title: Multivalent antiviral XTEN-peptide conjugates with long in vivo half-life and enhanced solubility.
abstract: XTENs are unstructured, nonrepetitive protein polymers designed to prolong the in vivo half-life of pharmaceuticals by introducing a bulking effect similar to that of poly(ethylene glycol). While XTEN can be expressed as a recombinant fusion protein with bioactive proteins and peptides, therapeutic molecules of interest can also be chemically conjugated to XTEN. Such an approach permits precise control over the positioning, spacing, and valency of bioactive moieties along the length of XTEN. We have demonstrated the attachment of T-20, an anti-retroviral peptide indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 patients with multidrug resistance, to XTEN. By reacting maleimide-functionalized T-20 with cysteine-containing XTENs and varying the number and positioning of cysteines in the XTENs, a library of different peptide-polymer combinations were produced. The T-20-XTEN conjugates were tested using an in vitro antiviral assay and were found to be effective in inhibiting HIV-1 entry and preventing cell death, with the copy number and spacing of the T-20 peptides influencing antiviral activity. The peptide-XTEN conjugates were also discovered to have enhanced solubilities in comparison with the native T-20 peptide. The pharmacokinetic profile of the most active T-20-XTEN conjugate was measured in rats, and it was found to exhibit an elimination half-life of 55.7 ± 17.7 h, almost 20 times longer than the reported half-life for T-20 dosed in rats. As the conjugation of T-20 to XTEN greatly improved the in vivo half-life and solubility of the peptide, the XTEN platform has been demonstrated to be a versatile tool for improving the properties of drugs and enabling the development of a class of next-generation therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: Amunix Operating Inc. , 500 Ellis Street, Mountain View, California 94043 United States.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Bee-Cheng
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Sim
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Vladimir N
authors.initials: VN
authors.lastname: Podust
authors.forename: Chia-Wei
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bryant
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: McLaughlin
authors.forename: Trishul P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lax
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gast
authors.forename: Rahul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharan
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vasek
authors.forename: M Amanda
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Deniston
authors.forename: Prathna
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Srinivas
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schellenberger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D053767:Glucagon-Like Peptide 2 / Q000737:chemistry; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology; D012995:Solubility; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D053767:Glucagon-Like Peptide 2; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011108:Polymers; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols