Part:BBa_K5302008

VEGFR-masking#18

This year, the USTC iGEM team has utilized the competitive binding of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to develop a targeted bacterial therapy for solid tumors. Our quest for the optimal VEGF-binding protein(or peptide) led us to an in-depth exploration of proteins structurally akin to the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), which we have named VEGFR-like. This part is a peptidic mimics of VEGF α1 helix, it is derived from VEGF-B L1 and forms a helix structure. It exhibits high affinity for VEGFR-like receptors, with an IC50 value of 10 μM, allowing it to effectively compete with VEGF for binding to VEGFR. Consequently, this peptide has been utilized as a masking agent. Upon administration into the human body, it preemptively binds to VEGFR, preventing VEGF from engaging with the receptor. Given that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are present at high concentrations in the tumor microenvironment (TME), they can degrade this VEGFR-masking peptide (designated as #29). This degradation allows VEGF to subsequently bind to the VEGFR-like receptors, triggering their activation. Therefore, this peptide functions as a biological switch, becoming active when exposed to the TME upon the entry of engineered chimeric nanoparticles (Escherichia coli Nissle 1917).

Sequence and Features

Assembly Compatibility:

• 10
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[10]
• 12
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[12]
• 21
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[21]
• 23
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[23]
• 25
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[25]
• 1000
  COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[1000]