Direct screening of combinatorial
peptide libraries in patients may allow the identification of
ligands that target biochemical differences in the endothelium of blood vessels. In a screening performed in a patient, we selected and isolated a mimic motif of
interleukin 11 (IL-11) from prostate biopsies after an i.v. administration of a
phage display peptide library. We also demonstrated that the
IL-11 phage mimic (displaying the cyclic nonapeptide CGRRAGGSC) bound specifically to a corresponding
IL-11 receptor (IL-11Ralpha). Here we show that IL-11Ralpha is a potential target for intervention in human
prostate cancer through morphological and functional analyses. First, a comprehensive serial immunohistochemical analysis of primary and metastatic
prostate cancer samples showed increased stage-specific expression of IL-11Ralpha during
disease progression. Second, a proapoptotic
peptide was specifically targeted and internalized through this functional IL-11Ralpha-based
ligand-receptor pair: treatment of
prostate cancer cells in vitro with a proapoptotic
peptide guided by the CGRRAGGSC
peptide to the IL-11Ralpha resulted in dose-dependent apoptosis. Together, these data indicate that the IL-11Ralpha is a candidate target for translational clinical trials against advanced and metastatic
prostate cancer. Moreover, our results illustrate the ability of direct combinatorial screening systems in
cancer patients for identification of relevant targets in the context of human disease.