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Yu S, Liao R, Bai L, Guo M, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Yang Q, Song Y, Li Z, Meng Q, Wang S, Huang X. Anticancer effect of hUC-MSC-derived exosome-mediated delivery of PMO-miR-146b-5p in colorectal cancer. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024; 14:1352-1369. [PMID: 37978163 PMCID: PMC10984892 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-023-01469-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) is a novel therapeutic platform for targeted cancer therapy. Previously, we have demonstrated that miR-146b-5p plays an important role in colorectal cancer progression. However, a safe and effective strategy for delivery of an ASO to its targeted RNA remains as a major hurdle in translational advances. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal cell (hUC-MSC)-derived exosomes were used as vehicles to deliver an anti-miR-146b-5p ASO (PMO-146b). PMO-146b was assembled onto the surface of exosomes (e) through covalent conjugation to an anchor peptide CP05 (P) that recognized an exosomal surface marker, CD63, forming a complex named ePPMO-146b. After ePPMO-146b treatment, cell proliferation, uptake ability, and migration assays were performed, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition progression was evaluated in vitro. A mouse xenograft model was used to determine the antitumor effect and distribution of ePPMO-146b in vivo. ePPMO-146b was taken up by SW620 cells and effectively inhibited cell proliferation and migration. The conjugate also exerted antitumor efficacy in a xenograft mouse model of colon cancer by systematic administration, where PPMO-146b was enriched in tumor tissue. Our study highlights the potential of hUC-MSC-derived exosomes anchored with PPMO-146b as a novel safe and effective approach for PMO backboned ASO delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siming Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, Guangdong Province, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518036, People's Republic of China
- Department of Pharmacy, PKU-Shenzhen Clinical Institute of Shantou University Medical College, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Ran Liao
- Biotherapy Center, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Lu Bai
- Department of Laboratory, Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Jiangsu Province, Lianyungang, 222000, People's Republic of China
| | - Madi Guo
- Biotherapy Center, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Biotherapy Center, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Yumin Zhang
- Biotherapy Center, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Yang
- Biotherapy Center, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Yushuai Song
- Department of Laboratory, Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Jiangsu Province, Lianyungang, 222000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiwei Li
- Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingwei Meng
- Department of Medical Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin City, 150081, People's Republic of China
| | - Shubin Wang
- Department of Oncology, Guangdong Province, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gastrointestinal Cancer Translational Research, Cancer Institute, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen-Peking University-Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, 518036, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoyi Huang
- Biotherapy Center, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150081, People's Republic of China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Cell Transplantation, Harbin Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150081, People's Republic of China.
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2
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Heindl MR, Rupp AL, Schwerdtner M, Bestle D, Harbig A, De Rocher A, Schmacke LC, Staker B, Steinmetzer T, Stein DA, Moulton HM, Böttcher-Friebertshäuser E. ACE2 acts as a novel regulator of TMPRSS2-catalyzed proteolytic activation of influenza A virus in airway cells. J Virol 2024; 98:e0010224. [PMID: 38470058 PMCID: PMC11019950 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00102-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) activates the outer structural proteins of a number of respiratory viruses including influenza A virus (IAV), parainfluenza viruses, and various coronaviruses for membrane fusion. Previous studies showed that TMPRSS2 interacts with the carboxypeptidase angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a cell surface protein that serves as an entry receptor for some coronaviruses. Here, by using protease activity assays, we determine that ACE2 increases the enzymatic activity of TMPRSS2 in a non-catalytic manner. Furthermore, we demonstrate that ACE2 knockdown inhibits TMPRSS2-mediated cleavage of IAV hemagglutinin (HA) in Calu-3 human airway cells and suppresses virus titers 100- to 1.000-fold. Transient expression of ACE2 in ACE2-deficient cells increased TMPRSS2-mediated HA cleavage and IAV replication. ACE2 knockdown also reduced titers of MERS-CoV and prevented S cleavage by TMPRSS2 in Calu-3 cells. By contrast, proteolytic activation and multicycle replication of IAV with multibasic HA cleavage site typically cleaved by furin were not affected by ACE2 knockdown. Co-immunoprecipitation analysis revealed that ACE2-TMPRSS2 interaction requires the enzymatic activity of TMPRSS2 and the carboxypeptidase domain of ACE2. Together, our data identify ACE2 as a new co-factor or stabilizer of TMPRSS2 activity and as a novel host cell factor involved in proteolytic activation and spread of IAV in human airway cells. Furthermore, our data indicate that ACE2 is involved in the TMPRSS2-catalyzed activation of additional respiratory viruses including MERS-CoV.IMPORTANCEProteolytic cleavage of viral envelope proteins by host cell proteases is essential for the infectivity of many viruses and relevant proteases provide promising drug targets. The transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) has been identified as a major activating protease of several respiratory viruses, including influenza A virus. TMPRSS2 was previously shown to interact with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Here, we report the mechanistic details of this interaction. We demonstrate that ACE2 increases or stabilizes the enzymatic activity of TMPRSS2. Furthermore, we describe ACE2 involvement in TMPRSS2-catalyzed cleavage of the influenza A virus hemagglutinin and MERS-CoV spike protein in human airway cells. These findings expand our knowledge of the activation of respiratory viruses by TMPRSS2 and the host cell factors involved. In addition, our results could help to elucidate a physiological role for TMPRSS2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna-Lena Rupp
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Dorothea Bestle
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Anne Harbig
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Amy De Rocher
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Luna C. Schmacke
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Bart Staker
- Seattle Structural Genomics Center for Infectious Disease (SSGCID), Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Torsten Steinmetzer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - David A. Stein
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Hong M. Moulton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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Moreira L, Guimarães NM, Santos RS, Loureiro JA, Pereira MC, Azevedo NF. Promising strategies employing nucleic acids as antimicrobial drugs. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102122. [PMID: 38333674 PMCID: PMC10850860 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern because it causes microorganisms to develop resistance to drugs commonly used to treat infections. This results in increased difficulty in treating infections, leading to higher mortality rates and significant economic effects. Investing in new antimicrobial agents is, therefore, necessary to prevent and control AMR. Antimicrobial nucleic acids have arisen as potential key players in novel therapies for AMR infections. They have been designed to serve as antimicrobials and to act as adjuvants to conventional antibiotics or to inhibit virulent mechanisms. This new category of antimicrobial drugs consists of antisense oligonucleotides and oligomers, DNAzymes, and transcription factor decoys, differing in terms of structure, target molecules, and mechanisms of action. They are synthesized using nucleic acid analogs to enhance their resistance to nucleases. Because bacterial envelopes are generally impermeable to oligonucleotides, delivery into the cytoplasm typically requires the assistance of nanocarriers, which can affect their therapeutic potency. Given that numerous factors contribute to the success of these antimicrobial drugs, this review aims to provide a summary of the key advancements in the use of oligonucleotides for treating bacterial infections. Their mechanisms of action and the impact of factors such as nucleic acid design, target sequence, and nanocarriers on the antimicrobial potency are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luís Moreira
- LEPABE–Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology, and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE–Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno M. Guimarães
- LEPABE–Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology, and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE–Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Rita S. Santos
- LEPABE–Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology, and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE–Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Joana A. Loureiro
- LEPABE–Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology, and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE–Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Maria C. Pereira
- LEPABE–Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology, and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE–Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno F. Azevedo
- LEPABE–Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology, and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
- ALiCE–Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
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Das A, Gupta S, Shaw P, Sinha S. Synthesis of Self Permeable Antisense PMO Using C5-Guanidino-Functionalized Pyrimidines at the 5'-End Enables Sox2 Downregulation in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:1256-1271. [PMID: 38324380 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Delivery of macromolecular drugs inside cells has been a huge challenge in the field of oligonucleotide therapeutics for the past few decades. Earliest natural inspirations included the arginine rich stretch of cell permeable HIV-TAT peptide, which led to the design of several molecular transporters with varying numbers of rigid or flexible guanidinium units with different tethering groups. These transporters have been shown to efficiently deliver phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligonucleotides, which have a neutral backbone and cannot form lipoplexes. In this report, PMO based delivery agents having 3 or 4 guanidinium groups at the C5 position of the nucleobases of cytosine and uracil have been explored, which can be assimilated within the desired stretch of the antisense oligonucleotide. Guanidinium units have been connected by varying the flexibility with either a saturated (propyl) or an unsaturated (propargyl) spacer, which showed different serum dependency along with varied cytoplasmic distribution. The effect of cholesterol conjugation in the delivery agent as well as at the 5'-end of full length PMO in cellular delivery has also been studied. Finally, the efficacy of the delivery has been studied by the PMO mediated downregulation of the stemness marker Sox2 in the triple-negative breast cancer cell line MDA-MB 231. These results have validated the use of this class of delivery agents, which permit at a stretch PMO synthesis where the modified bases can also participate in Watson-Crick-Franklin base pairing for enhanced mRNA binding and protein downregulation and could solve the delivery problem of PMO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnab Das
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Shalini Gupta
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Pallab Shaw
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
| | - Surajit Sinha
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, India
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5
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Prescott MA, Moulton H, Pastey MK. An alternative strategy to increasing influenza virus replication for vaccine production in chicken embryo fibroblast (DF-1) cells by inhibiting interferon alpha and beta using peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers. J Med Microbiol 2024; 73. [PMID: 38353513 DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.001807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Influenza is a global health issue causing substantial health and economic burdens on affected populations. Routine, annual vaccination for influenza virus is recommended for all persons older than 6 months of age. The propagation of the influenza virus for vaccine production is predominantly through embryonated chicken eggs.Hypothesis/Gap Statement. Many challenges face the propagation of the virus, including but not limited to low yields and lengthy production times. The development of a method to increase vaccine production in eggs or cell lines by suppressing cellular gene expression would be helpful to overcome some of the challenges facing influenza vaccine production.Aims. This study aimed to increase influenza virus titres by using a peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PPMO), an antisense molecule, to suppress protein expression of the host genes interferon alpha (IFN-α) and interferon beta (IFN-β) in chicken embryo fibroblast (DF-1) cells.Methods. The toxicity of PPMOs was evaluated by cytotoxicity assays, and their specificity to inhibit IFN-α and IFN-β proteins was measured by ELISA. We evaluated the potential of anti-IFN-α and anti-IFN-β PPMOs to reduce the antiviral proteins in influenza virus-infected DF-1 cells and compared the virus titres to untreated controls, nonsense-PPMO and JAK/STAT inhibitors. The effects of complementation and reconstitution of IFN-α and IFN-β proteins in PPMO-treated-infected cells were evaluated, and the virus titres were compared between treatment groups.Results. Suppression of IFN-α by PPMO resulted in significantly reduced levels of IFN-α protein in treated wells, as measured by ELISA and was shown to not have any cytotoxicity to DF-1 cells at the effective concentrations tested. Treatment of the self-directing PPMOs increased the ability of the influenza virus to replicate in DF-1 cells. Over a 2-log10 increase in viral production was observed in anti-IFN-α and IFN-β PPMO-treated wells compared to those of untreated controls at the initial viral input of 0.1 multiplicity of infection. The data from complementation and reconstitution of IFN-α and IFN-β proteins in PPMO-treated-infected cells was about 82 and 97% compared to the combined PPMO-treated but uncomplemented group and untreated group, respectively. There was a 0.5-log10 increase in virus titre when treated with anti-IFN-α and IFN-β PPMO compared to virus titre when treated with JAK/STAT inhibitors.Conclusions. This study emphasizes the utility of PPMO in allowing cell cultures to produce increased levels of influenza for vaccine production or alternatively, as a screening tool to cheaply test targets prior to the development of permanent knockouts of host gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meagan A Prescott
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis Oregon 97331, USA
- Department of Microbiology, College of Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis Oregon 97331, USA
| | - Hong Moulton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis Oregon 97331, USA
| | - Manoj K Pastey
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis Oregon 97331, USA
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6
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Lessl AL, Pöhmerer J, Lin Y, Wilk U, Höhn M, Hörterer E, Wagner E, Lächelt U. mCherry on Top: A Positive Read-Out Cellular Platform for Screening DMD Exon Skipping Xenopeptide-PMO Conjugates. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:2263-2274. [PMID: 37991502 PMCID: PMC10739591 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) are a special type of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that can be used as therapeutic modulators of pre-mRNA splicing. Application of nucleic-acid-based therapeutics generally requires suitable delivery systems to enable efficient transport to intended tissues and intracellular targets. To identify potent formulations of PMOs, we established a new in vitro-in vivo screening platform based on mdx exon 23 skipping. Here, a new in vitro positive read-out system (mCherry-DMDEx23) is presented that is sensitive toward the PMO(Ex23) sequence mediating DMD exon 23 skipping and, in this model, functional mCherry expression. After establishment of the reporter system in HeLa cells, a set of amphiphilic, ionizable xenopeptides (XPs) was screened in order to identify potent carriers for PMO delivery. The identified best-performing PMO formulation with high splice-switching activity at nanomolar concentrations in vitro was then translated to in vivo trials, where exon 23 skipping in different organs of healthy BALB/c mice was confirmed. The predesigned in vitro-in vivo workflow enables evaluation of PMO(Ex23) carriers without change of the PMO sequence and formulation composition. Furthermore, the identified PMO-XP conjugate formulation was found to induce highly potent exon skipping in vitro and redistributed PMO activity in different organs in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lina Lessl
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jana Pöhmerer
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Yi Lin
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich Wilk
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Miriam Höhn
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Elisa Hörterer
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ernst Wagner
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Center
for NanoScience (CeNS), LMU Munich, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich Lächelt
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Center
for NanoScience (CeNS), LMU Munich, 80799 Munich, Germany
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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7
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Tsylents U, Siekierska I, Trylska J. Peptide nucleic acid conjugates and their antimicrobial applications-a mini-review. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL : EBJ 2023; 52:533-544. [PMID: 37610696 PMCID: PMC10618302 DOI: 10.1007/s00249-023-01673-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is a nucleic acid mimic with high specificity and binding affinity to natural DNA or RNA, as well as resistance to enzymatic degradation. PNA sequences can be designed to selectively silence gene expression, which makes PNA a promising tool for antimicrobial applications. However, the poor membrane permeability of PNA remains the main limiting factor for its applications in cells. To overcome this obstacle, PNA conjugates with different molecules have been developed. This mini-review focuses on covalently linked conjugates of PNA with cell-penetrating peptides, aminosugars, aminoglycoside antibiotics, and non-peptidic molecules that were tested, primarily as PNA carriers, in antibacterial and antiviral applications. The chemistries of the conjugation and the applied linkers are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uladzislava Tsylents
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Izabela Siekierska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Joanna Trylska
- Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw, Banacha 2C, 02-097, Warsaw, Poland.
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8
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Aslesh T, Erkut E, Ren J, Lim KRQ, Woo S, Hatlevig S, Moulton HM, Gosgnach S, Greer J, Maruyama R, Yokota T. DG9-conjugated morpholino rescues phenotype in SMA mice by reaching the CNS via a subcutaneous administration. JCI Insight 2023; 8:160516. [PMID: 36719755 PMCID: PMC10077475 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.160516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated (AO-mediated) therapy is a promising strategy to treat several neurological diseases, including spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). However, limited delivery to the CNS with AOs administered intravenously or subcutaneously is a major challenge. Here, we demonstrate a single subcutaneous administration of cell-penetrating peptide DG9 conjugated to an AO called phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) reached the CNS and significantly prolonged the median survival compared with unconjugated PMO and R6G-PMO in a severe SMA mouse model. Treated mice exhibited substantially higher expression of full-length survival of motor neuron 2 in both the CNS and systemic tissues compared with nontreated and unmodified AO-treated mice. The treatment ameliorated the atrophic musculature and improved breathing function accompanied by improved muscle strength and innervation at the neuromuscular junction with no signs of apparent toxicity. We also demonstrated DG9-conjugated PMO localized in nuclei in the spinal cord and brain after subcutaneous injections. Our data identify DG9 peptide conjugation as a powerful way to improve the efficacy of AO-mediated splice modulation. Finally, DG9-PMO is a promising therapeutic option to treat SMA and other neurological diseases, overcoming the necessity for intrathecal injections and treating body-wide tissues without apparent toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jun Ren
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | | | - Susan Hatlevig
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Hong M Moulton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Simon Gosgnach
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - John Greer
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute.,Department of Medical Genetics, and
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9
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Antiviral Peptide-Based Conjugates: State of the Art and Future Perspectives. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020357. [PMID: 36839679 PMCID: PMC9958607 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases caused by microbial pathogens (bacteria, virus, fungi, parasites) claim millions of deaths per year worldwide and have become a serious challenge to global human health in our century. Viral infections are particularly notable in this regard, not only because humankind is facing some of the deadliest viral pandemics in recent history, but also because the arsenal of drugs to combat the high levels of mutation, and hence the antigenic variability of (mostly RNA) viruses, is disturbingly scarce. Therefore, the search for new antivirals able to successfully fight infection with minimal or no adverse effects on the host is a pressing task. Traditionally, antiviral therapies have relied on relatively small-sized drugs acting as proteases, polymerases, integrase inhibitors, etc. In recent decades, novel approaches involving targeted delivery such as that achieved by peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) have gained attention as alternative (pro)drugs for tackling viral diseases. Antiviral PDC therapeutics typically involve one or more small drug molecules conjugated to a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) carrier either directly or through a linker. Such integration of two bioactive elements into a single molecular entity is primarily aimed at achieving improved bioavailability in conditions where conventional drugs are challenged, but may also turn up novel unexpected functionalities and applications. Advances in peptide medicinal chemistry have eased the way to antiviral PDCs, but challenges remain on the way to therapeutic success. In this paper, we review current antiviral CPP-drug conjugates (antiviral PDCs), with emphasis on the types of CPP and antiviral cargo. We integrate the conjugate and the chemical approaches most often applied to combine both entities. Additionally, we comment on various obstacles faced in the design of antiviral PDCs and on the future outlooks for this class of antiviral therapeutics.
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10
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A cell-penetrating peptide enhances delivery and efficacy of phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers in mdx mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY - NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 30:17-27. [PMID: 36189424 PMCID: PMC9483789 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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11
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Forst CV, Martin-Sancho L, Tripathi S, Wang G, Dos Anjos Borges LG, Wang M, Geber A, Lashua L, Ding T, Zhou X, Carter CE, Metreveli G, Rodriguez-Frandsen A, Urbanowski MD, White KM, Stein DA, Moulton H, Chanda SK, Pache L, Shaw ML, Ross TM, Ghedin E, García-Sastre A, Zhang B. Common and species-specific molecular signatures, networks, and regulators of influenza virus infection in mice, ferrets, and humans. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm5859. [PMID: 36197970 PMCID: PMC9534503 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Molecular responses to influenza A virus (IAV) infections vary between mammalian species. To identify conserved and species-specific molecular responses, we perform a comparative study of transcriptomic data derived from blood cells, primary epithelial cells, and lung tissues collected from IAV-infected humans, ferrets, and mice. The molecular responses in the human host have unique functions such as antigen processing that are not observed in mice or ferrets. Highly conserved gene coexpression modules across the three species are enriched for IAV infection-induced pathways including cell cycle and interferon (IFN) signaling. TDRD7 is predicted as an IFN-inducible host factor that is up-regulated upon IAV infection in the three species. TDRD7 is required for antiviral IFN response, potentially modulating IFN signaling via the JAK/STAT/IRF9 pathway. Identification of the common and species-specific molecular signatures, networks, and regulators of IAV infection provides insights into host-defense mechanisms and will facilitate the development of novel therapeutic interventions against IAV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian V. Forst
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Laura Martin-Sancho
- Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Shashank Tripathi
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Guojun Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, People’s Republic of China
| | | | - Minghui Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Adam Geber
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Lauren Lashua
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Tao Ding
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Xianxiao Zhou
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Chalise E. Carter
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Giorgi Metreveli
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ariel Rodriguez-Frandsen
- Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Matthew D. Urbanowski
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Kris M. White
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - David A. Stein
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Hong Moulton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Sumit K. Chanda
- Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Lars Pache
- Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Megan L. Shaw
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ted M. Ross
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Elodie Ghedin
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, New York University, 12 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Systems Genomics Section, Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
- The Tisch Cancer Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
- Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, USA
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12
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Takada H, Tsuchiya K, Demizu Y. Helix-Stabilized Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Delivery of Antisense Morpholino Oligomers: Relationships among Helicity, Cellular Uptake, and Antisense Activity. Bioconjug Chem 2022; 33:1311-1318. [PMID: 35737901 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.2c00199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The secondary structures of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) influence their properties including their cell-membrane permeability, tolerability to proteases, and intracellular distribution. Herein, we developed helix-stabilized arginine-rich peptides containing α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids and their conjugates with antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs), to investigate the relationships among the helicity of the peptides, cellular uptake, and antisense activity of the peptide-conjugated PMOs. We demonstrated that helical CPPs can efficiently deliver the conjugated PMO into cells compared with nonhelical CPPs and that their antisense activities are synergistically enhanced in the presence of an endosomolytic reagent or an endosomal escape domain peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyuki Takada
- Division of Organic Chemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan.,Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Kanagawa 236-0027, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tsuchiya
- Division of Organic Chemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan.,Graduate School of Pharmacy, Showa University, Tokyo 142-8555, Japan
| | - Yosuke Demizu
- Division of Organic Chemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan.,Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Kanagawa 236-0027, Japan.,Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
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13
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Mahmoud HYAH, Fouad SS, Amin YA. Review of two viral agents of economic importance to the equine industry (equine herpesvirus‐1, and equine arteritis virus). EQUINE VET EDUC 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eve.13649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Y. A. H. Mahmoud
- Division of Infectious Diseases Animal Medicine Department Faculty of Veterinary Medicine South Valley University Qena Egypt
| | - Samer S. Fouad
- PhD of Clinical Pathology of Veterinary Medicine Qena University Hospital South Valley University Qena Egypt
| | - Yahia A. Amin
- Department of Theriogenology Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Aswan University Aswan Egypt
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14
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Hage A, Bharaj P, van Tol S, Giraldo MI, Gonzalez-Orozco M, Valerdi KM, Warren AN, Aguilera-Aguirre L, Xie X, Widen SG, Moulton HM, Lee B, Johnson JR, Krogan NJ, García-Sastre A, Shi PY, Freiberg AN, Rajsbaum R. The RNA helicase DHX16 recognizes specific viral RNA to trigger RIG-I-dependent innate antiviral immunity. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110434. [PMID: 35263596 PMCID: PMC8903195 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Type I interferons (IFN-I) are essential to establish antiviral innate immunity. Unanchored (or free) polyubiquitin (poly-Ub) has been shown to regulate IFN-I responses. However, few unanchored poly-Ub interactors are known. To identify factors regulated by unanchored poly-Ub in a physiological setting, we developed an approach to isolate unanchored poly-Ub from lung tissue. We identified the RNA helicase DHX16 as a potential pattern recognition receptor (PRR). Silencing of DHX16 in cells and in vivo diminished IFN-I responses against influenza virus. These effects extended to members of other virus families, including Zika and SARS-CoV-2. DHX16-dependent IFN-I production requires RIG-I and unanchored K48-poly-Ub synthesized by the E3-Ub ligase TRIM6. DHX16 recognizes a signal in influenza RNA segments that undergo splicing and requires its RNA helicase motif for direct, high-affinity interactions with specific viral RNAs. Our study establishes DHX16 as a PRR that partners with RIG-I for optimal activation of antiviral immunity requiring unanchored poly-Ub.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Hage
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Preeti Bharaj
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Sarah van Tol
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Maria I Giraldo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Maria Gonzalez-Orozco
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Karl M Valerdi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Abbey N Warren
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Leopoldo Aguilera-Aguirre
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Xuping Xie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Steven G Widen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Hong M Moulton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Benhur Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Johnson
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Nevan J Krogan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) COVID-19 Research Group (QCRG), University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Alexander N Freiberg
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Ricardo Rajsbaum
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA; Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
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15
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Bersani M, Rizzuti M, Pagliari E, Garbellini M, Saccomanno D, Moulton HM, Bresolin N, Comi GP, Corti S, Nizzardo M. Cell-penetrating peptide-conjugated Morpholino rescues SMA in a symptomatic preclinical model. Mol Ther 2022; 30:1288-1299. [PMID: 34808387 PMCID: PMC8899506 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease and the leading genetic cause of infant mortality. Recently approved SMA therapies have transformed a deadly disease into a survivable one, but these compounds show a wide spectrum of clinical response and effective rescue only in the early stages of the disease. Therefore, safe, symptomatic-suitable, non-invasive treatments with high clinical impact across different phenotypes are urgently needed. We conjugated antisense oligonucleotides with Morpholino (MO) chemistry, which increase SMN protein levels, to cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) for better cellular distribution. Systemically administered MOs linked to r6 and (RXRRBR)2XB peptides crossed the blood-brain barrier and increased SMN protein levels remarkably, causing striking improvement of survival, neuromuscular function, and neuropathology, even in symptomatic SMA animals. Our study demonstrates that MO-CPP conjugates can significantly expand the therapeutic window through minimally invasive systemic administration, opening the path for clinical applications of this strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Bersani
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Mafalda Rizzuti
- Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Pagliari
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Manuela Garbellini
- Healthcare Professionals Department - Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Domenica Saccomanno
- Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Hong M. Moulton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Nereo Bresolin
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy,Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo P. Comi
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy,Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy,Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuromuscular and Rare Diseases Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefania Corti
- Dino Ferrari Centre, Neuroscience Section, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Milan, Italy,Foundation IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Monica Nizzardo
- Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neurology Unit, Milan, Italy.
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16
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Bakowski K, Vogel S. Evolution of complexity in non-viral oligonucleotide delivery systems: from gymnotic delivery through bioconjugates to biomimetic nanoparticles. RNA Biol 2022; 19:1256-1275. [PMID: 36411594 PMCID: PMC9683052 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2022.2147278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
From the early days of research on RNA biology and biochemistry, there was an interest to utilize this knowledge and RNA itself for therapeutic applications. Today, we have a series of oligonucleotide therapeutics on the market and many more in clinical trials. These drugs - exploit different chemistries of oligonucleotides, such as modified DNAs and RNAs, peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) or phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs), and different mechanisms of action, such as RNA interference (RNAi), targeted RNA degradation, splicing modulation, gene expression and modification. Despite major successes e.g. mRNA vaccines developed against SARS-CoV-2 to control COVID-19 pandemic, development of therapies for other diseases is still limited by inefficient delivery of oligonucleotides to specific tissues and organs and often prohibitive costs for the final drug. This is even more critical when targeting multifactorial disorders and patient-specific biological variations. In this review, we will present the evolution of complexity of oligonucleotide delivery methods with focus on increasing complexity of formulations from gymnotic delivery to bioconjugates and to lipid nanoparticles in respect to developments that will enable application of therapeutic oligonucleotides as drugs in personalized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Bakowski
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Stefan Vogel
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark,CONTACT Stefan Vogel Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, 5230Odense, Denmark
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17
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Gupta S, Qasim M, Gupta A, Kundu J, Sinha S. Structural Modifications to the Internal Oligoguanidinium Transporter Uncover Two Potent Analogues that Effectively Deliver the Proapoptotic Peptide in Multiple Cancer Cell Lines. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 33:121-133. [PMID: 34915704 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Efficient cytosolic delivery with serum-independent kinetics and low toxicity are the ultimate challenges towards the transformation of an antisense oligonucleotide or a therapeutic peptide to a suitable drug candidate for clinical trials. Most delivery vehicles falter on at least one of the above requirements, which hinders their potential in in vivo models as well. Our previous reports on internal guanidinium transporters (IGTs) have established the diversity of this particular class of molecule with the efficient delivery of antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligonucleotides. In this paper, we report twenty IGTs with different types of evidence-backed structural modifications with different types of head-group linkage R, which significantly change the transfection, toxicity, and endosomal escape. Based on these three criteria, the analogues were sorted systematically to find the more promising IGTs, which were then further examined by LysoTracker studies. Finally, two analogues, with cholesteryl linkage (R = Chol) and pentafluorobenzyl linkage (R = PF Cbz), were selected for a proapoptotic peptide delivery as the final validation using a long-chain di-acid linker conjugation. Detailed mechanistic studies also revealed that the primary pathway of endocytosis is macropinocytosis, and that other pathways play different roles depending on the head group of the IGT. Since endocytosis pathways for entry depend on the nature of the cell line, we have shown the mechanistic variations in two cell lines for validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Gupta
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Md Qasim
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Abhishek Gupta
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Jayanta Kundu
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Surajit Sinha
- School of Applied and Interdisciplinary Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
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18
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Mitochondrial Targeting Probes, Drug Conjugates, and Gene Therapeutics. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34766305 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1752-6_27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Mitochondria represent an important drug target for many phatology, including neurodegeneration, metabolic disease, heart failure, ischemia-reperfusion injury, and cancer. Mitochondrial dysfunctions are caused by mutation in mitochondrial DNA or in nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been employed to overcome biological barriers, target this organelle, and therapeuticaly restore mitochondrial functions. Here, we describe recent methods used to deliver oligonucleotides targeting mitochondrial protein by using mitochondrial penetrating peptides. In particular, we highlight recent advances of formulated peptides/oligonucleotides nanocomplexes as a proof-of-principle for pharmaceutical form of peptide-based therapeutics.
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19
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Schissel CK, Mohapatra S, Wolfe JM, Fadzen CM, Bellovoda K, Wu CL, Wood JA, Malmberg AB, Loas A, Gómez-Bombarelli R, Pentelute BL. Deep learning to design nuclear-targeting abiotic miniproteins. Nat Chem 2021; 13:992-1000. [PMID: 34373596 PMCID: PMC8819921 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00766-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
There are more amino acid permutations within a 40-residue sequence than atoms on Earth. This vast chemical search space hinders the use of human learning to design functional polymers. Here we show how machine learning enables the de novo design of abiotic nuclear-targeting miniproteins to traffic antisense oligomers to the nucleus of cells. We combined high-throughput experimentation with a directed evolution-inspired deep-learning approach in which the molecular structures of natural and unnatural residues are represented as topological fingerprints. The model is able to predict activities beyond the training dataset, and simultaneously deciphers and visualizes sequence-activity predictions. The predicted miniproteins, termed 'Mach', reach an average mass of 10 kDa, are more effective than any previously known variant in cells and can also deliver proteins into the cytosol. The Mach miniproteins are non-toxic and efficiently deliver antisense cargo in mice. These results demonstrate that deep learning can decipher design principles to generate highly active biomolecules that are unlikely to be discovered by empirical approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly K. Schissel
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Somesh Mohapatra
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Justin M. Wolfe
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Colin M. Fadzen
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Kamela Bellovoda
- Sarepta Therapeutics, 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Chia-Ling Wu
- Sarepta Therapeutics, 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jenna A. Wood
- Sarepta Therapeutics, 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Andrei Loas
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Rafael Gómez-Bombarelli
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Correspondence to: ,
| | - Bradley L. Pentelute
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemistry, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 500 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA,Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA,Correspondence to: ,
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20
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Martin-Sancho L, Tripathi S, Rodriguez-Frandsen A, Pache L, Sanchez-Aparicio M, McGregor MJ, Haas KM, Swaney DL, Nguyen TT, Mamede JI, Churas C, Pratt D, Rosenthal SB, Riva L, Nguyen C, Beltran-Raygoza N, Soonthornvacharin S, Wang G, Jimenez-Morales D, De Jesus PD, Moulton HM, Stein DA, Chang MW, Benner C, Ideker T, Albrecht RA, Hultquist JF, Krogan NJ, García-Sastre A, Chanda SK. Restriction factor compendium for influenza A virus reveals a mechanism for evasion of autophagy. Nat Microbiol 2021; 6:1319-1333. [PMID: 34556855 PMCID: PMC9683089 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-00964-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The fate of influenza A virus (IAV) infection in the host cell depends on the balance between cellular defence mechanisms and viral evasion strategies. To illuminate the landscape of IAV cellular restriction, we generated and integrated global genetic loss-of-function screens with transcriptomics and proteomics data. Our multi-omics analysis revealed a subset of both IFN-dependent and independent cellular defence mechanisms that inhibit IAV replication. Amongst these, the autophagy regulator TBC1 domain family member 5 (TBC1D5), which binds Rab7 to enable fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes, was found to control IAV replication in vitro and in vivo and to promote lysosomal targeting of IAV M2 protein. Notably, IAV M2 was observed to abrogate TBC1D5-Rab7 binding through a physical interaction with TBC1D5 via its cytoplasmic tail. Our results provide evidence for the molecular mechanism utilised by IAV M2 protein to escape lysosomal degradation and traffic to the cell membrane, where it supports IAV budding and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Martin-Sancho
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shashank Tripathi
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, Microbiology & Cell Biology Department, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Ariel Rodriguez-Frandsen
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lars Pache
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maite Sanchez-Aparicio
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael J McGregor
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kelsey M Haas
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Danielle L Swaney
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Thong T Nguyen
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - João I Mamede
- Department of Microbial Pathogens and Immunity, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Christopher Churas
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Dexter Pratt
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sara B Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Laura Riva
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Courtney Nguyen
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nish Beltran-Raygoza
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Stephen Soonthornvacharin
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Guojun Wang
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Jimenez-Morales
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Paul D De Jesus
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hong M Moulton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - David A Stein
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Max W Chang
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chris Benner
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Trey Ideker
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Randy A Albrecht
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Judd F Hultquist
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Nevan J Krogan
- Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Gladstone Institute of Data Science and Biotechnology, J. David Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Tisch Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sumit K Chanda
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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21
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Klabenkova K, Fokina A, Stetsenko D. Chemistry of Peptide-Oligonucleotide Conjugates: A Review. Molecules 2021; 26:5420. [PMID: 34500849 PMCID: PMC8434111 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26175420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates (POCs) represent one of the increasingly successful albeit costly approaches to increasing the cellular uptake, tissue delivery, bioavailability, and, thus, overall efficiency of therapeutic nucleic acids, such as, antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNAs. This review puts the subject of chemical synthesis of POCs into the wider context of therapeutic oligonucleotides and the problem of nucleic acid drug delivery, cell-penetrating peptide structural types, the mechanisms of their intracellular transport, and the ways of application, which include the formation of non-covalent complexes with oligonucleotides (peptide additives) or covalent conjugation. The main strategies for the synthesis of POCs are viewed in detail, which are conceptually divided into (a) the stepwise solid-phase synthesis approach and (b) post-synthetic conjugation either in solution or on the solid phase, especially by means of various click chemistries. The relative advantages and disadvantages of both strategies are discussed and compared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Klabenkova
- Faculty of Physics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (K.K.); (D.S.)
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Alesya Fokina
- Faculty of Physics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (K.K.); (D.S.)
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Dmitry Stetsenko
- Faculty of Physics, Novosibirsk State University, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (K.K.); (D.S.)
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
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22
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Hemagglutinins of avian influenza viruses are proteolytically activated by TMPRSS2 in human and murine airway cells. J Virol 2021; 95:e0090621. [PMID: 34319155 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00906-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cleavage of the influenza A virus (IAV) hemagglutinin (HA) by host proteases is indispensable for virus replication. Most IAVs possess a monobasic HA cleavage site cleaved by trypsin-like proteases. Previously, the transmembrane protease TMPRSS2 was shown to be essential for proteolytic activation of IAV HA subtypes H1, H2, H7 and H10 in mice. In contrast, additional proteases are involved in activation of certain H3 IAVs, indicating that HAs with monobasic cleavage site can differ in their sensitivity to host proteases. Here, we investigated the role of TMPRSS2 in proteolytic activation of avian HA subtypes H1 to H11 and H14 to H16 in human and mouse airway cell cultures. Using reassortant viruses carrying representative HAs, we analysed HA cleavage and multicycle replication in (i) lung cells of TMPRSS2-deficient mice and (ii) Calu-3 cells and primary human bronchial cells subjected to morpholino oligomer-mediated knockdown of TMPRSS2 activity. TMPRSS2 was found to be crucial for activation of H1 to H11, H14 and H15 in airway cells of human and mouse. Only H9 with an R-S-S-R cleavage site and H16 were proteolytically activated in the absence of TMPRSS2 activity, albeit with reduced efficiency. Moreover, a TMPRSS2-orthologous protease from duck supported activation of H1 to H11, H15 and H16 in MDCK cells. Together, our data demonstrate that in human and murine respiratory cells, TMPRSS2 is the major activating protease of almost all IAV HA subtypes with monobasic cleavage site. Furthermore, our results suggest that TMPRSS2 supports activation of IAV with monobasic cleavage site in ducks. Importance Human infections with avian influenza A viruses upon exposure to infected birds are frequently reported and have received attention as a potential pandemic threat. Cleavage of the envelope glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA) by host proteases is a prerequisite for membrane fusion and essential for virus infectivity. In this study, we identify the transmembrane protease TMPRSS2 as the major activating protease of avian influenza virus HAs of subtypes H1 to H11, H14 and H15 in human and murine airway cells. Our data demonstrate that inhibition of TMPRSS2 activity may provide a useful approach for the treatment of human infections with avian influenza viruses that should be considered for pandemic preparedness as well. Additionally, we show that a TMPRSS2-orthologous protease from duck can activate avian influenza virus HAs with a monobasic cleavage site and thus represents a potential virus-activating protease in waterfowl, the primary reservoir for influenza A viruses.
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23
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Brodyagin N, Katkevics M, Kotikam V, Ryan CA, Rozners E. Chemical approaches to discover the full potential of peptide nucleic acids in biomedical applications. Beilstein J Org Chem 2021; 17:1641-1688. [PMID: 34367346 PMCID: PMC8313981 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.17.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) is arguably one of the most successful DNA mimics, despite a most dramatic departure from the native structure of DNA. The present review summarizes 30 years of research on PNA's chemistry, optimization of structure and function, applications as probes and diagnostics, and attempts to develop new PNA therapeutics. The discussion starts with a brief review of PNA's binding modes and structural features, followed by the most impactful chemical modifications, PNA enabled assays and diagnostics, and discussion of the current state of development of PNA therapeutics. While many modifications have improved on PNA's binding affinity and specificity, solubility and other biophysical properties, the original PNA is still most frequently used in diagnostic and other in vitro applications. Development of therapeutics and other in vivo applications of PNA has notably lagged behind and is still limited by insufficient bioavailability and difficulties with tissue specific delivery. Relatively high doses are required to overcome poor cellular uptake and endosomal entrapment, which increases the risk of toxicity. These limitations remain unsolved problems waiting for innovative chemistry and biology to unlock the full potential of PNA in biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikita Brodyagin
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Martins Katkevics
- Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis, Aizkraukles 21, Riga, LV-1006, Latvia
| | - Venubabu Kotikam
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Christopher A Ryan
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
| | - Eriks Rozners
- Department of Chemistry, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13902, United States
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24
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Rosenke K, Leventhal S, Moulton HM, Hatlevig S, Hawman D, Feldmann H, Stein DA. Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cell cultures by peptide-conjugated morpholino oligomers. J Antimicrob Chemother 2021; 76:413-417. [PMID: 33164048 PMCID: PMC7717290 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkaa460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background As the causative agent of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 is a pathogen of immense importance to global public health. Development of innovative direct-acting antiviral agents is sorely needed to address this virus. Peptide-conjugated morpholino oligomers (PPMO) are antisense compounds composed of a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer covalently conjugated to a cell-penetrating peptide. PPMO require no delivery assistance to enter cells and are able to reduce expression of targeted RNA through sequence-specific steric blocking. Methods Five PPMO designed against sequences of genomic RNA in the SARS-CoV-2 5′-untranslated region and a negative control PPMO of random sequence were synthesized. Each PPMO was evaluated for its effect on the viability of uninfected cells and its inhibitory effect on the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero-E6 cell cultures. Cell viability was evaluated with an ATP-based method using a 48 h PPMO treatment time. Viral growth was measured with quantitative RT–PCR and TCID50 infectivity assays from experiments where cells received a 5 h PPMO treatment time. Results PPMO designed to base-pair with sequence in the 5′ terminal region or the leader transcription regulatory sequence region of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA were highly efficacious, reducing viral titres by up to 4–6 log10 in cell cultures at 48–72 h post-infection, in a non-toxic and dose-responsive manner. Conclusions The data indicate that PPMO have the ability to potently and specifically suppress SARS-CoV-2 growth and are promising candidates for further preclinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Rosenke
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Shanna Leventhal
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Hong M Moulton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Susan Hatlevig
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - David Hawman
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Heinz Feldmann
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - David A Stein
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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25
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Victorio CBL, Novera W, Tham JY, Watanabe S, Vasudevan SG, Chacko AM. Peptide-Conjugated Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomers for In Situ Live-Cell Molecular Imaging of Dengue Virus Replication. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E9260. [PMID: 33291644 PMCID: PMC7730579 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21239260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Current methods to detect and monitor pathogens in biological systems are largely limited by the tradeoffs between spatial context and temporal detail. A new generation of molecular tracking that provides both information simultaneously involves in situ detection coupled with non-invasive imaging. An example is antisense imaging that uses antisense oligonucleotide probes complementary to a target nucleotide sequence. In this study, we explored the potential of repurposing antisense oligonucleotides initially developed as antiviral therapeutics as molecular probes for imaging of viral infections in vitro and in vivo. We employed nuclease-resistant phosphorodiamidate synthetic oligonucleotides conjugated with cell-penetrating peptides (i.e., PPMOs) previously established as antivirals for dengue virus serotype-2 (DENV2). As proof of concept, and before further development for preclinical testing, we evaluated its validity as in situ molecular imaging probe for tracking cellular DENV2 infection using live-cell fluorescence imaging. Although the PPMO was designed to specifically target the DENV2 genome, it was unsuitable as in situ molecular imaging probe. This study details our evaluation of the PPMOs to assess specific and sensitive molecular imaging of DENV2 infection and tells a cautionary tale for those exploring antisense oligonucleotides as probes for non-invasive imaging and monitoring of pathogen infections in experimental animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Bianca Luena Victorio
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore; (C.B.L.V.); (W.N.); (J.Y.T.)
| | - Wisna Novera
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore; (C.B.L.V.); (W.N.); (J.Y.T.)
| | - Jing Yang Tham
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore; (C.B.L.V.); (W.N.); (J.Y.T.)
| | - Satoru Watanabe
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore; (S.W.); (S.G.V.)
| | - Subhash G. Vasudevan
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore; (S.W.); (S.G.V.)
| | - Ann-Marie Chacko
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore; (C.B.L.V.); (W.N.); (J.Y.T.)
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26
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Rosenke K, Leventhal S, Moulton HM, Hatlevig S, Hawman D, Feldmann H, Stein DA. Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cell cultures by peptide-conjugated morpholino-oligomers. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020. [PMID: 33024974 DOI: 10.1101/2020.09.29.319731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Background SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 and a pathogen of immense global public health importance. Development of innovative direct-acting antiviral agents is sorely needed to address this virus. Peptide-conjugated morpholino oligomers (PPMO) are antisense agents composed of a phosphordiamidate morpholino oligomer covalently conjugated to a cell-penetrating peptide. PPMO require no delivery assistance to enter cells and are able to reduce expression of targeted RNA through sequence-specific steric blocking. Objectives and Methods Five PPMO designed against sequences of genomic RNA in the SARS-CoV-2 5'-untranslated region and a negative control PPMO of random sequence were synthesized. Each PPMO was evaluated for its effect on the viability of uninfected cells and its inhibitory effect on the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero-E6 cell cultures. Cell viability was evaluated with an ATP-based method and viral growth was measured with quantitative RT-PCR and TCID 50 infectivity assays. Results PPMO designed to base-pair with sequence in the 5'-terminal region or the leader transcription regulatory sequence-region of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA were highly efficacious, reducing viral titers by up to 4-6 log10 in cell cultures at 48-72 hours post-infection, in a non-toxic and dose-responsive manner. Conclusion The data indicate that PPMO have the ability to potently and specifically suppress SARS-CoV-2 growth and are promising candidates for further pre-clinical development.
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27
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John CM, Li M, Feng D, Jarvis GA. Cationic cell-penetrating peptide is bactericidal against Neisseria gonorrhoeae. J Antimicrob Chemother 2020; 74:3245-3251. [PMID: 31424547 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkz339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been evaluated for intracellular delivery of molecules and several CPPs have bactericidal activity. Our objectives were to determine the effect of a 12 amino acid CPPs on survival and on the invasive and inflammatory potential of Neisseria gonorrhoeae. METHODS Survival of MDR and human challenge strains of N. gonorrhoeae grown in cell culture medium with 10% FBS was determined after treatment with the CPP and human antimicrobial peptide LL-37 for 4 h. Confocal microscopy was used to examine penetration of FITC-labelled CPP into bacterial cells. The ability of the CPP to prevent invasion of human ME-180 cervical epithelial cells and to reduce the induction of TNF-α in human THP-1 monocytic cells in response to gonococcal infection was assessed. Cytotoxicity of the CPP towards the THP-1 cells was determined. RESULTS The CPP was bactericidal, with 95%-100% killing of all gonococcal strains at 100 μM. Confocal microscopy of gonococci incubated with FITC-labelled CPP revealed the penetration of the peptide. CPP treatment of N. gonorrhoeae inhibited gonococcal invasion of ME-180 cells and reduced the expression of TNF-α induced in THP-1 cells by gonococci. The CPP showed no cytotoxicity towards human THP-1 cells. CONCLUSIONS Based on these promising results, future studies will focus on testing of CPP in the presence of other types of host cells and exploration of structural modifications of the CPP that could decrease its susceptibility to proteolysis and increase its potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance M John
- Center for Immunochemistry, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Min Li
- Center for Immunochemistry, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Dongxiao Feng
- Center for Immunochemistry, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gary A Jarvis
- Center for Immunochemistry, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4150 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA, USA.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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28
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Pifer R, Greenberg DE. Antisense antibacterial compounds. Transl Res 2020; 223:89-106. [PMID: 32522669 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2020.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Extensive antibiotic use combined with poor historical drug stewardship practices have created a medical crisis in which once treatable bacterial infections are now increasingly unmanageable. To combat this, new antibiotics will need to be developed and safeguarded. An emerging class of antibiotics based upon nuclease-stable antisense technologies has proven valuable in preclinical testing against a variety of bacterial pathogens. This review describes the current state of development of antisense-based antibiotics, the mechanisms thus far employed by these compounds, and possible future avenues of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reed Pifer
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
| | - David E Greenberg
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas; Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
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29
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Abstract
Oligonucleotides can be used to modulate gene expression via a range of processes including RNAi, target degradation by RNase H-mediated cleavage, splicing modulation, non-coding RNA inhibition, gene activation and programmed gene editing. As such, these molecules have potential therapeutic applications for myriad indications, with several oligonucleotide drugs recently gaining approval. However, despite recent technological advances, achieving efficient oligonucleotide delivery, particularly to extrahepatic tissues, remains a major translational limitation. Here, we provide an overview of oligonucleotide-based drug platforms, focusing on key approaches - including chemical modification, bioconjugation and the use of nanocarriers - which aim to address the delivery challenge.
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30
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Bestle D, Heindl MR, Limburg H, Van Lam van T, Pilgram O, Moulton H, Stein DA, Hardes K, Eickmann M, Dolnik O, Rohde C, Klenk HD, Garten W, Steinmetzer T, Böttcher-Friebertshäuser E. TMPRSS2 and furin are both essential for proteolytic activation of SARS-CoV-2 in human airway cells. Life Sci Alliance 2020; 3:3/9/e202000786. [PMID: 32703818 PMCID: PMC7383062 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 507] [Impact Index Per Article: 126.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The novel emerged SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly spread around the world causing acute infection of the respiratory tract (COVID-19) that can result in severe disease and lethality. For SARS-CoV-2 to enter cells, its surface glycoprotein spike (S) must be cleaved at two different sites by host cell proteases, which therefore represent potential drug targets. In the present study, we show that S can be cleaved by the proprotein convertase furin at the S1/S2 site and the transmembrane serine protease 2 (TMPRSS2) at the S2' site. We demonstrate that TMPRSS2 is essential for activation of SARS-CoV-2 S in Calu-3 human airway epithelial cells through antisense-mediated knockdown of TMPRSS2 expression. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 replication was also strongly inhibited by the synthetic furin inhibitor MI-1851 in human airway cells. In contrast, inhibition of endosomal cathepsins by E64d did not affect virus replication. Combining various TMPRSS2 inhibitors with furin inhibitor MI-1851 produced more potent antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 than an equimolar amount of any single serine protease inhibitor. Therefore, this approach has considerable therapeutic potential for treatment of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea Bestle
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Hannah Limburg
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Thuy Van Lam van
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Pilgram
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Hong Moulton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - David A Stein
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Kornelia Hardes
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology, Gießen, Germany
| | - Markus Eickmann
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Marburg-Gießen-Langen Site, Emerging Infections Unit, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Olga Dolnik
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Marburg-Gießen-Langen Site, Emerging Infections Unit, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Cornelius Rohde
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Marburg-Gießen-Langen Site, Emerging Infections Unit, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Wolfgang Garten
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
| | - Torsten Steinmetzer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Philipps-University, Marburg, Germany
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TMPRSS2 Is the Major Activating Protease of Influenza A Virus in Primary Human Airway Cells and Influenza B Virus in Human Type II Pneumocytes. J Virol 2019; 93:JVI.00649-19. [PMID: 31391268 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00649-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cleavage of influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) by host cell proteases is essential for virus infectivity and spread. We previously demonstrated in vitro that the transmembrane protease TMPRSS2 cleaves influenza A virus (IAV) and influenza B virus (IBV) HA possessing a monobasic cleavage site. Subsequent studies revealed that TMPRSS2 is crucial for the activation and pathogenesis of H1N1pdm and H7N9 IAV in mice. In contrast, activation of H3N2 IAV and IBV was found to be independent of TMPRSS2 expression and supported by an as-yet-undetermined protease(s). Here, we investigated the role of TMPRSS2 in proteolytic activation of IAV and IBV in three human airway cell culture systems: primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC), primary type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII), and Calu-3 cells. Knockdown of TMPRSS2 expression was performed using a previously described antisense peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer, T-ex5, that interferes with splicing of TMPRSS2 pre-mRNA, resulting in the expression of enzymatically inactive TMPRSS2. T-ex5 treatment produced efficient knockdown of active TMPRSS2 in all three airway cell culture models and prevented proteolytic activation and multiplication of H7N9 IAV in Calu-3 cells and H1N1pdm, H7N9, and H3N2 IAV in HBEC and AECII. T-ex5 treatment also inhibited the activation and spread of IBV in AECII but did not affect IBV activation in HBEC and Calu-3 cells. This study identifies TMPRSS2 as the major HA-activating protease of IAV in human airway cells and IBV in type II pneumocytes and as a potential target for the development of novel drugs to treat influenza infections.IMPORTANCE Influenza A viruses (IAV) and influenza B viruses (IBV) cause significant morbidity and mortality during seasonal outbreaks. Cleavage of the viral surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA) by host proteases is a prerequisite for membrane fusion and essential for virus infectivity. Inhibition of relevant proteases provides a promising therapeutic approach that may avoid the development of drug resistance. HA of most influenza viruses is cleaved at a monobasic cleavage site, and a number of proteases have been shown to cleave HA in vitro This study demonstrates that the transmembrane protease TMPRSS2 is the major HA-activating protease of IAV in primary human bronchial cells and of both IAV and IBV in primary human type II pneumocytes. It further reveals that human and murine airway cells can differ in their HA-cleaving protease repertoires. Our data will help drive the development of potent and selective protease inhibitors as novel drugs for influenza treatment.
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Peptide-conjugate antisense based splice-correction for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular diseases. EBioMedicine 2019; 45:630-645. [PMID: 31257147 PMCID: PMC6642283 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration, caused by the absence of dystrophin. Exon skipping by antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) has recently gained recognition as therapeutic approach in DMD. Conjugation of a peptide to the phosphorodiamidate morpholino backbone (PMO) of ASOs generated the peptide-conjugated PMOs (PPMOs) that exhibit a dramatically improved pharmacokinetic profile. When tested in animal models, PPMOs demonstrate effective exon skipping in target muscles and prolonged duration of dystrophin restoration after a treatment regime. Herein we summarize the main pathophysiological features of DMD and the emergence of PPMOs as promising exon skipping agents aiming to rescue defective gene expression in DMD and other neuromuscular diseases. The listed PPMO laboratory findings correspond to latest trends in the field and highlight the obstacles that must be overcome prior to translating the animal-based research into clinical trials tailored to the needs of patients suffering from neuromuscular diseases.
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Gait MJ, Arzumanov AA, McClorey G, Godfrey C, Betts C, Hammond S, Wood MJ. Cell-Penetrating Peptide Conjugates of Steric Blocking Oligonucleotides as Therapeutics for Neuromuscular Diseases from a Historical Perspective to Current Prospects of Treatment. Nucleic Acid Ther 2018; 29:1-12. [PMID: 30307373 PMCID: PMC6386087 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2018.0747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The review starts with a historical perspective of the achievements of the Gait group in synthesis of oligonucleotides (ONs) and their peptide conjugates toward the award of the 2017 Oligonucleotide Therapeutic Society Lifetime Achievement Award. This acts as a prelude to the rewarding collaborative studies in the Gait and Wood research groups aimed toward the enhanced delivery of charge neutral ON drugs and the development of a series of Arg-rich cell-penetrating peptides called Pip (peptide nucleic acid/phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligonucleotide [PNA/PMO] internalization peptides) as conjugates of such ONs. In this review we concentrate on these developments toward the treatment of the neuromuscular diseases Duchenne muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy toward a platform technology for the enhancement of cellular and in vivo delivery suitable for widespread use as neuromuscular and neurodegenerative ON drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Gait
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Address correspondence to: Michael J. Gait, PhD, Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, United Kingdom
| | - Andrey A. Arzumanov
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Graham McClorey
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Caroline Godfrey
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Corinne Betts
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Suzan Hammond
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J.A. Wood
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Abstract
RNA viruses compartmentalize their replication machinery to evade detection by host pattern recognition receptors and concentrate the machinery of RNA synthesis. For positive-strand RNA viruses, RNA replication occurs in a virus-induced membrane-associated replication organelle. For NNS RNA viruses, the replication compartment is a cytoplasmic inclusion that is not circumscribed by a cellular membrane. Such structures were first observed in the cell bodies of neurons from humans infected with rabies virus and were termed Negri bodies. How the replication machinery that forms this inclusion remains associated in the absence of a membrane has been an enduring mystery. In this article, we present evidence that the VSV replication compartments form through phase separation. Phase separation is increasingly recognized as responsible for cellular structures as diverse as processing bodies (P-bodies) and nucleoli and was recently demonstrated for rabies virus. This article further links the fields of host-pathogen interaction with that of phase separation. RNA viruses that replicate in the cell cytoplasm typically concentrate their replication machinery within specialized compartments. This concentration favors enzymatic reactions and shields viral RNA from detection by cytosolic pattern recognition receptors. Nonsegmented negative-strand (NNS) RNA viruses, which include some of the most significant human, animal, and plant pathogens extant, form inclusions that are sites of RNA synthesis and are not circumscribed by a membrane. These inclusions share similarities with cellular protein/RNA structures such as P granules and nucleoli, which are phase-separated liquid compartments. Here we show that replication compartments of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) have the properties of liquid-like compartments that form by phase separation. Expression of the individual viral components of the replication machinery in cells demonstrates that the 3 viral proteins required for replication are sufficient to drive cytoplasmic phase separation. Therefore, liquid-liquid phase separation, previously linked to organization of P granules, nucleolus homeostasis, and cell signaling, plays a key role in host-pathogen interactions. This work suggests novel therapeutic approaches to the problem of combating NNS RNA viral infections.
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Shahnoor N, Siebers EM, Brown KJ, Lawlor MW. Pathological Issues in Dystrophinopathy in the Age of Genetic Therapies. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PATHOLOGY-MECHANISMS OF DISEASE 2018; 14:105-126. [PMID: 30148687 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pathmechdis-012418-012945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Dystrophinopathy is a class of genetic skeletal muscle disease characterized by myofiber degeneration and regeneration due to insufficient levels or functioning of dystrophin. Pathological evaluation for dystrophinopathy includes the identification of dystrophic skeletal muscle pathology and the immunohistochemical evaluation of dystrophin epitopes, but biopsies have become rare in recent years. However, the evaluation of dystrophin expression in the research setting has become critically important due to recent advances in genetic therapies, including exon skipping and gene therapy. Given the number of these therapies under evaluation in patients, it is likely that the traditional methods of evaluating dystrophinopathy will need to evolve in the near future. This review discusses current muscle biopsy diagnostic practices in dystrophinopathy and further focuses on how these practices have evolved in the context of therapeutic interventions for dystrophinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazima Shahnoor
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA; , ,
| | - Emily M Siebers
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA; , ,
| | - Kristy J Brown
- Solid Biosciences, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA;
| | - Michael W Lawlor
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53226, USA; , ,
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36
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Cell-Penetrating Peptides to Enhance Delivery of Oligonucleotide-Based Therapeutics. Biomedicines 2018; 6:biomedicines6020051. [PMID: 29734750 PMCID: PMC6027240 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines6020051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Revised: 04/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The promise of nucleic acid based oligonucleotides as effective genetic therapies has been held back by their low bioavailability and poor cellular uptake to target tissues upon systemic administration. One such strategy to improve upon delivery is the use of short cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) that can be either directly attached to their cargo through covalent linkages or through the formation of noncovalent nanoparticle complexes that can facilitate cellular uptake. In this review, we will highlight recent proof-of-principle studies that have utilized both of these strategies to improve nucleic acid delivery and discuss the prospects for translation of this approach for clinical application.
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Juliano RL. Intracellular Trafficking and Endosomal Release of Oligonucleotides: What We Know and What We Don't. Nucleic Acid Ther 2018; 28:166-177. [PMID: 29708838 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2018.0727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking of oligonucleotides provides an important basic underpinning for the developing field of oligonucleotide-based therapeutics. Whether delivered as "free" oligonucleotides, as ligand-oligonucleotide conjugates, or in association with various nanocarriers, all forms of oligonucleotide enter cells by endocytosis and are initially ensconced within membrane-limited vesicles. Accordingly, the locus and extent of release to the cytosol and nucleus are key determinants of the pharmacological actions of oligonucleotides. A number of recent studies have explored the intracellular trafficking of various forms of oligonucleotides and their release from endomembrane compartments. These studies reveal a surprising convergence on an early-intermediate compartment in the trafficking pathway as the key locus of release for oligonucleotides administered in "free" form as well as those delivered with lipid complexes. Thus, oligonucleotide release from multivesicular bodies or from late endosomes seems to be the crucial endogenous process for attaining pharmacological effects. This intrinsic process of oligonucleotide release may be amplified by delivery agents such as lipid complexes or small molecule enhancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- R L Juliano
- Initos Pharmaceuticals LLC, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Wolfe JM, Fadzen CM, Holden RL, Yao M, Hanson GJ, Pentelute* BL. Perfluoroaryl Bicyclic Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Delivery of Antisense Oligonucleotides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018; 57:4756-4759. [PMID: 29479836 PMCID: PMC6248909 DOI: 10.1002/anie.201801167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Exon-skipping antisense oligonucleotides are effective treatments for genetic diseases, yet exon-skipping activity requires that these macromolecules reach the nucleus. While cell-penetrating peptides can improve delivery, proteolytic instability often limits efficacy. It is hypothesized that the bicyclization of arginine-rich peptides would improve their stability and their ability to deliver oligonucleotides into the nucleus. Two methods were introduced for the synthesis of arginine-rich bicyclic peptides using cysteine perfluoroarylation chemistry. Then, the bicyclic peptides were covalently linked to a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligonucleotide (PMO) and assayed for exon skipping activity. The perfluoroaryl cyclic and bicyclic peptides improved PMO activity roughly 14-fold over the unconjugated PMO. The bicyclic peptides exhibited increased proteolytic stability relative to the monocycle, demonstrating that perfluoroaryl bicyclic peptides are potent and stable delivery agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin M. Wolfe
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (USA),
| | - Colin M. Fadzen
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (USA),
| | - Rebecca L. Holden
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (USA),
| | - Monica Yao
- Research Chemistry, Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142 (USA)
| | - Gunnar J. Hanson
- Research Chemistry, Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., 215 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02142 (USA)
| | - Bradley L. Pentelute*
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 (USA),
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Wolfe JM, Fadzen CM, Holden RL, Yao M, Hanson GJ, Pentelute BL. Perfluoroaryl Bicyclic Cell‐Penetrating Peptides for Delivery of Antisense Oligonucleotides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201801167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin M. Wolfe
- Department of Chemistry Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Colin M. Fadzen
- Department of Chemistry Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Rebecca L. Holden
- Department of Chemistry Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA
| | - Monica Yao
- Research Chemistry Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. 215 First Street Cambridge MA 02142 USA
| | - Gunnar J. Hanson
- Research Chemistry Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. 215 First Street Cambridge MA 02142 USA
| | - Bradley L. Pentelute
- Department of Chemistry Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge MA 02139 USA
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The Medicinal Chemistry of Antihepatitis Agents I. STUDIES ON HEPATITIS VIRUSES 2018. [PMCID: PMC7149832 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-813330-9.00005-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Since viral hepatitis, as discussed in preceding chapters, has emerged as a major public health problem throughout the world affecting several hundreds of millions of people, and since no effective chemotherapy has been developed so far that can completely treat viral hepatitis, attempts are continued to find potential drugs against this disease. In this respect, the development of medicinal chemistry has been rewarding, as it covers all aspects of drug design such as recognition of important drug targets, computational chemistry, optimization of drug activity based on their structure-activity relationship, finding the three-dimensional structures of compounds by X-ray crystallography, NMR, molecular dynamics, and then synthesis of the drugs and evaluating their activity. The present chapter, thus, presents such medicinal chemistry study on anti-HAV, anti-HDV, and anti-HEV drugs.
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MCR-1 Inhibition with Peptide-Conjugated Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomers Restores Sensitivity to Polymyxin in Escherichia coli. mBio 2017; 8:mBio.01315-17. [PMID: 29114023 PMCID: PMC5676038 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01315-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In late 2015, the first example of a transferrable polymyxin resistance mechanism in Gram-negative pathogens, MCR-1, was reported. Since that report, MCR-1 has been described to occur in many Gram-negative pathogens, and the mechanism of MCR-1-mediated resistance was rapidly determined: an ethanolamine is attached to lipid A phosphate groups, rendering the membrane more electropositive and repelling positively charged polymyxins. Acquisition of MCR-1 is clinically significant because polymyxins are frequently last-line antibiotics used to treat extensively resistant organisms, so acquisition of this mechanism might lead to pan-resistant strains. Therefore, the ability to inhibit MCR-1 and restore polymyxin sensitivity would be an important scientific advancement. Peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PPMOs) are antisense molecules that were designed to target mRNA, preventing translation. Peptide conjugation enhances cellular entry, but they are positively charged, so we tested our lead antibacterial PPMOs by targeting an essential Escherichia coli gene, acpP, and demonstrated that they were still effective in mcr-1-positive E. coli strains. We then designed and synthesized two PPMOs targeted to mcr-1 mRNA. Five clinical mcr-1-positive E. coli strains were resensitized to polymyxins by MCR-1 inhibition, reducing MICs 2- to 16-fold. Finally, therapeutic dosing of BALB/c mice with MCR-1 PPMO combined with colistin in a sepsis model reduced morbidity and bacterial burden in the spleen at 24 h and offered a survival advantage out to 5 days. This is the first example of a way to modulate colistin resistance with an antisense approach and may be a viable strategy to combat this globally emerging antibiotic resistance threat. Polymyxin use has been increasing as a last line of defense against Gram-negative pathogens with high-level resistance mechanisms, such as carbapenemases. The recently described MCR-1 is a plasmid-mediated mechanism of resistance to polymyxins. MCR-1 is currently found in Gram-negative organisms already possessing high-level resistance mechanisms, leaving clinicians few or no antibacterial options for infections caused by these strains. This study utilizes antisense molecules that target mRNA, preventing protein translation. Herein we describe antisense molecules that can be directly antibacterial because they target genes essential to bacterial growth or blockade of MCR-1, restoring polymyxin sensitivity. We also demonstrate that MCR-1 antisense molecules restore the efficacies of polymyxins in mouse models of E. coli septicemia. Considering all things together, we demonstrate that antisense molecules may be effective therapeutics either alone when they target an essential gene or combined with antibiotics when they target specific resistance mechanisms, such as those seen with MCR-1.
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Albert L, Xu J, Wan R, Srinivasan V, Dou Y, Vázquez O. Controlled inhibition of methyltransferases using photoswitchable peptidomimetics: towards an epigenetic regulation of leukemia. Chem Sci 2017; 8:4612-4618. [PMID: 28970883 PMCID: PMC5618341 DOI: 10.1039/c7sc00137a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Accepted: 04/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Shine light on epigenetics: we describe how photoswitchable peptidomimetics modulate the activity of the MLLl enzyme affecting epigenetic states.
We describe a cell-permeable photoswitchable probe capable of modulating epigenetic cellular states by disruption of an essential protein–protein interaction within the MLL1 methyltransferase core complex. Our azobenzene-containing peptides selectively block the WDR5-MLL1 interaction by binding to WDR5 with high affinity (Ki = 1.25 nM). We determined the co-crystal structure of this photoswitchable peptiomimetic with WDR5 to understand the interaction at the atomic level. Importantly, the photoswitchable trans and cis conformers of the probe display a clear difference in their inhibition of MLL1. We further demonstrate that the designed photo-controllable azo-peptidomimetics affect the transcription of the MLL1-target gene Deptor, which regulates hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis, and inhibit the growth of leukemia cells. This strategy demonstrates the potential of photopharmacological inhibition of methyltransferase protein–protein interactions as a novel method for external epigenetic control, providing a new toolbox for controlling epigenetic states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea Albert
- Fachbereich Chemie , Philipps-Universität Marburg , Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 4 , 35043 Marburg , Germany .
| | - Jing Xu
- Department of Pathology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , USA
| | - Ruiwei Wan
- Department of Pathology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , USA
| | - Vasundara Srinivasan
- LOEWE Zentrum für Synthetische Mikrobiologie SynMikro , Philipps-Universität Marburg , Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 4 , 35043 Marburg , Germany
| | - Yali Dou
- Department of Pathology , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan 48109 , USA
| | - Olalla Vázquez
- Fachbereich Chemie , Philipps-Universität Marburg , Hans-Meerwein-Strasse 4 , 35043 Marburg , Germany .
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Yadav AK, Dey N, Chattopadhyay S, Ganguli M, Fernandes M. Dendrimeric amide- and carbamate-linked lysine-based efficient molecular transporters. Org Biomol Chem 2017; 15:9579-9584. [DOI: 10.1039/c7ob02552a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Carbamate- and amide-linked lysine-based generation-2 dendrimeric oligomers transport pDNA into cells very efficiently when complexed by incubation overnight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Kumar Yadav
- Organic Chemistry Division
- CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL)
- Pune 411008
- India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR)
| | - Namit Dey
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology
- New Delhi 110020
- India
| | | | - Munia Ganguli
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR)
- Pune
- India
- CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology
- New Delhi 110020
| | - Moneesha Fernandes
- Organic Chemistry Division
- CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL)
- Pune 411008
- India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR)
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Lehto T, Ezzat K, Wood MJA, El Andaloussi S. Peptides for nucleic acid delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2016; 106:172-182. [PMID: 27349594 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2016.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acids and their synthetic oligonucleotide (ON) analogs are a group of gene therapeutic compounds which hold enormous clinical potential. Despite their undoubted potential, clinical translation of these molecules, however, has been largely held back by their limited bioavailability in the target tissues/cells. To overcome this, many different drug delivery systems have been devised. Among others, short delivery peptides, called cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), have been demonstrated to allow for efficient delivery of nucleic acids and their ON analogs, in both cell culture and animal models. In this review, we provide brief overview of the latest advances in nucleic acid delivery with CPPs, covering the two main vectorization strategies, covalent conjugation and nanoparticle formation-based approach. In conclusion, CPP-based drug delivery systems have the capacity to overcome the hurdle of delivery and thus have the potential to facilitate the clinical translation of nucleic acid-based therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taavi Lehto
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden; Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Kariem Ezzat
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden
| | - Matthew J A Wood
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, OX13QX Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Samir El Andaloussi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm SE-171 77, Sweden; Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, University of Oxford, OX13QX Oxford, United Kingdom
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Sequence-Specific Targeting of Bacterial Resistance Genes Increases Antibiotic Efficacy. PLoS Biol 2016; 14:e1002552. [PMID: 27631336 PMCID: PMC5025249 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1002552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of effective and well-tolerated therapies against antibiotic-resistant bacteria is a global public health problem leading to prolonged treatment and increased mortality. To improve the efficacy of existing antibiotic compounds, we introduce a new method for strategically inducing antibiotic hypersensitivity in pathogenic bacteria. Following the systematic verification that the AcrAB-TolC efflux system is one of the major determinants of the intrinsic antibiotic resistance levels in Escherichia coli, we have developed a short antisense oligomer designed to inhibit the expression of acrA and increase antibiotic susceptibility in E. coli. By employing this strategy, we can inhibit E. coli growth using 2- to 40-fold lower antibiotic doses, depending on the antibiotic compound utilized. The sensitizing effect of the antisense oligomer is highly specific to the targeted gene's sequence, which is conserved in several bacterial genera, and the oligomer does not have any detectable toxicity against human cells. Finally, we demonstrate that antisense oligomers improve the efficacy of antibiotic combinations, allowing the combined use of even antagonistic antibiotic pairs that are typically not favored due to their reduced activities.
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46
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Nan Y, Zhang YJ. Molecular Biology and Infection of Hepatitis E Virus. Front Microbiol 2016; 7:1419. [PMID: 27656178 PMCID: PMC5013053 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.01419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a viral pathogen transmitted primarily via fecal-oral route. In humans, HEV mainly causes acute hepatitis and is responsible for large outbreaks of hepatitis across the world. The case fatality rate of HEV-induced hepatitis ranges from 0.5 to 3% in young adults and up to 30% in infected pregnant women. HEV strains infecting humans are classified into four genotypes. HEV strains from genotypes 3 and 4 are zoonotic, whereas those from genotypes 1 and 2 have no known animal reservoirs. Recently, notable progress has been accomplished for better understanding of HEV biology and infection, such as chronic HEV infection, in vitro cell culture system, quasi-enveloped HEV virions, functions of the HEV proteins, mechanism of HEV antagonizing host innate immunity, HEV pathogenesis and vaccine development. However, further investigation on the cross-species HEV infection, host tropism, vaccine efficacy, and HEV-specific antiviral strategy is still needed. This review mainly focuses on molecular biology and infection of HEV and offers perspective new insight of this enigmatic virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Nan
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F UniversityYangling, China; Molecular Virology Laboratory, VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine and Maryland Pathogen Research Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, College ParkMD, USA
| | - Yan-Jin Zhang
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, VA-MD College of Veterinary Medicine and Maryland Pathogen Research Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD, USA
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47
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Gooding M, Malhotra M, Evans JC, Darcy R, O'Driscoll CM. Oligonucleotide conjugates - Candidates for gene silencing therapeutics. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2016; 107:321-40. [PMID: 27521696 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2016.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Revised: 07/24/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The potential therapeutic and diagnostic applications of oligonucleotides (ONs) have attracted great attention in recent years. The capability of ONs to selectively inhibit target genes through antisense and RNA interference mechanisms, without causing un-intended sideeffects has led them to be investigated for various biomedical applications, especially for the treatment of viral diseases and cancer. In recent years, many researchers have focused on enhancing the stability and target specificity of ONs by encapsulating/complexing them with polymers or lipid chains to formulate nanoparticles/nanocomplexes/micelles. Also, chemical modification of nucleic acids has emerged as an alternative to impart stability to ONs against nucleases and other degrading enzymes and proteins found in blood. In addition to chemically modifying the nucleic acids directly, another strategy that has emerged, involves conjugating polymers/peptide/aptamers/antibodies/proteins, preferably to the sense strand (3'end) of siRNAs. Conjugation to the siRNA not only enhances the stability and targeting specificity of the siRNA, but also allows for the development of self-administering siRNA formulations, with a much smaller size than what is usually observed for nanoparticle (∼200nm). This review concentrates mainly on approaches and studies involving ON-conjugates for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Gooding
- Pharmacodelivery Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Meenakshi Malhotra
- Pharmacodelivery Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - James C Evans
- Pharmacodelivery Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Raphael Darcy
- Pharmacodelivery Group, School of Pharmacy, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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Vij M, Natarajan P, Yadav AK, Patil KM, Pandey T, Gupta N, Santhiya D, Kumar VA, Fernandes M, Ganguli M. Efficient Cellular Entry of (r-x-r)-Type Carbamate–Plasmid DNA Complexes and Its Implication for Noninvasive Topical DNA Delivery to Skin. Mol Pharm 2016; 13:1779-90. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.5b00915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Manika Vij
- Department
of Structural Biology, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, South
Campus, Mathura Road, New Delhi, India 110020
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Anusandhan Bhawan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi, India 110001
| | - Poornemaa Natarajan
- Department
of Structural Biology, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, South
Campus, Mathura Road, New Delhi, India 110020
| | - Amit K. Yadav
- CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411008
| | - Kiran M. Patil
- CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411008
| | - Tanuja Pandey
- Department
of Structural Biology, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, South
Campus, Mathura Road, New Delhi, India 110020
| | - Nidhi Gupta
- Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Main Bawana Road, New Delhi, India 110042
| | - Deenan Santhiya
- Delhi Technological University, Shahbad Daulatpur, Main Bawana Road, New Delhi, India 110042
| | | | | | - Munia Ganguli
- Department
of Structural Biology, CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, South
Campus, Mathura Road, New Delhi, India 110020
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Anusandhan Bhawan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi, India 110001
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Abstract
Molecular medicine opens into a space of novel specific therapeutic agents: intracellularly active drugs such as peptides, proteins or nucleic acids, which are not able to cross cell membranes and enter the intracellular space on their own. Through the development of cell-targeted shuttles for specific delivery, this restriction in delivery has the potential to be converted into an advantage. On the one hand, due to the multiple extra- and intracellular barriers, such carrier systems need to be multifunctional. On the other hand, they must be precise and reproducibly manufactured due to pharmaceutical reasons. Here we review the design of precise sequence-defined delivery carriers, including solid-phase synthesized peptides and nonpeptidic oligomers, or nucleotide-based carriers such as aptamers and origami nanoboxes.
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50
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Jain HV, Beaucage SL. An Amphipathic trans-Acting Phosphorothioate DNA Element Delivers Uncharged PNA and PMO Nucleic Acid Sequences in Mammalian Cells. CURRENT PROTOCOLS IN NUCLEIC ACID CHEMISTRY 2016; 64:4.69.1-4.69.22. [PMID: 27516815 PMCID: PMC4976944 DOI: 10.1002/0471142700.nc0469s64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
An innovative approach to the delivery of uncharged peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and phosphorodiamidate morpholino (PMO) oligomers in mammalian cells is described and consists of extending the sequence of those oligomers with a short PNA-polyA or PMO-polyA tail. Recognition of the polyA-tailed PNA or PMO oligomers by an amphipathic trans-acting polythymidylic thiophosphate triester element (dTtaPS) results in efficient internalization of those oligomers in several cell lines. The authors' findings indicate that cellular uptake of the oligomers occurs through an energy-dependent mechanism and macropinocytosis appears to be the predominant endocytic pathway used for internalization. The functionality of the internalized oligomers is demonstrated by alternate splicing of the pre-mRNA encoding luciferase in HeLa pLuc 705 cells. Amphipathic phosphorothioate DNA elements may represent a unique class of cellular transporters for robust delivery of uncharged nucleic acid sequences in live mammalian cells. © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsh V Jain
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland
| | - Serge L Beaucage
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland
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