TH1902, a new docetaxel‐peptide conjugate for the treatment of sortilin‐positive triple‐negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a heterogeneous subgroup of cancers which lacks the expression and/or amplification of targetable biomarkers (ie, estrogen receptor, progestrogen receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2), and is often associated with the worse disease-specific outcomes than other breast cancer subtypes. Here, we report that high expression of the sortilin (SORT1) receptor correlates with the decreased survival in TNBC patients, and more importantly in those bearing lymph node metastases. By exploiting SORT1 function in ligand internalization, a new anticancer treatment strategy was designed to target SORT1-positive TNBC-derived cells both in vitro and in two in vivo tumor xenografts models. A peptide (TH19P01), which requires SORT1 for internalization and to which many anticancer drugs could be conjugated, was developed. In vitro, while the TH19P01 peptide itself did not exert any antiproliferative or apoptotic effects, the docetaxel-TH19P01 conjugate (TH1902) exerted potent antiproliferative and antimigratory activities when tested on TNBC-derived MDA-MB-231 cells. TH1902 triggered faster and more potent apoptotic cell death than did unconjugated docetaxel. The apoptotic and antimigratory effects of TH1902 were both reversed by two SORT1 ligands, neurotensin and progranulin, and on siRNA-mediated silencing of SORT1. TH1902 also altered microtubule polymerization and triggered the downregulation of the anti-apoptotic Bcl-xL biomarker. In vivo, both i.p. and i.v. administrations of TH1902 led to greater tumor regression in two MDA-MB-231 and HCC-70 murine xenograft models than did docetaxel, without inducing neutropenia. Altogether, the data demonstrates the high in vivo efficacy and safety of TH1902 against TNBC through a SORT1 receptor-mediated mechanism. This property allows for selective treatment of SORT1-positive TNBC and makes TH1902 a promising avenue for personalized therapy with the potential of improving the therapeutic window of cytotoxic anticancer drugs such as docetaxel.