Open AccessA bispecific enediyne-energized fusion protein targeting both epidermal growth factor receptor and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor showing enhanced antitumor efficacy against non-small cell lung cancer
Author(s) -
Xiaofang Guo,
Xiaofei Zhu,
Haiying Cao,
Genshen Zhong,
Liang Li,
Baoguo Deng,
Ping Chen,
Peizhen Wang,
Miao Qin,
YongSu Zhen
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
oncotarget
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.373
H-Index - 127
ISSN - 1949-2553
DOI - 10.18632/oncotarget.15933
Subject(s) - epidermal growth factor receptor , medicine , cancer research , lung cancer , cancer , oncology , pharmacology
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) both overexpressed on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and are known cooperatively to promote tumor progression and drug resistance. This study was to construct a novel bispecific fusion protein EGF-IGF-LDP-AE consisting of EGFR and IGF-IR specific ligands (EGF and IGF-1) and lidamycin, an enediyne antibiotic with potent antitumor activity, and investigate its antitumor efficacy against NSCLC. Binding and internalization assays showed that EGF-IGF-LDP protein could bind to NSCLC cells with high affinity and then internalized into cells with higher efficiency than that of monospecific proteins. In vitro, the enediyne-energized analogue of bispecific fusion protein (EGF-IGF-LDP-AE) displayed extremely potent cytotoxicity to NSCLC cell lines with IC50<10-11 mol/L. Moreover, the bispecific protein EGF-IGF-LDP-AE was more cytotoxic than monospecific proteins (EGF-LDP-AE and LDP-IGF-AE) and lidamycin. In vivo, EGF-IGF-LDP-AE markedly inhibited the growth of A549 xenografts, and the efficacy was more potent than that of lidamycin and monospecific counterparts. EGF-IGF-LDP-AE caused significant cell cycle arrest and it also induced cell apoptosis in a dosage-dependent manner. Pretreatment with EGF-IGF-LDP-AE inhibited EGF-, IGF-stimulated EGFR and IGF-1R phosphorylation, and blocked two main downstream signaling molecules AKT and ERK activation. These data suggested that EGF-LDP-IGF-AE protein would be a promising targeted agent for NSCLC patients with EGFR and/or IGF-1R overexpression.