Development of New Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone-Modified Dendrimer Platforms with Direct Antiproliferative and Gonadotropin Releasing Activity

J Med Chem. 2017 Oct 26;60(20):8309-8320. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b01771. Epub 2017 Oct 11.

Abstract

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists (e.g., triptorelin) are used for androgen suppression therapy. They possess improved stability as compared to the natural GnRH, yet they suffer from a poor pharmacokinetic profile. To address this, we used a GnRH peptide-modified dendrimer platform with and without lipidation strategy. Dendrimers were synthesized on a polylysine core and bore either native GnRH (1, 2, and 5) or lipid-modified GnRH (3 and 4). Compound 3, which bore a lipidic moiety in a branched tetramer structure, showed approximately 10-fold higher permeability and metabolic stability and 39 times higher antitumor activity against hormone-resistant prostate cancer cells (DU145) relative to triptorelin. In gonadotropin-release experiments, dendrimer 3 was shown to be the most potent construct. Dendrimer 3 showed similar luteinizing hormone (LH)-release activity to triptorelin in mice. Our findings indicate that dendrimer 3 is a promising analog with higher potency for the treatment of hormone-resistant prostate cancer than the currently available GnRH agonists.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Caco-2 Cells
  • Cell Membrane Permeability / drug effects
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Dendrimers / chemistry
  • Dendrimers / pharmacokinetics
  • Dendrimers / pharmacology*
  • Follicle Stimulating Hormone / metabolism
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / agonists*
  • Gonadotropins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Luteinizing Hormone / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Triptorelin Pamoate / pharmacology

Substances

  • Dendrimers
  • Gonadotropins
  • Triptorelin Pamoate
  • Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
  • Luteinizing Hormone
  • Follicle Stimulating Hormone