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Tao N, Xu X, Ying Y, Hu S, Sun Q, Lv G, Gao J. Thymosin α1 and Its Role in Viral Infectious Diseases: The Mechanism and Clinical Application. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28083539. [PMID: 37110771 PMCID: PMC10144173 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28083539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Thymosin α1 (Tα1) is an immunostimulatory peptide that is commonly used as an immune enhancer in viral infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). Tα1 can influence the functions of immune cells, such as T cells, B cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells, by interacting with various Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Generally, Tα1 can bind to TLR3/4/9 and activate downstream IRF3 and NF-κB signal pathways, thus promoting the proliferation and activation of target immune cells. Moreover, TLR2 and TLR7 are also associated with Tα1. TLR2/NF-κB, TLR2/p38MAPK, or TLR7/MyD88 signaling pathways are activated by Tα1 to promote the production of various cytokines, thereby enhancing the innate and adaptive immune responses. At present, there are many reports on the clinical application and pharmacological research of Tα1, but there is no systematic review to analyze its exact clinical efficacy in these viral infectious diseases via its modulation of immune function. This review offers an overview and discussion of the characteristics of Tα1, its immunomodulatory properties, the molecular mechanisms underlying its therapeutic effects, and its clinical applications in antiviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Tao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Xie Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Yuyuan Ying
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Shiyu Hu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Qingru Sun
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Guiyuan Lv
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Jianli Gao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, University of Macau, Macao 999078, China
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Bu C, Jin L. NMR Characterization of the Interactions Between Glycosaminoglycans and Proteins. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:646808. [PMID: 33796549 PMCID: PMC8007983 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.646808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) constitute a considerable fraction of the glycoconjugates found on cellular membranes and in the extracellular matrix of virtually all mammalian tissues. The essential role of GAG-protein interactions in the regulation of physiological processes has been recognized for decades. However, the underlying molecular basis of these interactions has only emerged since 1990s. The binding specificity of GAGs is encoded in their primary structures, but ultimately depends on how their functional groups are presented to a protein in the three-dimensional space. This review focuses on the application of NMR spectroscopy on the characterization of the GAG-protein interactions. Examples of interpretation of the complex mechanism and characterization of structural motifs involved in the GAG-protein interactions are given. Selected families of GAG-binding proteins investigated using NMR are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changkai Bu
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Lan Jin
- National Glycoengineering Research Center, Shandong Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
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Jiang T, Chen G, Shi X, Guo R. Hyaluronic Acid-Decorated Laponite ® Nanocomposites for Targeted Anticancer Drug Delivery. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:E137. [PMID: 30960121 PMCID: PMC6401931 DOI: 10.3390/polym11010137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [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: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 01/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, hyaluronic acid (HA), a natural polysaccharide that can specifically bind to CD44 receptors, was conjugated onto laponite® (LAP) nanodisks for the encapsulation and specific delivery of the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) to CD44-overexpressed cancer cells. The prepared LM-HA could encapsulate DOX efficiently and release drug in a continuous manner with pH-responsiveness. In vitro cell viability assay proved that LM-HA had good biocompatibility, and drug-loaded LM-HA/DOX exhibited targeted anti-tumor effects against HeLa cells with CD44 receptors overexpressed. In addition, the flow cytometric detection and confocal laser scanning microscope results confirmed that LM-HA/DOX could be specifically internalized by HeLa cells via CD44-mediated endocytosis. Therefore, the HA-modified LAP nanodisks with high drug loading efficiency, pH-sensitive drug release properties and CD44 targetability might be an efficient nanoplatform for cancer chemotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
| | - Guangxiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
| | - Xiangyang Shi
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
| | - Rui Guo
- Key Laboratory of Science & Technology of Eco-Textile, Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
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Pica F, Gaziano R, Casalinuovo IA, Moroni G, Buè C, Limongi D, D'Agostini C, Tomino C, Perricone R, Palamara AT, Sinibaldi Vallebona P, Garaci E. Serum thymosin alpha 1 levels in normal and pathological conditions. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2019; 18:13-21. [PMID: 30063864 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2018.1474197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Thymosin alpha 1 (Ta1) is a natural occurring peptide hormone that is crucial for the maintenance of the organism homeostasis. It has been chemically synthesized and used in diseases where the immune system is hindered or malfunctioning. AREAS COVERED Many clinical trials investigate the Ta1 effects in patients with cancer, infectious diseases and as a vaccine enhancer. The number of diseases that could benefit from Ta1 treatment is increasing. To date, questions remain about the physiological basal levels of Ta1 and the most effective dose and schedule of treatment. Evidence is growing that diseases characterized by deregulation of immune and/or inflammatory responses are associated with serum levels of Ta1 significantly lower than those of healthy individuals: to date, B hepatitis, psoriatic arthritis, multiple sclerosis and sepsis. The sputum of cystic fibrosis patients contains lower levels of Ta1 than healthy controls. These data are consistent with the role of Ta1 as a regulator of immunity, tolerance and inflammation. EXPERT OPINION Low serum Ta1 levels are predictive and/or associated with different pathological conditions. In case of Ta1 treatment, it is crucial to know the patient's baseline serum Ta1 level to establish effective treatment protocols and monitor their effectiveness over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Pica
- a Departments of Experimental Medicine and Surgery , University Tor Vergata , Rome , Italy
| | - Roberta Gaziano
- a Departments of Experimental Medicine and Surgery , University Tor Vergata , Rome , Italy
| | | | - Gabriella Moroni
- a Departments of Experimental Medicine and Surgery , University Tor Vergata , Rome , Italy
| | - Cristina Buè
- a Departments of Experimental Medicine and Surgery , University Tor Vergata , Rome , Italy
| | - Dolores Limongi
- b IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana , Telematic University , Rome , Italy
| | - Cartesio D'Agostini
- a Departments of Experimental Medicine and Surgery , University Tor Vergata , Rome , Italy
| | - Carlo Tomino
- b IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana , Telematic University , Rome , Italy
| | - Roberto Perricone
- c Medicine of Systems, Rheumatology, Allergology and Clinical Immunology , University Tor Vergata , Rome , Italy
| | - Anna Teresa Palamara
- b IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana , Telematic University , Rome , Italy.,d Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy
| | | | - Enrico Garaci
- a Departments of Experimental Medicine and Surgery , University Tor Vergata , Rome , Italy.,b IRCCS San Raffaele Pisana , Telematic University , Rome , Italy
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Pomin VH, Wang X. Glycosaminoglycan-Protein Interactions by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy. Molecules 2018; 23:E2314. [PMID: 30208595 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23092314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is one of the most utilized and informative analytical techniques for investigating glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-protein complexes. NMR methods that are commonly applied to GAG-protein systems include chemical shift perturbation, saturation transfer difference, and transferred nuclear Overhauser effect. Although these NMR methods have revealed valuable insight into the protein-GAG complexes, elucidating high-resolution structural and dynamic information of these often transient interactions remains challenging. In addition, preparation of structurally homogeneous and isotopically enriched GAG ligands for structural investigations continues to be laborious. As a result, understanding of the structure-activity relationship of GAGs is still primitive. To overcome these deficiencies, several innovative NMR techniques have been developed lately. Here, we review some of the commonly used techniques along with more novel methods such as waterLOGSY and experiments to examine structure and dynamic of lysine and arginine side chains to identify GAG-binding sites. We will also present the latest technology that is used to produce isotopically enriched as well as paramagnetically tagged GAG ligands. Recent results that were obtained from solid-state NMR of amyloid’s interaction with GAG are also presented together with a brief discussion on computer assisted modeling of GAG-protein complexes using sparse experimental data.
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Wang F, Yu T, Zheng H, Lao X. Thymosin Alpha1-Fc Modulates the Immune System and Down-regulates the Progression of Melanoma and Breast Cancer with a Prolonged Half-life. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12351. [PMID: 30120362 PMCID: PMC6097990 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30956-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Thymosin alpha 1 (Tα1) is a biological response modifier that has been introduced into markets for treating several diseases. Given the short serum half-life of Tα1 and the rapid development of Fc fusion proteins, we used genetic engineering method to construct the recombinant plasmid to express Tα1-Fc (Fc domain of human IgG4) fusion protein. A single-factor experiment was performed with different inducers of varying concentrations for different times to get the optimal condition of induced expression. Pure proteins higher than 90.3% were obtained by using 5 mM lactose for 4 h with a final production about 160.4 mg/L. The in vivo serum half-life of Tα1-Fc is 25 h, almost 13 times longer than Tα1 in mice models. Also, the long-acting protein has a stronger activity in repairing immune injury through increasing number of lymphocytes. Tα1-Fc displayed a more effective antitumor activity in the 4T1 and B16F10 tumor xenograft models by upregulating CD86 expression, secreting IFN-γ and IL-2, and increasing the number of tumor-infiltrating CD4+ T and CD8+ T cells. Our study on the novel modified Tα1 with the Fc segment provides valuable information for the development of new immunotherapy in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanwen Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China
| | - Tingting Yu
- Dongyangguang pharmaceutical r&d co. LTD, Dongguan, 523000, P.R. China
| | - Heng Zheng
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China.
| | - Xingzhen Lao
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, P.R. China.
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Wang F, Xu C, Peng R, Li B, Shen X, Zheng H, Lao X. Effect of a C-end rule modification on antitumor activity of thymosin α1. Biochimie 2018; 154:99-106. [PMID: 30096371 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Thymosin α1 (Tα1), a hormone containing 28 amino acids, has been approved in several cancer therapies, but the lack of tumor-targeting hinders its full use in tumor treatment. We designed a new peptide by connecting Tα1 and RGDR, generating a product, Tα1-RGDR, where RGDR is located in the C-end with both tumor-homing and cell internalizing properties (C-end rule peptides, a consensus R/KXXR/K motif). This work aimed to study the antitumor and immunological activities of Tα1-RGDR, and its differences compared with the wild-type Tα1. The antitumor and immunological activities of Tα1-RGDR were measured using the B16F10 tumor and immunologic suppression models. Tα1-RGDR treatment led to significant inhibition of tumor growth at a dose at which Tα1 showed a slight effect in the B16F10 tumor growth model. In the immunologic suppression model, Tα1-RGDR shared almost equivalent immunomodulatory effect with Tα1. These results demonstrated the better therapeutic effects after treatment with Tα1-RGDR compared with Tα1. Moreover, both Tα1-RGDR and Tα1 shared a helical conformation in the presence of trifluoroethanol based on CD spectroscopy. Our dock information of Tα1-RGDR when combined with integrin αvβ3 or neuropilin-1 further confirmed previous experimental results. All these findings suggest that Tα1-RGDR might be a useful therapy for tumors by overcoming its wild type limitation of tumor homing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanwen Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Caoying Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Renhao Peng
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Bin Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xutong Shen
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Heng Zheng
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xingzhen Lao
- School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tongjiaxiang 24, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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Mandaliti W, Nepravishta R, Pica F, Vallebona PS, Garaci E, Paci M. Potential mechanism of thymosin-α1-membrane interactions leading to pleiotropy: experimental evidence and hypotheses. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2018; 18:33-42. [DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2018.1456527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Walter Mandaliti
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | - Ridvan Nepravishta
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
- School of Pharmacy, East Anglia University, Norwich, UK
| | - Francesca Pica
- Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Enrico Garaci
- San Raffaele Pisana Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care, Rome, Italy
| | - Maurizio Paci
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
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