One-month zero-order sustained release and tumor eradication after a single subcutaneous injection of interferon alpha fused with a body-temperature-responsive polypeptide

Biomater Sci. 2018 Dec 18;7(1):104-112. doi: 10.1039/c8bm01096j.

Abstract

Most therapeutic proteins except antibodies necessitate frequent dosing at high concentrations due to their short circulation half-lives, leading to limited therapeutic efficacy, serious adverse side effects and poor patient compliance. Herein we report a strategy of thermoresponsive polypeptide fusion to genetically engineer a super-long-acting interferon alpha fused with a body-temperature-responsive polypeptide. After a single subcutaneous injection in a mouse model, this interferon alpha can in situ form a depot to show a one-month zero-order sustained release, which would enable a once-trimonthly dosing in humans. As a result, it exhibits greatly enhanced tumor accumulation and tumor eradication as well as substantially improved tolerability and biosafety. This strategy provides a promising solution to dramatically enhance the pharmacological performance of therapeutic proteins with short circulation half-lives while reducing the side effects.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Temperature
  • Delayed-Action Preparations / administration & dosage
  • Delayed-Action Preparations / chemistry
  • Delayed-Action Preparations / pharmacokinetics
  • Delayed-Action Preparations / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Interferon-alpha / administration & dosage
  • Interferon-alpha / chemistry
  • Interferon-alpha / pharmacokinetics
  • Interferon-alpha / therapeutic use*
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / pathology
  • Peptides / administration & dosage
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / pharmacokinetics
  • Peptides / therapeutic use*
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / administration & dosage
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / chemistry
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacokinetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Delayed-Action Preparations
  • Interferon-alpha
  • Peptides
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins