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Pan C, Wang C, Zhao Y, Bo T, Han L, Yao D, Wang Y, Wang X, Shi L, Zhao A, Cao Q, Chen F, He W, Ye Y, Zhang S, Li M. Superior COL7A1 and TGM1 gene expression in difficult-to-transfect skin cell mediated by highly branched poly(β-amino esters) through stepwise fractionation. J Control Release 2024; 370:82-94. [PMID: 38643938 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.04.030] [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] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Delivering functional gene into targeted skin cells or tissues to modulate the genes expression, has the potential to treat various hereditary cutaneous disorders. Nevertheless, the lack of safe and effective gene delivery vehicles greatly limits the clinical translation of gene therapy for inherited skin diseases. Herein, we developed a facile elution fractionation strategy to isolate eight HPAEs with Mw ranging from 7.6 to 131.8 kg/mol and Đ < 2.0 from the one crude HPAE23.7k, and investigated the expression efficiency for TGM1 and COL7A1 plasmids. Gene transfection results revealed that the intermediate MW HPAEs, HPAE20.6k, exhibited the highest gene transfection efficiency (46.4%) and the strongest mean fluorescence intensity (143,032 RLU), compared to other isolated components and the crude product. Importantly, best-performing isolated HPAE effectively delivered COL7A1 (15,974 bp) and TGM1 (7181 bp) plasmids, promoting the efficient expression of type VII collagen (C7) and transglutaminase-1 proteins in cutaneous cells. Our study establishes a straightforward step-by-step elution fractionation strategy for the development of HPAEs gene delivery vectors, expediting their clinical translation in inherited skin diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaolan Pan
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Chenfei Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China.
| | - Yitong Zhao
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, Anhui 232000, China
| | - Tao Bo
- NHC Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Liping Han
- NHC Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Department of Blood Transfusion, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dingjin Yao
- Shanghai EditorGene Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai, 200000, China
| | - Yumeng Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Wang
- Department of Dermatology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Linjing Shi
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Anqi Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Qiaoyu Cao
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Fuying Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Wei He
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Ying Ye
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China
| | - Si Zhang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai 201102, China.
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Li Z, Guo R, Zhang Z, Yong H, Guo L, Chen Z, Huang D, Zhou D. Enhancing gene transfection of poly(β-amino ester)s through modulation of amphiphilicity and chain sequence. J Control Release 2024; 368:131-139. [PMID: 38331003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.02.002] [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] [Received: 12/31/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Poly(β-amino ester)s (PAEs) have emerged as a type of highly safe and efficient non-viral DNA delivery vectors. However, the influence of amphiphilicity and chain sequence on DNA transfection efficiency and safety profile remain largely unexplored. In this study, four PAEs with distinct amphiphilicity and chain sequences were synthesized. Results show that both amphiphilicity and chain sequence significantly affect the DNA binding and condensation ability of PAEs, as well as size, zeta potential and cellular uptake of PAE/DNA polyplexes. PAEs with different amphiphilicity and chain sequence exhibit cell type-dependent transfection capabilities: in human bladder transitional cell carcinoma (UM-UC-3), hydrophilic PAE (P-Philic) and amphiphilic PAE random copolymer (R-Amphilic) exhibit relatively higher gene transfection efficiency, while in human bladder epithelial immortalized cells (SV-HUC-1), hydrophobic PAE (P-Phobic), R-Amphilic, and amphiphilic PAE block copolymer (B-Amphilic) demonstrate higher transfection capability. Regardless of cell types, amphiphilic PAE block copolymer (B-Amphilic) always exhibits much lower gene transfection efficiency. In addition, in human colon cancer cells (HCT-116), P-Philic and R-Amphilic achieved superior gene transfection efficiency at high and low polymer/DNA weight ratios, respectively. Importantly, R-Amphilic can effectively deliver the gene encoding tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) to human chondrosarcoma cells SW1353 to induce their apoptosis, highlighting its potential application in cancer gene therapy. This study not only establishes a new paradigm for enhancing the gene transfection efficiency of PAEs by modulating their amphiphilicity and chain sequence but also identifies R-Amphilic as a potential candidate for the effective delivery of TRAIL gene in cancer gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhili Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Rui Guo
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Zhiyong Zhang
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China.
| | - Haiyang Yong
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Lei Guo
- Pooling Institute of Translational Medicine, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Zhengju Chen
- Pooling Medical Research Institutes of 100Biotech, Beijing 100006, China
| | - Dongdong Huang
- Pooling Institute of Translational Medicine, Hangzhou 311100, China
| | - Dezhong Zhou
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
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Wang X, Li Y, A S, Lyu J, Wang X, He Z, Lara-Sáez I, Li M, Wang W. Cyclization-enhanced poly(β-amino ester)s vectors for efficient CRISPR gene editing therapy. J Control Release 2024; 368:444-452. [PMID: 38401849 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.02.032] [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] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Among non-viral gene delivery vectors, poly(β-amino ester)s (PAEs) are one of the most versatile candidates because of their wide monomer availability, high polymer flexibility, and superior gene transfection performance both in vitro and in vivo. Over two decades, PAEs have evolved from linear to highly branched structures, significantly enhancing gene delivery efficacy. Building on the proven efficient sets of monomers in highly branched PAEs (HPAEs), this work introduced a new class of cyclic PAEs (CPAEs) constructed via an A2 + B4 + C2 cyclization synthesis strategy and identified their markedly improved gene transfection capabilities in gene delivery applications. Two sets of cyclic PAEs (CPAEs) with rings of different sizes and topologies were obtained. Their chemical structures were confirmed via two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance and the photoluminescence phenomena, and their DNA delivery behaviours were investigated and compared with the HPAE counterparts. In vitro assessments demonstrated that the CPAEs with a macrocyclic architecture (MCPAEs), significantly enhanced DNA intracellular uptake and facilitated efficient gene expression while maintaining perfect biocompatibility. The top-performance MCPAEs have been further employed to deliver a plasmid coding dual single guide RNA-guided CRISPR-Cas9 machinery to delete COL7A1 exon 80 containing the c.6527dupC mutation. In recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) patient-derived epidermal keratinocytes, MCPAEs facilitated the CRISPR plasmid delivery and achieved efficient targeted gene editing in multiple colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianqing Wang
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Yinghao Li
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sigen A
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
| | - Jing Lyu
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Xi Wang
- Institute of Precision Medicine (AUST-IPM), Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
| | - Zhonglei He
- Institute of Precision Medicine (AUST-IPM), Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
| | - Irene Lara-Sáez
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Ming Li
- Department of Dermatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, 399 Wanyuan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenxin Wang
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland.
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Chu Z, Li Z, Yong H, Che D, Li B, Yan C, Zhou T, Wang X, Feng Y, Guo K, Geng S. Enhanced gene transfection and induction of apoptosis in melanoma cells by branched poly(β-amino ester)s with uniformly distributed branching units. J Control Release 2024; 367:197-208. [PMID: 38246205 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.026] [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] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Melanoma, one of the most devastating forms of skin cancer, currently lacks effective clinical treatments. Delivery of functional genes to modulate specific protein expression to induce melanoma cell apoptosis could be a promising therapeutic approach. However, transfecting melanoma cells using non-viral methods, particularly with cationic polymers, presents significant challenges. In this study, we synthesized three branched poly(β-amino ester)s (HPAEs) with evenly distributed branching units but varying space lengths through a two-step "oligomer combination" strategy. The unique topological structure enables HPAEs to condense DNA to form nano-sized polyplexes with favorable physiochemical properties. Notably, HPAEs, especially HPAE-2 with intermediate branching unit space length, demonstrated significantly higher gene transfection efficiency than the leading commercial gene transfection reagent, jetPRIME, in human melanoma cells. Furthermore, HPAE-2 efficiently delivered the Bax-encoding plasmid into melanoma cells, leading to a pronounced pro-apoptotic effect without causing noticeable cytotoxicity. This study establishes a potent non-viral platform for gene transfection of melanoma cells by harnessing the distribution of branching units, paving the way for potential clinical applications of gene therapy in melanoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaowei Chu
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Zhili Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Haiyang Yong
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Delu Che
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Bingjie Li
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Cong Yan
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Tong Zhou
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Yuqing Feng
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Kun Guo
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
| | - Songmei Geng
- Department of Dermatology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China.
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Li Y, Qiu B, Li Z, Wang X, He Z, Sandoval DM, Song R, Sigen A, Zhao C, Johnson M, Lyu J, Lara-Sáez I, Wang W. Backbone cationized highly branched poly(β-amino ester)s as enhanced delivery vectors in non-viral gene therapy. J Control Release 2024; 367:327-338. [PMID: 38272397 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.046] [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] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Gene therapy holds great potential for treating Lung Cystic Fibrosis (CF) which is a fatal hereditary condition arising from mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, resulting in dysfunctional CFTR protein. However, the advancement and clinical application of CF gene therapy systems have been hindered due to the absence of a highly efficient delivery vector. In this work, we introduce a new generation of highly branched poly(β-amino ester) (HPAE) gene delivery vectors for CF treatment. Building upon the classical chemical composition of HPAE, a novel backbone cationization strategy was developed to incorporate additional functional amine groups into HPAE without altering their branching degree. By carefully adjusting the type, proportion, and backbone distribution of the added cationic groups, a series of highly effective HPAE gene delivery vectors were successfully constructed for CF disease gene therapy. In vitro assessment results showed that the backbone cationized HPAEs with randomly distributed 10% proportion of 1-(3-aminopropyl)-4-methylpiperazine (E7) amine groups exhibited superior transfection performance than their counterparts. Furthermore, the top-performed backbone cationized HPAEs, when loaded with therapeutic plasmids, successfully reinstated CFTR protein expression in the CFBE41o- disease model, achieving levels 20-23 times higher than that of normal human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. Their therapeutic effectiveness significantly surpassed that of the currently advanced commercial vectors, Xfect and Lipofectamine 3000.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghao Li
- Institute of Precision Medicine (AUST-IPM), Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China; Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Bei Qiu
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Zishan Li
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Xianqing Wang
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Zhonglei He
- Institute of Precision Medicine (AUST-IPM), Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
| | - Darío Manzanares Sandoval
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Rijian Song
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - A Sigen
- School of Medicine, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China
| | - Chunyu Zhao
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Melissa Johnson
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jing Lyu
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland..
| | - Irene Lara-Sáez
- Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Wenxin Wang
- Institute of Precision Medicine (AUST-IPM), Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan 232001, China; Charles Institute of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland..
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6
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Zhou YN, Yong H, Guo R, Wang K, Li Z, Hua W, Zhou D. Self-reporting and Biodegradable Thermosetting Solid Polymer Electrolyte. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202319003. [PMID: 38131604 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202319003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
To date, significant efforts have been dedicated to improve their ionic conductivity, thermal stability, and mechanical strength of solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs). However, direct monitoring of physical and chemical changes in SPEs is still lacking. Moreover, existing thermosetting SPEs are hardly degradable. Herein, by overcoming the limitation predicted by Flory theory, self-reporting and biodegradable thermosetting hyperbranched poly(β-amino ester)-based SPEs (HPAE-SPEs) are reported. HPAE is successfully synthesized through a well-controlled "A2+B4" Michael addition strategy and then crosslinked it in situ to produce HPAE-SPEs. The multiple tertiary aliphatic amines at the branching sites confer multicolour luminescence to HPAE-SPEs, enabling direct observation of its physical and chemical damage. After use, HPAE-SPEs can be rapidly hydrolysed into non-hazardous β-amino acids and polyols via self-catalysis. Optimized HPAE-SPE exhibits an ionic conductivity of 1.3×10-4 S/cm at 60 °C, a Na+ transference number (t N a + ${{t}_{Na}^{+}}$ ) of 0.67, a highly stable sodium plating-stripping behaviour and a low overpotential of ≈190 mV. This study establishes a new paradigm for developing SPEs by engineering multifunctional polymers. The self-reporting and biodegradable properties would greatly expand the scope of applications for SPEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Nan Zhou
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, P. R. China
| | - Haiyang Yong
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, P. R. China
| | - Rui Guo
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, P. R. China
| | - Kaixuan Wang
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, P. R. China
| | - Zhili Li
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, P. R. China
| | - Weibo Hua
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, P. R. China
| | - Dezhong Zhou
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710049, P. R. China
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