Development of a Potent Wound Healing Agent Based on the Liver Fluke Granulin Structural Fold

J Med Chem. 2017 May 25;60(10):4258-4266. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b00047. Epub 2017 May 3.

Abstract

Granulins are a family of protein growth factors that are involved in cell proliferation. An orthologue of granulin from the human parasitic liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini, known as Ov-GRN-1, induces angiogenesis and accelerates wound repair. Recombinant Ov-GRN-1 production is complex and poses an obstacle for clinical development. To identify the bioactive region(s) of Ov-GRN-1, four truncated N-terminal analogues were synthesized and characterized structurally using NMR spectroscopy. Peptides that contained only two native disulfide bonds lack the characteristic granulin β-hairpin structure. Remarkably, the introduction of a non-native disulfide bond was critical for formation of β-hairpin structure. Despite this structural difference, both two and three disulfide-bonded peptides drove proliferation of a human cholangiocyte cell line and demonstrated potent wound healing in mice. Peptides derived from Ov-GRN-1 are leads for novel wound healing therapeutics, as they are likely less immunogenic than the full-length protein and more convenient to produce.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Female
  • Helminth Proteins / chemical synthesis
  • Helminth Proteins / chemistry*
  • Helminth Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Helminth Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / chemical synthesis
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / chemistry*
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / pharmacology*
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / therapeutic use
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Models, Molecular
  • Opisthorchis / chemistry*
  • Peptides / chemical synthesis
  • Peptides / chemistry
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Peptides / therapeutic use
  • Progranulins
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Wound Healing / drug effects*

Substances

  • Helminth Proteins
  • Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Peptides
  • Progranulins