Turning a Targeting β-Catenin/Bcl9 Peptide Inhibitor into a GdOF@Au Core/Shell Nanoflower for Enhancing Immune Response to Cancer Therapy in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

Combination administration is becoming a popular strategy in current cancer immunotherapy to enhance tumor response to ICIs. Recently, a peptide drug, a protein–protein interaction inhibitor (PPI), that disrupts the β-catenin/Bcl9 interaction in the tumoral Wnt/β-catenin pathway has become a promisi...

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Main Authors: Weiming You, Fang Ma, Zhang Zhang, Jin Yan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-06-01
Series:Pharmaceutics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/6/1306
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author Weiming You
Fang Ma
Zhang Zhang
Jin Yan
author_facet Weiming You
Fang Ma
Zhang Zhang
Jin Yan
author_sort Weiming You
collection DOAJ
description Combination administration is becoming a popular strategy in current cancer immunotherapy to enhance tumor response to ICIs. Recently, a peptide drug, a protein–protein interaction inhibitor (PPI), that disrupts the β-catenin/Bcl9 interaction in the tumoral Wnt/β-catenin pathway has become a promising candidate drug for immune enhancement and tumor growth inhibition. However, the peptide usually suffers from poor cell membrane permeability and proteolytic degradation, limiting its adequate accumulation in tumors and ultimately leading to side effects. Herein, a gadolinium–gold-based core/shell nanostructure drug delivery system was established, where Bcl9 was incorporated into a gadolinium–gold core–shell nanostructure and formed GdOFBAu via mercaptogenic self-assembly. After construction, GdOFBAu, when combined with anti-PD1 antibodies, could effectively inhibit tumor growth and enhance the response to immune therapy in MC38 tumor-bearing mice; it not only induced the apoptosis of cancer cells, but also promoted the tumor infiltration of Teff cells (CD8<sup>+</sup>) and decreased Treg cells (CD25<sup>+</sup>). More importantly, GdOFBAu maintained good biosafety and biocompatibility during treatment. Taken together, this study may offer a promising opportunity for sensitizing cancer immunotherapy via metal–peptide self-assembling nanostructured material with high effectiveness and safety.
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spelling doaj.art-f9f69b6b66fa490192f63c7d1cd8d7a72023-11-23T18:31:36ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232022-06-01146130610.3390/pharmaceutics14061306Turning a Targeting β-Catenin/Bcl9 Peptide Inhibitor into a GdOF@Au Core/Shell Nanoflower for Enhancing Immune Response to Cancer Therapy in Combination with Immune Checkpoint InhibitorsWeiming You0Fang Ma1Zhang Zhang2Jin Yan3National & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, ChinaNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, ChinaGeneral Surgery Department, Tang Du Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi’an 710032, ChinaNational & Local Joint Engineering Research Center of Biodiagnosis and Biotherapy, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710004, ChinaCombination administration is becoming a popular strategy in current cancer immunotherapy to enhance tumor response to ICIs. Recently, a peptide drug, a protein–protein interaction inhibitor (PPI), that disrupts the β-catenin/Bcl9 interaction in the tumoral Wnt/β-catenin pathway has become a promising candidate drug for immune enhancement and tumor growth inhibition. However, the peptide usually suffers from poor cell membrane permeability and proteolytic degradation, limiting its adequate accumulation in tumors and ultimately leading to side effects. Herein, a gadolinium–gold-based core/shell nanostructure drug delivery system was established, where Bcl9 was incorporated into a gadolinium–gold core–shell nanostructure and formed GdOFBAu via mercaptogenic self-assembly. After construction, GdOFBAu, when combined with anti-PD1 antibodies, could effectively inhibit tumor growth and enhance the response to immune therapy in MC38 tumor-bearing mice; it not only induced the apoptosis of cancer cells, but also promoted the tumor infiltration of Teff cells (CD8<sup>+</sup>) and decreased Treg cells (CD25<sup>+</sup>). More importantly, GdOFBAu maintained good biosafety and biocompatibility during treatment. Taken together, this study may offer a promising opportunity for sensitizing cancer immunotherapy via metal–peptide self-assembling nanostructured material with high effectiveness and safety.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/6/1306immunotherapydrug deliveryβ-cateninBcl9 peptidenanotechnology
spellingShingle Weiming You
Fang Ma
Zhang Zhang
Jin Yan
Turning a Targeting β-Catenin/Bcl9 Peptide Inhibitor into a GdOF@Au Core/Shell Nanoflower for Enhancing Immune Response to Cancer Therapy in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
Pharmaceutics
immunotherapy
drug delivery
β-catenin
Bcl9 peptide
nanotechnology
title Turning a Targeting β-Catenin/Bcl9 Peptide Inhibitor into a GdOF@Au Core/Shell Nanoflower for Enhancing Immune Response to Cancer Therapy in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
title_full Turning a Targeting β-Catenin/Bcl9 Peptide Inhibitor into a GdOF@Au Core/Shell Nanoflower for Enhancing Immune Response to Cancer Therapy in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
title_fullStr Turning a Targeting β-Catenin/Bcl9 Peptide Inhibitor into a GdOF@Au Core/Shell Nanoflower for Enhancing Immune Response to Cancer Therapy in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
title_full_unstemmed Turning a Targeting β-Catenin/Bcl9 Peptide Inhibitor into a GdOF@Au Core/Shell Nanoflower for Enhancing Immune Response to Cancer Therapy in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
title_short Turning a Targeting β-Catenin/Bcl9 Peptide Inhibitor into a GdOF@Au Core/Shell Nanoflower for Enhancing Immune Response to Cancer Therapy in Combination with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
title_sort turning a targeting β catenin bcl9 peptide inhibitor into a gdof au core shell nanoflower for enhancing immune response to cancer therapy in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors
topic immunotherapy
drug delivery
β-catenin
Bcl9 peptide
nanotechnology
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/6/1306
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