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Simonsen JB. Lipid nanoparticle-based strategies for extrahepatic delivery of nucleic acid therapies - challenges and opportunities. J Control Release 2024; 370:763-772. [PMID: 38621638 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
The advent of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) containing ionizable cationic lipids has enabled the encapsulation, stabilization, and intracellular delivery of nucleic acid payloads, leading to FDA-approved siRNA-based therapy and mRNA-based vaccines. Other nucleic acid-based therapeutic modalities, including protein replacement and CRISPR-mediated gene knockout and editing, are being tested in clinical trials, in many cases, for the treatment of liver-related diseases. However, to fully exploit these therapies beyond the liver, improvements in their delivery to extrahepatic targets are needed. Towards this end, both active targeting strategies based on targeting ligands grafted onto LNPs and passive targeting relying on physicochemical LNP parameters such as surface composition, charge, and size are being evaluated. Often, the latter strategy depends on the interaction of LNPs with blood components, forming what is known as the biomolecular corona. Here, I discuss potential challenges related to current LNP-based targeting strategies and the studies of the biomolecular corona on LNPs. I propose potential solutions to overcome some of these obstacles and present approaches currently being tested in preclinical and clinical studies, which face fewer biological barriers than traditional organ-targeting approaches.
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2
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Münter R, Bak M, Thomsen ME, Parhamifar L, Stensballe A, Simonsen JB, Kristensen K, Andresen TL. Deciphering the monocyte-targeting mechanisms of PEGylated cationic liposomes by investigating the biomolecular corona. Int J Pharm 2024; 657:124129. [PMID: 38621615 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124129] [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: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
Cationic liposomes specifically target monocytes in blood, rendering them promising drug-delivery tools for cancer immunotherapy, vaccines, and therapies for monocytic leukaemia. The mechanism behind this monocyte targeting ability is, however, not understood, but may involve plasma proteins adsorbed on the liposomal surfaces. To shed light on this, we investigated the biomolecular corona of three different types of PEGylated cationic liposomes, finding all of them to adsorb hyaluronan-associated proteins and proteoglycans upon incubation in human blood plasma. This prompted us to study the role of the TLR4 co-receptors CD44 and CD14, both involved in signalling and uptake pathways of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans. We found that separate inhibition of each of these receptors hampered the monocyte uptake of the liposomes in whole human blood. Based on clues from the biomolecular corona, we have thus identified two receptors involved in the targeting and uptake of cationic liposomes in monocytes, in turn suggesting that certain proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans may serve as monocyte-targeting opsonins. This mechanistic knowledge may pave the way for rational design of future monocyte-targeting drug-delivery platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus Münter
- Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Martin Bak
- Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Mikkel E Thomsen
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9260 Gistrup, Denmark
| | - Ladan Parhamifar
- Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Allan Stensballe
- Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9260 Gistrup, Denmark; Clinical Cancer Center, Aalborg University Hospital, 9000 Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Jens B Simonsen
- Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Kasper Kristensen
- Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
| | - Thomas L Andresen
- Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark.
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3
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Amărandi RM, Neamṭu A, Ştiufiuc RI, Marin L, Drăgoi B. Impact of Lipid Composition on Vesicle Protein Adsorption: A BSA Case Study. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:17903-17918. [PMID: 38680315 PMCID: PMC11044229 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
Investigating the interaction between liposomes and proteins is of paramount importance in the development of liposomal formulations with real potential for bench-to-bedside transfer. Upon entering the body, proteins are immediately adsorbed on the liposomal surface, changing the nanovehicles' biological identity, which has a significant impact on their biodistribution and pharmacokinetics and ultimately on their therapeutic effect. Albumin is the most abundant plasma protein and thus usually adsorbs immediately on the liposomal surface. We herein report a comprehensive investigation on the adsorption of model protein bovine serum albumin (BSA) onto liposomal vesicles containing the zwitterionic lipid 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), in combination with either cholesterol (CHOL) or the cationic lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammoniumpropane (DOTAP). While many studies regarding protein adsorption on the surface of liposomes with different compositions have been performed, to the best of our knowledge, the differential responses of CHOL and DOTAP upon albumin adsorption on vesicles have not yet been investigated. UV-vis spectroscopy and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed a strong influence of the phospholipid membrane composition on protein adsorption. Hence, it was found that DOTAP-containing vesicles adsorb proteins more robustly but also aggregate in the presence of BSA, as confirmed by DLS and TEM. Separation of liposome-protein complexes from unadsorbed proteins performed by means of centrifugation and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) was also investigated. Our results show that neither method can be regarded as a golden experimental setup to study the protein corona of liposomes. Yet, SEC proved to be more successful in the separation of unbound proteins, although the amount of lipid loss upon liposome elution was higher than expected. In addition, coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations were employed to ascertain key membrane parameters, such as the membrane thickness and area per lipid. Overall, this study highlights the importance of surface charge and membrane fluidity in influencing the extent of protein adsorption. We hope that our investigation will be a valuable contribution to better understanding protein-vesicle interactions for improved nanocarrier design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana-Maria Amărandi
- Nanotechnology
Laboratory, TRANSCEND Research Center, Regional
Institute of Oncology, 2-4 General Henri Mathias Berthelot Street, 700483 Iaşi, Romania
- Department
of Bioinformatics, TRANSCEND Research Center, Regional Institute of Oncology, 2-4 General Henri Mathias Berthelot Street, 700483 Iaşi, Romania
| | - Andrei Neamṭu
- Department
of Bioinformatics, TRANSCEND Research Center, Regional Institute of Oncology, 2-4 General Henri Mathias Berthelot Street, 700483 Iaşi, Romania
- Department
of Physiology, “Grigore T. Popa”
University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 16 Universităṭii Street, 700115 Iaşi, Romania
| | - Rareş-Ionuṭ Ştiufiuc
- Nanotechnology
Laboratory, TRANSCEND Research Center, Regional
Institute of Oncology, 2-4 General Henri Mathias Berthelot Street, 700483 Iaşi, Romania
- Department
of Nanobiophysics, MedFuture Research Center for Advanced Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine
and Pharmacy, 4-6 Pasteur
Street, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Luminiṭa Marin
- Nanotechnology
Laboratory, TRANSCEND Research Center, Regional
Institute of Oncology, 2-4 General Henri Mathias Berthelot Street, 700483 Iaşi, Romania
- “Petru
Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of Romanian Academy, 41A Grigore Ghica Vodă Alley, 700487 Iaşi, Romania
| | - Brînduşa Drăgoi
- Nanotechnology
Laboratory, TRANSCEND Research Center, Regional
Institute of Oncology, 2-4 General Henri Mathias Berthelot Street, 700483 Iaşi, Romania
- Faculty of
Chemistry, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, 11 Carol I Boulevard, 700506 Iaşi, Romania
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Tretiakova D, Kobanenko M, Alekseeva A, Boldyrev I, Khaidukov S, Zgoda V, Tikhonova O, Vodovozova E, Onishchenko N. Protein Corona of Anionic Fluid-Phase Liposomes Compromises Their Integrity Rather than Uptake by Cells. MEMBRANES 2023; 13:681. [PMID: 37505047 PMCID: PMC10384875 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13070681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Despite the undisputable role of the protein corona in the biointeractions of liposome drug carriers, the field suffers from a lack of knowledge regarding the patterns of protein deposition on lipid surfaces with different compositions. Here, we investigated the protein coronas formed on liposomes of basic compositions containing combinations of egg phosphatidylcholine (PC), palmitoyloleoyl phosphatidylglycerol (POPG), and cholesterol. Liposome-protein complexes isolated by size-exclusion chromatography were delipidated and analyzed using label-free LC-MS/MS. The addition of the anionic lipid and cholesterol both affected the relative protein abundances (and not the total bound proteins) in the coronas. Highly anionic liposomes, namely those containing 40% POPG, carried corona enriched with cationic proteins (apolipoprotein C1, beta-2-glycoprotein 1, and cathelicidins) and were the least stable in the calcein release assay. Cholesterol improved the liposome stability in the plasma. However, the differences in the corona compositions had little effect on the liposome uptake by endothelial (EA.hy926) and phagocytic cells in the culture (U937) or ex vivo (blood-derived monocytes and neutrophils). The findings emphasize that the effect of protein corona on the performance of the liposomes as drug carriers occurs through compromising particle stability rather than interfering with cellular uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Tretiakova
- Laboratory of Lipid Chemistry, Department of Chemical Biology of Glycans and Lipids, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Maria Kobanenko
- Laboratory of Lipid Chemistry, Department of Chemical Biology of Glycans and Lipids, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Anna Alekseeva
- Laboratory of Lipid Chemistry, Department of Chemical Biology of Glycans and Lipids, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ivan Boldyrev
- Laboratory of Lipid Chemistry, Department of Chemical Biology of Glycans and Lipids, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey Khaidukov
- Laboratory of Carbohydrates, Department of Chemical Biology of Glycans and Lipids, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Viktor Zgoda
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, ul. Pogodinskaya 10, 119121 Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Tikhonova
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, ul. Pogodinskaya 10, 119121 Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena Vodovozova
- Laboratory of Lipid Chemistry, Department of Chemical Biology of Glycans and Lipids, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Natalia Onishchenko
- Laboratory of Lipid Chemistry, Department of Chemical Biology of Glycans and Lipids, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117997 Moscow, Russia
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Münter R, Christensen E, Andresen TL, Larsen JB. Studying how administration route and dose regulates antibody generation against LNPs for mRNA delivery with single-particle resolution. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 29:450-459. [PMID: 37251983 PMCID: PMC10220314 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Following the recent approval of both siRNA- and mRNA-based therapeutics, nucleic acid therapies are considered a game changer in medicine. Their envisioned widespread use for many therapeutic applications with an array of cellular target sites means that various administration routes will be employed. Concerns exist regarding adverse reactions against the lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) used for mRNA delivery, as PEG coatings on nanoparticles can induce severe antibody-mediated immune reactions, potentially being boosted by the inherently immunogenic nucleic acid cargo. While exhaustive information is available on how physicochemical features of nanoparticles affects immunogenicity, it remains unexplored how the fundamental choice of administration route regulates anti-particle immunity. Here, we directly compared antibody generation against PEGylated mRNA-carrying LNPs administered by the intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous route, using a novel sophisticated assay capable of measuring antibody binding to authentic LNP surfaces with single-particle resolution. Intramuscular injections in mice were found to generate overall low and dose-independent levels of anti-LNP antibodies, while both intravenous and subcutaneous LNP injections generated substantial and highly dose-dependent levels. These findings demonstrate that before LNP-based mRNA medicines can be safely applied to new therapeutic applications, it will be crucial to carefully consider the choice of administration route.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasmus Münter
- Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Esben Christensen
- Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Thomas L. Andresen
- Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jannik B. Larsen
- Biotherapeutic Engineering and Drug Targeting, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), 2800 Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
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