Supramolecular trap for catching polyamines in cells as an anti-tumor strategy

Polyamines are essential for the growth of eukaryotic cells and can be dysregulated in tumors. Here we describe a strategy to deplete polyamines through host–guest encapsulation using a peptide-pillar[5]arene conjugate (P1P5A, P1 = RGDSK(N 3 )EEEE) as a supramolecular trap. The RGD in the peptide sequence allows the molecule to bind to integrin α v β 3 -overexpressing tumor cells. The negative charged glutamic acid residues enhance the inclusion affinities between the pillar[5]arene and cationic polyamines via electrostatic interactions and facilitate the solubility of the conjugate in aqueous media. The trap P1P5A efficiently encapsulates polyamines with association constants of 10 5 –10 6 M −1 . We show that P1P5A has a wide spectrum of antitumor activities, and induces apoptosis via affecting the polyamine biosynthetic pathway. Experiments in vivo show that P1P5A effectively inhibits the growth of breast adenocarcinoma xenografts in female nude mice. This work reveals an approach for suppressing tumor growth by using supramolecular macrocycles to trap polyamines in tumor cells. Polyamines are essential for cell growth and are frequently increased in concentration in cancer cells. Here, the authors use a macrocycle to generate a supramolecular trap, which depletes the polyamines in cells, induces apoptosis and reduces cancer cell growth in mice.