Inhibition of Wnt Signaling in Colon Cancer Cells via an Oral Drug that Facilitates TNIK Degradation

We have synthesized an oxetane derivative of the benzimidazole compound mebendazole (OBD9) with enhanced solubility and strong anticancer activity in multiple types of cancer cells, especially colorectal cancer. In this report, we provide evidence that OBD9 suppresses colorectal cancer growth by interfering with the Wnt signaling pathway, a main driver of cell growth in colorectal cancer. Specifically, we find that OBD9 induces autophagic degradation of TNIK (traf2 and Nck-interacting kinase), which promotes T-cell factor-4 (TCF4)/beta-catenin-mediated gene expression. Thus, OBD9 as a TNIK inhibitor blocks Wnt/beta-catenin signaling at the final step of transcriptional activation. We suggest that OBD9 provides a potential novel autophagy-mediated, Wnt-damping therapeutic strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Angiogenic responses in a 3D micro-engineered environment of primary endothelial cells and pericytes

Angiogenesis plays a key role in the pathology of diseases such as cancer, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration. Understanding the driving forces of endothelial cell migration and organization, as well as the time frame of these processes, can elucidate mechanisms of action of important pathological pathways. Herein, we have developed an organ-specific microfluidic platform recapitulating the in vivo angiogenic microenvironment by co-culturing mouse primary brain endothelial cells with brain pericytes in a three-dimensional (3D) collagen scaffold. As a proof of concept, we show that this model can be used for studying the angiogenic process and further comparing the angiogenic properties between two different common inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J and 129S1/SvlmJ. We further show that the newly discovered angiogenesis-regulating gene Padi2 promotes angiogenesis through Dll4/Notch1 signaling by an on-chip mechanistic study. Analysis of the interplay between primary endothelial cells and pericytes in a 3D microfluidic environment assists in the elucidation of the angiogenic response.

Identification of Padi2 as a novel angiogenesis-regulating gene by genome association studies in mice

Recent findings indicate that growth factor-driven angiogenesis is markedly influenced by genetic variation. This variation in angiogenic responsiveness may alter the susceptibility to a number of angiogenesis-dependent diseases. Here, we utilized the genetic diversity available in common inbred mouse strains to identify the loci and candidate genes responsible for differences in angiogenic response. The corneal micropocket neovascularization assay was performed on 42 different inbred mouse strains using basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) pellets. We performed a genome-wide association study utilizing efficient mixed-model association (EMMA) mapping using the induced vessel area from all strains. Our analysis yielded five loci with genome-wide significance on chromosomes 4, 8, 11, 15 and 16. We further refined the mapping on chromosome 4 within a haplotype block containing multiple candidate genes. These genes were evaluated by expression analysis in corneas of various inbred strains and in vitro functional assays in human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs). Of these, we found the expression of peptidyl arginine deiminase type II (Padi2), known to be involved in metabolic pathways, to have a strong correlation with a haplotype shared by multiple high angiogenic strains. In addition, inhibition of Padi2 demonstrated a dosage-dependent effect in HMVECs. To investigate its role in vivo, we knocked down Padi2 in transgenic kdrl:zsGreen zebrafish embryos using morpholinos. These embryos had disrupted vessel formation compared to control siblings. The impaired vascular pattern was partially rescued by human PADI2 mRNA, providing evidence for the specificity of the morphant phenotype. Taken together, our study is the first to indicate the potential role of Padi2 as an angiogenesis-regulating gene. The characterization of Padi2 and other genes in associated pathways may provide new understanding of angiogenesis regulation and novel targets for diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of angiogenesis-dependent diseases.

A two-step strategy to enhance activity of low potency peptides

Novel strategies are needed to expedite the generation and optimization of peptide probes targeting G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). We have previously shown that membrane tethered ligands (MTLs), recombinant proteins comprised of a membrane anchor, an extracellular linker, and a peptide ligand can be used to identify targeted receptor modulators. Although MTLs provide a useful tool to identify and/or modify functionally active peptides, a major limitation of this strategy is the reliance on recombinant protein expression. We now report the generation and pharmacological characterization of prototype peptide-linker-lipid conjugates, synthetic membrane anchored ligands (SMALs), which are designed as mimics of corresponding MTLs. In this study, we systematically compare the activity of selected peptides as MTLs versus SMALs. As prototypes, we focused on the precursor proteins of mature Substance P (SubP) and Cholecystokinin 4 (CCK4), specifically non-amidated SubP (SubP-COOH) and glycine extended CCK4 (CCK4-Gly-COOH). As low affinity soluble peptides these ligands each presented a challenging test case for assessment of MTL/SMAL technology. For each ligand, MTLs and corresponding SMALs showed agonist activity and comparable subtype selectivity. In addition, our results illustrate that membrane anchoring increases ligand potency. Furthermore, both MTL and SMAL induced signaling can be blocked by specific non-peptide antagonists suggesting that the anchored constructs may be orthosteric agonists. In conclusion, MTLs offer a streamlined approach for identifying low activity peptides which can be readily converted to higher potency SMALs. The ability to recapitulate MTL activity with SMALs extends the utility of anchored peptides as probes of GPCR function.

Influence of selective fluorination on the biological activity and proteolytic stability of glucagon-like peptide-1

The relative simplicity and high specificity of peptide therapeutics has fueled recent interest. However, peptide and protein drugs generally require injection and suffer from low metabolic stability. We report here the design, synthesis, and characterization of fluorinated analogues of the gut hormone peptide, GLP-1. Overall, fluorinated GLP-1 analogues displayed higher proteolytic stability with simultaneous retention of biological activity (efficacy). Fluorinated amino acids are useful for engineering peptide drug candidates and probing ligand-receptor interactions.