Does ligand–receptor mediated competitive effect or penetrating effect of iRGD peptide when co-administration with iRGD-modified SSL?

Ligand-mediated targeting of anticancer therapeutic agents is a useful strategy for improving anti-tumor efficacy. It has been reported that co-administration of a tumor-penetrating peptide iRGD (CRGDK/RGPD/EC) enhances the efficacy of anticancer drugs. Here, we designed an experiment involving co-administration of iRGD-SSL-DOX with free iRGD to B16-F10 tumor bearing mice to examine the action of free iRGD. We also designed an experiment to investigate the location of iRGD-modified SSL when co-administered with free iRGD or free RGD to B16-F10 tumor bearing nude mice. Considering the sequence of iRGD, we selected the GPDC, RGD and CRGDK as targeting ligands to investigate the targeting effect of these peptides compared with iRGD on B16-F10 and MCF-7 cells, with or without enzymatic degradation. Finally, we selected free RGD, free CRGDK and free iRGD as ligand to investigate the inhibitory effect on RGD-, CRGDK- or iRGD-modified SSL on B16-F10 or MCF-7 cells. Our results indicated that iRGD targeting to tumor cells was ligand–receptor mediated involving RGD to αv-integrin receptor and CRGDK to NRP-1 receptor. Being competitive effect, the administration of free iRGD would not be able to further enhance the anti-tumor activity of iRGD-modified SSL. There is no need to co-administrate of free iRGD with the iRGD-modified nanoparticles for further therapeutic benefit.     

Nanoparticle albumin-bound-paclitaxel: a limited improvement under the current therapeutic paradigm of pancreatic cancer

Nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel is paclitaxel linked to albumin nanoparticles, which makes it soluble and is an example of an application of nanotechnology for cancer treatment. The development of nanotechnology as a delivery system for nab-paclitaxel has improved the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of paclitaxel, in part by decreasing its hydrophobicity. Nab-paclitaxel in combination with gemcitabine has slightly improved survival in pancreatic cancer, compared to gemcitabine alone, as demonstrated in Phase III clinical trials. Cell cycle phase-specific drugs, such as nab-paclitaxel, which target cells in the G₂/M phase of the cell cycle, can only have limited efficacy since the vast majority of cells in a tumor are quiescent in G₀/G₁ phase. Recent advances in our laboratory on how to decoy cancer cells to cycle and then trap them in a sensitive phase of the cell cycle, can, in the hopefully near future, allow drugs such as nab-paclitaxel to have high efficacy, even in a treatment-resistant tumor such as pancreatic cancer.     

RGD功能化多肽纳米纤维的制备及其体内肿瘤靶向性研究

目的 制备肿瘤靶向RGD多肽纳米纤维,研究其体内分布和肿瘤靶向性.方法 通过多肽固相合成法制备靶向多肽Nap-GFFYGRGD(RGD-肽)和对照多肽Nap-GFFYGRGE(RGE-肽),利用核磁和质谱对多肽的分子结构进行表征.多肽溶液经煮沸后冷却可自组装形成纳米纤维(RGD-纤维和RGE-纤维),通过透射电镜(TEM)对纳米纤维的微观形貌进行观察.采用氯胺-T法对多肽进行125I标记,利用放射性HPLC对标记多肽进行分离纯化.建立BALB/c小鼠皮下乳腺癌肿瘤模型,125I标记的多肽自组装形成纳米纤维后经尾静脉注射,分别于注射后1、3、6、12 h进行眼球取血并处死小鼠,取肿瘤、心、肝、脾、肺、肾、胃、大肠、小肠、肌肉和脑等,用γ计数仪测量各组织放射性信号强度.结果 RGD-肽和RGE-肽均可自组装形成直径约为10～ 20 nm的纳米纤维.RGD-纤维和RGE-纤维在注射后各个时间点在体内主要脏器的分布规律相似,主要分布于胃中,其次是肠.但2者在肿瘤组织的分布规律存在显著性差异,RGD-纤维注射后6h内在肿瘤组织中呈现出一个逐渐积累的过程,而RGE-纤维在3h时达最高浓度,在6h2者差异达到最大,分别为6.25％ ID/g和2.79％ ID/g(P ＜0.01).结论 肿瘤靶向肽RGD能明显提高多肽纳米纤维在体内的肿瘤靶向分布,为该载体作为抗肿瘤药物载体用于肿瘤靶向治疗提供了强有力的数据支持.     

Phage-Displayed Peptides for Targeting Tyrosine Kinase Membrane Receptors in Cancer Therapy

Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) regulate critical physiological processes, such as cell growth, survival, motility, and metabolism. Abnormal activation of RTKs and relative downstream signaling is implicated in cancer pathogenesis. Phage display allows the rapid selection of peptide ligands of membrane receptors. These peptides can target in vitro and in vivo tumor cells and represent a novel therapeutic approach for cancer therapy. Further, they are more convenient compared to antibodies, being less expensive and non-immunogenic. In this review, we describe the state-of-the-art of phage display for development of peptide ligands of tyrosine kinase membrane receptors and discuss their potential applications for tumor-targeted therapy.     

叶酸受体介导的肿瘤靶向纳米递药系统

叶酸受体在上皮源性的恶性肿瘤细胞膜表面高度表达。叶酸靶向纳米递药系统具有叶酸-叶酸受体主动靶向和纳米递药系统被动靶向的双重优势,可实现化疗药物对肿瘤组织的靶向递送,有效提高药物疗效,减少毒副作用。本文就近年来研究较多的叶酸-脂质体、叶酸-树枝状聚合物、叶酸-聚合物胶束、叶酸-纳米球等叶酸受体介导的肿瘤靶向递药系统进行综述。     

叶酸受体介导的肿瘤靶向纳米递药系统

叶酸受体在上皮源性的恶性肿瘤细胞膜表面高度表达.叶酸靶向纳米递药系统具有叶酸.叶酸受体主动靶向和纳米递药系统被动靶向的双重优势,可实现化疗药物对肿瘤组织的靶向递送,有效提高药物疗效,减少毒副作用.本文就近年来研究较多的叶酸_脂质体、叶酸.树枝状聚合物、叶酸一聚合物胶束、叶酸.纳米球等叶酸受体介导的肿瘤靶向递药系统进行综...     

适配体靶向肿瘤的纳米递送系统的研究进展

核酸适配体是一类能特异性地靶向特定抗原的单链寡聚核苷酸。较之常用的抗体等靶头向性配体,适配体体积相对较小、免疫原性较低且易于体外筛选。目前,以适配体靶向肿瘤的纳米递送系统通常有3类：第1类将适配体修饰于脂质体、纳米粒、胶束等纳米载体上,形成适配体靶向的纳米载体;第2类直接将适配体与药物/荧光物质相连,形成适配体-药物/荧光物质共轭物;第3类将适配体自身作为药物的靶向载体。本文就近期以适配体靶向肿瘤的纳米递送系统的研究进展进行概述。     

肿瘤双自杀基因治疗系统pTRKH2-PsT/CD,pTRKH2-PsT/UPRT在厌氧婴儿双歧杆菌中的构建

Objective: We recombine the suicide gene CD, UPRT into plasmid pTRKH2 and clone the recombinant dual suicide gene therapy system into tumor-hypoxia-targeting vector Bifidobacterium infantis and characterize its function. Methods: CD gene, UPRT gene and lactic acid bacteria expression plasmid pTRKH2 were digested by restriction endonuclease BamH I and Sal I, and constructed recombinant plasmids pTRKH2/CD and pTRKH2/UPRT in E. coll. The recombinant plasmids were then transfected into Bifidobacterium Infantis by electroporation. Identification of pTRKH2/CD and pTRKH2/UPRT was processed by dual restriction endonuclease digesting and sequencing. RT-PCR and SDS-PAGE were used to examine the expression of CD and UPRT genes at RNA and protein levels. The killing effects on Melanoma B16-F10 cells by pTRKH2/CD and pTRKH2/UPRT suicide gene therapy system with 5-FC were examined by MTT assay. Results: The CD gene and UPRT gene was successfully recombined into lactic acid bacteria expression plasmid pTRKH2. After dual endonuclease digestion of plasmid purified from the positively transfected E. co/i, two fragments of 6.9 Kb and 1.3 Kb were found for CD gene and two fragments of 6.9 Kb and 620 bp were found for UPRT gene. The sequencing of CD gene and UPRT gene proved consistent sequences with Genebank published data. A fragment of 1.3 Kb for CD gene and fragment of 620 bp for UPRT gene was found in recombinant Bifidobac- terium by RT-PCR. A 52 KDa protein for CD gene was identified in whole-cell protein of recombinant Bifidobacterium and a 26 KDa protein for UPRT gene was identified in supernatant fluid of recombinant Bifidobacterium. The survival rate of tumor cells treated by extracts from culture of recombinant Bifidobacterium with 5-FC showed a strong killing effects of pTRKH2/CD and pTRKH2/UPRT dual suicide gene therapy system on Melanoma B16-F10 cells. Conclusion: CD gene and UPRT gene are suc- cessfully inserted into pTRKH2 and transfected into tumor-hypoxia-targeting vector Bifldobacterium Infantis. This dual suicide gene therapy system shows a high efficiency for tumor cells killing.     

Enhancement of cytotoxicity of artemisinin toward cancer cells by transferrin-mediated carbon nanotubes nanoparticles

Artemisinin (ART) is a kind of drug with an endoperoxide bridge which tends to react with Fe²⁺ to generate radicals for killing cancer cells. However, simultaneous delivery of hydrophobic ART and Fe²⁺ ions into cancer cells remains a major challenge. In this study, a multi-functional tumor-targeting drug delivery system employing hyaluronic acid-derivatized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (HA-MWCNTs) as drug carriers, transferrin (Tf) as targeting ligand and ART as a model drug for cancer treatment was constructed. This delivery system (HA-MWCNTs/Tf@ART) not only retained optical property of MWCNTs and cytotoxicity of ART but also demonstrated synergistic anti-tumor effect using ART and Tf. Compared with free ART, remarkably enhanced anti-tumor efficacy of this drug vehicle was realized both in cultured MCF-7 cells in vitro and in a tumor-bearing murine model in vivo, due to increased intracellular accumulation of ART and co-delivery of Tf and ART analogs. HA-MWCNTs/Tf@ART with laser irradiation demonstrated the highest inhibition effect compared to the other groups. This result may provide a new way of using promising natural drugs for cancer therapy.     

Construction of dual suicide gene therapy system pTRKH2/CD and pTRKH2/UPRT in Bifidobacterium infantis and its characterization

Objective： We recombine the suicide gene CD, UPRT into plasmid pTRKH2 and clone the recombinant dual suicide gene therapy system into tumor-hypoxia-targeting vector Bifidobacterium infantis and characterize its function. Methods： CD gene, UPRT gene and lactic acid bacteria expression plasmid pTRKH2 were digested by restriction endonuclease BamH I and Sal I, and constructed recombinant plasmids pTRKH2/CD and pTRKH2/UPRT in E. coli. The recombinant plasmids were then transfected into Bifidobacterium Infantis by electroporation. Identification of pTRKH2/CD and pTRKH2/UPRT was processed by dual restriction endonuclease digesting and sequencing. RT-PCR and SDS-PAGE were used to examine the expression of CD and UPRT genes at RNA and protein levels. The killing effects on Melanoma B16-F10 cells by pTRKH2/CD and pTRKH2/UPRT suicide gene therapy system with 5-FC were examined by MTT assay. Results： The CD gene and UPRT gene was successfully recombined into lactic acid bacteria expression plasmid pTRKH2, After dual endonuclease digestion of plasmid purified from the positively transfected E. coli, two fragments of 6.9 Kb and 1.3 Kb were found for CD gene and two fragments of 6.9 Kb and 620 bp were found for UPRT gene. The sequencing of CD gene and UPRT gene proved consistent sequences with Genebank published data. A fragment of 1.3 Kb for CD gene and fragment of 620 bp for UPRT gene was found in recombinant Bifidobacterium by RT-PCR. A 52 KDa protein for CD gene was identified in whole-cell protein of recombinant Bifidobacterium and a 26 KDa protein for UPRT gene was identified in supernatant fluid of recombinant Bifidobacterium. The survival rate of tumor cells treated by extracts from culture of recombinant Bifidobacterium with 5-FC showed a strong killing effects of pTRKH2/CD and pTRKH2/UPRT dual suicide gene therapy system on Melanoma B16-F10 cells. Conclusion： CD gene and U PRT gene are successfully inserted into pTRKH2 and transfected into tumor-hypoxia-targeting vector Bifidobacterium Infantis. This dual sui