Abstract |
Recombinant immunotoxins (RIT) are chimeric proteins containing an Fv that binds to tumor cells, fused to a fragment of Pseudomonas exotoxin (PE) that kills the cell. Their efficacy is limited by their short half-life in the circulation. Chemical modification with polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a well-established method to extend the half-lives of biologics. Our goal was to engineer RITs with an increase in half-life and high cytotoxic activity. We introduced single cysteines at different locations in five anti- mesothelin RITs and employed site-specific PEGylation to conjugate them to 20-kDa PEG. Because our previous PEGylation method using β- mercaptoethanol reduction gave poor yields of PEG-modified protein, we employed a new method using tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine to reduce the protein and could PEGylate RITs at approximately 90% efficiency. The new proteins retained 19% to 65% of cytotoxic activity. Although all proteins are modified with the same PEG, the radius of hydration varies from 5.2 to 7.1, showing PEG location has a large effect on protein shape. The RIT with the smallest radius of hydration has the highest cytotoxic activity. The PEGylated RITs have a 10- to 30-fold increase in half-life that is related to the increase in hydrodynamic size. Biodistribution experiments indicate that the long half-life is due to delayed uptake by the kidney. Antitumor experiments show that several PEG-RITs are much more active than unmodified RIT, and the PEG location greatly affects antitumor activity. We conclude that PEGylation is a useful approach to improve the half-life and antitumor activity of RITs.
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Authors | Zeliang Zheng, Ryuhei Okada, Hisataka Kobayashi, Tadanobu Nagaya, Junxia Wei, Qi Zhou, Fred Lee, Tapan K Bera, Yun Gao, William Kuhlman, Chin-Hsien Tai, Ira Pastan |
Journal | Molecular cancer therapeutics
(Mol Cancer Ther)
Vol. 19
Issue 3
Pg. 812-821
(03 2020)
ISSN: 1538-8514 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 31871266
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural)
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Copyright | ©2019 American Association for Cancer Research. |
Chemical References |
- Antineoplastic Agents
- GPI-Linked Proteins
- Immunotoxins
- Msln protein, mouse
- Recombinant Proteins
- Polyethylene Glycols
- Mesothelin
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Topics |
- Animals
- Antineoplastic Agents
(chemistry, pharmacology)
- Apoptosis
- Cell Proliferation
- Female
- GPI-Linked Proteins
(antagonists & inhibitors)
- Half-Life
- Humans
- Immunotoxins
(chemistry, pharmacology)
- Mesothelin
- Mice
- Mice, Nude
- Pancreatic Neoplasms
(drug therapy, metabolism, pathology)
- Polyethylene Glycols
(chemistry)
- Recombinant Proteins
(chemistry, pharmacology)
- Tumor Cells, Cultured
- Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
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