According to the CDC, 34.9% of United States adults are obese, which is linked to premature death, heart disease, cancer, respiratory disorders, fertility problems, Type 2 diabetes, and stroke. Over‐ and under‐eating are related to brain chemistry. A 38 amino acid peptide hormone in the hypothalamus, pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating peptide (PACAP), may be linked to eating disorders. PACAP binds to PACAP type 1 receptor (PAC1R), a G‐protein coupled receptor. Seven hydrophobic transmembrane (TM) domains hold PAC1R in hypothalamic cell membranes. PAC1R's extracellular domain (ECD) contains a ligand binding site. PAC1R's many negative residues attract PACAP's many positive ECD residues. PACAP's V19, K20, and L27 affect PACAP binding to PAC1R. K20 forms a possible salt bridge with PAC1R's G104, allowing PACAP to align parallel to PAC1R so PACAP's N‐terminus interacts with PAC1R's TM domains. This activates PAC1R, sending a signal inside the cell. Too much PACAP may cause a person to stop eating and lead to eating disorders. PACAP6‐38 is an antagonist formed when a protease removes the first five PACAP residues. When PACAP6‐38 binds to PAC1R, eating increases, possibly leading to obesity. SuJean Choi, PhD wants to determine how ratios of PACAP and PACA6‐38 are regulated. The Greenfield SMART (Students Modeling A Research Topic) Team modeled PAC1R's ECD and its two ligands, PACAP and PACAP6‐38, using 3D printing technology to investigate their relationships. Studying PACAP and PACAP6‐38 regulation and brain chemistry involved in eating behaviors could improve people's lives and decrease obesity‐related US medical costs. Program supported by NIH‐CTSA.

Abstract BACKGROUND: Mutation or inactivation of the retinoblastoma protein is frequently involved in prostate cancer tumorigenesis resulting in overexpression/deregulation of E2F activity. E2F1-3a overexpression induces genes involved in DNA synthesis and leads to abnormal cellular proliferation, tumor growth, and invasion. Therefore, inhibiting the overexpression of one or more activating E2Fs is a recognized target in cancer therapeutics. In our previous studies we showed that a novel penetratin conjugated 7-mer peptide (PEP) bound tightly to an immobilized consensus E2F1 promoter sequence, was cytotoxic at low micro molar concentrations to many malignant cell lines and as the PEP was unstable in serum, the PEP was encapsulated in PEGylated liposomes and treatment of tumor xenografts of small cell lung cancer H-69 and DU145 tumors propagated in mice caused tumor regression. OBJECTIVE: To determine the antitumor activity and stability of two different modified penetratin peptides: D-Arg PEP (substituting L-Arginine with D-Arginine in the peptide sequence) and N-acetylated as well as C-methylated PEP analog. METHODS: DU145 (prostate cancer) and H196 (small cell lung cancer) cells were used. To compare the efficacy of the peptides, we tested the IC50s of peptides at different time points using the MTS assay. Drug combination experiment results were analyzed using the combination index (CI) method. Peptide conformational studies were carried out using the Amber 12 suite of biomolecular simulation programs. RESULTS: Molecular simulation studies showed that the D-Arg PEP secondary structure is more stable than the L-Arg peptide structure in water. D-Arg PEP was more potent compared to L-Arg PEP, and it was also found to be more resistant to degradation by serum proteases than the L-form. The other modified form, N-acetylated, C-methylated PEP was marginally more effective than the unmodified PEP. Drug combination studies showed that the D-Arg PEP in combination with docetaxel, caused synergistic cytotoxicity against DU 145 cells. Our findings validate D-Arg peptide, an inhibitor of E2F1and 3a transcription, as a drug candidate for targeted molecular therapy of prostate cancers with elevated levels of activated E2F’s. Studies in progress are evaluating the combination of the PEGylated liposome encapsulated D-Arg PEP in combination with docetaxel against DU145 xenografts and against primary prostate cancer cells. Supported in part by a grant from the Lung Cancer Research Foundation. Citation Format: Tazeem Shaik, Nitu Bansal, Nadine Johnson Farley, John Kerrigan, Olga Garbuzenko, Tamara Minko, Emine Abali, Zoltan Szekely, Kathleen Scotto, Debabrata Banerjee, Joseph Bertino. Antitumor studies of an E2f1 promoter sequence binding peptide - penetratin conjugate as a molecule targeting E2f in prostate cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 1237. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-1237

We describe a preterm neonate with bilateral coloboma of the iris, upper and lower limb malformations including rocker bottom feet, camptodactyly, and clinodactyly together with microcephaly and small for gestational age whom cytogenetic diagnosis using SNP microarray detected an interstitial deletion of chromosome 2 between 2q31.1 and 33.1.

E2F1-3a overexpression due to amplification or to mutation or loss of the retinoblastoma gene, induces genes involved in DNA synthesis and leads to abnormal cellular proliferation, tumor growth, and invasion. Therefore, inhibiting the overexpression of one or more of these activating E2Fs is a recognized target in cancer therapeutics. In previous studies we identified by phage display, a novel 7-mer peptide (PEP) that bound tightly to an immobilized consensus E2F1 promoter sequence, and when conjugated to penetratin to increase its uptake into cells, was cytotoxic to several malignant cell lines and human prostate and small cell lung cancer xenografts. Based on molecular simulation studies that showed that the D-Arg penetratin peptide (D-Arg PEP) secondary structure is more stable than the L-Arg PEP, the L-Arg in the peptide was substituted with D-Arg. In vitro studies confirmed that it was more stable than the L- form and was more cytotoxic as compared to the L-Arg PEP when tested against the human castrate resistant cell line, DU145 and the human lung cancer H196 cell line. When encapsulated in PEGylated liposomes, the D-Arg-PEP potently inhibited growth of the DU145 xenograft in mice. Our findings validate D- Arg PEP, an inhibitor of E2F1and 3a transcription, as an improved second generation drug candidate for targeted molecular therapy of cancers with elevated levels of activated E2F(s).

E2F-1, a key transcription factor necessary for cell growth, DNA repair and differentiation, is an attractive target for development of useful anticancer drugs in tumors that are E2F "oncogene addicted". A peptide, isolated from phage clones, based on its binding to an E2F-1 consensus sequence, was cytotoxic against a wide range of cancer cell lines.The peptide was coupled to penetratin (PEP) and tested against prostate cancer cell lines. As the PEP was found to be relatively unstable in serum, it was encapsulated in PEGylated liposomes for in vivo studies.The peptide was cytotoxic against prostate cell lines at low micromolar concentrations. Treatment of mice bearing the human Du-145 human prostate tumor with the PEP encapsulated in PEGylated liposomes (PL-PEP) caused tumor regression without significant toxicity.The liposome encapsulated PEP has promise as an antitumor agent, alone or in combination with inhibitors of DNA synthesis.