Cyclic alphavbeta6-targeting peptide selected from biopanning with clinical potential for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
A cyclic peptide-displaying phage library was used for biopanning on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells to identify cancer-targeting peptides. This study was designed to characterize the receptor specificity of a candidate phage clone/peptide (phage/peptide-29) and to explore the clinical potential of this peptide.


METHODS
Immunofluorescent confocal microscopy, phage binding assay, and immunohistochemical studies were used to demonstrate the receptor specificity of phage/peptide-29. The effect of peptide-29 on the proliferation of OSCC cells was studied using 3-dimensional (3D) cell cultures.


RESULTS
Phage/peptide-29 preferentially binds integrin alphavbeta6 rather than other alphav-associated integrins. Peptide-29 significantly inhibits the proliferation of OSCC cells in 3D cell cultures. On human pathological sections, phage-29 targets oral cancer cells in a alphavbeta6-dependent manner. Besides, we showed that integrin alphavbeta6 is universally (94.7%, 36/38) expressed in all major kinds of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC).


CONCLUSIONS
Peptide-29 selected from biopanning may have clinical potential for HNSCC.
Hsiao
Jenn-Ren
JR
Department of Otolaryngology, National Cheng Kung University Medical College and Hospital, Tainan, Taiwan.
Chang
Yao
Y
Chen
Yuh-Ling
YL
Hsieh
Su-Huei
SH
Hsu
Keng-Fu
KF
Wang
Chun-Fu
CF
Tsai
Sen-Tien
ST
Jin
Ying-Tai
YT
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D016023:Integrins; D019151:Peptide Library; D010455:Peptides; C073878:integrin alphavbeta6