BACKGROUND: As highlighted by recent pandemic outbreaks, antiviral drugs are crucial resources in the global battle against viral diseases. Unfortunately, most antiviral drugs are characterized by a plethora of side effects and low efficiency/poor bioavailability owing to their insolubility. This also applies to the arylnaphthalide lignin family member, diphyllin (Diph). Diph acts as a vacuolar ATPase inhibitor and has been previously identified as a promising candidate with broad-spectrum antiviral activity. However, its physicochemical properties preclude its efficient administration in vivo, complicating preclinical testing. METHODS: We produced human recombinant H- ferritin (HsaFtH) and used it as a delivery vehicle for Diph encapsulation through pH-mediated reversible reassembly of HsaFtH. Diph nanoformulation was subsequently thoroughly characterized and tested for its non-target cytotoxicity and antiviral efficiency using a panel of pathogenic viral strain. RESULTS: We revealed that loading into HsaFtH decreased the undesired cytotoxicity of Diph in mammalian host cells. We also confirmed that encapsulated Diph exhibited slightly lower antiviral activity than free Diph, which may be due to the differential uptake mechanism and kinetics of free Diph and Diph@HsaFtH. Furthermore, we confirmed that the antiviral effect was mediated solely by Diph with no contribution from HsaFtH. CONCLUSION: It was confirmed that HsaFtH is a suitable vehicle that allows easy loading of Diph and production of highly homogeneous nanoparticles dispersion with promising broad-spectrum antiviral activity.

• Klíčová slova
• SARS-CoV-2, TBEV, WNV, Zika virus, drug delivery,
• MeSH
• antivirové látky * farmakologie   chemie   farmakokinetika   MeSH
• hydrofobní a hydrofilní interakce MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• lignany * MeSH
• nanočástice chemie   MeSH
• rekombinantní proteiny chemie   MeSH
• vakuolární protonové ATPasy antagonisté a inhibitory   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antivirové látky * MeSH
• diphyllin MeSH Prohlížeč
• lignany * MeSH
• rekombinantní proteiny MeSH
• vakuolární protonové ATPasy MeSH

A tyrosine kinase inhibitor, vandetanib (Van), is an anticancer drug affecting the signaling of VEGFR, EGFR and RET protooncogenes. Van is primarily used for the treatment of advanced or metastatic medullary thyroid cancer; however, its usage is significantly limited by side effects, particularly cardiotoxicity. One approach to minimize them is the encapsulation or binding of Van in- or onto a suitable carrier, allowing targeted delivery to tumor tissue. Herein, we constructed a nanocarrier based on apoferritin associated with Van (ApoVan). Based on the characteristics obtained by analyzing the average size, the surface ζ-potential and the polydispersive index, ApoVan nanoparticles exhibit long-term stability and maintain their morphology. Experiments have shown that ApoVan complex is relatively stable during storage. It was found that Van is gradually released from its ApoVan form into the neutral environment (pH 7.4) as well as into the acidic environment (pH 6.5). The effect of free Van and ApoVan on neuroblastoma and medullary thyroid carcinoma cell lines revealed that both forms were toxic in both used cell lines, and minimal differences between ApoVan and Van were observed. Thus, we assume that Van might not be encapsulated into the cavity of apoferritin, but instead only binds to its surface.

• Klíčová slova
• apoferritin, cancer targeting, medullary thyroid cancer, neuroblastoma, vandetanib,
• MeSH
• apoferritiny chemie   farmakokinetika   MeSH
• chinazoliny chemie   farmakokinetika   MeSH
• koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nanočástice chemie   MeSH
• piperidiny chemie   farmakokinetika   MeSH
• stabilita léku MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• apoferritiny MeSH
• chinazoliny MeSH
• piperidiny MeSH
• vandetanib MeSH Prohlížeč

INTRODUCTION: The present study reports on examination of the effects of encapsulating the tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) vandetanib and lenvatinib into a biomacromolecular ferritin-based delivery system. METHODS: The encapsulation of TKIs was performed via two strategies: i) using an active reversible pH-dependent reassembly of ferritin´s quaternary structure and ii) passive loading of hydrophobic TKIs through the hydrophobic channels at the junctions of ferritin subunits. After encapsulation, ferritins were surface-functionalized with folic acid promoting active-targeting capabilities. RESULTS: The physico-chemical and nanomechanical analyses revealed that despite the comparable encapsulation efficiencies of both protocols, the active loading affects stability and rigidity of ferritins, plausibly due to their imperfect reassembly. Biological experiments with hormone-responsive breast cancer cells (T47-D and MCF-7) confirmed the cytotoxicity of encapsulated and folate-targeted TKIs to folate-receptor positive cancer cells, but only limited cytotoxic effects to healthy breast epithelium. Importantly, the long-term cytotoxic experiments revealed that compared to the pH-dependent encapsulation, the passively-loaded TKIs exert markedly higher anticancer activity, most likely due to undesired influence of harsh acidic environment used for the pH-dependent encapsulation on the TKIs' structural and functional properties. CONCLUSION: Since the passive loading does not require a reassembly step for which acids are needed, the presented investigation serves as a solid basis for future studies focused on encapsulation of small hydrophobic molecules.

• Klíčová slova
• drug delivery, lenvatinib, nanomedicine, vandetanib,
• MeSH
• biokompatibilní materiály chemie   MeSH
• buněčná smrt účinky léků   MeSH
• buněčné klony MeSH
• buněčné linie MeSH
• chinazoliny chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• chinoliny chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• difuze MeSH
• fenylmočovinové sloučeniny chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• ferritiny chemie   MeSH
• inhibitory proteinkinas farmakologie   MeSH
• koncentrace vodíkových iontů MeSH
• koně MeSH
• kyselina listová chemie   MeSH
• lékové transportní systémy * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nosiče léků chemie   MeSH
• piperidiny chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• pohyb buněk účinky léků   MeSH
• povrchové vlastnosti MeSH
• protinádorové látky farmakologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• biokompatibilní materiály MeSH
• chinazoliny MeSH
• chinoliny MeSH
• fenylmočovinové sloučeniny MeSH
• ferritiny MeSH
• inhibitory proteinkinas MeSH
• kyselina listová MeSH
• lenvatinib MeSH Prohlížeč
• nosiče léků MeSH
• piperidiny MeSH
• protinádorové látky MeSH
• vandetanib MeSH Prohlížeč

The metabolism of vandetanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used for treatment of symptomatic/progressive medullary thyroid cancer, was studied using human hepatic microsomes, recombinant cytochromes P450 (CYPs) and flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs). The role of CYPs and FMOs in the microsomal metabolism of vandetanib to N-desmethylvandetanib and vandetanib-N-oxide was investigated by examining the effects of CYP/FMO inhibitors and by correlating CYP-/FMO-catalytic activities in each microsomal sample with the amounts of N-desmethylvandetanib/vandetanib-N-oxide formed by these samples. CYP3A4/FMO-activities significantly correlated with the formation of N-desmethylvandetanib/ vandetanib-N-oxide. Based on these studies, most of the vandetanib metabolism was attributed to N-desmethylvandetanib/vandetanib-N-oxide to CYP3A4/FMO3. Recombinant CYP3A4 was most efficient to form N-desmethylvandetanib, while FMO1/FMO3 generated N-oxide. Cytochrome b5 stimulated the CYP3A4-catalyzed formation of N-desmethylvandetanib, which is of great importance because CYP3A4 is not only most efficient in generating N-desmethylvandetanib, but also most significant due to its high expression in human liver. Molecular modeling indicated that binding of more than one molecule of vandetanib into the CYP3A4-active center can be responsible for the high efficiency of CYP3A4 N-demethylating vandetanib. Indeed, the CYP3A4-mediated reaction exhibits kinetics of positive cooperativity and this corresponded to the in silico model, where two vandetanib molecules were found in CYP3A4-active center.

• Klíčová slova
• cytochromes P450, flavin-containing monoxygenases, metabolism, tyrosine kinase inhibitor, vandetanib,
• MeSH
• chinazoliny chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• cytochrom P-450 CYP3A chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• enzymy chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• inhibitory proteinkinas chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• jaterní mikrozomy metabolismus   MeSH
• králíci MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• molekulární konformace MeSH
• molekulární modely MeSH
• molekulární struktura MeSH
• myši MeSH
• oxidace-redukce * MeSH
• piperidiny chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• protinádorové látky chemie   farmakologie   MeSH
• rekombinantní proteiny MeSH
• vztah mezi dávkou a účinkem léčiva MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• králíci MeSH
• krysa rodu Rattus MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• Názvy látek
• chinazoliny MeSH
• cytochrom P-450 CYP3A MeSH
• enzymy MeSH
• inhibitory proteinkinas MeSH
• piperidiny MeSH
• protinádorové látky MeSH
• rekombinantní proteiny MeSH
• vandetanib MeSH Prohlížeč

Herein, we describe the in vivo effects of doxorubicin (DOX) encapsulated in ubiquitous protein apoferritin (APO) and its efficiency and safety in anti-tumor treatment. APODOX is both passively (through Enhanced Permeability and Retention effect) and actively targeted to tumors through prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) via mouse antibodies conjugated to the surface of horse spleen APO. To achieve site-directed conjugation of the antibodies, a HWRGWVC heptapeptide linker was used. The prostate cancer-targeted and non-targeted nanocarriers were tested using subcutaneously implanted LNCaP cells in athymic mice models, and compared to free DOX. Prostate cancer-targeted APODOX retained the high potency of DOX in attenuation of tumors (with 55% decrease in tumor volume after 3 weeks of treatment). DOX and non-targeted APODOX treatment caused damage to liver, kidney and heart tissues. In contrast, no elevation in liver or kidney enzymes and negligible changes were revealed by histological assessment in prostate cancer-targeted APODOX-treated mice. Overall, we show that the APO nanocarrier provides an easy encapsulation protocol, reliable targeting, high therapeutic efficiency and very low off-target toxicity, and is thus a promising delivery system for translation into clinical use.

• MeSH
• antigeny povrchové imunologie   MeSH
• apoferritiny škodlivé účinky   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• doxorubicin škodlivé účinky   analogy a deriváty   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• glutamátkarboxypeptidasa II imunologie   MeSH
• heterografty MeSH
• imunokonjugáty terapeutické užití   MeSH
• játra účinky léků   MeSH
• ledviny účinky léků   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• myši inbrední BALB C MeSH
• myši nahé MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nádorové buněčné linie MeSH
• nádory prostaty farmakoterapie   terapie   MeSH
• nanokonjugáty terapeutické užití   MeSH
• srdce účinky léků   MeSH
• výsledek terapie MeSH
• xenogenní modely - testy protinádorové aktivity MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• antigeny povrchové MeSH
• apoferritin doxorubicin MeSH Prohlížeč
• apoferritiny MeSH
• doxorubicin MeSH
• FOLH1 protein, human MeSH Prohlížeč
• glutamátkarboxypeptidasa II MeSH
• imunokonjugáty MeSH
• nanokonjugáty MeSH