No description available.

Current cancer therapies have low specificity for tumor cells and have serious toxic side effects. Targeting drugs to the cancer cells can help improve the outcome of existing cancer therapies. In recent years, a number of peptides have been identified by peptide phage display for targeting different tumor types. Peptides identified from the phage display for targeting cancer cells can be further improved for specific binding and metabolic stability by chemical manipulation of their structures. The aims of this work were: (i) to develop a peptide array-whole cell binding assay for screening peptides with specific binding affinity for cancer cells (ii) design of novel peptidomimetics to improve their properties as drug candidates. First, peptide arrays based on the lead peptide sequences NGR and p160 were designed and synthesized. A direct peptide-cell binding assay using CyQUANT dye allowed identification of several new peptides with higher affinity for MDA-MB-435 and MCF-7 cancer cells compared to the wild type p160. These peptides did not recognize the normal endothelial HUVEC cells. Three p160 peptide analogues, namely, 11 (RGDPAYQGRFL), 18 (WXEAAYQRFL), and 40 (WXEPAYQRKL), that displayed highest affinity for the cancer cells were manually synthesized and labelled with FITC. The binding ability of these peptides was confirmed using fluorescence imaging and flow cytometry. The results confirmed the high and specific affinity of peptides 11 and 18 for the cancer cells. The peptide array-cell binding assay established in this study is not only useful for the identification of cancer targeting peptides. It can also be used for the generation of diagnostic tools for cancer. Secondly, two new classes of -peptides, 3- and 2-peptides derived from L-Asp and L-Dap monomers, respectively, were synthesized. The methodology allowed independent buildup of the -peptide backbone and the introduction of sequential side chain substitutions. It is shown that / mixed peptide increases target recognition and retains the proteolytic stability. Moreover, -peptides impart no cytotoxicity, which will expand their potential application in the design of biologically active peptides. As a result, these compounds represent good candidates for new drugs and as tools to gain further insight into protein folding and molecular recognition processes. / Pharmaceutical Sciences

Dans l’optique de développer de nouveaux agents bio-inspirés pour la détection et/ou le traitement des cellules cancéreuses, nos travaux se sont tournés vers la synthèse de macromolécules peptidiques complexes ayant la capacité de reconnaître les cellules tumorales. Ces travaux visent à développer des molécules permettant de cibler des particularités cellulaires présentes sur les cellules tumorales dans le but d’obtenir un traitement personnalisé via une vectorisation active permettant une augmentation de l'efficacité thérapeutique et une réduction intrinsèque de la toxicité du traitement. Pour cela, ces biomolécules doivent posséder à la fois un site de reconnaissance pour la liaison avec des protéines présentes à la surface de la cellule cible et un ou plusieurs éléments utilisés pour détecter et/ou détruire la cible. Ces systèmes ont été élaborés à partir d'un châssis moléculaire cyclodécapeptidique présentant des propriétés conformationnelles particulières. Plusieurs approches ont été envisagées. La première a consisté à rechercher de nouveaux ligands de récepteurs tumoraux en s'inspirant du domaine de reconnaissance d'un anticorps monoclonal thérapeutique. Dans ce contexte, nous avons proposé la conception de mimes du Rituximab ciblant l'antigène CD20 utilisé dans le traitement des lymphomes Non-Hodgkinien. Dans la seconde approche, nous avons développé des vecteurs destinés à des applications d'imagerie tumorale. Pour cela, des châssis multivalents présentant des ligands peptidiques RGD ciblant l'intégrine alpha-v-beta-3 ont été conjugués avec différents agents de détection puis évalués par des techniques d'imagerie telles que la TEP, la TEMP et l’imagerie optique. Toujours dans un but de diagnostic des cellules tumorales, nous nous sommes par la suite tournés vers l’application à la capture cellulaire. Pour cela, une surface d’or à été modifiée via la formation d’une monocouche organisée SAM (« Self-assembled monolayer ») présentant des cyclodextrines. Un gabarit peptidique adéquat a ainsi permis la capture et le relargage sélectif de cellules tumorales mesurées par la technique de microbalance à quartz. Ces mêmes vecteurs, validés pour le diagnostic ont par la suite été couplés à des peptides cytotoxiques issus d’une protéine pro-apoptotique « Bax ». Enfin, une dernière partie a été consacrée à la recherche de nouveaux composés comportant plusieurs éléments de ciblage tumoraux. Ces molécules présentent deux ligands de ciblage des récepteurs surexprimés sur la membrane et peuvent ainsi permettre une meilleure sélectivité vis-à-vis des tissus tumoraux. / In order to develop new agents for cancer diagnosis and treatment, our work aims to synthesize complex peptide macromolecules that are able to specifically recognize cancer cells. Our goal is to increase the therapeutic efficiency and reduce the toxicity of currently available drugs using "targeted strategies". In this context, we designed sophisticated macromolecules encompassing a cell recognition domain and one or several components used to detect and/or destroy the target. This system was prepared starting from a cyclodecapeptidic scaffold presenting particular conformational properties. Different approaches were considered. First of all our work was to investigate new tumor receptor ligands based on the recognition domain of a therapeutics monoclonal antibody. We proposed the design of Rituximab mimics which targets the CD20 antigen used for the treatment of Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. In a second approach, we prepared new vectors for tumor imaging. For this purpose, multivalent scaffolds containing RGD peptide that targets alpha-v-beta-3 integrin were combined with several detection elements and evaluated by using PET, SPECT and optical imaging techniques. We also used this peptide vector for the selective cell capture and release from flowing suspensions, using a gold surface modified with a cyclodextrin-containing self-assembled monolayer (SAM). A scaffold containing ferrocenyl and -RGD- ligands permitted the selective capture and release of tumor cells. This experiment was monitored by QCM-D. This vector has been next grafted to a cytotoxic peptide that was discovered from a pro-apoptotic protein named “Bax”. Finally, we designed new molecules which include an additional ligand for the cell’s surface to increase the selectivity and the affinity of tumor tissue.

No description available.

Specific interactions of ligands with receptors is one of the approaches for active targeting of anticancer drugs to cancer cells. Over expression of integrin receptors is a physiological manifestation in several cancers and is associated with cancer progression and metastasis, which makes it an attractive target for cancer chemotherapy. The peptide sequence for this integrin recognition is the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD). Self-assembly offers a unique way of presenting ligands to target receptors for recognition and binding. This study focuses on development of integrin specific peptide amphiphile self-assemblies as carriers for targeted delivery of paclitaxel to α v β 3 integrin overexpressing cancers. Amphiphiles composed of conjugates of different analogs of RGD (linear, cyclic or glycosylated) and aliphatic fatty acid with or without 8-amino-3,6-dioxaoctanoic acid (ADA) as linker were synthesized and characterized. The amphiphiles exhibited Critical Micellar Concentration in the range of 7-30 μM. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed the formation of spherical micelles in the size range of 10-40 nm. Forster Resonance Energy Transfer studies revealed entrapment of hydrophobic dyes within a tight micellar core and provided information regarding the cargo exchange within micelles. The RGD micelles exhibited competitive binding with 55% displacement of a bound fluorescent probe by the cyclic RGD micelles. The internalization of fluorescein isothiocynate (FITC) loaded RGD micelles was significantly higher in A2058 melanoma cells compared to free FITC within 20 minutes of incubation at 37°C. The same micelles showed significantly lower internalization at 4°C and on pretreatment with 0.45M sucrose confirming endocytotic uptake of the RGD micellar carriers. The IC50 of paclitaxel in A2058 melanoma cells was lower when treated within RGD micelles as compared to treatment of free drug. On the other hand, IC50 values increased by 2 to 9 fold for micellar treatment in comparison to free drug in Detroit 551 cells. In A2058 melanoma xenograft mice model, the Paclitaxel-RGD micelles exhibited a significant inhibition of tumor growth in comparison to control treatment for both alternate day and twice weekly treatments. The studies showed the feasibility of using the non covalent peptide based self-assemblies as vehicles for targeted delivery in cancer.