Specific link between high fructose uptake and cancer development and progression highlighted fructose transporters as potential means to achieve GLUT-mediated discrimination between normal and cancer cells. The gained expression of fructose-specific transporter GLUT5 in various cancers offers a possibility for developing cancer-specific imaging and bioactive agents. Herein, we explore the feasibility of delivering a bioactive agent through cancer-relevant fructose-specific transporter GLUT5. We employed specific targeting of GLUT5 by 2,5-anhydro-D-mannitol and investigated several drug conjugates for their ability to induce cancer-specific cytotoxicity. The proof-of-concept analysis was carried out for conjugates of chlorambucil (CLB) in GLUT5-positive breast cancer cells and normal breast cells. The cytotoxicity of conjugates was assessed over 24 h and 48 h, and significant dependence between cancer-selectivity and conjugate size was observed. The differences were found to relate to the loss of GLUT5-mediated uptake upon increased conjugate size and hydrophobicity. The findings provide information on the substrate tolerance of GLUT5 and highlight the importance of maintaining appropriate hydrophilicity for GLUT-mediated delivery.
高果糖摄取与癌症发展和进展之间的特定联系突出了果糖转运蛋白作为区分正常细胞和癌细胞的一种潜在手段。在多种癌症中GLUT5的表达增加,为开发针对癌症的成像和生物活性剂提供了可能性。在此,我们探讨通过癌症相关的果糖特异性转运蛋白GLUT5传递生物活性剂的可行性。我们使用2,5-脱水-D-甘露醇特异性靶向GLUT5,并研究了几个药物共轭物诱导癌症特异性细胞毒性的能力。对CLB共轭物在GLUT5阳性的乳腺癌细胞和正常乳腺细胞中的概念验证分析进行了研究。在24小时和48小时内评估了共轭物的细胞毒性,并观察到癌症选择性与共轭物大小之间存在显著相关性。发现这些差异与共轭物大小和疏水性的增加导致GLUT5介导的摄取丧失有关。这些发现提供了关于GLUT5的底物耐受性的信息,并强调了保持适当亲水性对于GLUT介导的传递的重要性。