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Narbona J, Gordo RG, Tomé-Amat J, Lacadena J. A New Optimized Version of a Colorectal Cancer-Targeted Immunotoxin Based on a Non-Immunogenic Variant of the Ribotoxin α-Sarcin. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:cancers15041114. [PMID: 36831456 PMCID: PMC9954630 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15041114] [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: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to its incidence and mortality, cancer remains one of the main risks to human health and lifespans. In order to overcome this worldwide disease, immunotherapy and the therapeutic use of immunotoxins have arisen as promising approaches. However, the immunogenicity of foreign proteins limits the dose of immunotoxins administered, thereby leading to a decrease in its therapeutic benefit. In this study, we designed two different variants of non-immunogenic immunotoxins (IMTXA33αSDI and IMTXA33furαSDI) based on a deimmunized variant of the ribotoxin α-sarcin. The inclusion of a furin cleavage site in IMTXA33furαSDI would allow a more efficient release of the toxic domain to the cytosol. Both immunotoxins were produced and purified in the yeast Pichia pastoris and later functionally characterized (both in vitro and in vivo), and immunogenicity assays were carried out. The results showed that both immunotoxins were functionally active and less immunogenic than the wild-type immunotoxin. In addition, IMTXA33furαSDI showed a more efficient antitumor effect (both in vitro and in vivo) due to the inclusion of the furin linker. These results constituted a step forward in the optimization of immunotoxins with low immunogenicity and enhanced antitumor activity, which can lead to potential better outcomes in cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Narbona
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rubén G. Gordo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Jaime Tomé-Amat
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (UPM-INIA), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Lacadena
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence:
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2
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Abstract
The interest in the use of monoclonal antibodies as therapeutic molecules has raised in the recent years. Due to their high affinity and specificity towards other biological molecules, antibodies are being widely used to treat a broad range of human diseases such as cancer, rheumatism, and cardiovascular diseases. Currently, the production of IgG-like antibodies is mainly obtained from stable or transient mammalian expression systems that allow proper folding and posttranslational modifications. Despite the technological advances of the last decade, the use of these systems still has a rather high production cost and long processing times. For these reasons, researchers are increasingly interested in alternative antibody production methods as well as alternative antibody formats. Bacterial systems, such as Escherichia coli, are extensively being used for recombinant protein production because their easy manipulation and cheap costs. However, the presence of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) traces in the already fractionated recombinant protein makes these systems not good candidates for the preparation of therapeutic molecules. Yeast systems, such as Pichia pastoris, present the convenient easy manipulation of microbial systems but show some key advantages of eukaryotic expression systems, like improved folding machinery and absence of LPS. They are especially suitable for the production of antibody fragments, which do not need human-like glycosylation, avoiding the high costs of mammalian systems. Here, the protocol for the expression and purification of a single-chain antibody fragment (scFv) in P. pastoris is provided, in deep detail for lab manipulation and briefly for a 5L-bioreactor production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Montoliu-Gaya
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Sandra Villegas
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Mölndal, Sweden.
- Protein Design and Immunotherapy Group, Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular. Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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Sanz L, Ibáñez-Pérez R, Guerrero-Ochoa P, Lacadena J, Anel A. Antibody-Based Immunotoxins for Colorectal Cancer Therapy. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1729. [PMID: 34829955 PMCID: PMC8615520 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9111729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are included among the treatment options for advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). However, while these mAbs effectively target cancer cells, they may have limited clinical activity. A strategy to improve their therapeutic potential is arming them with a toxic payload. Immunotoxins (ITX) combining the cell-killing ability of a toxin with the specificity of a mAb constitute a promising strategy for CRC therapy. However, several important challenges in optimizing ITX remain, including suboptimal pharmacokinetics and especially the immunogenicity of the toxin moiety. Nonetheless, ongoing research is working to solve these limitations and expand CRC patients' therapeutic armory. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of targets and toxins employed in the design of ITX for CRC and highlight a wide selection of ITX tested in CRC patients as well as preclinical candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Sanz
- Molecular Immunology Unit, Biomedical Research Institute, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, 28222 Madrid, Spain
| | - Raquel Ibáñez-Pérez
- Apoptosis, Immunity and Cancer Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS-Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (R.I.-P.); (P.G.-O.)
| | - Patricia Guerrero-Ochoa
- Apoptosis, Immunity and Cancer Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS-Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (R.I.-P.); (P.G.-O.)
| | - Javier Lacadena
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Anel
- Apoptosis, Immunity and Cancer Group, Aragón Health Research Institute (IIS-Aragón), University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; (R.I.-P.); (P.G.-O.)
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Ghani S, Bahrami S, Rafiee B, Eyvazi S, Yarian F, Ahangarzadeh S, Khalili S, Shahzamani K, Jafarisani M, Bandehpour M, Kazemi B. Recent developments in antibody derivatives against colorectal cancer; A review. Life Sci 2020; 265:118791. [PMID: 33220288 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 06/27/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer and mortality worldwide and is the third most common cancer in men and women. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are conventionally used for the treatment of colorectal cancer. However, these methods are associated with various side effects on normal cells. Thus, new studies are moving towards more effective and non-invasive methods for treatment of colorectal cancer. Targeted therapy of CRC is a promising new approach to enhance the efficiency and decrease the toxicity of the treatment. In targeted therapy of CRC, antibody fragments can directly inhibit tumor cell growth and proliferation. They also can act as an ideal carrier for targeted delivery of anticancer drugs. In the present study, the structure and function of different formats of antibody fragments, immune-targeted therapy of CRC using antibody fragments will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Ghani
- Student Research Committee, Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technology in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular & Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Samira Bahrami
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Behnam Rafiee
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Shirin Eyvazi
- Biotechnology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Yarian
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular & Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Shahrzad Ahangarzadeh
- Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Saeed Khalili
- Department of Biology Sciences, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Kiana Shahzamani
- Isfahan Gastroenterology and Hepatology Research Center (IGHRC), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Moslem Jafarisani
- Clinical Biochemistry, Cancer Prevention Research Center, Shahroud university of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran
| | - Mojgan Bandehpour
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular & Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Bahram Kazemi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular & Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Gotte G, Menegazzi M. Biological Activities of Secretory RNases: Focus on Their Oligomerization to Design Antitumor Drugs. Front Immunol 2019; 10:2626. [PMID: 31849926 PMCID: PMC6901985 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribonucleases (RNases) are a large number of enzymes gathered into different bacterial or eukaryotic superfamilies. Bovine pancreatic RNase A, bovine seminal BS-RNase, human pancreatic RNase 1, angiogenin (RNase 5), and amphibian onconase belong to the pancreatic type superfamily, while binase and barnase are in the bacterial RNase N1/T1 family. In physiological conditions, most RNases secreted in the extracellular space counteract the undesired effects of extracellular RNAs and become protective against infections. Instead, if they enter the cell, RNases can digest intracellular RNAs, becoming cytotoxic and having advantageous effects against malignant cells. Their biological activities have been investigated either in vitro, toward a number of different cancer cell lines, or in some cases in vivo to test their potential therapeutic use. However, immunogenicity or other undesired effects have sometimes been associated with their action. Nevertheless, the use of RNases in therapy remains an appealing strategy against some still incurable tumors, such as mesothelioma, melanoma, or pancreatic cancer. The RNase inhibitor (RI) present inside almost all cells is the most efficacious sentry to counteract the ribonucleolytic action against intracellular RNAs because it forms a tight, irreversible and enzymatically inactive complex with many monomeric RNases. Therefore, dimerization or multimerization could represent a useful strategy for RNases to exert a remarkable cytotoxic activity by evading the interaction with RI by steric hindrance. Indeed, the majority of the mentioned RNases can hetero-dimerize with antibody derivatives, or even homo-dimerize or multimerize, spontaneously or artificially. This can occur through weak interactions or upon introducing covalent bonds. Immuno-RNases, in particular, are fusion proteins representing promising drugs by combining high target specificity with easy delivery in tumors. The results concerning the biological features of many RNases reported in the literature are described and discussed in this review. Furthermore, the activities displayed by some RNases forming oligomeric complexes, the mechanisms driving toward these supramolecular structures, and the biological rebounds connected are analyzed. These aspects are offered with the perspective to suggest possible efficacious therapeutic applications for RNases oligomeric derivatives that could contemporarily lack, or strongly reduce, immunogenicity and other undesired side-effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Gotte
- Biological Chemistry Section, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Marta Menegazzi
- Biological Chemistry Section, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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Ruiz-de-la-Herrán J, Tomé-Amat J, Lázaro-Gorines R, Gavilanes JG, Lacadena J. Inclusion of a Furin Cleavage Site Enhances Antitumor Efficacy against Colorectal Cancer Cells of Ribotoxin α-Sarcin- or RNase T1-Based Immunotoxins. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E593. [PMID: 31614771 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11100593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunotoxins are chimeric molecules that combine the specificity of an antibody to recognize and bind tumor antigens with the potency of the enzymatic activity of a toxin, thus, promoting the death of target cells. Among them, RNases-based immunotoxins have arisen as promising antitumor therapeutic agents. In this work, we describe the production and purification of two new immunoconjugates, based on RNase T1 and the fungal ribotoxin α-sarcin, with optimized properties for tumor treatment due to the inclusion of a furin cleavage site. Circular dichroism spectroscopy, ribonucleolytic activity studies, flow cytometry, fluorescence microscopy, and cell viability assays were carried out for structural and in vitro functional characterization. Our results confirm the enhanced antitumor efficiency showed by these furin-immunotoxin variants as a result of an improved release of their toxic domain to the cytosol, favoring the accessibility of both ribonucleases to their substrates. Overall, these results represent a step forward in the design of immunotoxins with optimized properties for potential therapeutic application in vivo.
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7
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Lázaro-Gorines R, Ruiz-de-la-Herrán J, Navarro R, Sanz L, Álvarez-Vallina L, Martínez-Del-Pozo A, Gavilanes JG, Lacadena J. A novel Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)-Targeted Trimeric Immunotoxin shows significantly enhanced Antitumor Activity in Human Colorectal Cancer Xenografts. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11680. [PMID: 31406218 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48285-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunotoxins are chimeric molecules, which combine antibody specificity to recognize and bind with high-affinity tumor-associated antigens (TAA) with the potency of the enzymatic activity of a toxin, in order to induce the death of target cells. Current immunotoxins present some limitations for cancer therapy, driving the need to develop new prototypes with optimized properties. Herein we describe the production, purification and characterization of two new immunotoxins based on the gene fusion of the anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody MFE23 to α-sarcin, a potent fungal ribotoxin. One construct corresponds to a conventional monomeric single-chain immunotoxin design (IMTXCEAαS), while the other one takes advantage of the trimerbody technology and exhibits a novel trimeric format (IMTXTRICEAαS) with enhanced properties compared with their monomeric counterparts, including size, functional affinity and biodistribution, which endow them with an improved tumor targeting capacity. Our results show the highly specific cytotoxic activity of both immunotoxins in vitro, which was enhanced in the trimeric format compared to the monomeric version. Moreover, the trimeric immunotoxin also exhibited superior antitumor activity in vivo in mice bearing human colorectal cancer xenografts. Therefore, trimeric immunotoxins represent a further step in the development of next-generation therapeutic immunotoxins.
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Rivera-de-Torre E, Palacios-Ortega J, Gavilanes JG, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á, García-Linares S. Pore-Forming Proteins from Cnidarians and Arachnids as Potential Biotechnological Tools. Toxins (Basel) 2019; 11:E370. [PMID: 31242582 DOI: 10.3390/toxins11060370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal venoms are complex mixtures of highly specialized toxic molecules. Cnidarians and arachnids produce pore-forming proteins (PFPs) directed against the plasma membrane of their target cells. Among PFPs from cnidarians, actinoporins stand out for their small size and molecular simplicity. While native actinoporins require only sphingomyelin for membrane binding, engineered chimeras containing a recognition antibody-derived domain fused to an actinoporin isoform can nonetheless serve as highly specific immunotoxins. Examples of such constructs targeted against malignant cells have been already reported. However, PFPs from arachnid venoms are less well-studied from a structural and functional point of view. Spiders from the Latrodectus genus are professional insect hunters that, as part of their toxic arsenal, produce large PFPs known as latrotoxins. Interestingly, some latrotoxins have been identified as potent and highly-specific insecticides. Given the proteinaceous nature of these toxins, their promising future use as efficient bioinsecticides is discussed throughout this Perspective. Protein engineering and large-scale recombinant production are critical steps for the use of these PFPs as tools to control agriculturally important insect pests. In summary, both families of PFPs, from Cnidaria and Arachnida, appear to be molecules with promising biotechnological applications.
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Jordaan S, Akinrinmade OA, Nachreiner T, Cremer C, Naran K, Chetty S, Barth S. Updates in the Development of ImmunoRNases for the Selective Killing of Tumor Cells. Biomedicines 2018; 6:biomedicines6010028. [PMID: 29510557 PMCID: PMC5874685 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines6010028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Targeted cancer therapy includes, amongst others, antibody-based delivery of toxic payloads to selectively eliminate tumor cells. This payload can be either a synthetic small molecule drug composing an antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) or a cytotoxic protein composing an immunotoxin (IT). Non-human cytotoxic proteins, while potent, have limited clinical efficacy due to their immunogenicity and potential off-target toxicity. Humanization of the cytotoxic payload is essential and requires harnessing of potent apoptosis-inducing human proteins with conditional activity, which rely on targeted delivery to contact their substrate. Ribonucleases are attractive candidates, due to their ability to induce apoptosis by abrogating protein biosynthesis via tRNA degradation. In fact, several RNases of the pancreatic RNase A superfamily have shown potential as anti-cancer agents. Coupling of a human RNase to a humanized antibody or antibody derivative putatively eliminates the immunogenicity of an IT (now known as a human cytolytic fusion protein, hCFP). However, RNases are tightly regulated in vivo by endogenous inhibitors, controlling the ribonucleolytic balance subject to the cell’s metabolic requirements. Endogenous inhibition limits the efficacy with which RNase-based hCFPs induce apoptosis. However, abrogating the natural interaction with the natural inhibitors by mutation has been shown to significantly enhance RNase activity, paving the way toward achieving cytolytic potency comparable to that of bacterial immunotoxins. Here, we review the immunoRNases that have undergone preclinical studies as anti-cancer therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Jordaan
- Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Group, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
| | - Olusiji A Akinrinmade
- South African Research Chair in Cancer Biotechnology, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
| | - Thomas Nachreiner
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapy, Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52056 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Christian Cremer
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Immunotherapy, Institute for Applied Medical Engineering, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, 52056 Aachen, Germany.
| | - Krupa Naran
- Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Group, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
- South African Research Chair in Cancer Biotechnology, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
| | - Shivan Chetty
- Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Group, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
- South African Research Chair in Cancer Biotechnology, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
| | - Stefan Barth
- Medical Biotechnology and Immunotherapy Group, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
- South African Research Chair in Cancer Biotechnology, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa.
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Kavousipour S, Khademi F, Zamani M, Vakili B, Mokarram P. Novel biotechnology approaches in colorectal cancer diagnosis and therapy. Biotechnol Lett 2017; 39:785-803. [DOI: 10.1007/s10529-017-2303-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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Olombrada M, Lázaro-Gorines R, López-Rodríguez JC, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á, Oñaderra M, Maestro-López M, Lacadena J, Gavilanes JG, García-Ortega L. Fungal Ribotoxins: A Review of Potential Biotechnological Applications. Toxins (Basel) 2017; 9:E71. [PMID: 28230789 DOI: 10.3390/toxins9020071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Fungi establish a complex network of biological interactions with other organisms in nature. In many cases, these involve the production of toxins for survival or colonization purposes. Among these toxins, ribotoxins stand out as promising candidates for their use in biotechnological applications. They constitute a group of highly specific extracellular ribonucleases that target a universally conserved sequence of RNA in the ribosome, the sarcin-ricin loop. The detailed molecular study of this family of toxic proteins over the past decades has highlighted their potential in applied research. Remarkable examples would be the recent studies in the field of cancer research with promising results involving ribotoxin-based immunotoxins. On the other hand, some ribotoxin-producer fungi have already been studied in the control of insect pests. The recent role of ribotoxins as insecticides could allow their employment in formulas and even as baculovirus-based biopesticides. Moreover, considering the important role of their target in the ribosome, they can be used as tools to study how ribosome biogenesis is regulated and, eventually, may contribute to a better understanding of some ribosomopathies.
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12
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Glinka EM. Killing of cancer cells through the use of eukaryotic expression vectors harbouring genes encoding nucleases and ribonuclease inhibitor. Tumour Biol 2015; 36:3147-57. [PMID: 25874497 DOI: 10.1007/s13277-015-3360-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2015] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer gene therapy vectors are promising tools for killing cancer cells with the purpose of eradicating malignant tumours entirely. Different delivery methods of vectors into the cancer cells, including both non-viral and viral, as well as promoters for the targeted expression of genes encoding anticancer proteins were developed for effective and selective killing of cancer cells without harming healthy cells. Many vectors have been created to kill cancer cells, and some vectors suppress malignant tumours with high efficiency. This review is focused on vectors bearing genes for nucleases such as deoxyribonucleases (caspase-activated DNase, deoxyribonuclease I-like 3, endonuclease G) and ribonucleases (human polynucleotide phosphorylase, ribonuclease L, α-sarcin, barnase), as well as vectors harbouring gene encoding ribonuclease inhibitor. The data concerning the functionality and the efficacy of such vectors are presented.
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13
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Tomé-Amat J, Olombrada M, Ruiz-de-la-Herrán J, Pérez-Gómez E, Andradas C, Sánchez C, Martínez L, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á, Gavilanes JG, Lacadena J. Efficient in vivo antitumor effect of an immunotoxin based on ribotoxin α-sarcin in nude mice bearing human colorectal cancer xenografts. Springerplus 2015; 4:168. [PMID: 25883890 PMCID: PMC4393403 DOI: 10.1186/s40064-015-0943-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Tagging of RNases, such as the ribotoxin α-sarcin, with the variable domains of antibodies directed to surface antigens that are selectively expressed on tumor cells endows cellular specificity to their cytotoxic action. A recombinant single-chain immunotoxin based on the ribotoxin α-sarcin (IMTXA33αS), produced in the generally regarded as safe (GRAS) yeast Pichia pastoris, has been recently described as a promising candidate for the treatment of colorectal cancer cells expressing the glycoprotein A33 (GPA33) antigen, due to its high specific and effective cytotoxic effect on in vitro assays against targeted cells. Here we report the in vivo antitumor effectiveness of this immunotoxin on nude mice bearing GPA33-positive human colon cancer xenografts. Two sets of independent assays were performed, including three experimental groups: control (PBS) and treatment with two different doses of immunotoxin (50 or 100 μg/ injection) (n = 8). Intraperitoneal administration of IMTXA33αS resulted in significant dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition. In addition, the remaining tumors excised from immunotoxin-treated mice showed absence of the GPA33 antigen and a clear inhibition of angiogenesis and proliferative capacity. No signs of immunotoxin-induced pathological changes were observed from specimens tissues. Overall these results show efficient and selective cytotoxic action on tumor xenografts, combined with the lack of severe side effects, suggesting that IMTXA33αS is a potential therapeutic agent against colorectal cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Tomé-Amat
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, Madrid, 28040 Spain ; Present address: Department of Microbiology, Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Miriam Olombrada
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, Madrid, 28040 Spain
| | - Javier Ruiz-de-la-Herrán
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, Madrid, 28040 Spain
| | - Eduardo Pérez-Gómez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, Madrid, 28040 Spain ; Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, 28041 Spain
| | - Clara Andradas
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, Madrid, 28040 Spain ; Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, 28041 Spain
| | - Cristina Sánchez
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, Madrid, 28040 Spain ; Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, 28041 Spain
| | | | - Álvaro Martínez-Del-Pozo
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, Madrid, 28040 Spain
| | - José G Gavilanes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, Madrid, 28040 Spain
| | - Javier Lacadena
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, Madrid, 28040 Spain
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Tomé-Amat J, Herrero-Galán E, Oñaderra M, Martínez-Del-Pozo Á, Gavilanes JG, Lacadena J. Preparation of an engineered safer immunotoxin against colon carcinoma based on the ribotoxin hirsutellin A. FEBS J 2015; 282:2131-41. [PMID: 25752204 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [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: 10/22/2014] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Immunotoxins are chimeric proteins composed of an antibody domain that specifically directs the action of the toxic domain, resulting in the death of the targeted cells. Over recent years, immunotoxins have been widely studied and the number of different constructions has increased exponentially. Protein engineering has allowed the design of optimized versions of immunotoxins with an improved tumor binding affinity, stability or cytotoxic efficacy, although sometimes this has compromised the safety of the patient in terms of undesirable adverse secondary reactions. A triple mutant at three Trp residues (HtA3ΔW) of the ribotoxin hirsutellin A retains its specific ribonucleolytic activity, although cell internalization capacity is lacking. This toxin variant has been fused to the single chain variable fragment A33 (scFvA33). This immunoconjugate (IMTXA33HtA3ΔW) was produced in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris and purified using nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid affinity chromatography. Both target and toxic domains were characterized. The immunotoxin showed an exquisite specific binding against GPA33-positive culture cells, which results in the death of the targeted cells because of specific ribonucleolytic activity against ribosomes of the engineered hirsutellin A variant. IMTXA33HtA3ΔW represents a promising structure in the search for an improved immunotoxin without compromising the safety of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Tomé-Amat
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Elías Herrero-Galán
- Department of Vascular Biology and Inflammation, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mercedes Oñaderra
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - José G Gavilanes
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Lacadena
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
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15
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Tomé-Amat J, Ruiz-de-la-Herrán J, Martínez-del-Pozo Á, Gavilanes JG, Lacadena J. α-sarcin and RNase T1 based immunoconjugates: the role of intracellular trafficking in cytotoxic efficiency. FEBS J 2014; 282:673-84. [PMID: 25475209 DOI: 10.1111/febs.13169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 06/23/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Toxins have been thoroughly studied for their use as therapeutic agents in search of an improvement in toxic efficiency together with a minimization of their undesired side effects. Different studies have shown how toxins can follow different intracellular pathways which are connected with their cytotoxic action inside the cells. The work herein presented describes the different pathways followed by the ribotoxin α-sarcin and the fungal RNase T1, as toxic domains of immunoconjugates with identical binding domain, the single chain variable fragment of a monoclonal antibody raised against the glycoprotein A33. According to the results obtained both immunoconjugates enter the cells via early endosomes and, while α-sarcin can translocate directly into the cytosol to exert its deathly action, RNase T1 follows a pathway that involves lysosomes and the Golgi apparatus. These facts contribute to explaining the different cytotoxicity observed against their targeted cells, and reveal how the innate properties of the toxic domain, apart from its catalytic features, can be a key factor to be considered for immunotoxin optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Tomé-Amat
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular I, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain; Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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Tomé-Amat J, Fleischer L, Parker SA, Bardliving CL, Batt CA. Secreted production of assembled Norovirus virus-like particles from Pichia pastoris. Microb Cell Fact 2014; 13:134. [PMID: 25201129 PMCID: PMC4174286 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-014-0134-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Norovirus virus-like particles (NoV VLPs) have recently been explored as potential vaccine platforms due to their ability to produce an effective immune response. Expression of the main structural protein, VP1, leads to formation of self-assembled particles with similar characteristics to the original virus. These NoV VLPs have been expressed in Escherichia coli, yeast and insect cells. Expression in E. coli and insect cells share downstream processing issues due to the presence of inclusion bodies or the need for numerous purification steps. NoV VLPs have also been produced in the yeast P. pastoris; however the protein was only expressed intracellularly. RESULTS We have successfully expressed and secreted the VP1 protein in the novel P. pastoris strain, Bg11, using the methanol inducible pJ912 expression vector, containing the cDNA of NoV VP1. Expression of the VP1 protein in Bg11 was carried out in a 1.5 L bioreactor resulting in a total yield of NoV VLPs greater than 0.6 g/L. NoV VLPs obtained from the culture supernatant were purified via ion-exchange chromatography, resulting in particles with a purity over 90%. The average size of the particles after purification was 40 nm. Transmission electron microscopy was used to visualize the morphology of the particles and saliva-binding assay confirmed that the NoV VLPs bind to Histo-Blood Group Antigens (HBGA). CONCLUSIONS In this study we describe the expression and characterization of fully assembled Norovirus virus-like particles obtained from P. pastoris. The particles are similar in size, morphology and binding capacity, as previously described, for the original NoV. Our results detail the successful expression and secretion of VLPs in P. pastoris, improving their candidacy as a vaccine platform.
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Blanco-Toribio A, Lacadena J, Nuñez-Prado N, Álvarez-Cienfuegos A, Villate M, Compte M, Sanz L, Blanco FJ, Álvarez-Vallina L. Efficient production of single-chain fragment variable-based N-terminal trimerbodies in Pichia pastoris. Microb Cell Fact 2014; 13:116. [PMID: 25112455 PMCID: PMC4249718 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-014-0116-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Recombinant antibodies are highly successful in many different pathological conditions and currently enjoy overwhelming recognition of their potential. There are a wide variety of protein expression systems available, but almost all therapeutic antibodies are produced in mammalian cell lines, which mimic human glycosylation. The production of clinical-grade antibodies in mammalian cells is, however, extremely expensive. Compared to mammalian systems, protein production in yeast strains such as Pichia pastoris, is simpler, faster and usually results in higher yields. Results In this work, a trivalent single-chain fragment variable (scFv)-based N-terminal trimerbody, specific for the human carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), was expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and in Pichia pastoris. Mammalian- and yeast-produced anti-CEA trimerbody molecules display similar functional and structural properties, yet, the yield of trimerbody expressed in P. pastoris is about 20-fold higher than in human cells. Conclusions P. pastoris is an efficient expression system for multivalent trimerbody molecules, suitable for their commercial production. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-014-0116-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Herrero-Galán E, García-Ortega L, Olombrada M, Lacadena J, Del Pozo ÁM, Gavilanes JG, Oñaderra M. Hirsutellin A: A Paradigmatic Example of the Insecticidal Function of Fungal Ribotoxins. Insects 2013; 4:339-56. [PMID: 26462423 DOI: 10.3390/insects4030339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2013] [Revised: 06/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The fungal pathogen Hirsutella thompsonii produces an insecticidal protein named hirsutellin A (HtA), which has been described to be toxic to several species of mites, insect larvae, and cells. On the other hand, on the basis of an extensive biochemical and structural characterization, HtA has been considered to be a member of the ribotoxins family. Ribotoxins are fungal extracellular ribonucleases, which inactivate ribosomes by specifically cleaving a single phosphodiester bond located at the large rRNA. Although ribotoxins were brought to light in the 1960s as antitumor agents, their biological function has remained elusive. Thus, the consideration of hirsutellin A, an insecticidal protein, as a singular ribotoxin recalled the idea of the biological activity of these toxins as insecticidal agents. Further studies have demonstrated that the most representative member of the ribotoxin family, α-sarcin, also shows strong toxic action against insect cells. The determination of high resolution structures, the characterization of a large number of mutants, and the toxicity assays against different cell lines have been the tools used for the study of the mechanism of action of ribotoxins at the molecular level. The aim of this review is to serve as a compilation of the facts that allow identification of HtA as a paradigmatic example of the insecticidal function of fungal ribotoxins.
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