1
|
Lopes R, Shi K, Fonseca NA, Gama A, Ramalho JS, Almeida L, Moura V, Simões S, Tidor B, Moreira JN. Modelling the impact of nucleolin expression level on the activity of F3 peptide-targeted pH-sensitive pegylated liposomes containing doxorubicin. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2022; 12:629-646. [PMID: 33860446 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-021-00972-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Strategies targeting nucleolin have enabled a significant improvement in intracellular bioavailability of their encapsulated payloads. In this respect, assessment of the impact of target cell heterogeneity and nucleolin homology across species (structurally and functionally) is of major importance. This work also aimed at mathematically modelling the nucleolin expression levels at the cell membrane, binding and internalization of pH-sensitive pegylated liposomes encapsulating doxorubicin and functionalized with the nucleolin-binding F3 peptide (PEGASEMP), and resulting cytotoxicity against cancer cells from mouse, rat, canine, and human origin. Herein, it was shown that nucleolin expression levels were not a limitation on the continuous internalization of F3 peptide-targeted liposomes, despite the saturable nature of the binding mechanism. Modeling enabled the prediction of nucleolin-mediated total doxorubicin exposure provided by the experimental settings of the assessment of PEGASEMP's impact on cell death. The former increased proportionally with nucleolin-binding sites, a measure relevant for patient stratification. This pattern of variation was observed for the resulting cell death in nonsaturating conditions, depending on the cancer cell sensitivity to doxorubicin. This approach differs from standard determination of cytotoxic concentrations, which normally report values of incubation doses rather than the actual intracellular bioactive drug exposure. Importantly, in the context of development of nucleolin-based targeted drug delivery, the structural nucleolin homology (higher than 84%) and functional similarity across species presented herein, emphasized the potential to use toxicological data and other metrics from lower species to infer the dose for a first-in-human trial.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rui Lopes
- CNC - Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Faculty of Medicine (Polo 1), Rua Larga, University of Coimbra, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Kevin Shi
- Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Nuno A Fonseca
- CNC - Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Faculty of Medicine (Polo 1), Rua Larga, University of Coimbra, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
- TREAT U, SA - Parque Industrial de Taveiro, Lote 44, 3045-508, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Adelina Gama
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-Os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, Apartado 1013, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - José S Ramalho
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, NOVA Medical School, New University of Lisbon, Campo Mártires da Pátria, 130, 1169-056, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Luís Almeida
- Blueclinical, Ltd, 4460-439, Senhora da Hora, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Vera Moura
- TREAT U, SA - Parque Industrial de Taveiro, Lote 44, 3045-508, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Sérgio Simões
- CNC - Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Faculty of Medicine (Polo 1), Rua Larga, University of Coimbra, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
- UC - University of Coimbra, CIBB, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Bruce Tidor
- Department of Biological Engineering and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - João N Moreira
- CNC - Center for Neurosciences and Cell Biology, Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), Faculty of Medicine (Polo 1), Rua Larga, University of Coimbra, 3004-504, Coimbra, Portugal
- UC - University of Coimbra, CIBB, Faculty of Pharmacy, Pólo das Ciências da Saúde, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548, Coimbra, Portugal
| |
Collapse
|