A trimeric structural fusion of an antagonistic tumor necrosis factor-α mutant enhances molecular stability and enables facile modification.

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) exerts its biological effect through two types of receptors, p55 TNF receptor (TNFR1) and p75 TNF receptor (TNFR2). An inflammatory response is known to be induced mainly by TNFR1, whereas an anti-inflammatory reaction is thought to be mediated by TNFR2 in some autoimmune diseases. We have been investigating the use of an antagonistic TNF mutant (TNFR1-selective antagonistic TNF mutant (R1antTNF)) to reveal the pharmacological effect of TNFR1-selective inhibition as a new therapeutic modality. Here, we aimed to further improve and optimize the activity and behavior of this mutant protein both in vitro and in vivo Specifically, we examined a trimeric structural fusion of R1antTNF, formed via the introduction of short peptide linkers, as a strategy to enhance bioactivity and molecular stability. By comparative analysis with R1antTNF, the trimeric fusion, referred to as single-chain R1antTNF (scR1antTNF), was found to retain in vitro molecular properties of receptor selectivity and antagonistic activity but displayed a marked increase in thermal stability. The residence time of scR1antTNF in vivo was also significantly prolonged. Furthermore, molecular modification using polyethylene glycol (PEG) was easily controlled by limiting the number of reactive sites. Taken together, our findings show that scR1antTNF displays enhanced molecular stability while maintaining biological activity compared with R1antTNF.

Optimization and internalization mechanisms of PEGylated adenovirus vector with targeting peptide for cancer gene therapy.

We have previously developed a novel adenovirus vector (Adv) that targeted tumor tissues/vasculatures after systemic administration. The surface of this Adv is conjugated with CGKRK tumor homing peptide by the cross-linking reaction of polyethyleneglycol (PEG). In this study, we showed that the condition of PEG modification was important to minimize the gene expression in normal tissues after systemic treatment. When Adv was modified only with PEG-linked CGKRK, its luciferase expression was enhanced even in the liver tissue, as well as the tumor tissue. However, in the reaction with the mixture of non-cross-linking PEG and PEG-linked CGKRK, we found out that the best modification could suppress its gene expression in the liver, without losing that in the tumor. We also studied the internalization mechanisms of CGKRK-conjugated Adv. Results suggested that there is a specific interaction of the CGKRK peptide with a receptor at the cell surface enabling efficient internalization of CGKRK-conjugated Adv. The presence of cell-surface heparan sulfate is important receptor for the cellular binding and uptake of CGKRK-conjugated Adv. Moreover, macropinocytosis-mediated endocytosis is also important in endocytosis of CGKRK-conjugated Adv, aside from clathrin-mediated and caveolae-mediated endocytosis. These results could help evaluate the potentiality of CGKRK-conjugated Adv as a prototype vector with suitable efficacy and safety for systemic cancer gene therapy.

Tumor vascular targeted delivery of polymer-conjugated adenovirus vector for cancer gene therapy.

Previously, we generated a cancer-specific gene therapy system using adenovirus vectors (Adv) conjugated to polyethylene glycol (Adv-PEG). Here, we developed a novel Adv that targets both tumor tissues and tumor vasculatures after systemic administration by conjugating CGKRK tumor vasculature homing peptide to the end of a 20-kDa PEG chain (Adv-PEG(CGKRK)). In a primary tumor model, systemic administration of Adv-PEG(CGKRK) resulted in ~500- and 100-fold higher transgene expression in tumor than that of unmodified Adv and Adv-PEG, respectively. In contrast, the transgene expression of Adv-PEG(CGKRK) in liver was about 400-fold lower than that of unmodified Adv, and was almost the same as that of Adv-PEG. We also demonstrated that transgene expression with Adv-PEG(CGKRK) was enhanced in tumor vessels. Systemic administration of Adv-PEG(CGKRK) expressing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) gene (Adv-PEG(CGKRK)-HSVtk) showed superior antitumor effects against primary tumors and metastases with negligible side effects by both direct cytotoxic effects and inhibition of tumor angiogenesis. These results indicate that Adv-PEG(CGKRK) has potential as a prototype Adv with suitable efficacy and safety for systemic cancer gene therapy against both primary tumors and metastases.

Lysine-deficient lymphotoxin-α mutant for site-specific PEGylation.

The cytokine lymphotoxin-α (LTα) is a promising anticancer agent; however, its instability currently limits its therapeutic potential. Modification of proteins with polyethylene glycol (PEGylation) can improve their in vivo stability, but PEGylation occurs randomly at lysine residues and the N-terminus. Therefore, PEGylated proteins are generally heterogeneous and have lower bioactivity than their non-PEGylated counterparts. Previously, we created phage libraries expressing mutant LTαs in which the lysine residues of wild-type LTα (wtLTα) were substituted for other amino acids. Here, we attempted to create a lysine-deficient mutant LTα with about the same bioactivity as wtLTα by using these libraries and site-specific PEGylation of the N-terminus. We isolated a lysine-deficient mutant LTα, LT-K0, with almost identical bioactivity to that of wtLTα against mouse LM cells. The bioactivity of wtLTα decreased to 10% following random PEGylation, whereas that of LT-K0 decreased to 50% following site-specific PEGylation; PEGylated LT-K0 retained five times the bioactivity of randomly PEGylated wtLTα. These results suggest that site-specific PEGylated LT-K0 may be useful in cancer therapy.

Characterization of transcutaneous protein delivery by a hydrogel patch in animal, human, and tissue-engineered skin models.

The development of a simple, easy-to-use, and noninvasive vaccination system is in high demand. For transcutaneous immunization (TCI), we previously reported that a hydrogel patch was an effective TCI device that accelerates antigen penetration through the stratum corneum in mouse and rat models. The present study was performed to characterize the transcutaneous protein delivery induced by the hydrogel patch in mouse, guinea pig, LWD pig, human, or tissue-engineered skin models, and to assess the activity of proteins delivered into the skin. The hydrogel patch promoted protein penetration through the stratum corneum in all skin models, indicating that our original hydrogel patch might have practical application for use in humans. In addition, proteins delivered into the skin by the hydrogel patch retained their activity, suggesting that the hydrogel patch is applicable for the delivery of therapies for other diseases as well. On the basis of these results, translational research in human is now in progress.

Compositional optimization and safety assessment of a hydrogel patch as a transcutaneous immunization device.

The development of a simple, easy-to-use, and non-invasive vaccination system is in high demand. For transcutaneous immunization (TCI), we previously developed a hydrogel patch formulation that accelerates the penetration of an antigen (Ag) through the stratum corneum (SC) and effectively elicits Ag-specific immune responses. The present studies were performed to optimize the composition and assess the safety of the patch formulation. A hydrogel patch with a water content ratio of 5% more effectively induced an immune response compared to patches with a different composition, suggesting that the moisture content of the hydrogel patch formulation has optimal ratio for SC hydration to promote Ag penetration through the SC. TCI using a hydrogel patch induced few local and systemic adverse reactions. Based on these results, we are now advancing translational research to evaluate the safety and efficacy of our novel TCI system in humans.

Creation of a lysine-deficient LIGHT mutant with the capacity for site-specific PEGylation and low affinity for a decoy receptor.

The cytokine LIGHT is a promising candidate for cancer therapy. However, the therapeutic effect of LIGHT as a systemic anticancer agent is currently insufficient because of its instability and its binding to nonfunctional soluble decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), which is overexpressed in various tumors. Modification of proteins with polyethylene glycol (PEGylation) can improve their in vivo stability, but PEGylation may occur randomly at all lysine residues and the NH(2)-terminus; therefore, PEGylated proteins are generally heterogeneous and have decreased bioactivity. In this study, we attempted to create a lysine-deficient LIGHT mutant that could be PEGylated site-specifically and would have lower affinity for DcR3. We prepared phage libraries expressing LIGHT mutants in which all the lysine residues were replaced with other amino acids. A lysine-deficient LIGHT mutant [mLIGHT-Lys(-)] was isolated by panning against lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTbetaR). mLIGHT-Lys(-) could be site-specifically PEGylated at its NH(2)-terminus, yielding molecular uniformity and in vitro bioactivity equal to that of non-PEGylated, wild-type LIGHT. Furthermore, mLIGHT-Lys(-) was not trapped by the nonfunctional DcR3, despite binding to its functional receptors. These results suggest that mLIGHT-Lys(-) might be a useful candidate for cancer therapy.

Simple PEG conjugation of SPIO via an Au-S bond improves its tumor targeting potency as a novel MR tumor imaging agent.

Gold/iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles are hybrid nanoparticles containing a core of magnetic iron oxide and surface colloidal gold, which allows for various biomaterials to be immobilized on the surface of the iron oxide nanoparticles via colloidal gold. Here, we developed a novel magnetic resonance (MR) imaging agent to broaden the MR tumor-imaging spectrum of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO), e.g., Feridex(), a clinical MR imaging agent for diagnosing liver cancer. Au/Feridex was synthesized by electron beam irradiation, and thiol-modified poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG-SH) was easily conjugated to its surface via an Au-S bond without the need for any chemical reactions. PEG conjugation of Au/Feridex enhanced its accumulation in Meth-A tumor tissue and decreased its accumulation in normal liver tissue. In addition, MRI using PEG-Au/Feridex, in contrast to MRI using unmodified Au/Feridex and Feridex, detected B16BL6 and Meth-A tumor tissues in vivo. This finding indicates that PEG-Au/Feridex is useful for diagnosing various types of tumors. In addition, because the synthesis of PEG-Au/Feridex is simple and high yields are easily produced, PEG-modified SPIO for tumor diagnosis can be prepared on an industrial scale with low cost.

Adenovirus vector covalently conjugated to polyethylene glycol with a cancer-specific promoter suppresses the tumor growth through systemic administration.

Cancer gene therapy with adenovirus vectors (Adv) is limited to local administration because systemic administration of Adv produces a weak therapeutic effect and severe side effects. Previously, we generated a dual cancer-specific Adv system by using Adv covalently conjugated to polyethylene glycol (PEG) for transductional targeting and the telomere reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter as a cancer-specific promoter for transcriptional targeting (PEG-Ad-TERT). We demonstrated that systemic administration of PEG-Ad-TERT showed superior antitumor effects against lung metastatic cancer with negligible side effects. Here, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of systemic administration of PEG-Ad-TERT for the treatment of primary tumors. We first evaluated the transgene expression of PEG-Ad-TERT containing the luciferase gene (PEG-Ad-TERT/Luc) in primary tumors. Systemic administration of PEG-Ad-TERT/Luc resulted high transgene expression, similar to that observed in tumors for the conventional cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter-driven Adv containing the luciferase gene (Ad-CMV/Luc). By comparison, transgene expression was 2500-fold lower than that of Ad-CMV/Luc in liver. We then examined the therapeutic effect of systemic administration of PEG-Ad-TERT containing the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSVtk) gene (PEG-Ad-TERT/HSVtk) for the treatment of primary tumors. We showed that PEG-Ad-TERT/HSVtk produced a notable antitumor effect against primary tumors with negligible side effects. These results demonstrated that PEG-Ad-TERT can be regarded as a prototype Adv with suitable efficacy and safety for systemic cancer gene therapy against both metastatic and primary tumors.

Optimized PEGylated adenovirus vector reduces the anti-vector humoral immune response against adenovirus and induces a therapeutic effect against metastatic lung cancer.

Application of adenovirus vectors (Adv) in metastatic cancer treatment is limited. We previously demonstrated that covalent conjugation of polyethleneglycol (PEG) to Adv enhances therapeutic effects and decreases toxic side-effects after systemic administration, but the level of immune response to PEGylated Adv (PEG-Ad) was not examined. Here, we examined the effect of PEGylation of Adv on the production of anti-Adv antibodies and antitumor response. We constructed a set of PEG-Ad using 5-kDa PEG, with modification rates of 30%, 45% and 90%. After systemic administration of Advs to rats, we examined the level of anti-Adv immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM in serum. The levels of anti-Adv IgG and anti-Adv IgM in rats treated with unmodified Adv were higher than those in control group. Rats treated with PEG-Ad that had a 90% modification rate showed lower level of anti-Adv IgG and anti-Adv IgM than those treated with unmodified Adv, whereas rats treated with PEG-Ad that had a 30% or 45% modification rate showed a similar level of anti-Adv IgG and IgM to those treated with unmodified Adv. Systemic administration of PEG-Ad that had a 90% modification rate, and expressed tumor necrosis factor-alpha, significantly reduced the number of metastatic colonies in the lung compared to unmodified Adv, with negligible side effects. These results suggest that systemic administration of PEG-Ad with an appropriate PEG modification rate has the potential to reduce the production of antibodies against Adv and increase the therapeutic response against metastatic cancer.

Development of PEGylated adenovirus vector with targeting ligand.

For effective gene therapy, a vector system that transduces the therapeutic gene into target cells efficiently and safely is essential. Adenovirus (Ad) vectors frequently are used for gene therapy research, especially cancer gene therapy, because of their high transduction efficiency. However, broad clinical utility of Ad vectors have not yet been achieved owing to problems related to several properties inherent to Ads. Systemic administration of Ad vectors leads to acute virus accumulation and undesirable transgene expression in the liver, with subsequent inefficient systemic cancer-targeted therapy and pronounced hepatotoxicity. Furthermore, most people have Ad-neutralizing antibodies, which hamper gene expression efficiency. Chemical conjugation of Ad surface with polyethylene glycol (PEG) (PEGylation) is one of the promising strategies to overcome these problems. Furthermore, PEGylation of Ad vectors with targeting ligands on the tip of PEG, which alter the transfection range of Ad vectors will improve the safety and efficiency of Ad gene-delivery vectors. In this review, we describe the molecular biology of Ads and outline this PEGylation approach including our data.

[Development of pegylated adenovirus vector for cancer gene therapy].

Adenovirus vectors (Ad) have been frequently used for cancer gene therapy research because of their high gene transduction efficiency. However, systemic administration of conventional Ad can lead to the acute accumulation of virus particles and transgene expression in the liver, which may cause severe hepatotoxicity. For these reasons, clinical application of Ad for systemic administration has been limited, although intratumor administration of Ad has shown marked antitumor effects. Therefore, to promote the application of Ad in systemic cancer gene therapy, especially against the distant metastatic cancer, a novel Ad with marked accumulation in tumors and minimal hepatic distribution is needed. From this perspective, bioconjugation with polyethylene glycol (PEGylation) to Ad surface is a promising strategy, and we are trying to develop cancer targeted Ad by PEGylation approach. Through our study, we particularly clarified that PEGylated Ad (PEG-Ad) with optimized PEG modification ratio exhibited the enhanced distribution and gene expression in tumor tissue via systemic injection, which was based on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Moreover, PEG-Ad encoding therapeutic gene demonstrated not only stronger tumor-suppressive activity but also fewer hepatotoxic side effects compared with conventional Ad. In addition, we further attempted the active targeting using targeting ligand on the tip of PEG. We revealed that PEG-Ad with transferrin as a tumor targeting ligand could transduce more efficiently into tumor cells, which express transferrin receptor, compared with conventional PEG-Ad. In this symposium, I will present our approach for development of cancer targeted Ad by PEGylation.

A strategy for efficient cross-presentation of CTL-epitope peptides leading to enhanced induction of in vivo tumor immunity.

The activation of antitumor cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs) depends on how efficiently the relevant tumor antigen peptides are delivered into the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I presentation pathway in antigen presenting cells (APCs). An elegant approach to promote the peptide-MHC class I association has been described for enhanced peptide transportation into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by adding an ER insertion signal sequence (Eriss). Nevertheless, this approach does not appear potent enough to induce in vivo tumor protective immunity. Herein, we present a novel peptide-vaccine strategy based on the combined utilization of Eriss and fusogenic liposomes (FLs) capable of directly introducing encapsulated CTL-epitope peptides into the MHC class I pathway of APCs. APCs pulsed with free peptides, FL-encapsulated peptides, or FL-encapsulated Eriss-conjugated peptides exhibited comparable levels of antigen-presenting activity at early phases after pulsing. Interestingly, whereas in the first two methods the APC ability began to decline 40 to 60 h after pulsing, FL-encapsulated Eriss(+) peptides allowed APCs to retain peptide-presentation activity for at least 140 h. This advantage of FL-encapsulated Eriss(+) peptides correlated with the induction of more potent antitumor immunity compared with soluble Eriss(+) or Eriss(-) peptides or FL-encapsulated Eriss(-) peptides when they were administered in vivo. Thus, Eriss-conjugated CTL-epitope peptides encapsulated in FLs provide a highly efficient tumor-vaccine to enhance the induction of in vivo tumor immunity.

Site-specific PEGylation of a lysine-deficient TNF-alpha with full bioactivity.

Addition of polyethylene glycol to protein (PEGylation) to improve stability and other characteristics is mostly nonspecific and may occur at all lysine residues, some of which may be within or near an active site. Resultant PEGylated proteins are heterogeneous and can show markedly lower bioactivity. We attempted to develop a strategy for site-specific mono-PEGylation using tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). We prepared phage libraries expressing TNF-alpha mutants in which all the lysine residues were replaced with other amino acids. A fully bioactive lysine-deficient mutant TNF-alpha (mTNF-alpha-Lys(-)) was isolated by panning against TNF-alpha-neutralizing antibody despite reports that some lysine residues were essential for its bioactivity. mTNF-alpha-Lys(-) was site-specifically mono-PEGylated at its N terminus. This mono-PEGylated mTNF-alpha-Lys(-), with superior molecular uniformity, showed higher bioactivity in vitro and greater antitumor therapeutic potency than randomly mono-PEGylated wild-type TNF-alpha. These results suggest the usefulness of the phage display system for creating functional mutant proteins and of our site-specific PEGylation approach.

Combination effects of complement regulatory proteins and anti-complement polymer.

We previously reported the development of a "cytomedicine" that consists of cells trapped in alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate (APA) microcapsules and agarose microbeads. The functional cells that are entrapped in semipermeable polymer are completely isolated from cellular immune system. However, the ability of cytomedicine to isolate cells from the humoral immune system, which plays an essential role in xenograft rejection, is low. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to develop a novel cytomedicine that could protect the entrapped cells from injury of the complement system. We investigated the applicability of the complement regulatory protein (CRP), Crry, to cytomedicine. Crry-transfected cells entrapped within agarose microbeads resisted injury by complement to a degree, while entrapment of Crry transfected cells within agarose microbeads containing polyvinyl sulfate (PVS), a novel cytomedical device with anti-complement activity, clearly protected against complement attack. These data indicate that the combination of a CRP and a cytomedical device with anti-complement activity is a superior device for cytomedical therapy.

Phage display and PEGylation of therapeutic proteins.

With the success of the human genome project, the focus of life science research has shifted to the functional and structural analyses of proteins, such as disease proteomics and structural genomics. These novel approaches to the analyses of proteins, including newly identified ones, are expected to help in the identification and development of protein therapies for various diseases. Thus, disease proteomic-based drug discovery has a very high profile. Nevertheless, the use of bioactive proteins in the clinical setting is not straightforward because, in vivo, these proteins have a low stability and a pleiotropic action. To promote disease proteomic-based drug discovery and development, we have attempted to establish a system for creating functional mutant proteins (muteins) with the desired properties, and also to develop a site-specific polymer-conjugation system for further improving their therapeutic potency. These innovative protein-drug systems are discussed in this review.

Design of a pH-sensitive polymeric carrier for drug release and its application in cancer therapy.

PURPOSE: In this study, to optimize the polymeric drug delivery system for cancer chemotherapy, we developed a new pH-sensitive polymeric carrier, poly(vinylpyrrolidone-co-dimethylmaleic anhydride) [PVD], that could gradually release native form of drugs with full activity, from the conjugates in response to changes in pH. We examined the usefulness of PVD as a polymeric drug carrier. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: PVD was radically synthesized with vinylpyrrolidone and 2,3-dimethylmaleic anhydride, which is known to be a pH-reversible amino-protecting reagent. Conjugates between PVD and other drugs, such as Adriamycin (ADR), were prepared under the slightly basic conditions (pH 8.5). The drug-release pattern and the antitumor activity of PVD were examined. RESULTS: At pH 8.5, the release of the drugs from the conjugate was not observed. In contrast, PVD could release fully active drugs in the native form in response to the change in pH near neutrality, and gradually released drugs at neutral pH (7.0) and slightly acidic pH (6.0). The drug-release pattern in serum was almost similar to that observed during these physiological conditions. The PVD-conjugated ADR showed superior antitumor activity against sarcoma-180 solid tumor in mice, and it had less toxic side effects than free ADR. This enhancement in the antitumor therapeutic window may be due to not only the improvement of plasma half-lives and tumor accumulation of ADR, but also its controlled and sustained release from the conjugates in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that PVD is an effective polymeric carrier for optimizing cancer therapy.

Functionalization of tumor necrosis factor-alpha using phage display technique and PEGylation improves its antitumor therapeutic window.

PURPOSE: In this study, the optimization of antitumor therapy with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was attempted. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Using the phage display technique, we created a lysine-deficient mutant TNF-alpha (mTNF-K90R). This mutant had higher affinities to both TNF receptors, despite reports that certain lysine residues play important roles in trimer formation and receptor binding. RESULTS: The mTNF-K90R showed an in vivo therapeutic window that was 13-fold higher than that of the wild-type TNF-alpha (wTNF-alpha). This was due to the synergistic effect of its 6-fold stronger in vitro bioactivity and its 2-fold longer plasma half-life derived from its surface negative potential. The reason why the mTNF-K90R showed a higher bioactivity was understood by a molecular modeling analysis of the complex between the wTNF-alpha and TNF receptor-I. The mTNF-K90R, which was site-specifically mono-PEGylated at the NH2 terminus (sp-PEG-mTNF-K90R), had a higher in vitro bioactivity and considerably longer plasma half-life than the wTNF-alpha, whereas the randomly mono-PEGylated wTNF-alpha had 6% of the bioactivity of the wTNF-alpha. With regard to effectiveness and safety, the in vivo antitumor therapeutic window of the sp-PEG-mTNF-K90R was 60-fold wider than that of the wTNF-alpha. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that this functionalized TNF-alpha may be useful not only as an antitumor agent but also as a selective enhancer of vascular permeability in tumors for improving antitumor chemotherapy.

The use of PVP as a polymeric carrier to improve the plasma half-life of drugs.

To achieve an optimum drug delivery such as targeting or controlled release utilizing bioconjugation with polymeric modifier, the conjugate between drugs and polymeric modifiers must be designed to show desirable pharmacokinetic characteristics in vivo. In this study, we assessed the biopharmaceutical properties of various nonionic water-soluble polymers as polymeric drug carriers. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) showed the longest mean resident time (MRT) after i.v. injection of all nonionic polymers with the same molecular size. In fact, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) bioconjugated with PVP (PVP-TNF-alpha) circulated longer than TNF-alpha bioconjugated with polyethylene glycol (PEG-TNF-alpha) with the same molecular size. Each nonionic polymeric modifier showed a different tissue distribution. Dextran was accumulated in the spleen and liver. Polydimethylacrylamide (PDAAm) tended to distribute in the kidney. However, PVP showed the minimum volume of tissue distribution. These results suggested that PVP is the most suitable polymeric modifier for prolonging the circulation lifetime of a drug and localizing the conjugated drug in blood.