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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2025.07.31.667901

Angulin-1/LSR inhibition transiently disrupts the blood-tumor barrier to enhance doxil permeability and impair malignant glioma progression

Ferguson, D.·Kwak, M.·Lim, S.·Cesair, M.·Mills, J.·Dalmage, M.·Jones, J.·Tarasov, S.·Dyba, M.·Robey, R. W.·Yang, Y.·Simpson, S.·Karim, B.·Butcher, D.·Gartrell, R.·Gottesman, M.·Jackson, S.
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Abstract

The blood-tumor barrier (BTB) prevents effective central nervous system (CNS) drug delivery, especially in malignant gliomas. Brain endothelium predominates the BTB and connects through bicellular and tricellular tight junctions (TJ). Angulin-1/LSR, is a highly expressed endothelial tricellular TJ. Our studies explore the role of Angubindin-1, an Angulin-1/LSR binder, to disrupt tricellular TJ integrity, increase drug entry and hamper glioma progression. Using rat brain endothelial cells (RBMVEC) we tracked Angulin-1/LSR localization and expression to the membrane; binding tightest to Angubindin-1 2-8 hours post-treatment (p < 0.05). Angubindin-1 dose-dependently reduced bicellular and tricellular TJs 1-4 hours post treatment (p < 0.05), returning to baseline by 24 hours (p < 0.05). In human and rat-derived glioma cells, Angubindin-1 transiently reduced Angulin-1/LSR expression between 2-8 hours (p < 0.05), with return to baseline by 24 hours (p < 0.001). Silenced Angulin-1/LSR expression on endothelium resulted in decreased mRNA levels of bicellular (occludin, claudin-5, ZO-1) and tricellular (tricellulin/MARVELD2, angulin-1/LSR) TJs compared to control (p < 0.01). Angubindin-1 treatment also inhibited efflux transporter P-gp in both RBMVECs and glioma cells with high P-gp expression only. Orthotopic rat glioma models were treated with Doxil (3 mg/kg), Angubindin-1 (10 mg/kg), or combination to evaluate BTB permeability/drug accumulation, and overall survival. Combination therapy enhanced Doxil tumor accumulation by 20% (p < 0.001), reduced tumor volume by day 14 (77.5% vs. 81.6%, p < 0.05), and significantly extended survival compared to Doxil alone (24 days vs. 18 days, p < 0.0001). These findings demonstrate the effects of tricellular tight junction inhibition on disrupting the BTB, enhancing CNS drug delivery, and improving rodent glioma survival. SignificanceThis study demonstrates that Angubindin-1, a targeted modulator of tricellular tight junction protein Angulin-1/LSR, transiently disrupts BTB integrity to enhance chemotherapy delivery and prolong survival in glioma-bearing rats. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=145 SRC="FIGDIR/small/667901v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (76K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@b1b46corg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@bc552dorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@7c1a74org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1ace101_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Angubindin-1 targets both bicellular tight junctions and the tricellular tight junction protein, Angulin-1/LSR, in brain endothelial and glioma cells leading to transient disruption of the blood-tumor barrier (BTB) and inhibition of P-glycoprotein towards enhanced Doxil penetration and reduced tumor burden.

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Ferguson, D., Kwak, M., Lim, S., Cesair, M., Mills, J., Dalmage, M., Jones, J., Tarasov, S., Dyba, M., Robey, R. W., Yang, Y., Simpson, S., Karim, B., Butcher, D., Gartrell, R., Gottesman, M., Jackson, S.. 2025-08-02. Angulin-1/LSR inhibition transiently disrupts the blood-tumor barrier to enhance doxil permeability and impair malignant glioma progression. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.07.31.667901

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