Human Peptide Research Articles

Abstract 21: Discovery of ALK-specific TCR clonotypes for the development of TCR-T cell therapies against ALK-positive cancers

Abstract Introduction: Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have extended the survival of patients with ALK-rearranged cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Unfortunately, acquired resistance develops within 2-3 years, highlighting the urgent need for novel and effective therapeutic strategies for these patients. Here, we aimed to identify T cell receptor (TCR) clonotypes against two human ALK immunogenic peptides we previously identified by mass spectrometry in biopsies from patients with ALK-rearranged NSCLC (PMID:37430060) and to develop TCR-T cell therapies for ALK-positive NSCLCs. Methods: BALB/c mice were vaccinated with the murine ALK peptide PGPGRVAKI and transgenic mice expressing human HLA-B*07:02 were vaccinated with human ALK peptides RPRPSQPSSL and IVRCIGVSL. All mice received two priming injections (days 1 and 14) followed by two boosters, and activated CD8+ T cells were sorted and subjected to single-cell sequencing. Results: As proof of concept, we first vaccinated BALB/c mice with the ALK peptide PGPGRVAKI and identified 381 unique ALK-specific clonotypes. Among these, we cloned the most expanded 5 clonotypes and confirmed that these clonotypes were functional as evidenced by the release of significant amounts of IFN-γ and IL2, and potent in vitro killing activity following co-culture with murine ALK-positive lung cancer cells. To identify TCR clonotypes for the development of TCR-T therapy in patients with ALK-positive cancers, we next vaccinated transgenic mice expressing human HLA-B*07:02 with human ALK peptides RPRPSQPSSL and IVRCIGVSL. We again identified multiple unique ALK-specific TCR clonotypes among CD8+/CD137+ cells from these transgenic mice vaccinated with RPRPSQPSSL peptide (N=353 TCR clonotypes) and IVRCIGVSL peptide (N=742 TCR clonotypes). Single-cell RNA sequencing of the expanded clonotypes (TCR clonotype frequency ≥4) versus non-expanded clonotypes (TCR clonotype frequency <4) revealed significant upregulation of Ccl3, Ccl4, Ccl1, Ifng, Xcl1, and Il13 across mice vaccinated with RPRPSQPSSL and IVRCIGVSL (p <0.05). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) confirmed significant upregulation of multiple pathways of adaptive immune response, including T cell activation, IFN-γ signaling and production, cytokine release, and T cell proliferation (adjusted p <0.05), suggesting functional activity of these TCR clonotypes against ALK. Conclusion: Here, we first demonstrated the feasibility of isolating ALK-specific TCR clonotypes by mice vaccination that exerted anti-tumor activity. Additionally, we identified ALK-specific TCR clonotypes from transgenic mice expressing human HLA-B*07:02 vaccinated with two human ALK peptides. This discovery lays the basis for the successful development of TCR-T cell therapies for ALK-positive NSCLCs, and possibly other ALK-positive cancers. Citation Format: Carmen Mecca, Ana Azambuja, Luca Alessandrí, Elisa Bergaggio, Simone Piane, Marcos Simoes-Costa, Ellis L. Reinherz, Rafael Blasco-Patiño, Roberto Chiarle. Discovery of ALK-specific TCR clonotypes for the development of TCR-T cell therapies against ALK-positive cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 21.

Abstract 1236: Characterization of CBX-250, a first-in-class TCR-mimetic-based T-cell engager targeting a cathepsin G peptide-HLA complex for the treatment of myeloid leukemia

Abstract While T-cell engaging therapies have demonstrated clear clinical benefit in the treatment of B-cell malignancies, their application to myeloid malignancies remains a challenge due to the limited repertoire of suitable tumor specific surface antigens. Targeting HLA-restricted peptides (pHLA) derived from intracellular cancer antigens provides an opportunity to explore the entire cancer proteome. CG1 (FLLPTGAEA) has been validated as an HLA-A*02:01 restricted leader peptide from Cathepsin G (CTSG) and is abundantly presented by leukemic versus normal myeloid cells. TCR-mimetic (TCRm) antibodies are ideally suited to target pHLA with high potency and specificity and can be engineered and manufactured using standard antibody technologies. Here we report the preclinical characterization of CBX-250, a novel CG1/HLA-A2 TCRm-CD3 bispecific T-Cell Engager (TCE). CBX-250 induced potent T-cell activation and T-cell mediated killing of leukemia cell lines with varying levels of target antigen density with sub-nM EC50 in vitro. In vivo, a closely related precursor of CBX-250 demonstrated potent tumor control in various AML and CML CDX models at doses as low as 0.01mpk. Although CTSG is a serine protease stored in neutrophil azurophilic granules, the CG1 peptide is preferentially presented by leukemia cells, as validated by mass spectrometry. Moreover, when co-culturing PBMCs with HLA-A2 neutrophils, we did not observe any CBX-250-mediated T-cell activation or IFNγ production. In silico predictions identified HLA-A2-restricted human peptides that share sequence or structural similarity to CG1. We determined the cross-reactivity risk of CBX-250 to be low, based on T-cell activation and T-cell mediated cytotoxicity assays against cells pulsed with supra-physiological concentrations of these peptides. Moreover, we observed no activity against target-negative cancer cells, including a CTSG-KO cell line. To further assess the specificity of CBX-250, we screened a panel of normal cells and found no meaningful T-cell activation or IFNγ production at CBX-250 concentrations exceeding its EC90. Finally, the CBX-250 precursor molecule demonstrated favorable safety in a double transgenic mouse model expressing human HLA-A2 and CG1. Following sequence optimization, CBX-250 demonstrated robust serum and pH stress stability and a favorable melting temperature, while retaining excellent potency and specificity. A full suite of analytical and biophysical assessments supports CBX-250’s favorable developability profile. In summary, these data provide strong preclinical evidence of the potency, specificity, safety, and developability of CBX-250, a novel, first-in-class, off-the-shelf, TCRm-based TCE for the treatment of myeloid malignancies. Citation Format: Geraldine Paulus, Benjamin Lee, Preethi Sankaran, Tanzila Rahman, Jessica Jimenez, Delainey O'Connor, Simon Yue, Yu Huang, Melissa Bikowitz, Sarah Jaffe, Shawn O'Malley, Bhupal Ban, Galina Gabriely, Tao Wang, Amanda Mak, Michael Princiotta, Chunhua Shi, Helen He, Ningping Feng, Jun Yan, Timothy Heffernan, Gheath Alatrash, Jeffrey Molldrem, Dmitri Wiederschain. Characterization of CBX-250, a first-in-class TCR-mimetic-based T-cell engager targeting a cathepsin G peptide-HLA complex for the treatment of myeloid leukemia [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 1236.

Abstract 7044: Transcriptome and TCR repertoire in human telomerase reverse transcriptase peptide vaccine treated metastatic prostate cancer patients

Abstract Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) vaccine has found to be effective for most of the participated de novo metastatic prostate cancer patients in clinical studies. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms behind the immune response induced by the hTERT vaccine are not fully elucidated. Among the cohort of 21 patients treated with androgen deprivation therapy, radiotherapy and hTERT vaccine, we used RNA-sequencing and TCR-sequencing (20 and 14 pre-treatment and 20 and 21 post-treatment samples, respectively) to inspect the changes in transcriptome and TCR-repertoire after the hTERT vaccine treatment and differences between patients that had early response and patients that had late or no response. We found multiple hallmarks being shifted after the treatment and being different between early and late responders. Also, a change in activity of multiple gene set signatures was detected after the treatment and activity of part of the gene set signatures predicted survival. Deconvolution of cell type composition from RNA-sequencing data revealed changes in immune cell abundances after the treatment. TCR-sequencing revealed changes in composition and diversity of TCR repertoires after the treatment and these differed between early and late responders. The results of this study will help to predict patients’ responses to the cancer vaccine and to further understand the mechanisms behind successful cancer vaccines. Citation Format: Reetta Nätkin, Julia Elisabeth Simensen, Nikolai Engedal, Espen Basmo Ellingsen, Marita Westhrin, Ingunn Westgaard, Eivind Hovig, Wolfgang Lilleby, Matti Nykter, Alfonso Urbanucci. Transcriptome and TCR repertoire in human telomerase reverse transcriptase peptide vaccine treated metastatic prostate cancer patients [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 7044.

Abstract 2373: Functional and specific T-cell engagers against a peptide-MHC tumor target

Abstract Accessing peptides from intracellular tumor antigens displayed on MHC class I (pMHC) can expand the T-cell engager (TCE) target pool for solid tumor applications. A challenge limiting TCE development for pMHC targets is the identification of rare, high-affinity, and high-specificity pMHC-binders. In this work, we describe TCEs in a 1 × 1 format with potent tumor-cell killing activity and high specificity for MAGE-A4, a pMHC tumor antigen expressed in multiple cancer types. We identified functional MAGE-A4 x CD3 TCEs with high specificity and affinity to a human MAGE-A4 peptide sequence of 10 amino acids presented on MHC-I (HLA-A:02*01). We strategically selected MAGE-A4-binders with high binding specificity for pMAGE-A4230-239, but not MHC-I or many closely related MHC-restricted peptides. We then paired them with diverse and developable CD3-binders with a range of binding affinities, subunit specificities, and binding kinetic profiles. High-throughput in vitro functional characterization of hundreds of these TCEs enabled identification of molecules with optimal T-cell dependent cellular cytotoxicity in MAGE-A4-expressing tumor cell lines, with comparable tumor-killing activity and cytokine release to a clinical-stage TCE in a 2 × 1 format. Previous studies have highlighted unique challenges associated with pMHC targets, including their potential for cross-reactive binding to pMHCs on healthy tissues, and the absence of pharmacologically relevant species for preclinical toxicity testing. To address these challenges, we have designed and implemented an in vitro and in silico workflow to identify antibody binding to potential off-target peptides. Using this approach, we selected TCEs with several pMHC binding orientations and high specificity and affinity. These TCEs killed tumor cell lines endogenously expressing MAGE-A4 pMHCs and not isogenic cells with MAGE-A4 knocked out. Results demonstrate that our high-resolution, multiparametric antibody discovery capabilities can identify pMHC-binding antibodies with desired functional and specificity attributes. This approach unlocks the discovery and development of optimal TCEs against complex pMHC antigens. Citation Format: Davide Tortora, Peter Bergqvist, Allison Goodman, Ryan Blackler, Nathalie Blamey, Stefania Carrara, Lauren Chong, Gabrielle Conaghan, Cindy-Lee Crichlow, Valentine de Puyraimond, Harveer Dhupar, Patrick Farber, Jessica Fernandes Scortecci, Kate Gibson, Rodrigo Goya, Ahn Lee, Franco Li, Tova Pinsky, Craig Robb, Patrick Rowe, Antonios Samiotakis, Eduardo Solano Salgado, Ping Xiang, Irene Yu, Kelly Bullock, Tara Fernandez, Stephanie K. Masterman, Kush Dalal, Tim Jacobs, Bryan C. Barnhart. Functional and specific T-cell engagers against a peptide-MHC tumor target [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2373.

Enhancement of innate immunity in gingival epithelial cells by vitamin D and HDAC inhibitors.

The human host defense peptide LL-37 is a component of the innate immune defense mechanisms of the oral cavity against colonization by microbes associated with periodontal disease. We have previously shown that the active form of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D3, can induce the expression of LL-37 in gingival epithelial cells (GEC), and prevent the invasion and growth of periopathogenic bacteria in these cells. Further, experimental vitamin D deficiency resulted in increased gingival inflammation and alveolar bone loss. Epidemiological studies have shown associations between vitamin D deficiency and periodontal disease in humans, suggesting application of vitamin D could be a useful therapeutic approach. Further, since we have shown the local activation of vitamin D by enzymes expressed in the GEC, we hypothesized that we could observe this enhancement with the stable, and inexpensive inactive form of vitamin D, which could be further increased with epigenetic regulators. We treated 3-dimensional primary cultures of GEC topically with the inactive form of vitamin D, in the presence and absence of selected histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors. LL-37 mRNA levels were quantified by quantitative RT-PCR, and inhibition of invasion of bacteria was measured by fluorescence microscopy. Vitamin D treatment led to an induction of LL-37 mRNA levels, as well as an inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. This effect was further enhanced by HDAC inhibitors, most strongly when the HDAC inhibitor, phenyl butyrate (PBA) was combined with Vitamin D3. This was observed both in solution and in a prototype gel formulation using sodium butyrate. Finally, this combination treatment led to an increase in the antimicrobial activity against infection by Porphyromonas gingivalis and Filifactor alocis, bacteria associated with periodontal lesions, as well as herpes simplex virus, which has also been shown to be associated with periodontal lesions. Our results demonstrate that a combination of inactive vitamin D and sodium butyrate could be developed as a safe treatment for periodontal disease.

Understanding the Dynamics of Human Defensin Antimicrobial Peptides: Pathogen Resistance and Commensal Induction.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also known as host defense peptides, are petite molecules with inherent microbicidal properties that are synthesized by the host's innate immune response. These peptides serve as an initial barrier against pathogenic microorganisms, effectively eliminating them. Human defensin (HD) AMPs represent a prominent group of peptides involved in the innate immune response of humans. These peptides are primarily produced by neutrophils and epithelial cells, serving as a crucial defense mechanism against invading pathogens. The extensive research conducted has focused on the broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities and multifaceted immunomodulatory functions exhibited by human defensin AMPs. During the process of co-evolution between hosts and bacterial pathogens, bacteria have developed the ability to recognize and develop an adaptive response to AMPs to counterattack their bactericidal activity by different antibiotic-resistant mechanisms. However, numerous non-pathogenic commensal bacteria elicit the upregulation of defensins as a means to surmount the resistance mechanisms implemented by pathogens. The precise mechanism underlying the induction of HD by commensal organisms remains to be fully understood. This review summarizes the most recent research on the expression of human defensin by pathogens and discusses the various defense mechanisms used by pathogens to counter host AMP production. We also mention recent developments in the commensal induction of defensin AMPs. A better knowledge of the pathogens' defensin AMP resistance mechanisms and commensals' induction of AMP expression may shed light on the creation of fresh antibacterial tactics to get rid of bacterial infection.

Human Host Defense Peptide LL-37 Suppresses TNFα-Mediated Matrix Metalloproteinases MMP9 and MMP13 in Human Bronchial Epithelial Cells

Introduction: TNFα-inducible matrix metalloproteinases play a critical role in the process of airway remodeling in respiratory inflammatory disease including asthma. The cationic host defense peptide LL-37 is elevated in the lungs during airway inflammation. However, the impact of LL-37 on TNFα-driven processes is not well understood. Here, we examined the effect of LL-37 on TNFα-mediated responses in human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs). Methods: We used a slow off-rate modified aptamer-based proteomics approach to define the HBEC proteome altered in response to TNFα. Abundance of selected protein candidates and signaling intermediates was examined using immunoassays, ELISA and Western blots, and mRNA abundance was examined by qRT-PCR. Results: Proteomics analysis revealed that 124 proteins were significantly altered, 12 proteins were enhanced by ≥2-fold compared to unstimulated cells, in response to TNFα. MMP9 was the topmost increased protein in response to TNFα, enhanced by ∼10-fold, and MMP13 was increased by ∼3-fold, compared to unstimulated cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that LL-37 significantly suppressed TNFα-mediated MMP9 and MMP13 in HBEC. Mechanistic data revealed that TNFα-mediated MMP9 and MMP13 production is controlled by SRC kinase and that LL-37 enhances related upstream negative regulators, namely, phospho-AKT (T308) and TNFα-mediated TNFAIP3 or A20. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that LL-37 may play a role in intervening in the process of airway remodeling in chronic inflammatory respiratory disease such as asthma.

Enterobacterales Biofilm-Specific Genes and Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Biomarkers in the Blood of Patients with Ischemic Heart Disease.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the most prevalent type of cardiovascular disease. The main cause of IHD is atherosclerosis, which is a multifactorial inflammatory disease of blood vessels. Studies show that bacteria might have a significant impact on the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and plaque rupture. This study aimed to evaluate the complexity of interactions between bacteria and the human body concerning metabolites and bacterial genes in patients with ischemic heart disease. Bacterial 16S rDNA and wcaF, papC, and sdhC genes were detected in whole blood using a real-time PCR methodology. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the concentration of the LL-37 protein. An analysis of ARA in blood plasma was performed. Bacterial 16S rDNA was detected in 31% of the study patients, and the genes wcaF and sdhC in 20%. Enterobacterales genes were detected more frequently in patients younger than 65 years than in patients aged 65 years and older (p = 0.018) and in patients with type 2 diabetes (p = 0.048). Concentrations of the human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 and 12S-HETE concentrations were determined to be higher if patients had 16S rDNA and biofilm-specific genes. The results of this study enhance the understanding that Enterobacterales bacteria may participate in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and IHD. Bacterial DNA and host metabolites in higher concentrations appear to be detected.

Widespread stable noncanonical peptides identified by integrated analyses of ribosome profiling and ORF features

Studies have revealed dozens of functional peptides in putative ‘noncoding’ regions and raised the question of how many proteins are encoded by noncanonical open reading frames (ORFs). Here, we comprehensively annotate genome-wide translated ORFs across five eukaryotes (human, mouse, zebrafish, worm, and yeast) by analyzing ribosome profiling data. We develop a logistic regression model named PepScore based on ORF features (expected length, encoded domain, and conservation) to calculate the probability that the encoded peptide is stable in humans. Systematic ectopic expression validates PepScore and shows that stable complex-associating microproteins can be encoded in 5’/3’ untranslated regions and overlapping coding regions of mRNAs besides annotated noncoding RNAs. Stable noncanonical proteins follow conventional rules and localize to different subcellular compartments. Inhibition of proteasomal/lysosomal degradation pathways can stabilize some peptides especially those with moderate PepScores, but cannot rescue the expression of short ones with low PepScores suggesting they are directly degraded by cellular proteases. The majority of human noncanonical peptides with high PepScores show longer lengths but low conservation across species/mammals, and hundreds contain trait-associated genetic variants. Our study presents a statistical framework to identify stable noncanonical peptides in the genome and provides a valuable resource for functional characterization of noncanonical translation during development and disease.

Ribonucleotide reductase inhibition improves the symptoms of a Caenorhabditis elegans model of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease is the main cause of aging-associated dementia, for which there is no effective treatment. In this work, we reanalyze the information of a previous genome wide association study, using a new pipeline design to identify novel potential drugs. With this approach, ribonucleoside-diphosphate reductase gene (RRM2B) emerged as a candidate target and its inhibitor, 2', 2'-difluoro 2'deoxycytidine (gemcitabine), as a potential pharmaceutical drug against Alzheimer's disease. We functionally verified the effect of inhibiting the RRM2B homolog, rnr-2, in an Alzheimer's model of Caenorhabditis elegans, which accumulates human Aβ1-42 peptide to an irreversible paralysis. RNA interference against rnr-2 and also treatment with 200 ng/ml of gemcitabine, showed an improvement of the phenotype. Gemcitabine treatment increased the intracellular ATP level 3.03 times, which may point to its mechanism of action. Gemcitabine has been extensively used in humans for cancer treatment but at higher concentrations. The 200 ng/ml concentration did not exert a significant effect over cell cycle, or affected cell viability when assayed in the microglia N13 cell line. Thus, the inhibitory drug of the RRM2B activity could be of potential use to treat Alzheimer's disease and particularly gemcitabine might be considered as a promising candidate to be repurposed for its treatment.

Synthetic angiotensin II peptide derivatives confer protection against cerebral and severe non-cerebral malaria in murine models

Malaria can have severe long-term effects. Even after treatment with antimalarial drugs eliminates the parasite, survivors of cerebral malaria may suffer from irreversible brain damage, leading to cognitive deficits. Angiotensin II, a natural human peptide hormone that regulates blood pressure, has been shown to be active against Plasmodium spp., the etiologic agent of malaria. Here, we tested two Ang II derivatives that do not elicit vasoconstriction in mice: VIPF, a linear tetrapeptide, which constitutes part of the hydrophobic portion of Ang II; and Ang II-SS, a disulfide-bridged derivative. The antiplasmodial potential of both peptides was evaluated with two mouse models: an experimental cerebral malaria model and a mouse model of non-cerebral malaria. The latter consisted of BALB/c mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA. The peptides had no effect on mean blood pressure and significantly reduced parasitemia in both mouse models. Both peptides reduced the SHIRPA score, an assay used to assess murine health and behavior. However, only the constrained derivative (Ang II-SS), which was also resistant to proteolytic degradation, significantly increased mouse survival. Here, we show that synthetic peptides derived from Ang II are capable of conferring protection against severe manifestations of malaria in mouse models while overcoming the vasoconstrictive side effects of the parent peptide.

Human Neutrophil Alpha-Defensins Promote NETosis and Liver Injury in Alcohol-Related Liver Cirrhosis: Potential Therapeutic Agents.

Background: Neutrophils are thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of many inflammatory diseases, such as hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, etc. Activated human neutrophils release human neutrophil peptides (HNP1-3) or alpha-defensins that are antimicrobial peptides in azurophil granules. Furthermore, HNP1-3 build a scaffold of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and promote the process of programmed cell death called NETosis. Our study aimed to investigate the role of alpha-defensins in the pathogenesis of alcohol-related liver cirrhosis (ALC). Methods: The concentrations of alpha-defensins in the plasma of 62 patients with ALC and 24 healthy subjects were measured by ELISA. The patients with ALC were prospectively recruited based on the severity of liver dysfunction according to the Child-Pugh and Model of End-Stage Liver Disease-Natrium (MELD-Na) scores, modified Maddrey's Discriminant Function (mDF), and the presence of ALC complications. Results: The concentrations of alpha-defensins in plasma were significantly higher in the ALC patients than in the controls. The plasma levels of HNP1-3 correlated with the MELD and mDF scores. ALC subgroups with MELD > 20 and mDF > 32 displayed significantly higher HNP1-3 concentrations. The plasma levels of HNP1-3 revealed a good predictive AUC for hepatic encephalopathy and ascites development (0.81 and 0.74, respectively) and for patient survival (0.87) in those over 40 years of age. Conclusion: These findings suggest that alpha-defensins play an important role in the assessment of ALC.

Diversity and Mechanisms of Action of Plant, Animal, and Human Antimicrobial Peptides.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are usually made up of fewer than 100 amino acid residues. They are found in many living organisms and are an important factor in those organisms' innate immune systems. AMPs can be extracted from various living sources, including bacteria, plants, animals, and even humans. They are usually cationic peptides with an amphiphilic structure, which allows them to easily bind and interact with the cellular membranes of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens. They can act against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive pathogens and have various modes of action against them. Some attack the pathogens' membranes, while others target their intracellular organelles, as well as their nucleic acids, proteins, and metabolic pathways. A crucial area of AMP use is related to their ability to help with emerging antibiotic resistance: some AMPs are active against resistant strains and are susceptible to peptide engineering. This review considers AMPs from three key sources-plants, animals, and humans-as well as their modes of action and some AMP sequences.

C. elegans insulin-like peptides

Insulin-like peptides are a group of hormones crucial for regulating metabolism, growth, and development in animals. Invertebrates, such as C. elegans, have been instrumental in understanding the molecular mechanisms of insulin-like peptides. Here, we review the 40 insulin-like peptide genes encoded in the C. elegans genome. Despite the large number, there is only one C. elegans insulin-like peptide receptor, called DAF-2. The insulin and insulin-like growth factor signaling (IIS) pathway is evolutionarily conserved from worms to humans. Thus C. elegans provides an excellent model to understand how these insulin-like peptides function. C. elegans is unique in that it possesses insulin-like peptides that have antagonistic properties, unlike all human insulin-like peptides, which are agonists. This review provides an overview of the current literature on C. elegans insulin-like peptide structures, processing, tissue localization, and regulation. We will also provide examples of insulin-like peptide signaling in C. elegans during growth, development, germline development, learning/memory, and longevity.

Study of the Antimicrobial Activity of the Human Peptide SQQ30 against Pathogenic Bacteria.

Given the continuous increase in antibiotic resistance, research has been driven towards the isolation of new antimicrobial molecules. Short, charged, and very hydrophobic antimicrobial peptides have a direct action against biological membranes, which are less prone to developing resistance. Using a bioinformatic tool, we chose the SQQ30 peptide, isolated from the human SOGA1 protein. The antimicrobial activity of this peptide against various Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains and against a fungal strain was studied. A mechanism of action directed against biological membranes was outlined. When administered in combination with the antibiotic ciprofloxacin and with the TRS21 (buforin II), another antimicrobial peptide, SQQ30 can be used with a lower MIC, showing additivity and synergism, respectively. Particularly interesting is the ability of SQQ30 to bind LPS in Gram-negative strains, preventing the eukaryotic cell from releasing inflammatory mediators. Our study indicates SQQ30 as a novel and promising antimicrobial agent.

Abstract B026: Targeting wild type and ESR1 mutations as neoantigens in hormone receptor positive breast cancer

Abstract Hormone receptor positive (HR+) metastatic breast cancer remains a difficult clinical problem. Endocrine Therapies (ET) have remained the mainstay of therapy for decades. However, a large percent of these patients become resistant to the therapies and succumb to the disease. One of the most common resistance mechanisms is the ER alpha type I (ESR1) point mutations with amino acid substitutions such that they become constitutively active. About 40-50% of metastatic HR+ patients develop these mutations. Hence, there is a need to develop strategies that target WT and mutant ESR1 in order to achieve robust anti-tumor immune responses. Type I polarized dendritic cell (DC1) vaccine developed by our group has shown to be a powerful immunotherapeutic tool to treat breast cancer by boosting the CD4 Th1 responses against oncodrivers like HER2 and HER3. This is facilitated by identification of immunogenic human peptides using a novel peptide screening method targeting these oncodrivers and breaching the tolerance. Having strong evidence of the effectiveness of DC1 vaccines, our study focusses on testing efficacy of DC1 pulsed WT ESR1 peptides (DC1-WT ESR1) and clinically prevalent ESR1 mutations/neoantigens (DC1-Mutant ESR1) in pre-clinical mouse model. In this study, we tested the homology between human and murine WT and mutated ESR1 peptides and also assessed the efficacy of DC1-WT ESR1 and DC1-Mutant ESR1 vaccines in mice to generate CD4 Th1 response (IFNγ production). To develop pre-clinical ESR1 mouse tumor models, two different cell lines were validated for nuclear ESR1 expression. We tested the efficacy of DC1-WT ESR1 vaccine in orthotopic ESR1+ tumor bearing mice by administrating six DC1 vaccines intratumorally. Our results show around 90% and above homology between human and murine WT and mutated ESR1 peptides generating immunogenic responses in mice. In vitro treatment of ESR1+ mouse cell lines with IFNγ resulted in reduced proliferation. This effect was in line with the mouse tumor model, wherein we observed reduced tumor burden post administration of six DC1-WT ESR1 vaccines intratumorally in ESR1+ pre-clinical mouse models. In addition, we observed about a 12% of complete regression in these mice. Upon using combinatorial approaches such as fulvestrant and DC1-WT ESR1, we observed about a 14% of complete regression, however, the DC1 alone mice showed 62% responders and did a lot better than the fulvestrant alone. Overall, these findings suggest that DC1 vaccines targeting ESR1 could be a promising tool to treat aggressive ESR1+ breast cancer. We now aim to use combinatorial approaches such as CDK4/6 inhibitors and DC1-WT ESR1 to boost the anti-tumor responses and further test the efficacy of DC1-Mutant ESR1 vaccines using pre-clinical ESR1+ mouse models. Citation Format: Namrata Gautam, Gabriella Albert, Colin Synder, Brian Czerniecki. Targeting wild type and ESR1 mutations as neoantigens in hormone receptor positive breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference in Cancer Research: Advances in Breast Cancer Research; 2023 Oct 19-22; San Diego, California. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(3 Suppl_1):Abstract nr B026.

Effect of Histidine Behaviors on Structural Properties of Human Islet Amyloid Peptides

AbstractHistidine behaviors (including tautomeric behaviors and protonation behaviors) have been considered as an origin factor in protein folding and misfolding. However, such effects on human islet amyloid peptide (hIAPP) is still unclear, which are the key points in understanding hIAPP misfolding mechanisms. In current study, to investigate the structural properties of hIAPP peptide with histidine in (δ), (ϵ), and (p) states, three independent replica exchange molecular dynamics simulations were performed. Our results show that β‐sheet structure contents are very low no matter histidine on which state, while high α‐helix contents are obtained in A8‐L16/H18 and G24‐L27/S28 regions. Cluster data suggested that three hIAPP systems are prone to flexible structural features. Further analysis confirmed that the histidine related H‐bonding networks were detected in hIAPP(δ) (N14‐H18) and hIAPP(p) (N14‐H18 and F15‐H18). Moreover, based on overall hIAPP(δ), hIAPP(ϵ), and hIAPP(p) equilibration trajectories, we discovered both sheet and helix structural features in basin of free energy landscape. Our current study contributes to the understanding on conformational changes of hIAPP due to histidine behaviors, which could lead to new insights into histidine behaviors mechanisms.

Sulfated CXCR3 Peptide Trap Use as a Promising Therapeutic Approach for Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Chemokines have various biological functions and potential roles in the development or progression of neuroinflammatory diseases. However, the specific pathogenic roles of chemokines in the major cause for vision loss among the elderly, the leading cause of blindness in older individuals, remain elusive. Chemokines interact with their receptors expressed in the endothelium and on leukocytes. The sulfation of tyrosine residues in chemokine receptors increases the strength of ligand-receptor interaction and modulates signaling. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to construct a human recombinant sulfated CXCR3 peptide trap (hCXCR3-S2) and mouse recombinant sulfated CXCR3 peptide trap (mCXCR3-S2) to demonstrate in vivo effects in preventing choroidal neovascularization (CNV) and chemotaxis. We generated expression vectors for mCXCR3-S2 and hCXCR3-S2 with GST domains and their respective cDNA sequences. Following overexpression in E. coli BL21 (DE3), we purified the fusion proteins from cell lysates using affinity chromatography. First, the impact of hCXCR3-S2 was validated in vitro. Subsequently, the in vivo efficacy of mCXCR3-S2 was investigated using a laser-induced CNV mouse model, a mouse model of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). hCXCR3-S2 inhibited the migration and invasion of two human cancer cell lines. Intravitreal injection of mCXCR3-S2 attenuated CNV and macrophage recruitment in neovascular lesions of mouse models. These in vitro and in vivo effects were significantly stronger with CXCR3-S2 than with wild-type CXCR3 peptides. These findings demonstrate that the sulfated form of the CXCR3 peptide trap is a valuable tool that could be supplemented with antivascular endothelial growth factors in AMD treatment.

Graphene as basis of biological sensors for determining markers of neurodegenerative dementia

Objective. To develop technique immobilizing antibodies graphene surface of proteins that play a significant role in pathogenesis Alzheimer's disease.Materials and methods. Graphene films were obtained sublimation surface of SiC substrates. Presence graphene monolayer was confirmed spectroscopy spectra. Graphene surface quality was evaluated cyclic voltammetry. Functionalization by amino groups was carried out method based on sorption pyrene derivatives from a solution and phenylnitrogroups electrochemical method. Graphene was kept in solutions monoclonal antibodies to human beta-amyloid peptide 1–42. Preparations were also kept in solution secondary antibodies labeled with FITZ. Results were evaluated fluorescence microscopy. Additionally, samples were kept in solution antibody with peroxidase label, which was detected chemiluminescence.Results. For attachment specific antibodies surface of graphene, quality its surface is great importance. Optimal working concentration of antibodies of human beta-amyloid 1–42 in solution for subsequent manufacture biological sensors is 15 micrograms per 1 ml. Covalent crosslinking antibodies with glutaraldehyde with amino groups on graphene gives a slight gain in the level fluorescence compared with noncovalent sorption on graphene with nitro groups. Functionalization phenylnitrogroups is optimal for further work related to the identification specific antigens.Conclusions. The technique of immobilization on the graphene surface of specific antibodies to beta-amyloid in concentrations detected by fluorescence microscopy and chemiluminescence is investigated. Amount antibodies sufficient to create a biosensor is immobilized on graphene. It was found that functionalization of phenylnitrogroups allows creating optimal conditions for the attachment of antibodies to the graphene surface, as well as washing resulting antibody-antigenic complexes for further reuse of graphene biosensors.

Incidence of Post-therapeutic Malignancies in Benign and Malignant Gastric Diseases, Human Leukocyte Antigen-restricted Human Endogenous Retrovirus Gene-derived Peptides, and Survival

Incidence of Post-therapeutic Malignancies in Benign and Malignant Gastric Diseases, Human Leukocyte Antigen-restricted Human Endogenous Retrovirus Gene-derived Peptides, and Survival