Methyl-to-Ethyl Replacement Makes the Difference: Structure-Guided Design of a New Cancer Vaccine Based on a Tn An-gen Surrogate
- Foivos S. Lazaris 1
- Iris A. Bermejo 1
- Ana Guerreiro 2
- A. Avenoza Aznar 1
- J.H. Busto Sancirián 1
- F M. García Martín 1
- Gonçalo J. L. Bernardes 23
- R. Hurtado-Guerrero 4
- Roberto Fiammengo 5
- A. Martínez Ramírez 6
- J.M. Peregrina García 1
- F. Corzana López 1
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1
Universidad de La Rioja
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2
Universidade de Lisboa
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3
University of Cambridge
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4
Universidad de Zaragoza
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5
University of Verona
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6
Centro de Investigación Biomédica de La Rioja
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Año de publicación: 2023
Congreso: VI RSEQ Chemical Biology Group Meeting - ChemBio VI (6º. 2023. Valencia)
Tipo: Póster de Congreso
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2020/00080/001
Resumen
Mucins are large extracellular glycoproteins that exhibit different glycosylation patterns and post-translational modifications between healthy and cancer cells[1]. Mucin 1 (MUC1) is a common glycoprotein in cancer cells that plays a multifaceted role in cancer development, cell proliferation, and migration[2,3]. These properties make MUC1 an excellent antigen for cancer vaccine candidates. Several works[3,4] have used MUC1-derived GalNAc glycopeptides, especially the sequence APDT(α-O-GalNAc-Thr)RP, for cancer vaccine development but with limited success due to the low immunogenicity and stability of the glycopeptide. We have developed a novel Tn antigen following a structure-guided design in which the threonine of the above sequence has been replaced by the unnatural amino acid L-4-hydroxynorvaline (Hnv) to increase the antigen/antibody affinity. We have confirmed by X-crystallography analysis of the complex that the ethyl group at the Cβ of the unnatural residue favors the CH/π interactions between the Tn antigen and the SM3 antibody, resulting in a slight increase in affinity due to enthalpy-entropy balance. The chemical modification (HnvThr) allows the synthetic glycopeptide to exhibit similar properties to the naturally occurring derivative, similar serum stability, and a similar conformational landscape in solution. A vaccination campaign in mice is currently underway in which the synthetic antigen has been conjugated to evaluate the biological impact of this chemical modification.