Fc-Binding Antibody-Recruiting Molecules Targeting Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen: Defucosylation of Antibody for Efficacy Improvement*.

Synthetic small molecules that redirect endogenous antibodies to target cells are promising drug candidates because they overcome the potential shortcomings of therapeutic antibodies, such as immunogenicity and the need for intravenous delivery. Previously, we reported a novel class of bispecific molecules targeting the antibody Fc region and folate receptor, named Fc-binding antibody-recruiting molecules (Fc-ARMs). Fc-ARMs can theoretically recruit most endogenous antibodies, inducing antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) to eliminate cancer cells. Herein, we describe new Fc-ARMs that target prostate cancer (Fc-ARM-Ps). Fc-ARM-Ps recruited antibodies to cancer cells expressing prostate-specific membrane antigen but did so with lower efficiency compared with Fc-ARMs targeting the folate receptor. Upon recruitment by Fc-ARM-P, defucosylated antibodies efficiently activated natural killer cells and induced ADCC, whereas antibodies with intact N-glycans did not. The results suggest that the affinity between recruited antibodies and CD16a, a type of Fc receptor expressed on immune cells, could be a key factor controlling immune activation in the Fc-ARM strategy.

Effect of an Endothelin B Receptor Agonist on the Tumor Accumulation of Nanocarriers.

Enhancing blood flow to tumors is a prominent strategy for improving the tumor accumulation of macromolecular drugs through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. IRL-1620 is an agonist of the endothelin B receptor, and is a promising molecule to enhance tumor blood flow by activating endothelial nitric oxide synthase. However, contradictory effects on tumor blood flow modulation have been reported because the effects of IRL-1620 may differ in different animal models. Here, we examined for the first time the effect of IRL-1620 on the EPR effect for PEGylated liposomes in a CT-26 murine colon cancer model. Co-injection of IRL-1620 at an optimum dose (3 nmol/kg) nearly doubled the tumor accumulation of liposomes compared with controls, indicating that IRL-1620 enhanced the EPR effect in the present colon cancer model. Co-injection of IRL-1620 is a promising strategy to improve the therapeutic effects of macromolecular drugs while reducing their side effects.

Polyvinyl Butyrate Nanoparticles as Butyrate Donors for Colitis Treatment.

Butyrate has been attracting attention for the suppression of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, clinical trials of butyrate for IBD treatment have resulted in controversial outcomes, likely owing to the adverse effect of butyrate on the intestinal epithelium that was observed at high butyrate concentrations. Herein, we propose polyvinyl butyrate (PVBu) nanoparticles (NPs) as butyrate donors for delivery to the lower part of the intestine for the treatment of colitis. The PVBu NPs suppressed the inflammatory activation of macrophages in vitro, although sodium butyrate inversely further activated macrophages. Oral administration of NPs did not change the luminal concentration of free butyrate; however, NPs showed a therapeutic effect on a colitis mouse model. In addition, incorporation of vitamin D3 into the NPs enhanced the therapeutic effect on colitis. Hence, PVBu NPs are a promising therapeutic for IBD treatment, not only as a butyrate donor but also as a carrier for hydrophobic drugs like vitamin D3.

Modification of nitric oxide donors onto a monoclonal antibody boosts accumulation in solid tumors.

Although monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have revolutionized cancer treatment, their accumulation in solid tumors is limited and requires improvement to enhance therapeutic efficacy. Here we developed a strategy to modify mAb with a donor of nitric oxide (NO) because NO functions to vasodilate as well as to enhance the permeability of vascular endothelium, which will contribute to enhancing the tumor accumulation of mAb. We selected S-nitrosothiol as a NO donor and established the procedure to modify S-nitrosothiol group on mAb under ambient conditions. The modified mAb (Ab-SNO) thus obtained released NO in a preferable speed and maintained its original properties such as binding affinity to a target antigen and efficacy to induce antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. We demonstrated that Ab-SNO enhanced the tumor accumulation of co-administered proteins such as antibody and serum albumin.

Blood retention and antigenicity of polycarboxybetaine-modified liposomes.

Zwitterionic polycarboxybetaines (PCBs) have gained attention as alternative stealth polymers whose liposomal formulation and protein conjugates were reported not to elicit anti-polymer antibodies. Here, we studied the blood retention and antigenicity of liposomes modified with PCBs focusing on their chemical structures and doses. We compared PCBs with either 1 or 3 (PCB1 or PCB3) spacer carbons between the carboxylate and ammonium groups. PCB3-modified liposomes had a short blood retention, whereas PCB1-modified liposomes demonstrated extended blood retention that was somewhat superior to PEGylated liposome. This confirmed the excellent non-fouling nature of PCB1 reported previously. Interestingly, PCB1-liposome as well as PCB3-liposome elicited specific IgMs toward each PCB. The dose-dependent production of specific IgMs to PCB-liposomes was similar to that of PEGylated liposome, i.e., high doses of PCB-liposomes reduced the production of specific IgMs, termed immunological tolerance. These results indicate the importance of investigating the effect of dose to clarify the existence of antigenicity of stealth polymers.

Rapid and continuous accumulation of nitric oxide-releasing liposomes in tumors to augment the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect.

The modulation of blood flow to tumors is a prominent strategy for improving the tumor accumulation of nanomedicines, resulting from the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. We previously reported a promising EPR enhancer-a nitric oxide (NO) donor-containing liposome (NO-LP)-which showed enhanced accumulation in tumor tissue. Herein, we study NO-LP in greater detail to clarify its practical use as an EPR enhancer. NO-LP was found to have advantages as a NO donor, including the ability to maintain NO donation over long periods of time, and a constant rate of NO-release irrespective of the environmental pH. NO-LP showed rapid accumulation in tumor tissue after injection (1 h), and then accumulation was continuously enhanced until 48 h. Enhanced NO-LP accumulation was observed specifically in tumor, while the accumulation in other organs remained relatively unchanged. The results obtained show the promising features of NO-LP as an EPR enhancer.

Encapsulation of a nitric oxide donor into a liposome to boost the enhanced permeation and retention (EPR) effect.

We propose a method to improve the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of nanomedicines based on tumor-specific vasodilation using a nitric oxide (NO) donor-containing liposome. NONOate, a typical NO donor, was incorporated into a PEGylated liposome to retard the protonation-induced release of NO from NONOate by the protecting lipid bilayer membrane. The NONOate-containing liposome (NONOate-LP) showed similar blood retention to an empty PEGylated liposome but almost twice the amount accumulated within the tumor. This improvement in the EPR effect is thought to have been caused by specific vasodilation in the tumor tissue by NO released from the NONOate-LP accumulated in the tumor. The improved EPR effect by NONOate-LP will be useful for the accumulation of co-administered nanomedicines.

Drug-related taste disturbances.

Drug-induced change in taste is the second most common cause of taste disturbance among our patients, accounting for approximately 25% of cases. About 170 drugs have been associated with taste disturbances, either when used alone or in combinations. We studied the zinc-chelating capability of 20 drugs associated with taste disturbance, using the pH titration test, DC polarography, spectrophotometry and tests of intestinal absorption of zinc in the presence of these drugs. The results of these analyses and our review of the literature indicate that there are a number of possible mechanisms for drug-related taste disturbance and that zinc plays a key role.