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Kumar V, Wahane A, Gupta A, Manautou JE, Bahal R. Multivalent Lactobionic Acid and N-Acetylgalactosamine-Conjugated Peptide Nucleic Acids for Efficient In Vivo Targeting of Hepatocytes. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2202859. [PMID: 36636995 PMCID: PMC10175146 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202202859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are used/applied in various studies to target genomic DNA and RNA to modulate gene expression. Non-specific targeting and rapid elimination always remain a challenge for PNA-based applications. Here, the synthesis, characterization, in vitro and in vivo study of di lactobionic acid (diLBA) and tris N-acetyl galactosamine (tGalNAc) conjugated PNAs for liver-targeted delivery are reported. For proof of concept, diLBA, and tGalNAc conjugated PNAs (anti-miR-122 PNAs) were synthesized to target microRNA-122 (miR-122) which is over-expressed in the hepatic tissue. Different lengths of anti-miR-122 PNAs conjugated with diLBA and tGalNAc are tested. Cell culture and in vivo analyses to determine biodistribution, efficacy, and toxicity profile are performed. This work indicates that diLBA conjugates show significant retention in hepatocytes in addition to tGalNAc conjugates after in vivo delivery. Full-length PNA conjugates show significant downregulation of miR-122 levels and subsequent de-repression of its downstream targets with no evidence of toxicity. The results provide a robust framework for ligand-conjugated delivery systems for PNAs that can be explored for broader biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Kumar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Aniket Wahane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Anisha Gupta
- School of Pharmacy, University of Saint Joseph, West Hartford, CT, 06117, USA
| | - José E Manautou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Raman Bahal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
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2
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Ali S, Dussouillez C, Padilla B, Frisch B, Mason AJ, Kichler A. Design of a new cell penetrating peptide for DNA, siRNA and mRNA delivery. J Gene Med 2021; 24:e3401. [PMID: 34856643 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3401] [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: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delivery systems, including peptide-based ones, that destabilize endosomes in a pH-dependent manner are increasingly used to deliver cargoes of therapeutic interest, such as nucleic acids and proteins into mammalian cells. METHODS The negatively charged amphipathic alpha-helicoidal forming peptide named HELP (Helical Erythrocyte Lysing Peptide) is a derivative from the bee venom melittin and was shown to have a pH-dependent activity with the highest lytic activity at pH 5.0 at the same time as becoming inactive when the pH is increased. The present study aimed to determine whether replacement in the HELP peptide of the glutamic acid residues by histidines, for which the protonation state is sensitive to the pH changes that occur during endosomal acidification, can transform this fusogenic peptide into a carrier able to deliver different nucleic acids into mammalian cells. RESULTS The resulting HELP-4H peptide displays high plasmid DNA, small interfering RNA and mRNA delivery capabilities. Importantly, in contrast to other cationic peptides, its transfection activity was only marginally affected by the presence of serum. Using circular dichroism, we found that acidic pH did not induce significant conformational changes for HELP-4H. CONCLUSIONS In summary, we were able to develop a new cationic histidine rich peptide able to efficiently deliver various nucleic acids into cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salif Ali
- 3Bio Team, CAMB 7199 CNRS - University of Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
| | - Candice Dussouillez
- 3Bio Team, CAMB 7199 CNRS - University of Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
| | - Beatriz Padilla
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, London, UK
| | - Benoît Frisch
- 3Bio Team, CAMB 7199 CNRS - University of Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
| | - A James Mason
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Science, King's College London, Franklin-Wilkins Building, London, UK
| | - Antoine Kichler
- 3Bio Team, CAMB 7199 CNRS - University of Strasbourg, Faculté de Pharmacie, Illkirch, France
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3
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Soudah T, Khawaled S, Aqeilan RI, Yavin E. AntimiR-155 Cyclic Peptide-PNA Conjugate: Synthesis, Cellular Uptake, and Biological Activity. ACS OMEGA 2019; 4:13954-13961. [PMID: 31497713 PMCID: PMC6714607 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.9b01697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Efficient delivery of nucleic acids into cells still remains a great challenge. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are DNA analogues with a neutral backbone and are synthesized by solid phase peptide chemistry. This allows a straightforward synthetic route to introduce a linear short peptide (a.k.a. cell-penetrating peptide) to the PNA molecule as a means of facilitating cellular uptake of PNAs. Herein, we have devised a synthetic route in which a cyclic peptide is prepared on a solid support and is extended with the PNA molecule, where all syntheses are accomplished on the solid phase. This allows the conjugation of the cyclic peptide to the PNA molecule with the need of only one purification step after the cyclic peptide-PNA conjugate (C9-PNA) is cleaved from the solid support. The PNA sequence chosen is an antimiR-155 molecule that is complementary to mature miR-155, a well-established oncogenic miRNA. By labeling C9-PNA with fluorescein isothiocyanate, we observe efficient cellular uptake into glioblastoma cells (U87MG) at a low concentration (0.5 μM), as corroborated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis and confocal microscopy. FACS analysis also suggests an uptake mechanism that is energy-dependent. Finally, the antimiR activity of C9-PNA was shown by analyzing miR155 levels by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and by observing a reduction in cell viability and proliferation in U87MG cells, as corroborated by XTT and colony formation assays. Given the added biological stability of cyclic versus linear peptides, this synthetic approach may be a useful and straightforward approach to synthesize cyclic peptide-PNA conjugates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terese Soudah
- The
Institute for Drug Research, The School of Pharmacy,
and Lautenberg Center
for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research
Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Saleh Khawaled
- The
Institute for Drug Research, The School of Pharmacy,
and Lautenberg Center
for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research
Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Rami I. Aqeilan
- The
Institute for Drug Research, The School of Pharmacy,
and Lautenberg Center
for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research
Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Eylon Yavin
- The
Institute for Drug Research, The School of Pharmacy,
and Lautenberg Center
for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research
Israel-Canada, The Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
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4
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Soudah T, Mogilevsky M, Karni R, Yavin E. CLIP6-PNA-Peptide Conjugates: Non-Endosomal Delivery of Splice Switching Oligonucleotides. Bioconjug Chem 2017; 28:3036-3042. [PMID: 29211451 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.7b00638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Efficient delivery of oligonucleotides still remains a challenge in the field of oligonucleotide based therapy. Peptide nucleic acid (PNA), a DNA analogue that is typically synthesized by solid phase peptide chemistry, has been conjugated to a variety of cell penetrating peptides (CPP) as a means of improving its cellular uptake. These CPPs typically deliver their cargoes into cells by an endosomal-dependent mechanism resulting in lower bioavailability of the cargo. Herein, we designed and synthesized PNA-peptide conjugates as splice switching oligonucleotides (SSO) targeting the Mnk2 gene, a therapeutic target in cancer. In humans, the MKNK2 gene, is alternatively spliced, generating isoforms with opposite biological activities: Mnk2a and Mnk2b. It was found that the Mnk2a isoform is down-regulated in breast, lung, brain, and colon tumors and is a tumor suppressor, whereas MnK2b is oncogenic. We have designed and synthesized PNAs that were conjugated to either of the following peptides: a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) or a cytosol localizing internalization peptide (CLIP6). CLIP6-PNA demonstrates effective cellular uptake and exclusively employs a nonendosomal mechanism to cross the cellular membranes of glioblastoma cells (U87). Simple incubation of PNA-peptide conjugates in human glioblastoma cells up-regulates the Mnk2a isoform leading to cancer cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terese Soudah
- The Institute for Drug Research, The School of Pharmacy and ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Maxim Mogilevsky
- The Institute for Drug Research, The School of Pharmacy and ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Rotem Karni
- The Institute for Drug Research, The School of Pharmacy and ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
| | - Eylon Yavin
- The Institute for Drug Research, The School of Pharmacy and ‡Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , Hadassah Ein-Kerem, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
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5
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Yaghini E, Dondi R, Tewari KM, Loizidou M, Eggleston IM, MacRobert AJ. Endolysosomal targeting of a clinical chlorin photosensitiser for light-triggered delivery of nano-sized medicines. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6059. [PMID: 28729656 PMCID: PMC5519633 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06109-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
A major problem with many promising nano-sized biotherapeutics including macromolecules is that owing to their size they are subject to cellular uptake via endocytosis, and become entrapped and then degraded within endolysosomes, which can significantly impair their therapeutic efficacy. Photochemical internalisation (PCI) is a technique for inducing cytosolic release of the entrapped agents that harnesses sub-lethal photodynamic therapy (PDT) using a photosensitiser that localises in endolysosomal membranes. Using light to trigger reactive oxygen species-mediated rupture of the photosensitised endolysosomal membranes, the spatio-temporal selectivity of PCI then enables cytosolic release of the agents at the selected time after administration so that they can reach their intracellular targets. However, conventional photosensitisers used clinically for PDT are ineffective for photochemical internalisation owing to their sub-optimal intracellular localisation. In this work we demonstrate that such a photosensitiser, chlorin e6, can be repurposed for PCI by conjugating the chlorin to a cell penetrating peptide, using bioorthogonal ligation chemistry. The peptide conjugation enables targeting of endosomal membranes so that light-triggered cytosolic release of an entrapped nano-sized cytotoxin can be achieved with consequent improvement in cytotoxicity. The photoproperties of the chlorin moiety are also conserved, with comparable singlet oxygen quantum yields found to the free chlorin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elnaz Yaghini
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PE, UK.
| | - Ruggero Dondi
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Kunal M Tewari
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Marilena Loizidou
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PE, UK
| | - Ian M Eggleston
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK.
| | - Alexander J MacRobert
- Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Royal Free Campus, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PE, UK.
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6
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Kamada R, Toguchi Y, Nomura T, Imagawa T, Sakaguchi K. Tetramer formation of tumor suppressor protein p53: Structure, function, and applications. Biopolymers 2017; 106:598-612. [PMID: 26572807 DOI: 10.1002/bip.22772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Tetramer formation of p53 is essential for its tumor suppressor function. p53 not only acts as a tumor suppressor protein by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in response to genotoxic stress, but it also regulates other cellular processes, including autophagy, stem cell self-renewal, and reprogramming of differentiated cells into stem cells, immune system, and metastasis. More than 50% of human tumors have TP53 gene mutations, and most of them are missense mutations that presumably reduce tumor suppressor activity of p53. This review focuses on the role of the tetramerization (oligomerization), which is modulated by the protein concentration of p53, posttranslational modifications, and/or interactions with its binding proteins, in regulating the tumor suppressor function of p53. Functional control of p53 by stabilizing or inhibiting oligomer formation and its bio-applications are also discussed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 598-612, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Kamada
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Yu Toguchi
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Takao Nomura
- Center for Research and Education on Drug Discovery, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0812, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Imagawa
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
| | - Kazuyasu Sakaguchi
- Laboratory of Biological Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan
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7
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Monreal IA, Liu Q, Tyson K, Bland T, Dalisay DS, Adams EV, Wayman GA, Aguilar HC, Saludes JP. Branched dimerization of Tat peptide improves permeability to HeLa and hippocampal neuronal cells. Chem Commun (Camb) 2015; 51:5463-6. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cc00882d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
A designed, dimeric analogue of TAT-peptide translocates through HeLa and primary neuronal cell membrane in a non-linear dependence on concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qian Liu
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health
- Washington State University
- Pullman
- USA
| | - Katherine Tyson
- Department of Neuroscience
- Washington State University
- Pullman
- USA
| | - Tyler Bland
- Department of Neuroscience
- Washington State University
- Pullman
- USA
| | | | - Erin V. Adams
- Department of Chemistry
- Washington State University
- Pullman
- USA
| | - Gary A. Wayman
- Department of Neuroscience
- Washington State University
- Pullman
- USA
| | - Hector C. Aguilar
- Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health
- Washington State University
- Pullman
- USA
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8
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Cordier C, Boutimah F, Bourdeloux M, Dupuy F, Met E, Alberti P, Loll F, Chassaing G, Burlina F, Saison-Behmoaras TE. Delivery of antisense peptide nucleic acids to cells by conjugation with small arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptide (R/W)9. PLoS One 2014; 9:e104999. [PMID: 25127364 PMCID: PMC4134252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are very attractive antisense and antigene agents, but these molecules are not passively taken into cells. Here, using a functional cell assay and fluorescent-based methods, we investigated cell uptake and antisense activity of a tridecamer PNA that targets the HIV-1 polypurine tract sequence delivered using the arginine-rich (R/W)9 peptide (RRWWRRWRR). At micromolar concentrations, without use of any transfection agents, almost 80% inhibition of the target gene expression was obtained with the conjugate in the presence of the endosomolytic agent chloroquine. We show that chloroquine not only induced escape from endosomes but also enhanced the cellular uptake of the conjugate. Mechanistic studies revealed that (R/W)9-PNA conjugates were internalized via pinocytosis. Replacement of arginines with lysines reduced the uptake of the conjugate by six-fold, resulting in the abolition of intracellular target inhibition. Our results show that the arginines play a crucial role in the conjugate uptake and antisense activity. To determine whether specificity of the interactions of arginines with cell surface proteoglycans result in the internalization, we used flow cytometry to examine uptake of arginine- and lysine-rich conjugates in wild-type CHO-K1 and proteoglycan-deficient A745 cells. The uptake of both conjugates was decreased by four fold in CHO-745 cells; therefore proteoglycans promote internalization of cationic peptides, irrespective of the chemical nature of their positive charges. Our results show that arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides, especially (R/W)9, are a promising tool for PNA internalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Céline Cordier
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Structure et Instabilité des Génomes, Paris, France
- INSERM, U1154, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 7196, Paris, France
| | - Fatima Boutimah
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Structure et Instabilité des Génomes, Paris, France
- INSERM, U1154, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 7196, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Bourdeloux
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Structure et Instabilité des Génomes, Paris, France
- INSERM, U1154, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 7196, Paris, France
| | - Florian Dupuy
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Structure et Instabilité des Génomes, Paris, France
- INSERM, U1154, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 7196, Paris, France
| | - Elisabeth Met
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Structure et Instabilité des Génomes, Paris, France
- INSERM, U1154, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 7196, Paris, France
| | - Patrizia Alberti
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Structure et Instabilité des Génomes, Paris, France
- INSERM, U1154, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 7196, Paris, France
| | - François Loll
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Structure et Instabilité des Génomes, Paris, France
- INSERM, U1154, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 7196, Paris, France
| | - Gérard Chassaing
- UPMC-Univ Paris 06, Laboratoire des BioMolécules, Université P. et M. Curie, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 7203, Paris, France
- ENS, UMR 7203, Département de Chimie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Fabienne Burlina
- UPMC-Univ Paris 06, Laboratoire des BioMolécules, Université P. et M. Curie, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 7203, Paris, France
- ENS, UMR 7203, Département de Chimie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
| | - Tula Ester Saison-Behmoaras
- Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Structure et Instabilité des Génomes, Paris, France
- INSERM, U1154, Paris, France
- CNRS, UMR 7196, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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9
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Sapsford KE, Algar WR, Berti L, Gemmill KB, Casey BJ, Oh E, Stewart MH, Medintz IL. Functionalizing nanoparticles with biological molecules: developing chemistries that facilitate nanotechnology. Chem Rev 2013; 113:1904-2074. [PMID: 23432378 DOI: 10.1021/cr300143v] [Citation(s) in RCA: 802] [Impact Index Per Article: 72.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kim E Sapsford
- Division of Biology, Department of Chemistry and Materials Science, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, United States
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10
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Erazo-Oliveras A, Muthukrishnan N, Baker R, Wang TY, Pellois JP. Improving the endosomal escape of cell-penetrating peptides and their cargos: strategies and challenges. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2012; 5:1177-1209. [PMID: 24223492 PMCID: PMC3816665 DOI: 10.3390/ph5111177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 272] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Revised: 10/25/2012] [Accepted: 10/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) can deliver cell-impermeable therapeutic cargos into cells. In particular, CPP-cargo conjugates tend to accumulate inside cells by endocytosis. However, they often remain trapped inside endocytic organelles and fail to reach the cytosolic space of cells efficiently. In this review, the evidence for CPP-mediated endosomal escape is discussed. In addition, several strategies that have been utilized to enhance the endosomal escape of CPP-cargos are described. The recent development of branched systems that display multiple copies of a CPP is presented. The use of viral or synthetic peptides that can disrupt the endosomal membrane upon activation by the low pH of endosomes is also discussed. Finally, we survey how CPPs labeled with chromophores can be used in combination with light to stimulate endosomal lysis. The mechanisms and challenges associated with these intracellular delivery methodologies are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jean-Philippe Pellois
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; ; Tel.: +1-979-845-0101; Fax: +1-979-862-4718
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11
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Hoyer J, Schatzschneider U, Schulz-Siegmund M, Neundorf I. Dimerization of a cell-penetrating peptide leads to enhanced cellular uptake and drug delivery. Beilstein J Org Chem 2012; 8:1788-97. [PMID: 23209513 PMCID: PMC3511013 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.8.204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past 20 years, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have gained tremendous interest due to their ability to deliver a variety of therapeutically active molecules that would otherwise be unable to cross the cellular membrane due to their size or hydrophilicity. Recently, we reported on the identification of a novel CPP, sC18, which is derived from the C-terminus of the 18 kDa cationic antimicrobial protein. Furthermore, we demonstrated successful application of sC18 for the delivery of functionalized cyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (cymantrene) complexes to tumor cell lines, inducing high cellular toxicity. In order to increase the potential of the organometallic complexes to kill tumor cells, we were looking for a way to enhance cellular uptake. Therefore, we designed a branched dimeric variant of sC18, (sC18)(2), which was shown to have a dramatically improved capacity to internalize into various cell lines, even primary cells, using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Cell viability assays indicated increased cytotoxicity of the dimer presumably caused by membrane leakage; however, this effect turned out to be dependent on the specific cell type. Finally, we could show that conjugation of a functionalized cymantrene with (sC18)(2) leads to significant reduction of its IC(50) value in tumor cells compared to the respective sC18 conjugate, proving that dimerization is a useful method to increase the drug-delivery potential of a cell-penetrating peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hoyer
- Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biosciences, Pharmacy and Psychology, University of Leipzig, Brüderstraße 34, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany ; Institute for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Straße 47, D-50674 Cologne, Germany
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12
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Unzueta U, Ferrer-Miralles N, Cedano J, Zikung X, Pesarrodona M, Saccardo P, García-Fruitós E, Domingo-Espín J, Kumar P, Gupta KC, Mangues R, Villaverde A, Vazquez E. Non-amyloidogenic peptide tags for the regulatable self-assembling of protein-only nanoparticles. Biomaterials 2012; 33:8714-22. [PMID: 22954515 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Controlling the self-assembling of building blocks as nanoscale entities is a requisite for the generation of bio-inspired vehicles for nanomedicines. A wide spectrum of functional peptides has been incorporated to different types of nanoparticles for the delivery of conventional drugs and nucleic acids, enabling receptor-specific cell binding and internalization, endosomal escape, cytosolic trafficking, nuclear targeting and DNA condensation. However, the development of architectonic tags to induce the self-assembling of functionalized monomers has been essentially neglected. We have examined here the nanoscale architectonic capabilities of arginine-rich cationic peptides, that when displayed on His-tagged proteins, promote their self-assembling as monodisperse, protein-only nanoparticles. The scrutiny of the cross-molecular interactivity cooperatively conferred by poly-arginines and poly-histidines has identified regulatable electrostatic interactions between building blocks that can also be engineered to encapsulate cargo DNA. The combined use of cationic peptides and poly-histidine tags offers an unusually versatile approach for the tailored design and biofabrication of protein-based nano-therapeutics, beyond the more limited spectrum of possibilities so far offered by self-assembling amyloidogenic peptides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugutz Unzueta
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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13
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Margus H, Padari K, Pooga M. Cell-penetrating peptides as versatile vehicles for oligonucleotide delivery. Mol Ther 2012; 20:525-33. [PMID: 22233581 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2011.284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 166] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Short regulatory oligonucleotides (ONs) have a great therapeutic potential for the modulation of gene expression due to their high specificity and low toxicity. The major obstacles for in vivo clinical applications of ONs are the poor permeability of plasma membrane to nucleic acids and the sensitivity of ONs to enzymatic degradation. Hence, various delivery vehicles have been developed to ensure the transduction of ONs into cells. Among these, the cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have gained quickly broadening popularity as promising nonviral transmembrane delivery vectors. For coupling of nucleic acids to CPPs, two distinct strategies may be applied-covalent and noncovalent. The majority of earlier studies have used covalent coupling of CPPs to ONs. However, the number of studies demonstrating very high therapeutic potential of noncovalent complexes of ONs with novel CPP-based delivery vehicles is explosively increasing. In this review, the recent developments in the application of CPP-mediated oligonucleotide delivery by noncovalent strategy will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helerin Margus
- Department of Developmental Biology, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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14
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Impact of delivery systems on siRNA immune activation and RNA interference. Immunol Lett 2012; 141:169-80. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imlet.2011.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2011] [Revised: 08/23/2011] [Accepted: 10/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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15
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Torres AG, Fabani MM, Vigorito E, Williams D, Al-Obaidi N, Wojciechowski F, Hudson RHE, Seitz O, Gait MJ. Chemical structure requirements and cellular targeting of microRNA-122 by peptide nucleic acids anti-miRs. Nucleic Acids Res 2011; 40:2152-67. [PMID: 22070883 PMCID: PMC3300011 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkr885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Anti-miRs are oligonucleotide inhibitors complementary to miRNAs that have been used extensively as tools to gain understanding of specific miRNA functions and as potential therapeutics. We showed previously that peptide nucleic acid (PNA) anti-miRs containing a few attached Lys residues were potent miRNA inhibitors. Using miR-122 as an example, we report here the PNA sequence and attached amino acid requirements for efficient miRNA targeting and show that anti-miR activity is enhanced substantially by the presence of a terminal-free thiol group, such as a Cys residue, primarily due to better cellular uptake. We show that anti-miR activity of a Cys-containing PNA is achieved by cell uptake through both clathrin-dependent and independent routes. With the aid of two PNA analogues having intrinsic fluorescence, thiazole orange (TO)-PNA and [bis-o-(aminoethoxy)phenyl]pyrrolocytosine (BoPhpC)-PNA, we explored the subcellular localization of PNA anti-miRs and our data suggest that anti-miR targeting of miR-122 may take place in or associated with endosomal compartments. Our findings are valuable for further design of PNAs and other oligonucleotides as potent anti-miR agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian G Torres
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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16
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van den Berg A, Dowdy SF. Protein transduction domain delivery of therapeutic macromolecules. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2011; 22:888-93. [PMID: 21489777 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2011.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2011] [Revised: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 03/22/2011] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Owing to their unprecedented selectivity, specific activity and potential for 1000+ fold amplification of signal, macromolecules, such as peptides, catalytic protein domains, complete proteins, and oligonucleotides, offer great potential as therapeutic molecules. However, therapeutic use of macromolecules is limited by their poor penetration in tissues and their inability to cross the cellular membrane. The discovery of small cationic peptides that cross the membrane, called Protein Transduction Domains (PTDs) or Cell Penetrating Peptides (CPPs), in the late 1980s opened the door to cellular delivery of large, bioactive molecules. Now, PTDs are widely used as research tools, and impressively, multiple clinical trials are testing PTD-mediated delivery of macromolecular drug conjugates in patients with a variety of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjen van den Berg
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, UCSD School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093-0686, United States
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17
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Dix AV, Fischer L, Sarrazin S, Redgate CPH, Esko JD, Tor Y. Cooperative, heparan sulfate-dependent cellular uptake of dimeric guanidinoglycosides. Chembiochem 2011; 11:2302-10. [PMID: 20931643 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201000399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Oligoarginine and guanidinium-rich molecular transporters have been shown to facilitate the intracellular delivery of a diverse range of biologically relevant cargos. Several such transporters have been suggested to interact with cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans as part of their cell-entry pathway. Unlike for other guanidinium-rich transporters, the cellular uptake of guanidinoglycosides at nanomolar concentrations is exclusively heparan sulfate dependent. As distinct cells differ in their expression levels and/or the composition of cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans, one might be able to exploit such differences to selectively target certain cell types. To systematically investigate the nature of their cell-surface interactions, monomeric and dimeric guanidinoglycosides were synthesized by using neomycin, paromomycin, and tobramycin as scaffolds. These transporters differ in the number and 3D arrangement of their guanidinium groups. Their cellular uptake was measured by flow cytometry in wild-type and mutant Chinese hamster ovary cells after the corresponding fluorescent streptavidin-phycoerythrin-Cy5 conjugates had been generated. All derivatives showed negligible uptake in mutant cells lacking heparan sulfate. Decreasing the number of guanidinium groups diminished uptake, but the three dimensional arrangement of these groups was less important for cellular delivery. Whereas conjugates prepared with the monomeric carriers showed significantly reduced uptake in mutant cells expressing heparan sulfate chains with altered patterns of sulfation, conjugates prepared with the dimeric guanidinoglycosides could overcome this deficiency and maintain high levels of uptake in such deficient cells. This finding suggests that cellular uptake depends on the valency of the transporter and both the content and arrangement of the sulfate groups on the cell-surface receptors. Competition studies with chemically desulfated or carboxy-reduced heparin derivatives corroborated these observations. Taken together, these findings show that increasing the valency of the transporters retains heparan sulfate specificity and provides reagents that could distinguish different cell types based on the specific composition of their cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew V Dix
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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18
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Saleh AF, Arzumanov A, Abes R, Owen D, Lebleu B, Gait MJ. Synthesis and splice-redirecting activity of branched, arginine-rich peptide dendrimer conjugates of peptide nucleic acid oligonucleotides. Bioconjug Chem 2011; 21:1902-11. [PMID: 20879728 PMCID: PMC2963316 DOI: 10.1021/bc100275r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides have found excellent utility in cell and in vivo models for enhancement of delivery of attached charge-neutral PNA or PMO oligonucleotides. We report the synthesis of dendrimeric peptides containing 2- or 4-branched arms each having one or more R-Ahx-R motifs and their disulfide conjugation to a PNA705 splice-redirecting oligonucleotide. Conjugates were assayed in a HeLa pLuc705 cell assay for luciferase up-regulation and splicing redirection. Whereas 8-Arg branched peptide−PNA conjugates showed poor activity compared to a linear (R-Ahx-R)4−PNA conjugate, 2-branched and some 4-branched 12 and 16 Arg peptide−PNA conjugates showed activity similar to that of the corresponding linear peptide−PNA conjugates. Many of the 12- and 16-Arg conjugates retained significant activity in the presence of serum. Evidence showed that biological activity in HeLa pLuc705 cells of the PNA conjugates of branched and linear (R-Ahx-R) peptides is associated with an energy-dependent uptake pathway, predominantly clathrin-dependent, but also with some caveolae dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amer F Saleh
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Angeles-Boza AM, Erazo-Oliveras A, Lee YJ, Pellois JP. Generation of endosomolytic reagents by branching of cell-penetrating peptides: tools for the delivery of bioactive compounds to live cells in cis or trans. Bioconjug Chem 2010; 21:2164-7. [PMID: 21043514 DOI: 10.1021/bc100130r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
We describe the synthesis and cellular delivery properties of multivalent and branched delivery systems consisting of cell-penetrating peptides assembled onto a peptide scaffold using native chemical ligation. A trimeric delivery system presenting three copies of the prototypical cell-penetrating peptide TAT shows an endosomolytic activity much higher than its monomeric and dimeric counterparts. This novel reagent promotes the endosomal release of macromolecules internalized into cells by endocytosis, and as a result, it can be used to achieve cytosolic delivery of bioactive but cell-impermeable macromolecules in either cis (covalent conjugation) or trans (simple coincubation).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo M Angeles-Boza
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-2128, USA
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Zaghloul EM, Viola JR, Zuber G, Smith CIE, Lundin KE. Formulation and delivery of splice-correction antisense oligonucleotides by amino acid modified polyethylenimine. Mol Pharm 2010; 7:652-63. [PMID: 20128628 DOI: 10.1021/mp900220p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Splice-correcting phosphorothioate RNA antisense oligonucleotides with 2'-O-methyl modifications (ASO) are promising therapeutic agents for several disorders caused by aberrant splicing. However, their usefulness is hindered by the lack of efficient delivery. Unmodified 25 kDa polyethylenimine (PEI) has shown potential for plasmid delivery but seems to be less efficient for short nucleic acid sequences. Herein, we have evaluated several amino acid modified PEI molecules as carriers for ASO. By characterization of their properties, such as size, stability and transfection into mammalian cells, we have identified tyrosine-modified PEI (PEIY) as an efficient ASO delivery system. HeLa705 cells containing an aberrant luciferase gene, interrupted by a mutated beta-globin intron, were used to assess the splice correction effectiveness mediated by the various modified PEI/ASO polyplexes. PEIY has a self-assembly nature, as opposed to the highly cationic parent polymer, which is relevant for the stability of the PEIY/ASO complexes. As a result, at an optimal ratio of 20:1 (+/-), the complexes that formed significantly corrected the splicing on both the mRNA and the protein levels. ASO formulated with PEIY enhanced luciferase activity up to 450-fold. This increase was three times higher than that produced by the commercially available transfection agent Lipofectamine. PEIY/ASO polyplexes resulted in at least 80% correct splicing of the transcript. Moreover, extremely low doses of ASO (0.025 microM) showed significant splice correction represented by 150-fold increase of luciferase activity and 47% mRNA correction. Our findings suggest key parameters for formulating active complexes and reveal a new platform that can be further developed for ASO in vivo targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eman M Zaghloul
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
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21
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Vazquez E, Roldán M, Diez-Gil C, Unzueta U, Domingo-Espín J, Cedano J, Conchillo O, Ratera I, Veciana J, Daura X, Ferrer-Miralles N, Villaverde A. Protein nanodisk assembling and intracellular trafficking powered by an arginine-rich (R9) peptide. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2010; 5:259-68. [PMID: 20148637 DOI: 10.2217/nnm.09.98] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Arginine(R)-rich cationic peptides are powerful tools in drug delivery since, alone or when associated with polyplexes, proteins or chemicals, they confer DNA condensation, membrane translocation and blood-brain barrier crossing abilities. The unusual stability and high in vivo performance of their associated drugs suggest a particulate organization or R(n) complexes, which this study aimed to explore. MATERIALS & METHODS We have analyzed the particulate organization and biological performance in DNA delivery of a model, R9-containing green fluorescent protein by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, single cell confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. RESULTS A deep nanoscale examination of R9-powered constructs reveals a novel and promising feature of R9, that when fused to a scaffold green fluorescent protein, promote its efficient self-assembling as highly stable, regular disk-shaped nanoparticles of 20 x 3 nm. These constructs are efficiently internalized in mammalian cells and rapidly migrate through the cytoplasm towards the nucleus in a fully bioactive form. Besides, such particulate platforms accommodate, condense and deliver plasmid DNA to the nucleus and promote plasmid-driven transgene expression. CONCLUSION The architectonic properties of arginine-rich peptides at the nanoscale reveal a new category of protein nanoparticles, namely nanodisks, and provide novel strategic concepts and architectonic tools for the tailored construction of new-generation artificial viruses for gene therapy and drug delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Vazquez
- Institute for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Department of Genetics and Microbiology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Martín I, Teixidó M, Giralt E. Building Cell Selectivity into CPP-Mediated Strategies. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2010; 3:1456-1490. [PMID: 27713313 PMCID: PMC4033992 DOI: 10.3390/ph3051456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2010] [Revised: 04/29/2010] [Accepted: 05/05/2010] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a pressing need for more effective and selective therapies for cancer and other diseases. Consequently, much effort is being devoted to the development of alternative experimental approaches based on selective systems, which are designed to be specifically directed against target cells. In addition, a large number of highly potent therapeutic molecules are being discovered. However, they do not reach clinical trials because of their low delivery, poor specificity or their incapacity to bypass the plasma membrane. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are an open door for cell-impermeable compounds to reach intracellular targets. Putting all these together, research is sailing in the direction of the design of systems with the capacity to transport new drugs into a target cell. Some CPPs show cell type specificity while others require modifications or form part of more sophisticated drug delivery systems. In this review article we summarize several strategies for directed drug delivery involving CPPs that have been reported in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Martín
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Science Park, Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Meritxell Teixidó
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Science Park, Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Ernest Giralt
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), Barcelona Science Park, Baldiri Reixac 10, Barcelona, Spain.
- Department of Organic Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1-11, Barcelona, Spain.
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