Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40307853›Full record

ArticleJournal of translational medicine2025

An optimized integrin α6-targeted peptide capable of delivering toxins for melanoma treatment.

Zheng Zhao, Zi-Qian Li, Ying-Bin Huang, Meng-Meng Liu, Fei Cao, Guo-Long Bu, Peng-Fei Xu, Qi Fang, Zhu-Long Hu, Di Wu and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of translational medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Zheng Zhao *State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China.
Zi-Qian Li *State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China.
Ying-Bin HuangOrgan Transplantation Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, People's Republic of China.
Meng-Meng LiuDepartment of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital Jiangxi Medical College Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330000, People's Republic of China.
Fei CaoState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China.
Guo-Long BuState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China.
Peng-Fei XuState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China.
Qi FangState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China.
Zhu-Long HuState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China.
Di WuState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China. wudi1@sysucc.org.cn.
Guo-Kai FengState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China. fengguok@sysucc.org.cn.
Xue-Kui LiuState Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Diagnosis and Therapy, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, People's Republic of China. liuxk@sysucc.org.cn.

Funding

Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province 2021A1515111157National Natural Science Foundation of China 82203230National Natural Science Foundation of China 82203301Science and Technology Projects in Guangzhou 2023A04J1761Science and Technology Projects in Guangzhou 2023A04J2145
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeptide-based therapeutics for melanoma have received increasing attention in medical research. However, the local delivery of such therapeutics poses unique challenges. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) with the ability to selectively enter cancer cells, with sufficient stability and increased endosomal escape mechanisms, can provide a new and improved delivery strategy for therapeutic agents for treating cancer.

methodsWe developed a new combination strategy for the synthesis of penetrating peptides functionalized with targeting of integrin α6. The linear peptide S5 was multimerized with 4 copies in linear sequential order spaced by GSG between each copy to yield the 4S5 peptide. The multimerized 4S5 peptide coupled with an intracellular delivery peptide (N) and endosomal escape peptide (G) was separated by a GGS spacer. This optimized peptide was called 4S5NG. The 4S5NG, EGFP or PE24 peptide-protein conjugates were purified via a C-terminal His-tag. The uptake efficacy, intracellular distribution and integrin α6-targeting ability of these 4S5NG peptides were systematically characterized via IncuCyte, flow cytometry and in vivo imaging using 4S5NG-Cy5 or 4S5NG-EGFP. Moreover, 4S5NG-incorporated Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PE24) exotoxin A generated therapeutic peptides. The antitumor efficacy and underlying mechanism were studied in cell lines and a mouse model. In addition, the effect of 4S5NG-PE24 on antitumor immunity of a healthy immune system was investigated via a mouse model.

resultsImages of living cells and mice indicated that 4S5NG accumulated at tumor sites in vitro and in vivo and was much more effective than the S5 and 4S5 peptides. 4S5NG-PE24 induced cell pyroptosis in integrin α6-expressing melanoma through the caspase 3/gasdermin E (GSDME) signaling pathway in the absence of histological alterations in other organs. 4S5NG-PE24 also promoted the response rate of programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) checkpoint blockade to increase antitumor efficacy.

conclusionsCollectively, these results highlight the potential use of 4S5NG to deliver the toxin PE24 to selectively eliminate integrin α6

Indexed as

Cell-Penetrating PeptidesDrug Delivery SystemsMelanomaPeptidesAnimalsCell Line, TumorHumansMiceCell-Penetrating PeptidesPeptides4S5NG CPPAntitumor immunityIntegrin α6MelanomaPyroptosis

Identifiers

PMID40307853
PMCPMC12044807

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.