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Martínez-Montero S, Rajwanshi VK, Pandey RK, De Costa NTS, Hong J, Beigelman L, Gryaznov SM, Pourshahian S. New Oligonucleotide 2'-O-Alkyl N3'→P5' (Thio)-Phosphoramidates as Potent Antisense Agents: Physicochemical Properties and Biological Activity. Nucleic Acid Ther 2023; 33:319-328. [PMID: 37638793 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2023.0014] [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: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We describe here the design, synthesis, physicochemical properties, and hepatitis B antiviral activity of new 2'-O-alkyl ribonucleotide N3'→P5' phosphoramidate (2'-O-alkyl-NPO) and (thio)-phosphoramidite (2'-O-alkyl-NPS) oligonucleotide analogs. Oligonucleotides with different 2'-O-alkyl modifications such as 2'-O-methyl, -O-ethyl, -O-allyl, and -O-methoxyethyl combined with 3'-amino sugar-phosphate backbone were synthesized and evaluated. These molecules form stable duplexes with complementary DNA and RNA strands. They show an increase in duplex melting temperatures of up to 2.5°C and 4°C per linkage, respectively, compared to unmodified DNA. The results agree with predominantly C3'-endo sugar pucker conformation. Moreover, 2'-O-alkyl phosphoramidites demonstrate higher hydrolytic stability at pH 5.5 than 2'-deoxy NPOs. In addition, the relative lipophilicity of the 2'-O-alkyl-NPO and NPS oligonucleotides is higher than that of their 3'-O- counterparts. The 2'-O-alkyl-NPS oligonucleotides were evaluated as antisense (ASO) compounds in vitro and in vivo using Hepatitis B virus as a model system. Subcutaneous delivery of GalNAc conjugated 2'-O-MOE-NPS gapmers demonstrated higher activity than the 3'-O-containing 2'-O-MOE counterpart. The properties of 2'-O-alkyl-NPS constructs make them attractive candidates as ASO suitable for further evaluation and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saúl Martínez-Montero
- Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Vivek K Rajwanshi
- Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Rajendra K Pandey
- Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - N Tilani S De Costa
- Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Jin Hong
- Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Leonid Beigelman
- Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sergei M Gryaznov
- Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Soheil Pourshahian
- Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson, South San Francisco, California, USA
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2
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Zharkov TD, Mironova EM, Markov OV, Zhukov SA, Khodyreva SN, Kupryushkin MS. Fork- and Comb-like Lipophilic Structures: Different Chemical Approaches to the Synthesis of Oligonucleotides with Multiple Dodecyl Residues. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14637. [PMID: 37834092 PMCID: PMC10572690 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914637] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipophilic oligonucleotide conjugates represent a powerful tool for nucleic acid cellular delivery, and many methods for their synthesis have been developed over the past few decades. In the present study, a number of chemical approaches for the synthesis of different fork- and comb-like dodecyl-containing oligonucleotide structures were performed, including use of non-nucleotide units and different types of phosphate modifications such as alkyl phosphoramidate, phosphoryl guanidine, and triazinyl phosphoramidate. The influence of the number of introduced lipophilic residues, their mutual arrangement, and the type of formed modification backbone on cell penetration was evaluated. The results obtained indicate great potential in the developed chemical approaches, not only for the synthesis of complex oligonucleotide structures but also for the fine-tuning of their properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Maxim S. Kupryushkin
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of RAS, Lavrentiev Ave. 8, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (T.D.Z.); (E.M.M.); (O.V.M.); (S.A.Z.); (S.N.K.)
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Antibacterial FANA oligonucleotides as a novel approach for managing the Huanglongbing pathosystem. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2760. [PMID: 33531619 PMCID: PMC7854585 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82425-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), a bacterium transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri, is the causal agent of citrus greening disease, or Huanglongbng (HLB). Currently, vector population suppression with insecticides and tree removal are the most effective strategies for managing the HLB pathosystem. In this study, we assessed the bactericidal capabilities of 2'-deoxy-2'-fluoro-D-arabinonucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (FANA ASO) both in vitro and in vivo by (1) confirming their capacity to penetrate insect cells, (2) silencing bacterial essential genes, and (3) quantifying reductions in bacterial titer and D. citri transmission. We confirmed that FANA ASO are able to penetrate insect cells without the use of a delivery agent. Expression of an essential gene in the D. citri endosymbiont, Wolbachia (wDi), significantly decreased by 30% following incubation with a wDi-specific FANA ASO. Viability of isolated wDi cells also decreased in response to the FANA ASO treatment. Delivery of a CLas-specific FANA ASO to infected adult D. citri in feeding assays resulted in significant silencing of a CLas essential gene. CLas relative density and transmission were significantly lower among D. citri fed FANA ASO in diet compared to untreated insects. Root infusions of a CLas-specific FANA ASO into infected Citrus trees significantly reduced CLas titer during a 30-day trial. Our results suggest that FANA ASO targeting insect-transmitted plant bacteria or insect endosymbionts may be useful tool for integrated management of agricultural pathogens.
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Østergaard ME, Jackson M, Low A, E Chappell A, G Lee R, Peralta RQ, Yu J, Kinberger GA, Dan A, Carty R, Tanowitz M, Anderson P, Kim TW, Fradkin L, Mullick AE, Murray S, Rigo F, Prakash TP, Bennett CF, Swayze EE, Gaus HJ, Seth PP. Conjugation of hydrophobic moieties enhances potency of antisense oligonucleotides in the muscle of rodents and non-human primates. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 47:6045-6058. [PMID: 31076766 PMCID: PMC6614849 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We determined the effect of attaching palmitate, tocopherol or cholesterol to PS ASOs and their effects on plasma protein binding and on enhancing ASO potency in the muscle of rodents and monkeys. We found that cholesterol ASO conjugates showed 5-fold potency enhancement in the muscle of rodents relative to unconjugated ASOs. However, they were toxic in mice and as a result were not evaluated in the monkey. In contrast, palmitate and tocopherol-conjugated ASOs showed enhanced potency in the skeletal muscle of rodents and modest enhancements in potency in the monkey. Analysis of the plasma-protein binding profiles of the ASO-conjugates by size-exclusion chromatography revealed distinct and species-specific differences in their association with plasma proteins which likely rationalizes their behavior in animals. Overall, our data suggest that modulating binding to plasma proteins can influence ASO activity and distribution to extra-hepatic tissues in a species-dependent manner and sets the stage to identify other strategies to enhance ASO potency in muscle tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michaela Jackson
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Audrey Low
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | | | - Richard G Lee
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Rachel Q Peralta
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Jinghua Yu
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | | | - Amy Dan
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Rick Carty
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Michael Tanowitz
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Patrick Anderson
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Tae-Won Kim
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Linda Fradkin
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Adam E Mullick
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Sue Murray
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Thazha P Prakash
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - C Frank Bennett
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Eric E Swayze
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Hans J Gaus
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Punit P Seth
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
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Prakash TP, Mullick AE, Lee RG, Yu J, Yeh ST, Low A, Chappell AE, Østergaard ME, Murray S, Gaus HJ, Swayze EE, Seth PP. Fatty acid conjugation enhances potency of antisense oligonucleotides in muscle. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 47:6029-6044. [PMID: 31127296 PMCID: PMC6614804 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkz354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Enhancing the functional uptake of antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) in the muscle will be beneficial for developing ASO therapeutics targeting genes expressed in the muscle. We hypothesized that improving albumin binding will facilitate traversal of ASO from the blood compartment to the interstitium of the muscle tissues to enhance ASO functional uptake. We synthesized structurally diverse saturated and unsaturated fatty acid conjugated ASOs with a range of hydrophobicity. The binding affinity of ASO fatty acid conjugates to plasma proteins improved with fatty acid chain length and highest binding affinity was observed with ASO conjugates containing fatty acid chain length from 16 to 22 carbons. The degree of unsaturation or conformation of double bond appears to have no influence on protein binding or activity of ASO fatty acid conjugates. Activity of fatty acid ASO conjugates correlated with the affinity to albumin and the tightest albumin binder exhibited the highest activity improvement in muscle. Palmitic acid conjugation increases ASO plasma Cmax and improved delivery of ASO to interstitial space of mouse muscle. Conjugation of palmitic acid improved potency of DMPK, Cav3, CD36 and Malat-1 ASOs (3- to 7-fold) in mouse muscle. Our approach provides a foundation for developing more effective therapeutic ASOs for muscle disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam E Mullick
- Antisense Drug Discovery, 2855 Gazelle Ct., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Richard G Lee
- Antisense Drug Discovery, 2855 Gazelle Ct., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Jinghua Yu
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Chemistry, USA
| | - Steve T Yeh
- Antisense Drug Discovery, 2855 Gazelle Ct., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Audrey Low
- Antisense Drug Discovery, 2855 Gazelle Ct., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | | | | | - Sue Murray
- Antisense Drug Discovery, 2855 Gazelle Ct., Carlsbad, CA 92010, USA
| | - Hans J Gaus
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Chemistry, USA
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Poecheim J, Graeser KA, Hoernschemeyer J, Becker G, Storch K, Printz M. Development of stable liquid formulations for oligonucleotides. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2018; 129:80-87. [PMID: 29802983 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2018.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Oligonucleotide-based therapeutics have been implemented as a new therapeutic modality in biotech industry, which offers the opportunity to develop formulation platforms for robust parenteral formulations. The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of stabilizing/de-stabilizing effects of different formulation parameters on unconjugated and N-acetylgalactosamine (GalNAc) conjugated single stranded oligonucleotides with locked nucleic acid modifications (LNA SSO), as model oligonucleotides. Various buffer systems, pH levels and different excipients were evaluated to optimize conditions for LNA SSO in liquid formulations. LNA SSO were exposed to different temperature conditions, mechanical stress as well as oxidative conditions, and the maximum feasible LNA SSO concentrations regarding handling and processing were determined. Finally, options for terminal sterilization of LNA SSO were evaluated. Results show that the tested LNA SSO were most stable under slightly alkaline conditions. A decrease in viscosity was best accomplished in the presence of spermine and lysine. Heat treatment and gamma irradiation caused high levels of degradation of the LNA SSO. Crucial formulation parameters, as identified in this study, should contribute to a significant increase in future productivity in drug product development for single-stranded oligonucleotides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Poecheim
- Roche Pharmaceutical Development & Supplies, PTD Biologics Europe, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kirsten A Graeser
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joerg Hoernschemeyer
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Innovation Center Basel, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Becker
- Roche Analytical Research and Development, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kirsten Storch
- Roche Pharmaceutical Development & Supplies, PTD Biologics Europe, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Miriam Printz
- Roche Pharmaceutical Development & Supplies, PTD Biologics Europe, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland
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7
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Fesler A, Liu H, Ju J. Modified miR-15a has therapeutic potential for improving treatment of advanced stage colorectal cancer through inhibition of BCL2, BMI1, YAP1 and DCLK1. Oncotarget 2017; 9:2367-2383. [PMID: 29416778 PMCID: PMC5788646 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.23414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in colon cancer treatments, resistance and recurrence remain a significant challenge in treating patients. Novel therapeutic strategies are in urgent need to overcome resistance and improve patient outcomes. MicroRNA based therapeutics have potential to help combat resistance. In this study, we have shown that low miR-15a expression correlates with poor patient prognosis. We have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of miR-15a in colon cancer. miR-15a inhibits several important genes (BCL2, BMI1, YAP1 and DCLK1), decreasing cancer progression and resistance. Additionally, by replacing uracil in miR-15a with 5-fluorouracil, we created a novel miR-15a mimic with enhanced therapeutic potential. This mimic maintains target specificity and is more potent than unmodified miR-15a in vitro and inhibits colon tumor metastasis in vivo. This mimic has great potential for therapeutic development for treating colon cancer patients. This novel modification has potential to advance the development of other microRNA based therapeutics beyond miR-15a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Fesler
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Hua Liu
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Jingfang Ju
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Condon JE, Jayaraman A. Effect of oligonucleic acid (ONA) backbone features on assembly of ONA-star polymer conjugates: a coarse-grained molecular simulation study. SOFT MATTER 2017; 13:6770-6783. [PMID: 28825068 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm01534h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the impact of incorporating new physical and chemical features in oligomeric DNA mimics, termed generally as "oligonucleic acids" (ONAs), on their structure and thermodynamics will be beneficial in designing novel materials for a variety of applications. In this work, we conduct coarse-grained molecular simulations of ONA-star polymer conjugates with varying ONA backbone flexibility, ONA backbone charge, and number of arms in the star polymer at a constant ONA strand volume fraction to elucidate the effect of these design parameters on the thermodynamics and assembly of multi-arm ONA-star polymer conjugates. We quantify the thermo-reversible behavior of the ONA-star polymer conjugates by quantifying the hybridization of the ONA strands in the system as a function of temperature (i.e. melting curve). Additionally, we characterize the assembly of the ONA-star polymer conjugates by tracking cluster formation and percolation as a function of temperature, as well as cluster size distribution at temperatures near the assembly transition region. The key results are as follows. The melting temperature (Tm) of the ONA strands decreases upon going from a neutral to a charged ONA backbone and upon increasing flexibility of the ONA backbone. Similar behavior is seen for the assembly transition temperature (Ta) with varying ONA backbone charge and flexibility. While the number of arms in the ONA-star polymer conjugate has a negligible effect on the ONA Tm in these systems, as the number of ONA-star polymer arms increase, the assembly temperature Ta increases and local ordering in the assembled state improves. By understanding how factors like ONA backbone charge, backbone flexibility, and ONA-star polymer conjugate architecture impact the behavior of ONA-star polymer conjugate systems, we can better inform how the selection of ONA chemistry will influence resulting ONA-star polymer assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua E Condon
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Colburn Laboratory, University of Delaware, 150 Academy Street, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
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