Antitumor Activity and Mechanism of Action of the Hormonotoxin, an LHRH Analog Conjugated to Dermaseptin-B2, a Multifunctional Antimicrobial Peptide

Abstract Prostate cancer represents the most common cancer in men. For patients with advanced or metastatic form, treatments will be able to slow down the progression but cannot cure it even with the used of new targeted therapies. In this context, the development of innovative drugs resulting from the exploration of biodiversity could open new therapeutic alternatives. Dermaseptin-B2 (DRS-B2), a natural multifunctional antimicrobial peptide isolated from the Amazonian frog skin, has been reported to possess antitumor and antiangiogenic activities. To improve DRS-B2 pharmacological properties and target prostate tumor cells more specifically, we have developed a chimeric molecule, called Hormonotoxin (H-B2) which is composed of a DRS-B2 combined with a hormonal analog, d-Lys6-LHRH, to target LHRH-Receptor which is overexpressed in more than 85% of prostate cancers. In vitro H-B2 has a significant antiproliferative effect on the PC3 tumor cell line, with an IC50 value close to that of DRS-B2. The antitumor activity of H-B2 was confirmed in vivo in mouse model xenografted with PC3 tumors and appears to be better tolerated than DRS-B2. Biophysical experiments showed that the addition of the hormonal analog to DRS-B2 did not alter either its secondary structure or its biological activity. Combination of different experimental approaches indicated that H-B2 induces cell death by an apoptotic mechanism whereas DRS-B2 was shown to induce it by necrosis. These results could explain the H-B2 less toxicity compared to DRS-B2. H-B2 represents a promising targeting approach for cancer therapy.