As a naturally occurring cytolytic peptide, melittin (MLT) not only exhibits a potent direct tumor cell-killing effect but also possesses various immunomodulatory functions. MLT shows minimal chances for developing resistance and has been recognized as a promising broad-spectrum antitumor drug because of this unique dual mechanism of action. However, MLT still displays obvious toxic side effects during treatment, such as nonspecific cytolytic activity, hemolytic toxicity, coagulation disorders, and allergic reactions, seriously hampering its broad clinical applications. With thorough research on antitumor mechanisms and the rapid development of nanotechnology, significant effort has been devoted to shielding against toxicity and achieving tumor-directed drug delivery to improve the therapeutic efficacy of MLT. Herein, we mainly summarize the potential antitumor mechanisms of MLT and recent progress in the targeted delivery strategies for tumor therapy, such as passive targeting, active targeting and stimulus-responsive targeting. Additionally, we also highlight the prospects and challenges of realizing the full potential of MLT in the field of tumor therapy. By exploring the antitumor molecular mechanisms and delivery strategies of MLT, this comprehensive review may inspire new ideas for tumor multimechanism synergistic therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, One Health Institute, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
| | - Siyu Jia
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
- The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Shi Yu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Yaohui Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Chengwei Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Microenvironment and Immunotherapy, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Haidan Chen
- The First College of Clinical Medical Science, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China.
| | - Yanfeng Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Hainan Province, One Health Institute, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
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Xu W, Chen H, Duan Y, Ge D, Ren D, Zhao S, Liu Y, Ma L, Zhang C. Bacterial Expression of Promelittin for Safe and Effective Tumor Therapy. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2023. [PMID: 37897422 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c11457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria-based tumor therapy has attracted much attention due to its unique mechanism and abundant application. With the rapid development of synthetic biology, utilizing gene technology to make bacteria express therapeutic agents has greatly innovated bacterial therapy paradigms. Herein, we constructed an Escherichia coli expressing promelittin protein system based on the Trojan horse strategy, which limited the toxicity of melittin through the fusion protein during melittin expression. After targeted colonization of bacteria in tumor tissues, promelittin was activated by matrix metalloproteinase, followed by causing tumor cell death through a membrane-lytic mechanism. Additionally, the released cytolytic melittin in turn killed the maternal bacteria, eliminating safety hazards and triggering host immunity. Detailed experiments revealed that the bacteria expressing the promelittin system could significantly inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of primitive tumors in a CT26-bearing mice model. This study sheds insights into the development of bacteria-based synergistic tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxuan Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, P. R. China
| | - Huanhuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, P. R. China
| | - Yamin Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, P. R. China
| | - Dejie Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, P. R. China
| | - Debao Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, P. R. China
| | - Shuai Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, P. R. China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, P. R. China
| | - Lixin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, P. R. China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, P. R. China
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Hussein MMA, Abdelfattah-Hassan A, Eldoumani H, Essawi WM, Alsahli TG, Alharbi KS, Alzarea SI, Al-Hejaili HY, Gaafar SF. Evaluation of anti-cancer effects of carnosine and melittin-loaded niosomes in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1258387. [PMID: 37808196 PMCID: PMC10552532 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1258387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: We investigated the anti-cancer effect of carnosine-loaded niosomes (Car-NIO) and melittin-loaded niosomes (Mel-NIO) with olaparib in breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). Methods: The thin film method was used for preparing the niosomes and characterized in terms of morphology, size, and polydispersity index (PDI). We further evaluated the impact of these peptides on breast cancer cells viability, RT-qPCR assays, malondialdehyde (MDA) activity, and cell cycle progression, to determine if these are linked to carnosine and melittin's anti-proliferative properties. Results: Car-NIO and Mel-NIO in vitro study inhibited cancer cell viability. They have also upregulated the expression of protein 53 (P53), BCL2-Associated X Protein (Bax), caspase-9, caspase-3, programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4), and Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3), while downregulated the expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP 1), and MicroRNA-183 (miRNA-183). The MCF-7 cells were arrested at the G2/M phase in Car-NIO, on the other hand, the MDA-MB-231 cells were arrested at the S phase. While the Mel-NIO and olaparib arrested the MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells at the G0/1 phase. Conclusion: Our study successfully declared that Mel-NIO had more anti-cancer effects than Car-NIO in both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed M. A. Hussein
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Abdelfattah-Hassan
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
- Biomedical Sciences Program, University of Science and Technology, Zewail City of Science and Technology, Giza, Egypt
| | - Haitham Eldoumani
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Walaa M. Essawi
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt
| | - Tariq G. Alsahli
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Saad Alharbi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Qassim, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sami I. Alzarea
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hassan Y. Al-Hejaili
- Pharmaceutical Care Department, King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of Health, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Sara F. Gaafar
- Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
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Pandey P, Khan F, Khan MA, Kumar R, Upadhyay TK. An Updated Review Summarizing the Anticancer Efficacy of Melittin from Bee Venom in Several Models of Human Cancers. Nutrients 2023; 15:3111. [PMID: 37513529 PMCID: PMC10385528 DOI: 10.3390/nu15143111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Apitherapy (using bee products) has gained broad recognition in cancer therapeutics globally. Honeybee venom has a broad range of biological potential, and its utilization is rapidly emerging in apitherapy. Bee products have significant potential to strengthen the immune system and improve human health. Thus, this review is targeted toward recapitulating the chemo-preventive potential of melittin (MEL), which constitutes a substantial portion of honeybee venom. Honeybee venom (apitoxin) is produced in the venom gland of the honeybee abdomen, and adult bees utilize it as a primary colony defense mechanism. Apitoxin comprises numerous biologically active compounds, including peptides, enzymes, amines, amino acids, phospholipids, minerals, carbohydrates, and volatile components. We are mainly focused on exploring the potential of melittin (a peptide component) of bee venom that has shown promising potential in the treatment of several human cancers, including breast, stomach, lung, prostate, ovary, kidney, colon, gastric, esophageal, cervical cancers, melanoma, osteosarcoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. This review has summarized all potential studies related to the anticancerous efficacy of melittin (apitoxin), its formulations, conjugates, and nano-formulations against several human carcinomas, which would further pave the way for future researchers in developing potent drugs for cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pratibha Pandey
- Department of Biotechnology, Noida Institute of Engineering & Technology, Greater Noida 201306, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Fahad Khan
- Department of Biotechnology, Noida Institute of Engineering & Technology, Greater Noida 201306, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Minhaj Ahmad Khan
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, Punjab, India
| | - Rajnish Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology (Pharmacy Institute), Greater Noida 201306, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Tarun Kumar Upadhyay
- Department of Biotechnology, Parul Institute of Applied Sciences and Centre of Research for Development, Parul University, Vadodara 391760, Gujarat, India
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Yang WJ, Ma R, Wei S, Sun W, Xu W, Wang L. An injectable nanocomposite alginate-Ca 2+ hydrogel for melittin-assisted Ca 2+-overload and photothermal cancer therapy. Chem Commun (Camb) 2023. [PMID: 37338396 DOI: 10.1039/d3cc01867a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
An injectable nanocomposite alginate-Ca2+ hydrogel embedded with melittin and polyaniline nanofibers was fabricated for Ca2+-overload and photothermal combination cancer therapy. Melittin disrupts the cell membranes and enhances Ca2+ influx significantly, improving Ca2+-overload treatment, while the polyaniline nanofibers endow the hydrogel with glutathione (GSH) depletion and photothermal ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Jing Yang
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Ruixiang Ma
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Shibing Wei
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Wenping Sun
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Wenya Xu
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Lianhui Wang
- Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics and Information Displays (KLOEID), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biosensors, Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM), Jiangsu National Synergistic Innovation Centre for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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Bahreyni A, Liu H, Mohamud Y, Xue YC, Fan YM, Zhang YL, Luo H. A combination of genetically engineered oncolytic virus and melittin-CpG for cancer viro-chemo-immunotherapy. BMC Med 2023; 21:193. [PMID: 37226233 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-02901-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immunotherapy has emerged as an efficient therapeutic approach for cancer management. However, stimulation of host immune system against cancer cells often fails to achieve promising clinical outcomes mainly owing to the immunosuppressive characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Combination therapeutics that can trigger sustained immunogenic cell death (ICD) have provided new opportunities for cancer treatment. METHODS In this study, we designed and applied an ICD inducer regimen, including a genetically engineered oncolytic virus (miRNA-modified coxsackieviruses B3, miR-CVB3), a pore-forming lytic peptide (melittin, found in bee venom), and a synthetic toll-like receptor 9 ligand (CpG oligodeoxynucleotides), for breast cancer and melanoma treatment. We compared the anti-tumor efficacy of miR-CVB3 and CpG-melittin (CpGMel) alone and in combination (miR-CVB3 + CpGMel) and investigated possible mechanisms involved. RESULTS We demonstrated that miR-CVB3 + CpGMel had no major impact on viral growth, while enhancing the cellular uptake of CpGMel in vitro. We further showed that combination therapy led to significant increases in tumor cell death and release of damage-associated molecular patterns compared with individual treatment. In vivo studies in 4T1 tumor-bearing Balb/c mice revealed that both primary and distant tumors were significantly suppressed, and the survival rate was significantly prolonged after administration of miR-CVB3 + CpGMel compared with single treatment. This anti-tumor effect was accompanied by increased ICD and immune cell infiltration into the TME. Safety analysis showed no significant pathological abnormalities in Balb/c mice. Furthermore, the developed therapeutic regimen also demonstrated a great anti-tumor activity in B16F10 melanoma tumor-bearing C57BL/6 J mice. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our findings indicate that although single treatment using miR-CVB3 or CpGMel can efficiently delay tumor growth, combining oncolytic virus-based therapy can generate even stronger anti-tumor immunity, leading to a greater reduction in tumor size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirhossein Bahreyni
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Huitao Liu
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Yasir Mohamud
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Yuan Chao Xue
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Yiyun Michelle Fan
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Endowment Lands, Canada
| | - Yizhuo Lyanne Zhang
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, Endowment Lands, Canada
| | - Honglin Luo
- Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
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Shi P, Xie S, Yang J, Zhang Y, Han S, Su S, Yao H. Pharmacological effects and mechanisms of bee venom and its main components: Recent progress and perspective. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1001553. [PMID: 36238572 PMCID: PMC9553197 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1001553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Bee venom (BV), a type of defensive venom, has been confirmed to have favorable activities, such as anti-tumor, neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-infectivity effects, etc. This study reviewed the recent progress on the pharmacological effects and mechanisms of BV and its main components against cancer, neurological disorders, inflammatory diseases, pain, microbial diseases, liver, kidney, lung and muscle injury, and other diseases in literature during the years 2018–2021. The related target proteins of BV and its main components against the diseases include Akt, mTOR, JNK, Wnt-5α, HIF-1α, NF-κB, JAK2, Nrf2, BDNF, Smad2/3, AMPK, and so on, which are referring to PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin, HIF-1α, NF-κB, JAK/STAT, Nrf2/HO-1, TrkB/CREB/BDNF, TGF-β/Smad2/3, and AMPK signaling pathways, etc. Further, with the reported targets, the potential effects and mechanisms on diseases were bioinformatically predicted via Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, disease ontology semantic and enrichment (DOSE) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses. This review provides new insights into the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of BV and its main components on diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peiying Shi
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource and Bee Products, College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Natural Biotoxins, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Peiying Shi, ; Hong Yao,
| | - Shihui Xie
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource and Bee Products, College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jiali Yang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource and Bee Products, College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource and Bee Products, College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shuo Han
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource and Bee Products, College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Songkun Su
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resource and Bee Products, College of Animal Sciences (College of Bee Science), Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Hong Yao
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Peiying Shi, ; Hong Yao,
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Hou G, Li Y, Wang Q, Zhang H, Liang S, Liu B, Shi W. iRGD-grafted N-trimethyl chitosan-coated protein nanotubes enhanced the anticancer efficacy of curcumin and melittin. Int J Biol Macromol 2022; 222:348-359. [PMID: 36150572 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2022.09.171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Curcumin (Cur) and Melittin (Mel) are two natural extracts that have been shown anti-tumor effects. However, their applications are limited due to poor oral bioavailability and the lack of tumor-targeting property. Here, we developed a novel nanocomposite that enabled the co-delivery of Cur and Mel, which consists of α-lactalbumin protein nanotubes (NTs), positively charged N,N,N-trimethyl chitosan (TMC), and a tumor-targeting cyclic peptide iRGD. The results showed that NTs/Cur-TMC-Mel-iRGD incorporated the advantages of each component, for instance, effective compounds loading by NTs, improved cellular uptake by TMC, prolonged accumulation in tumors by iRGD as well as synergistic anti-tumor effects of Cur and Mel. In the tumor-bearing mice, NTs/Cur-TMC-Mel-iRGD treatment remarkably induced cancer cell apoptosis while inhibiting cell proliferation, leading to suppressed tumor growth. Besides, no obvious adverse effects were observed in the blood physiology and tissue histology. Overall, our study provided an effective strategy for co-delivering Cur and Mel, which has a potential for translational clinical research aiming to treat solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohua Hou
- Research Center of Food Colloids and Delivery of Functionality, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Yuan Li
- Research Center of Food Colloids and Delivery of Functionality, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Qimeng Wang
- Research Center of Food Colloids and Delivery of Functionality, College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, PR China
| | - Huijuan Zhang
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, PR China
| | - Shuang Liang
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, PR China
| | - Bin Liu
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, PR China.
| | - Wenbiao Shi
- Department of Nutrition and Health, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100091, PR China.
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Wang A, Zheng Y, Zhu W, Yang L, Yang Y, Peng J. Melittin-Based Nano-Delivery Systems for Cancer Therapy. Biomolecules 2022; 12:biom12010118. [PMID: 35053266 PMCID: PMC8773652 DOI: 10.3390/biom12010118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 01/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Melittin (MEL) is a 26-amino acid polypeptide with a variety of pharmacological and toxicological effects, which include strong surface activity on cell lipid membranes, hemolytic activity, and potential anti-tumor properties. However, the clinical application of melittin is restricted due to its severe hemolytic activity. Different nanocarrier systems have been developed to achieve stable loading, side effects shielding, and tumor-targeted delivery, such as liposomes, cationic polymers, lipodisks, etc. In addition, MEL can be modified on nano drugs as a non-selective cytolytic peptide to enhance cellular uptake and endosomal/lysosomal escape. In this review, we discuss recent advances in MEL’s nano-delivery systems and MEL-modified nano drug carriers for cancer therapy.
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