WO2013022092A1 - Heptamer-type small guide nucleic acid capable of inducing apoptosis of human hematologic cancer cells - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are: a heptamer-type small guide (sg) nucleic acid which can induce the apoptosis of at least two types of human hematologic cancer cells and comprises any seven nucleotide sequences selected from SEQ ID NO: 1 to SEQ ID NO: 12; and a therapeutic agent for cancer, which contains the heptamer-type small guide nucleic acid as an active ingredient. A novel heptamer-type sg nucleic acid can be provided, which can induce the apoptosis of at least two types of hematologic cancer cells.

Description

Heptamer-type small guide nucleic acid that induces apoptosis of human hematological cancer cells

The present invention relates to a heptamer-type small guide nucleic acid that efficiently induces apoptosis of human cancer cells by TRUE gene silencing.

The inventors of the present invention, TRUE gene silencing ^{(tR Nase Z L - u tilizing} ef ficaciousgene silencing) are developing a new gene silencing technology named (Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 1-4). tRNase Z ^L is an enzyme with a large molecular weight of endoribonuclease (tRNase Z or 3'tRNase) that processes the 3 'end of tRNA, and excises the 3' end of precursor tRNA (Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Documents 5 and 6). This TRUE gene silencing can cleave any portion of RNA by recognizing the pre-tRNA-like or micro-pre-tRNA-like complex formed by the target RNA and the synthetic small guide nucleic acid Based on the unique enzymatic properties of mammalian tRNase Z ^L (Non-patent Documents 7-13). Small guide nucleic acids (particularly small guide RNA) are 5′-half tRNA (Non-patent Document 8), 12-16-nt linear RNA (Non-patent Document 13), heptamer RNA (Non-patent Document 9), and hook type. There are four types of RNA (Non-patent Document 12).

The inventors have introduced a small guide nucleic acid (hereinafter sometimes referred to as sg nucleic acid) targeting various mRNAs into various mammals by introducing the expression plasmid or 2′-O-methyl RNAs. It demonstrates the effectiveness of TRUE gene silencing in cells (Non-Patent Documents 1-4). For example, HIV-1 expression in Jurkat cells was suppressed for more than 18 days by 5′-halfstRNA type sgRNA (Non-patent Document 2), and luciferase expression in mouse liver was suppressed by heptamer-type sg nucleic acid (Non-patent Document 3). ). Furthermore, the effect of TRUE gene silencing is equivalent to RNA interference (RNA interference: RNAi) (Non-Patent Documents 3 and 14), and in some cases, it has been confirmed that it exceeds the effect of RNAi (Non-patent) Reference 4).

Recently, the inventors have found that tRNase Z ^L is present not only in the nucleus but also in the cytosol, and that the same 5′-half tRNA used as sg nucleic acid is present in the cytoplasm. (Non-patent Document 15). We also found that human cytosolic tRNase Z ^L regulates gene expression by cleaving mRNA under the direction of 5'-half tRNA, and PPM1F mRNA is the true target of tRNase Z ^L (Non-patent Document 15). Furthermore, the inventors have demonstrated that part of the microRNA containing miR-103 acts as a hook-type sg nucleic acid and can down-regulate gene expression via mRNA cleavage by cytosolic tRNase Z ^L (Non-patent document 16). From the above, it is clear that TRUE gene silencing functions on the basis of the newly elucidated physiological role of cytosolic tRNase Z ^L operated by small non-coding RNA in cells.

One of the ultimate goals of TRUE gene silencing is the use of sg nucleic acid as a therapeutic or prophylactic agent for diseases caused by expression of specific genes. For example, the inventors have already reported that intracellular mRNA levels encoding Bcl-2 and VEGF, which are promising as molecular targets for cancer treatment, are 5'-half tRNA type sg nucleic acid, 14-nt linear type sg It has been found that expression is suppressed by nucleic acid or heptamer-type sg nucleic acid (Non-patent Documents 1, 4, and 17).

When sg nucleic acid is used as a drug component, heptamer type sg nucleic acid is most preferable from a pharmacological viewpoint. This is because heptamers (7-base nucleic acids) can be synthesized much more easily and cheaply than long sg nucleic acids. In addition, heptamer-type sg nucleic acid can be easily taken into cells without using stimulants (such as transfection reagents) (Non-patent Document 18).
Japanese Patent No. 3660718 Tamura, M., Nashimoto, C., Miyake, N., Daikuhara, Y., Ochi, K. And Nashimoto, M. (2003) Intracellular mRNA cleavage by 3 ′ tRNase under the direction of 2′-O-methylRNA heptamers Nucleic Acids Res., 31, 4354-4360. Habu, Y., Miyano-Kurosaki, N., Kitano, M., Endo, Y., Yukita, M., Ohira, S., Takaku, H., Nashimoto, M. and Takaku, H. (2005) Inhibition of HIV-1 gene expression by retroviral vector-mediated small-guide RNAs that direct specific RNA cleavage by tRNase ZL. Nucleic Acids Res., 33, 235-243. Nakashima, A., Takaku, H., Shibata, HS, Negishi, Y., Takagi, M., Tamura, M. and Nashimoto, M. (2007) Gene-silencing by the tRNA maturase tRNase ZL under the direction of small guide RNA. Gene Therapy, 14, 78-85. Elbarbary, RA, Takaku, H., Tamura, M. And Nashimoto, M. (2009) Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor expression by TRUE gene silencing.Biochem.and Biophys.Res. Commun., 379, 924-927. Nashimoto, M. (1997) Distribution of both lengths and 5 ′ terminal nucleotides of mammalian pre-tRNA 3 ′ trailers representing properties of 3 ′ processing endoribonuclease. Nucleic Acids Res., 25, 1148-1155. Takaku, H., Minagawa, A., Masamichi, T. and Nashimoto, M. (2003) A candidate prostate cancer susceptibility gene encodes tRNA 3 ′ processing endoriobonuclease. Nucleic Acids Res., 31, 2272-2278. Nashimoto, M. (1995) Conversion of mammalian tRNA 3 ′ processing endoribonuclease to four-base-recognizing RNA cutters.Nucleic Acids Res., 23, 3642-3647. Nashimoto, M. (1996) Specific cleavage of target RNAs from HIV-1 with 5 ′ half tRNA by mammalian tRNA 3 ′ processing endoribonuclease. RNA, 2, 2523-2524. Nashimoto, M., Geary, S., Tamura, M. and Kasper, R. (1998) RNA heptamers that directs RNA cleavage by mammalian tRNA 3 ′ processing endoribonuclease. Nucleic Acids Res., 26, 2565-2571. Nashimoto, M. (2000) Anomalous RNA substrates for mammalian tRNA 3′processing endoribonuclease. FEBS Letters, 472, 179-186. Takaku, H., Minagawa, A., Takagi, M. And Nashimoto, M. (2004) The N-terminal half-domain of the long form of tRNase Z is required for the RNase 65 activity.Nucleic Acids Res., 32 , 4429-4438. Takaku, H., Minagawa, A., Takagi, M. And Nashimoto, M. (2004) A novel four-base-recognizing RNA cutter that can remove the single 3 ′ terminal nucleotides from RNA molecules.Nucleic Acids Res., 32 , e91. Shibata, HS, Takaku, H., Takagi, M. and Nashimoto, M. (2005) The T loop structure is dispensable for substrate recognition by tRNase ZL. J. Biol. Chem., 280, 22326-22334. Appasani, K. (2005) RNA interference technology: from basic science to drug development.Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Elbarbary, RA, Takaku, H., Uchiumi, N., Tamiya, H., Abe, M., Takahashi, M., Nishida, H. And Nashimoto, M. (2009) Modulation of gene expression by human cytosolic tRNase ZL through 5′-half-tRNA. PLoS ONE, 4, e5908. Elbarbary, RA, Takaku, H., Uchiumi, N., Tamiya, H., Abe, M., Nishida, H. And Nashimoto, M. (2009) Human cytosolic tRNase ZL can downregulate gene expression through miRNA.FEBS Lett. , 583, 3241-3246. Hu, W. and Kavanagh, JJ (2003) Anticancer therapy targeting the apoptotic pathway. Lancet Oncol., 4, 721-729. Loke, SL, Stein, CA, Zhang XH, Mori, K., Nakanishi, M., Subasinghe, C., Cohen, JS and Neckers, LM (1989) Characterization of oligonucleotide transport into living cells.Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 86, 3474-3478.

The inventors have shown that heptamer-type sg nucleic acid effectively suppresses the expression of genes related to carcinogenesis. However, from the viewpoint of cancer treatment, an effect of reliably killing cancer cells is required. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of convenience in production and use of drugs, heptamer-type sg nucleic acids that can target multiple types of cancer cells have a great advantage.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel heptamer type sg nucleic acid capable of inducing apoptosis of two or more kinds of blood cancer cells.

The present inventors have obtained at least two types of human blood cancer from a huge number of (A, U, G, C) ⁷ = 16,384 heptamer type small guide nucleic acids without affecting the survival of normal cells. Twelve heptamer-type small guide nucleic acids that effectively induce cell apoptosis were found and the present invention was completed. That is, this invention provides the following invention as what solves the said subject.
(1) A heptamer-type small guide nucleic acid consisting of a 7-base sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 12 that induces apoptosis of two or more types of human blood cancer cells.
(2) The heptamer type small guide nucleic acid according to (1) above, wherein the human blood cancer cells are human leukemia cells and human myeloma cells.
(3) The heptamer type small guide nucleic acid according to the above (1), wherein apoptosis of human hematological cancer cells is 80% or more cell death in 3 days.
(4) A cancer therapeutic agent containing one or more heptamer-type small guide nucleic acids according to (1) as an active ingredient.
(5) The cancer therapeutic agent according to (1) above, which is a therapeutic agent for human leukemia and human myeloma.

The heptamer type sg nucleic acid of the present invention induces apoptosis of two or more types of human blood cancer cells. Therefore, the drug containing this heptamer type sg nucleic acid can be applied to a plurality of hematological cancers (lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma) by itself.

It is the result of the flow cytometry experiment at the time of introduce | transducing ineffective sgRNA (mock) into RPMI-8226 cell. It is the result of the flow cytometry experiment at the time of introduce | transducing Hep1 (PKCb) (sequence number 1) into RPMI-8226 cell. It is the result of the flow cytometry experiment at the time of introduce | transducing Hep1 (FGFR3) (sequence number 2) into RPMI-8226 cell. It is the result of the flow cytometry experiment at the time of introduce | transducing Hep2 (FGFR3) (sequence number 3) into RPMI-8226 cell. It is the result of the flow cytometry experiment at the time of introduce | transducing ineffective sgRNA (mock) into HL60 cell. In addition, the file name “2000” is written in place of the HL60 cells in the analysis results. It is the result of the flow cytometry experiment at the time of introduce | transducing Hep1 (PKCb) (sequence number 1) in HL60 cell. In addition, the file name “2000” is written in place of the HL60 cells in the analysis results. It is the result of the flow cytometry experiment at the time of introduce | transducing Hep1 (FGFR3) (sequence number 2) in HL60 cell. In addition, the file name “2000” is written instead of HL60 cells in the analysis results. It is the result of the flow cytometry experiment at the time of introduce | transducing ineffective sgRNA (mock) into HL60 cell. It is the result of the flow cytometry experiment at the time of introduce | transducing Hep7 (FGFR3) (sequence number 10) in HL60 cell.

The heptamer-type sg nucleic acid of the present invention is any one of 12 types shown in Table 1.

Table 1 shows the sequence of each sgRNA. These 12 heptamer sgRNAs were selected from (A, U, G, C) ⁷ = 16,384 oligonucleotides after confirming the apoptosis-inducing effect of hematological cancer cells. A gene mRNA that is a cleavage target is assumed from the nucleotide sequence, but the target gene is not limited to one. In some cases, mRNAs having 7 nucleotide sequences that anneal to each oligonucleotide, including unknown genes, are derived from multiple genes. Therefore, the symbol in parentheses of “name” in Table 1 shows an example of a gene that transcribes mRNA targeted for cleavage by each heptamer type sgRNA.

These heptamer-type sg nucleic acids can induce apoptosis of at least two different human blood cancer cells, as shown in the Examples below. Hematological cancer cells are, for example, human leukemia cells and human myeloma cells. Induction of apoptosis also means that more than 80% of cancer cells are killed within 3 days.

These heptamer-type sg nucleic acids can be produced by a method using known chemical synthesis or an enzymatic transcription method. Known methods using chemical synthesis include the phosphoramidite method, phosphorothioate method, phosphotriester method, and the like. For example, ABI3900 high-throughput nucleic acid synthesizer (manufactured by Applied Biosystems), NTS H- 6Nucleic acid synthesizer (manufactured by Nippon Techno Service), OligoPilot10 nucleic acid synthesizer (GE Healthcare) Examples of the enzymatic transcription method include transcription using RNA polymerase such as T7, T3, and SP6 RNA polymerase using a plasmid or DNA having a target base sequence as a template. The heptamer sg nucleic acid produced by the synthesis method or transcription method is then purified by HPLC or the like. For example, during HPLC purification, heptamer-type sg nucleic acid is eluted from the column using a mixed solution of triethylammonium mmacetate (TEAA) or hexalamonium aacetate (HAA) and acetonitrile. Then, the elution solution is dialyzed for 10 hours with distilled water 1000 times the elution volume, and the dialysis solution is freeze-dried and stored frozen until use. When used, dissolve in distilled water to a final concentration of about 100 μM.

The nucleic acid used in the heptamer-type sg nucleic acid of the present invention may be any molecule as long as it is a polymer of nucleotides or molecules having functions equivalent to those of the nucleotides. Examples of nucleotides include RNA, which is a polymer of ribonucleotides, DNA, which is a polymer of deoxyribonucleotides, a polymer in which RNA and DNA are mixed, and a nucleotide polymer containing nucleotide analogs. RNA is particularly preferable.

Nucleotide analogs include, for example, ribonucleotides to improve or stabilize nuclease resistance, to increase affinity with complementary strand nucleic acids, to increase cell permeability, or to be visualized compared to RNA or DNA. , Deoxyribonucleotides, RNA or DNA modified molecules. Examples thereof include sugar moiety-modified nucleotide analogs and phosphodiester bond-modified nucleotide analogs.

The sugar moiety-modified nucleotide analog may be any one obtained by adding or substituting any chemical structural substance to part or all of the chemical structure of the sugar of the nucleotide. For example, 2'-O-methyl Nucleotide analogues substituted with ribose, nucleotide analogues substituted with 2'-O-propylribose, nucleotide analogues substituted with 2'-methoxyethoxyribose, substituted with 2'-O-methoxyethylribose Nucleotide analogues, nucleotide analogues substituted with 2'-O- [2- (guanidinium) ethyl] ribose, nucleotide analogues substituted with 2'-O-fluororibose, introducing a bridging structure into the sugar moiety Bridged Nucleic Acid (BNA) having two circular structures, more specifically, a 2′-position oxygen atom and a 4′-position carbon atom Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA) cross-linked via Tylene, Ethylene Bridged Nucleic Acid (ENA) [Nucleic Acid Research, 32, e175 (2004)], etc., and peptides Nucleic acid (PNA) [Acc. Chem. Res., 32, 624 (1999)], oxypeptide nucleic acid (OPNA) [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 123, 4653 (2001)], and peptide ribonucleic acid (PRNA) ) [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 122, 6900 (2000)].

The phosphodiester bond-modified nucleotide analog may be any one obtained by adding or substituting any chemical substance to a part or all of the chemical structure of the phosphodiester bond of a nucleotide. Examples include nucleotide analogues substituted with thioate linkages, nucleotide analogues substituted with N3'-P5 'phosphoramidate linkages [Cell engineering, 16, 1463-1473 (1997)] [RNAi method And Antisense, Kodansha (2005)].

Other nucleotide analogues include atoms (for example, hydrogen atoms, oxygen atoms) or functional groups (for example, hydroxyl groups, amino groups) of nucleic acid base moieties, ribose moieties, phosphodiester bond moieties, etc. For example, a hydrogen atom, a sulfur atom), a functional group (for example, an amino group), a group substituted with an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or a group protected with a protecting group (for example, a methyl group or an acyl group), a nucleic acid In addition, for example, a molecule to which another chemical substance is added such as lipid, phospholipid, phenazine, folate, phenanthridine, anthraquinone, acridine, fluorescein, rhodamine, coumarin, and a dye may be used.

Examples of molecules obtained by adding another chemical substance to nucleic acid include 5′-polyamine addition derivatives, cholesterol addition derivatives, steroid addition derivatives, bile acid addition derivatives, vitamin addition derivatives, Cy5 addition derivatives, Cy3 addition derivatives, and 6-FAM. Examples include addition derivatives, biotin addition derivatives, and the like.

The cancer therapeutic agent of the present invention contains one or more of the heptamer type sg nucleic acids of the present invention. Two or more heptamer sg nucleic acids can be used in any combination. That is, the heptamer-type sg nucleic acid of the present invention alone can induce apoptosis of cancer cells by TRUE gene silencing for gene mRNA necessary for the survival of blood cancer cells. In this case, each heptamer type sg nucleic acid cuts a different target gene mRNA or cuts a different part of the same target gene mRNA. Therefore, by combining two or more heptamer-type sg nucleic acids, TRUE gene silencing of two or more gene mRNAs necessary for the survival of blood cancer cells becomes possible, and induces effective cancer cell apoptosis. Can do. Alternatively, apoptosis of cancer cells can be effectively induced by combining the same target gene mRNAs that cleave different sites. In addition, since it is assumed that different blood cancer cells coexist depending on the patient, in that case, for example, those that are particularly effective for apoptosis of leukemia cells and those that are particularly effective for apoptosis of myeloma cells are combined. You can also.

The heptamer-type sg nucleic acid can be formulated alone, but is usually mixed together with one or more pharmacologically acceptable carriers, and any method well known in the technical field of pharmaceutics It is desirable to administer as a pharmaceutical preparation produced by

It is desirable to use the most effective route for treatment, and oral administration or parenteral administration such as buccal, respiratory tract, rectal, subcutaneous, intramuscular and intravenous is desirable. Can be given intravenously.

Preparations suitable for oral administration include emulsions, syrups, capsules, tablets, powders, granules and the like. Liquid preparations such as emulsions and syrups include sugars such as water, sucrose, sorbitol and fructose, glycols such as polyethylene glycol and propylene glycol, oils such as sesame oil, olive oil and soybean oil, p-hydroxybenzoic acid Preservatives such as esters, and flavors such as strawberry flavor and peppermint can be used as additives. Capsules, tablets, powders, granules, etc. are excipients such as lactose, glucose, sucrose, mannitol, disintegrants such as starch and sodium alginate, lubricants such as magnesium stearate and talc, polyvinyl alcohol, hydroxy A binder such as propylcellulose and gelatin, a surfactant such as fatty acid ester, and a plasticizer such as glycerin can be used as additives.

Preparations suitable for parenteral administration include injections, suppositories, sprays and the like. The injection is prepared using a carrier made of a salt solution, a glucose solution, or a mixture of both. Suppositories are prepared using a carrier such as cocoa butter, hydrogenated fat or carboxylic acid. The spray is prepared using a carrier that does not irritate the recipient's oral cavity and airway mucosa, and that facilitates absorption by dispersing the active ingredient as fine particles.

Specific examples of the carrier include lactose and glycerin. Depending on the nature of the nucleic acid used in the present invention and the carrier used, preparations such as aerosols and dry powders are possible. In these parenteral preparations, the components exemplified as additives for oral preparations can also be added.

The dose or frequency of administration varies depending on the intended therapeutic effect, administration method, treatment period, age, weight, etc., but is usually 10 μg / kg to 20 μg / kg per day for an adult.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail and specifically with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

(1) Method (1-1) Synthesis of heptamer sgRNA Twelve heptamer sgRNAs (SEQ ID NO: 1-12) shown in Table 1 were synthesized with a chemical synthesizer.
Each sgRNA is phosphorylated at the 5 'and 3' ends and is 2'-O-methylated. After synthesis, each sgRNA was purified by HPLC. At the time of purification, synthetic sgRNA was eluted from the column using a mixed solution of hexalamonium acetate (HAA) and acetonitrile. Thereafter, the elution solution was dialyzed for 10 hours with distilled water 1000 times the elution volume, and the dialyzed solution was lyophilized and stored frozen until use. At the time of use, it was dissolved in distilled water to a final concentration of 100 μM, and the remaining solution was stored frozen.

(1-2) MTT assay Each sgRNA (final concentration 1 μM) is added to a 96-well culture plate containing human cancer cell lines (1000 cells / 100 μl medium) without an intracellular introduction reagent. _The cells were cultured in ₂ incubators. 72 hours later, MTT reagent (Tetracolor One 6 μl, Biochemical Biobusiness Co., Ltd.) was added, and the number of viable cells was determined by measuring absorbance at 450 nm with a spectrophotometer after 3 hours and 6 hours (triplicate (Displayed as an average value). As human cancer cell lines, leukemia cell HL60, myeloma cell KMM1 and RPMI-8226 were used, and the number of living cells was compared with that of the sgRNA non-administered group. As a control, each sgRNA was introduced into normal cells HEK293, and the same MTT assay was performed.

(1-3) Flow cytometry experiment To a 96-well culture plate containing human cancer cell lines (1000 cells / 100 μl medium), add sgRNA (final concentration 1 μM) without intracellular introduction reagent. The cells were cultured in a CO ₂ incubator. After 72 hours, cells were stained with phycoerythrin-conjugated Annexin V (BD Pharmingen) and 7-AAD (Sigma) for 15 minutes at room temperature and analyzed using flow cytometer (FACSCalibur).

(1-4) Mouse Xenograft Experiment 2 × 10 ⁶ human leukemia cells HL60 and an extracellular matrix were transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice, which are immunodeficient mice. 10 μl of each heptamer type sgRNA (100 μM) was administered once daily (for 5 consecutive days) to this transplantation site, and the tumor volume was measured daily. Euthanasia was performed when the tumor volume reached 1500 mm ³ . Experiments were performed using 6 to 8 mice per group, and the difference between the median survival time of each sgRNA administration group and the median survival time of non-administration (or ineffective heptamer sgRNA administration) group was determined to be heptamer type This was defined as the number of days of life extension due to sgRNA.

(2) Results (2-1) MTT assay The results are as shown in Table 2. The heptamer sgRNAs of SEQ ID NOs: 1-6 killed 80% or more of the three types of cancer cells in 3 days. In addition, the heptamer sgRNAs of SEQ ID NOs: 7-12 killed 80% or more of the two types of cancer cells among the three types of cancer cells. On the other hand, the death rate of normal cells HEK293 was 0%.

(2-2) Flow cytometry experiment The results are as shown in Fig. 1-4 (myeloma tumor RPMI-8226) and Fig. 5-9 (leukemia cell HL60). The tested heptamer sgRNA was confirmed to induce apoptosis of far more cells than the ineffective heptamer sgRNA (mock).
(2-3) Mouse xenograft experiment The results are shown in Table 2. The tested heptamer sgRNA prolongs HL60 cell-transplanted mice for at least 3 days and up to 26 days.

From the above results, the heptamer sg nucleic acid of the present invention can effectively induce apoptosis of human blood cancer cells, and can prolong the life of an animal individual having cancer cells by the induction of apoptosis. Was confirmed.

The present invention provides an effective treatment for human blood cancer.

Claims (5)

1. A heptamer-type small guide nucleic acid consisting of a 7-base sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 12, which induces apoptosis of two or more types of human blood cancer cells.
2. The heptamer-type small guide nucleic acid according to claim 1, wherein the human blood cancer cells are human leukemia cells and human myeloma cells.
3. The heptamer-type small guide nucleic acid according to claim 1, wherein apoptosis of human blood cancer cells is 80% or more cell death in 3 days.
4. The cancer therapeutic agent which contains 1 type, or 2 or more types of the heptamer type small guide nucleic acid of Claim 1 as an active ingredient.
5. The therapeutic agent for cancer according to claim 4, which is a therapeutic agent for human leukemia and human multiple myeloma.

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