Efficient gene delivery targeted to the brain using a transferrin‐conjugated polyethyleneglycol‐modified polyamidoamine dendrimer

Nanotechnological advances for the delivery of CNS therapeutics

Effective non-invasive treatment of neurological diseases is often limited by the poor access of therapeutic agents into the central nervous system (CNS). The majority of drugs and biotechnological agents do not readily permeate into brain parenchyma due to the presence of two anatomical and biochemical dynamic barriers: the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSFB). Therefore, one of the most significant challenges facing CNS drug development is the availability of effective brain targeting technology. Recent advances in nanotechnology have provided promising solutions to this challenge. Several nanocarriers ranging from the more established systems, e.g. polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, micelles to the newer systems, e.g. dendrimers, nanogels, nanoemulsions and nanosuspensions have been studied for the delivery of CNS therapeutics. Many of these nanomedicines can be effectively transported across various in vitro and in vivo BBB models by endocytosis and/or transcytosis, and demonstrated early preclinical success for the management of CNS conditions such as brain tumors, HIV encephalopathy, Alzheimer's disease and acute ischemic stroke. Future development of CNS nanomedicines need to focus on increasing their drug-trafficking performance and specificity for brain tissue using novel targeting moieties, improving their BBB permeability and reducing their neurotoxicity.

Dendrimer pharmacokinetics: the effect of size, structure and surface characteristics on ADME properties

Dendrimers show increasing promise as drug-delivery vectors and can be generated with a wide range of scaffold structures, sizes and surface functionalities. To this point, the majority of studies of dendrimer-based drug-delivery systems have detailed pharmacodynamic outcomes, or have followed the pharmacokinetics of a solubilized or conjugated drug. By contrast, detailed commentary on the in vivo fate of the dendrimer carrier is less evident, even though the pharmacokinetics of the carrier will likely dictate both pharmacodynamic and toxicokinetic outcomes. In the current article, the influence of size, structure and surface functionality on the absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination (ADME) properties of dendrimers have been examined and the implications of these findings for delivery system design are discussed.

Targeting of nanoparticles in cancer: drug delivery and diagnostics

Anticancer agents continue to be a preferred therapeutic option for several malignancies. Despite their effectiveness, oncologists are continually looking for tumor-specific anticancer agents to prevent adverse effects in patients. Targeting of imaging agents to cancerous tissue is another area that is enthusiastically explored to circumvent some of the drawbacks that current imaging agents possess, including the inability to target small tumor cells, inadequate imaging period, and the risk of renal damage. Formulation scientists have explored nanotechnology-based delivery systems for targeting anticancer agents and tumor-imaging agents to cancer tissue. Targeting with nanotechnology-based delivery systems has been investigated by both passive and active mechanisms with significant clinical success. This review presents a discussion on targeting strategies used for the delivery of nanoparticles by passive and active mechanisms, focusing more specifically on active targeting of nanoparticles using albumin, folic acid, transferrin, and aptamers as targeting ligands.

Dendrimers bind antioxidant polyphenols and cisplatin drug

Synthetic polymers of a specific shape and size play major role in drug delivery systems. Dendrimers are unique synthetic macromolecules of nanometer dimensions with a highly branched structure and globular shape with potential applications in gene and drug delivery. We examine the interaction of several dendrimers of different compositions mPEG-PAMAM (G3), mPEG-PAMAM (G4) and PAMAM (G4) with hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs cisplatin, resveratrol, genistein and curcumin at physiological conditions. FTIR and UV-visible spectroscopic methods as well as molecular modeling were used to analyse drug binding mode, the binding constant and the effects of drug complexation on dendrimer stability and conformation. Structural analysis showed that cisplatin binds dendrimers in hydrophilic mode via Pt cation and polymer terminal NH(2) groups, while curcumin, genistein and resveratrol are located mainly in the cavities binding through both hydrophobic and hydrophilic contacts. The overall binding constants of durg-dendrimers are ranging from 10(2) M(-1) to 10(3) M(-1). The affinity of dendrimer binding was PAMAM-G4>mPEG-PAMAM-G4>mPEG-PAMAM-G3, while the order of drug-polymer stability was curcumin>cisplatin>genistein>resveratrol. Molecular modeling showed larger stability for genisten-PAMAM-G4 (ΔG = -4.75 kcal/mol) than curcumin-PAMAM-G4 ((ΔG = -4.53 kcal/mol) and resveratrol-PAMAM-G4 ((ΔG = -4.39 kcal/mol). Dendrimers might act as carriers to transport hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs.

Anti-tumor activity of paclitaxel through dual-targeting carrier of cyclic RGD and transferrin conjugated hyperbranched copolymer nanoparticles

Targeted delivery strategies are becoming increasingly important. Herein, a novel hyperbranched amphiphilic poly[(amine-ester)-co-(D,L-lactide)]/1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine copolymer (HPAE-co-PLA/DPPE) with RGD peptide (cRGDfK) and transferrin (Tf) on the periphery was synthesized and used to prepare paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) for dual-targeting chemotherapy. These NPs show satisfactory size distribution, high encapsulated efficiency and a pH-dependent release profile. The intrinsic fluorescence of the hyperbranched copolymer renders the detection and tracking of NPs in vitro and in vivo conveniently. In vitro cytotoxicity studies proved that the presence of cRGDfK enhanced the cytotoxic efficiency by 10 folds in α(ν)β(3) integrin over-expressed human umbilical vein endothelial cells, while Tf improved cytotoxicity by 2 folds in Tf receptor over-expressed human cervical carcinoma cells. The drug-loaded NPs can be efficiently transported into the vascular endothelial cells and the target tumor cells. These results indicate that the cRGDfK and Tf decorated HPAE-co-PLA/DPPE could deliver chemotherapies specifically inside the cell via receptor-mediated endocytosis with greater efficacy. Therefore, such a fluorescent nanocarrier prepared from non-cytotoxic and biodegradable polymers is promising for drug delivery in tumor therapy.

In vivo biodistribution of carboxymethylchitosan/poly(amidoamine) dendrimer nanoparticles in rats

Carboxymethylchitosan/poly(amidoamine) (CMCht/PAMAM) dendrimer nanoparticles, comprised of a PAMAM dendrimer core grafted with chains of CMCht, have recently been proposed for intracellular drug delivery. In previous reports, these nanoparticles had lower levels of cytotoxicity when compared with traditional dendrimers. In this study, the short-term in vivo biodistribution of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled CMCht/PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles after intravenous (IV) injections in Wistar Han rats was determined. The brain, liver, kidney, and lung were collected at 24, 48, and 72 h after injection and stained with phalloidin–tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate (TRITC, red) and 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride (DAPI, blue) to trace the nanoparticles within these tissues. The liver, kidney, and lung were also stained for hematoxylin and eosin to assess any morphological alterations of these organs. CMCht/PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles were observed within the vascular space and parenchyma of liver, kidney, and lung and in the choroid plexus, after each injection period. No particles were observed in the brain parenchyma, nor any apparent deleterious histological changes were observed within these organs. The CMCht/PAMAM dendrimer nanoparticles were stable in circulation for a period of up to 72 h, targeting the main organs/systems through internalization by the cells present in their parenchyma. These results provide positive indicators to their potential use in the future as intracellular drug delivery systems.

Nanostructure-based drug delivery systems for brain targeting

CONTEXT

It is well-known fact that blood brain barrier (BBB) hinders the penetrance and access of many pharmacotherapeutic agents to central nervous system (CNS). Many diseases of the CNS remain undertreated and the inability to treat most CNS disorders is not due to the lack of effective CNS drug discovery, rather, it is due to the ineffective CNS delivery. Therefore, a number of nanostructured drug delivery carriers have been developed and explored over the past couple of years to transport the drugs to brain.

OBJECTIVE

The present review will give comprehensive details of extensive research being done in field of nanostructured carriers to transport the drugs through the BBB in a safe and effective manner.

METHODS

The method includes both the polymeric- and lipid-based nanocarriers with emphasis on their utility, methodology, advantages, and the drugs which have been worked on using a particular approach to provide a noninvasive method to improve the drug transport through BBB.

RESULTS

Polymeric- and lipid-based nanocarriers enter brain capillaries before reaching the surface of the brain microvascular endothelial cells without the disruption of BBB. These systems are further modified with specific ligands vectors and pegylation aiming to target and enhance their binding with surface receptors of the specific tissues inside brain and increase long circulatory time which favors interaction and penetration into brain endothelial cells.

CONCLUSION

This review would give an insight to the researchers working on neurodegenerative and non-neurodegenerative diseases of the CNS including brain tumor.

Recent advances in ligand targeted therapy

BACKGROUND

Ligand targeted therapy (LTT) is a powerful pharmaceutical strategy to achieve selective drug delivery to pathological cells, for both therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, with the advantage of limited side effects and toxicity. This active drug targeting approach is based on the discovery that there are receptors overexpressed on pathological cells, compared to their expression in normal tissues.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this article is to review recently published data on LTT with applications, both in the field of cancer therapy and other diseases. Moreover, data on LTT exploiting receptors overexpressed at cytoplasmatic level are also reviewed.

METHODS

Data were deduced from Medline (PubMed) and SciFinder and their selections were made with preference to papers where the most relevant receptors were involved.

RESULTS

Several groups have reported improved delivery of targeted nanocarriers, as compared to nontargeted ones, to pathological cells. LTT offers several advantages, but there are also limitations in the development of this strategy. Moreover, LTT have shown encouraging results in in vitro and in animal models in vivo; hence their clinical potential awaits investigation.

CONCLUSION

Recent studies highlight that the ligand density plays an important role in targeting efficacy. Furthermore, LTT applications in diseases different from cancer and those exploiting receptors overexpressed at cytoplasmatic level are growing.

Targeting nevirapine delivery across human brain microvascular endothelial cells using transferrin-grafted poly(lactide-co-glycolide) nanoparticles

Aims: Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) were grafted with transferrin (Tf) to enhance the transport of nevirapine (NVP) across human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMECs). Methods: NVP-loaded PLGA NPs with surface-grafting Tf (Tf/NVP–PLGA NPs) were incubated with HBMECs and immunochemical staining characterized Tf receptors (TfRs). Results: The polydispersity index of Tf/NVP–PLGA NPs was lower than 0.008. The entrapment efficiency of NVP and loading efficiency of Tf was 20–75% and 15–80%, respectively. Tf slightly retarded the release of NVP from PLGA. Dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide (DODAB)-stabilized Tf/NVP–PLGA NPs reduced the viability of HBMECs to 70–75%. The secretion of TNF-α was inhibited by Tf and stimulated by DODAB. The permeability of NVP across HBMECs reached maxima at 67% DODAB and 0.1–0.2% Tf. An increase in the concentration of Tf enhanced the uptake of Tf/NVP–PLGA NPs via a TfR-mediated mechanism. Conclusion: Tf/NVP–PLGA NPs are efficacious carriers in targeting delivery across HBMECs for viral therapy.

Polyamidoamine dendrimers as gene delivery carriers in the inner ear: How to improve transfection efficiency

Hair cells in the cochlea can be damaged by various insults, including noise, drugs, infections and presbycusis, which may cause sensorineural hearing loss. Gene therapy is a novel therapeutic technology that, recently, has led to the idea of treating inner ear diseases on a genetic level. Depending on their characteristics, such as a high efficiency in delivery, the capability of specific targeting, multifunctionality, biodegradability, non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity and the capability of limiting DNA degradation, nanovectors, such as polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers for cellular gene delivery, provide a promising approach to eradicate genetic diseases. They are a new class of highly branched spherical polymers that are highly soluble in aqueous solution. Their unique surface is composed of positively charged primary amine groups which allow them to form stable complexes with plasmid DNA, oligonucleotides, antibodies and drugs. This review provides an overview of the characteristics of PAMAMs which may be used in gene transfer into the cochlea as well as the efforts to improve their transfection efficiency as gene-delivery carriers.

Ternary complexes of amphiphilic polycaprolactone-graft-poly (N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate), DNA and polyglutamic acid-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) for gene delivery

Binary complexes of cationic polymers and DNA were used commonly for DNA delivery, whereas, the excess cationic charge of the binary complexes mainly leads to high toxicity and unstability in vivo. In this paper, ternary complexes by coating polyglutamic acid-graft-poly(ethylene glycol)(PGA-g-mPEG) onto binary complexes of polycaprolactone-graft-poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PCL-g-PDMAEMA) nanoparticles (NPs)/DNA were firstly developed for effective and targeted gene delivery. The coating of PGA-g-mPEG was able to decrease the zeta potential of the nano-sized DNA complexes nearly to electroneutrality without interferring with DNA condensation ability. As a result, the stability, the escape ability from endosomes and the transfection efficiency of the complexes were enhanced. The ternary complexes of PCL-g-PDMAEMA NPs/DNA/PGA-g-mPEG demonstrated lower cytotoxicity in CCK-8 measurements and higher gene transfection efficiency than the binary complexes in vitro. In addition, Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay was performed to quantify the membrane-damaging effects of the complexes, which is consistent with the conclusion of CCK-8 measurement for cytotoxicity assay. The in vivo imaging measurement and histochemical analysis of tumor sessions confirmed that the intravenous administration of the ternary complexes with red fluorescent protein (RFP) as payload led to protein expression in tumor, which was further enhanced by the targeted coating of PGA-g-PEG-folate.

Intrinsic targeting of inflammatory cells in the brain by polyamidoamine dendrimers upon subarachnoid administration

AIM

Understanding the interactions between nanomaterials and disease processes is crucial for designing effective therapeutic approaches. This article explores the unusual neuroinflammation targeting of dendrimers (with no targeting ligands) in the brain, with significant consequences for nanoscale materials in medicine.

METHOD

The in vivo biodistribution of fluorescent-labeled neutral generation-4- polyamidoamine dendrimers (∼4 nm) in a rabbit model of cerebral palsy was explored following subarachnoid administration.

RESULTS

These dendrimers, with no targeting ligands, were localizing in activated microglia and astrocytes (cells responsible for neuroinflammation), even in regions far moved from the site of injection, in newborn rabbits with maternal inflammation-induced cerebral palsy.

CONCLUSION

This intrinsic ability of dendrimers to localize inactivated microglia and astrocytes can enable targeted delivery of therapeutics in disorders such as cerebral palsy, Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.

Design of biocompatible dendrimers for cancer diagnosis and therapy: current status and future perspectives

In the past decade, nanomedicine with its promise of improved therapy and diagnostics has revolutionized conventional health care and medical technology. Dendrimers and dendrimer-based therapeutics are outstanding candidates in this exciting field as more and more biological systems have benefited from these starburst molecules. Anticancer agents can be either encapsulated in or conjugated to dendrimer and be delivered to the tumour via enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect of the nanoparticle and/or with the help of a targeting moiety such as antibody, peptides, vitamins, and hormones. Imaging agents including MRI contrast agents, radionuclide probes, computed tomography contrast agents, and fluorescent dyes are combined with the multifunctional nanomedicine for targeted therapy with simultaneous cancer diagnosis. However, an important question reported with dendrimer-based therapeutics as well as other nanomedicines to date is the long-term viability and biocompatibility of the nanotherapeutics. This critical review focuses on the design of biocompatible dendrimers for cancer diagnosis and therapy. The biocompatibility aspects of dendrimers such as nanotoxicity, long-term circulation, and degradation are discussed. The construction of novel dendrimers with biocompatible components, and the surface modification of commercially available dendrimers by PEGylation, acetylation, glycosylation, and amino acid functionalization have been proposed as available strategies to solve the safety problem of dendrimer-based nanotherapeutics. Also, exciting opportunities and challenges on the development of dendrimer-based nanoplatforms for targeted cancer diagnosis and therapy are reviewed (404 references).

Carbosilane dendrimers to transfect human astrocytes with small interfering RNA targeting human immunodeficiency virus

BACKGROUND

HIV infection of the CNS is the principle cause of HIV-associated dementia in adults and encephalopathy in children. Gene therapy techniques such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) possess great potential in drug development, but first they must overcome the key obstacle of reaching the interior of the affected cells. A successful delivery vector for anti-HIV drugs that is capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) could provide a way of addressing this issue. Non-viral vectors such as dendrimers offer a means for effectively delivering and transfecting siRNA to the target cells.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the application of gene therapy for reducing HIV replication in human astrocytes.

METHODS

We used the 2G-NN16 amino-terminated carbosilane dendrimer as a method for delivering siRNA to HIV-infected human astrocytes. We tested the cytotoxicity in human astrocytoma cells caused by 2G-NN16 and dendriplexes formed with siRNA (siRNA/2G-NN16) by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium-bromide (MTT) and lactate dehydrogenase assays. The ability to transfect human astrocytes with siRNA/2G-NN16 dendriplexes was tested by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence microscopy. To assess the potential capability of siRNA/2G-NN16 dendriplexes for crossing the BBB, we used an in vitro transcytosis assay with bovine brain microvascular endothelial cells. HIV-1 inhibition assays using 2G-NN16 and siRNA/2G-NN16 dendriplexes were determined by quantification of the viral load from culture supernatants of the astrocytes.

RESULTS

A gradual time-controlled degradation of the 2G-NN16 dendrimer and liberation of its siRNA cargo between 12 and 24 hours was observed via gel electrophoresis. There was no cytotoxicity in HIV-infected or non-infected human astrocytoma cells when treated with up to 24 microg/mL of 2G-NN16 dendrimer or siRNA/2G-NN16 dendriplexes, and siRNA/2G-NN16 dendriplexes were seen to successfully transfect human astrocytes even after crossing an in vitro BBB model. More interestingly, transfected siRNA was observed to exert a biologic effect, as dendriplexes were shown to down-regulate the housekeeping gene GAPDH and to reduce replication of HIV-1 strains X4-HIV NL4-3 and R5-HIV BaL in human astrocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

The 2G-NN16 dendrimer successfully delivers and transfects siRNA to HIV-infected human astrocytes and achieves gene silencing without causing cytotoxicity.

PEGylated Poly(amidoamine) dendrimer-based dual-targeting carrier for treating brain tumors

A dual-targeting drug carrier (PAMAM-PEG-WGA-Tf) based on the PEGylated fourth generation (G = 4.0) PAMAM dendrimer with transferrin (Tf) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) on the periphery and doxorubicin (DOX) loaded in the interior was synthesized and its BBB penetration and tumor targeting properties were explored. DLS and TEM measurements revealed the size of PAMAM-PEG-WGA-Tf was in the range of 14-20 nm. It reduced the cytotoxicity of DOX to the normal cells greatly, while efficiently inhibited the growth rate of the C6 glioma cells. The assay of transport across the BBB showed that PAMAM-PEG-WGA-Tf delivered 13.5% of DOX in a period of 2 h, demonstrating an enhanced transport ratio as compared to the ratio of 8% for PAMAM-PEG-WGA, 7% for PAMAM-PEG-Tf and 5% for free DOX in the same period of time. The accumulation of DOX in the tumor site was increased due to the targeting effects of both Tf and WGA, leading to the complete breakage of the avascular C6 glioma spheroids in vitro.

Strategies for the intracellular delivery of nanoparticles

The ability to target contrast agents and therapeutics inside cells is becoming important as we strive to decipher the complex network of events that occur within living cells and design therapies that can modulate these processes. Nanotechnology researchers have generated a growing list of nanoparticles designed for such applications. These particles can be assembled from a variety of materials into desirable geometries and configurations and possess useful properties and functionalities. Undoubtedly, the effective delivery of these nanomaterials into cells will be critical to their applications. In this tutorial review, we discuss the fundamental challenges of delivering nanoparticles into cells and to the targeted organelles, and summarize strategies that have been developed to-date.

Formulation and delivery of splice-correction antisense oligonucleotides by amino acid modified polyethylenimine

Splice-correcting phosphorothioate RNA antisense oligonucleotides with 2'-O-methyl modifications (ASO) are promising therapeutic agents for several disorders caused by aberrant splicing. However, their usefulness is hindered by the lack of efficient delivery. Unmodified 25 kDa polyethylenimine (PEI) has shown potential for plasmid delivery but seems to be less efficient for short nucleic acid sequences. Herein, we have evaluated several amino acid modified PEI molecules as carriers for ASO. By characterization of their properties, such as size, stability and transfection into mammalian cells, we have identified tyrosine-modified PEI (PEIY) as an efficient ASO delivery system. HeLa705 cells containing an aberrant luciferase gene, interrupted by a mutated beta-globin intron, were used to assess the splice correction effectiveness mediated by the various modified PEI/ASO polyplexes. PEIY has a self-assembly nature, as opposed to the highly cationic parent polymer, which is relevant for the stability of the PEIY/ASO complexes. As a result, at an optimal ratio of 20:1 (+/-), the complexes that formed significantly corrected the splicing on both the mRNA and the protein levels. ASO formulated with PEIY enhanced luciferase activity up to 450-fold. This increase was three times higher than that produced by the commercially available transfection agent Lipofectamine. PEIY/ASO polyplexes resulted in at least 80% correct splicing of the transcript. Moreover, extremely low doses of ASO (0.025 microM) showed significant splice correction represented by 150-fold increase of luciferase activity and 47% mRNA correction. Our findings suggest key parameters for formulating active complexes and reveal a new platform that can be further developed for ASO in vivo targeting.

Advancing nonviral gene delivery: lipid- and surfactant-based nanoparticle design strategies

Gene therapy is a technique utilized to treat diseases caused by missing, defective or overexpressing genes. Although viral vectors transfect cells efficiently, risks associated with their use limit their clinical applications. Nonviral delivery systems are safer, easier to manufacture, more versatile and cost effective. However, their transfection efficiency lags behind that of viral vectors. Many groups have dedicated considerable effort to improve the efficiency of nonviral gene delivery systems and are investigating complexes composed of DNA and soft materials such as lipids, polymers, peptides, dendrimers and gemini surfactants. The bottom-up approach in the design of these nanoparticles combines components essential for high levels of transfection, biocompatibility and tissue-targeting ability. This article provides an overview of the strategies employed to improve in vitro and in vivo transfection, focusing on the use of cationic lipids and surfactants as building blocks for nonviral gene delivery systems.

PEGylated polyamidoamine dendrimers with bis-aryl hydrazone linkages for enhanced gene delivery

Surface modification of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers with polyethylene glycol (PEG) often results in the decrease in their buffering capacity, which is essential for gene transfer. In this work, bis-aryl hydrazone bond, which possesses protonatable pyridine and amines, was explored as a new linkage for PEGylation of PAMAM dendrimers. PEGylated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer G4.0 conjugates with bis-aryl hydrazone (BAH) linkages were synthesized following a two-step procedure: activation of PAMAM dendrimer G4.0 and monofunctional methoxypolyethylene glycol amine (MW=5000 Da) with succinimidyl 4-hydrazinonicotinate acetone hydrazone (SANH) and succinimidyl 4-formylbenzoate (SFB), respectively, and coupling of SFB-activated PEG to SANH-activated G4.0 to generate PEGylated G4.0 with bis-aryl hydrazone linkages (G4.0-BAH-PEG). It was found that the incorporation of BAH linkages into the vector significantly enhanced the buffering capacity of the vector even with a high degree of PEGylation (42 PEG chains per dendrimer). G4.0-BAH-PEG conjugates could complex with DNA plasmid tightly at low weight ratios and display dramatically improved cytocompatibility. According to gene transfection studies in 293T and HN12 cells, this new vector has been shown to be capable of both transfecting more cells and inducing higher gene expression than the parent dendrimer. This work demonstrates that the use of the BAH linkage in coupling of PEG to the dendrimer helps maintain or increase the buffering capacity of the functionalized dendrimer and results in enhanced transfection.

Evaluation and mechanism studies of PEGylated dendrigraft poly-L-lysines as novel gene delivery vectors

Dendrimers have attracted great interest in the field of gene delivery due to their synthetic controllability and excellent gene transfection efficiency. In this work, dendrigraft poly-L-lysines (DGLs) were evaluated as a novel gene vector for the first time. Derivatives of DGLs (generation 2 and 3) with different extents of PEGylation were successfully synthesized and used to compact pDNA as complexes. The result of gel retardation assay showed that pDNA could be effectively packed by all the vectors at a DGLs to pDNA weight ratio greater than 2. An increase in the PEGylation extent of vectors resulted in a decrease in the incorporation efficiency and cytotoxicity of complexes in 293 cells, which also decreased the zeta potential a little but did not affect the mean diameter of complexes. Higher generation of DGLs could mediate higher gene transfection in vitro. Confocal microscopy and cellular uptake inhibition studies demonstrated that caveolae-mediated process and macropinocytosis were involved in the cellular uptake of DGLs-based complexes. Also the results indicate that proper PEGylated DGLs could mediate efficient gene transfection, showing their potential as an alternate biodegradable vector in the field of nonviral gene delivery.

Evaluation of folate-PAMAM for the delivery of antisense oligonucleotides to rat C6 glioma cells in vitro and in vivo

In the current study, we evaluated the efficiency of folate-polyamidoamine dendrimers conjugates (FA-PAMAM) for the in situ delivery of therapeutic antisense oligonucleotides (ASODN) that could inhibit the growth of C6 glioma cells. Folic acid was coupled to the surface amino groups of G5-PAMAM dendrimer (G5D) through a 1-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-3-ethylcarbodiimide bond, and ASODNs corresponding to rat epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) were then complexed with FA-PAMAM. At an ASODN to PAMAM ratio of 16:1, agarose electrophoresis indicated that antisense oligonucleotides were completely complexed with PAMAM or FA-PAMAM. The ASODN transfection rates mediated by FA-PAMAM and PAMAM were superior to oligofectamine, resulting in greater suppression of EGFR expression and glioma cell growth. Stereotactic injection of EGFR ASODN:FA-PAMAM complexes into established rat C6 intracranial gliomas resulted in greater suppression of tumor growth and longer survival time of tumor-bearing rats compared with PAMAM and oligofectamine-mediated EGFR-ASODN therapy. The current study demonstrates the suitability of folate-PAMAM dendrimer conjugates for efficient EGFR ASODN delivery into glioma cells, wherein they release the ASODN from the FA-PAMAM to knock down EGFR expression in C6 glioma cells, both in vitro and in vivo. FA-PAMAM may thus represent a novel delivery system for short oligonucleotides in glioma-targeted therapy.

Nanotechnology applications for improved delivery of antiretroviral drugs to the brain

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can gain access to the central nervous system during the early course of primary infection. Once in the brain compartment the virus actively replicates to form an independent viral reservoir, resulting in debilitating neurological complications, latent infection and drug resistance. Current antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) often fail to effectively reduce the HIV viral load in the brain. This, in part, is due to the poor transport of many ARVs, in particular protease inhibitors, across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier (BCSBF). Studies have shown that nanocarriers including polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) and micelles can increase the local drug concentration gradients, facilitate drug transport into the brain via endocytotic pathways and inhibit the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters expressed at the barrier sites. By delivering ARVs with nanocarriers, significant increase in the drug bioavailability to the brain is expected to be achieved. Recent studies show that the specificity and efficiency of ARVs delivery can be further enhanced by using nanocarriers with specific brain targeting, cell penetrating ligands or ABC-transporters inhibitors. Future research should focus on achieving brain delivery of ARVs in a safe, efficient, and yet cost-effective manner.

Various drug delivery approaches to the central nervous system

IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD

The presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), an insurmountable obstacle, in particular, and other barriers in brain and periphery contribute to hindrance of the successful diagnosis and treatment of a myriad of central nervous system pathologies. This review discusses several strategies adopted to define a rational drug delivery approach to the CNS along with a short description of the strategies implemented by the authors' group to enhance the analgesic activity, a CNS property, of chimeric peptide of Met-enkephalin and FMRFa (YGGFMKKKFMRFa-YFa).

AREAS COVERED IN THIS REVIEW

Various approaches for drug delivery to the CNS with their beneficial and non-beneficial aspects, supported by an extensive literature survey published recently, up to August 2009.

WHAT THE READER WILL GAIN

The reader will have the privilege of gaining an understanding of previous as well as recent approaches to breaching the CNS barriers.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Among the various strategies discussed, the potential for efficacious CNS drug targeting in future lies either with the non-invasively administered multifunctional nanosystems or these nanosystems without characterstics such as long systemic circulating capability and avoiding reticuloendothelial system scavenging system of the body, endogenous transporters and efflux inhibitors administered by convection-enhanced delivery.