Albumin-Binding Prodrugs of Camptothecin and Doxorubicin with an Ala-Leu-Ala-Leu-Linker That Are Cleaved by Cathepsin B: Synthesis and Antitumor Efficacy

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Item Type:	Article
Title:	Albumin-Binding Prodrugs of Camptothecin and Doxorubicin with an Ala-Leu-Ala-Leu-Linker That Are Cleaved by Cathepsin B: Synthesis and Antitumor Efficacy
Creators Name:	Schmid, B., Chung, D.E., Warnecke, A., Fichtner, I. and Kratz, F.
Abstract:	We have recently validated a macromolecular prodrug strategy for improved cancer chemotherapy based on two features: (a) rapid and selective binding of thiol-reactive prodrugs to the cysteine-34 position of endogenous albumin and (b) acid-sensitive promoted or enzymatic release of the drug at the tumor site [Kratz, F., Warnecke, A., Scheuemann, K., Stockmar, C., Schwab, J., Lazar, P., Druckes, P., Esser, N., Drevs, J., Rognan, D., Bissantz, C., Hinderling, C., Folkers, G., Fichtner, I., and Unger, C. (2002) J. Med. Chem. 45, 5523-33]. In the present work, we developed water-soluble camptothecin (CPT) and doxorubicin (DOXO) prodrugs that incorporate the peptide linker Ala-Leu-Ala-Leu that serves as a substrate for the tumor-associated protease, cathepsin B, which is overexpressed in several solid tumors. Consequently, two albumin-binding prodrugs were synthesized [EMC-Arg-Arg-Ala-Leu-Ala-Leu-Ala-CPT (1) and EMC-Arg-Arg-Ala-Leu-Ala-Leu-DOXO (2) (EMC = 6-maleimidocaproic acid)]. Both prodrugs exhibited excellent water-solubility and bound rapidly and selectively to the cysteine-34 position of endogenous albumin. Further in vitro studies showed that the albumin-bound form of the prodrugs was cleaved specifically by cathepsin B as well as in human tumor homogenates. Major cleavage products were CPT-peptide derivatives and CPT for the CPT prodrug and H-Leu-Ala-Leu-DOXO, H-Leu-DOXO, and DOXO for the doxorubicin prodrug. In vivo, 1 was superior to free camptothecin in an HT-29 human colon xenograft model; the antitumor efficacy of prodrug 2 was comparable to that of free doxorubicin in the M-3366 mamma carcinoma xenograft model at equimolar doses.
Keywords:	Antineoplastic Agents, Breast Neoplasms, Camptothecin, Cathepsin B, Doxorubicin, Inbred Strains Mice, Oligopeptides, Prodrugs, Serum Albumin, Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays, Animals, Mice
Source:	Bioconjugate Chemistry
ISSN:	1043-1802
Publisher:	American Chemical Society
Volume:	18
Number:	3
Page Range:	702-716
Date:	May 2007
Official Publication:	https://doi.org/10.1021/bc0602735
PubMed:	View item in PubMed

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