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Xu Y, Zheng Y, Ding X, Wang C, Hua B, Hong S, Huang X, Lin J, Zhang P, Chen W. PEGylated pH-responsive peptide-mRNA nano self-assemblies enhance the pulmonary delivery efficiency and safety of aerosolized mRNA. Drug Deliv 2023; 30:2219870. [PMID: 37336779 DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2023.2219870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhalable messenger RNA (mRNA) has demonstrated great potential in therapy and vaccine development to confront various lung diseases. However, few gene vectors could overcome the airway mucus and intracellular barriers for successful pulmonary mRNA delivery. Apart from the low pulmonary gene delivery efficiency, nonnegligible toxicity is another common problem that impedes the clinical application of many non-viral vectors. PEGylated cationic peptide-based mRNA delivery vector is a prospective approach to enhance the pulmonary delivery efficacy and safety of aerosolized mRNA by oral inhalation administration. In this study, different lengths of hydrophilic PEG chains were covalently linked to an amphiphilic, water-soluble pH-responsive peptide, and the peptide/mRNA nano self-assemblies were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The in vitro mRNA binding and release, cellular uptake, transfection, and cytotoxicity were studied, and finally, a proper PEGylated peptide with enhanced pulmonary mRNA delivery efficiency and improved safety in mice was identified. These results showed that a proper N-terminus PEGylation strategy using 12-monomer linear monodisperse PEG could significantly improve the mRNA transfection efficiency and biocompatibility of the non-PEGylated cationic peptide carrier, while a longer PEG chain modification adversely decreased the cellular uptake and transfection on A549 and HepG2 cells, emphasizing the importance of a proper PEG chain length selection. Moreover, the optimized PEGylated peptide showed a significantly enhanced mRNA pulmonary delivery efficiency and ameliorated safety profiles over the non-PEGylated peptide and LipofectamineTM 2000 in mice. Our results reveal that the PEGylated peptide could be a promising mRNA delivery vector candidate for inhaled mRNA vaccines and therapeutic applications for the prevention and treatment of different respiratory diseases in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yijing Zheng
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xuqiu Ding
- School of Clinical Medicine, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Chengyan Wang
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Center, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Bin Hua
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Shilian Hong
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Xiaoman Huang
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jiali Lin
- School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Third Affiliated Hospital (The Affiliated Luohu Hospital) of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Drug Target Discovery and Structural and Functional Research, School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China
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2
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López-Méndez TB, Sánchez-Álvarez M, Trionfetti F, Pedraz JL, Tripodi M, Cordani M, Strippoli R, González-Valdivieso J. Nanomedicine for autophagy modulation in cancer therapy: a clinical perspective. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:44. [PMID: 36871010 PMCID: PMC9985235 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-00986-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, progress in nanotechnology provided new tools to treat cancer more effectively. Advances in biomaterials tailored for drug delivery have the potential to overcome the limited selectivity and side effects frequently associated with traditional therapeutic agents. While autophagy is pivotal in determining cell fate and adaptation to different challenges, and despite the fact that it is frequently dysregulated in cancer, antitumor therapeutic strategies leveraging on or targeting this process are scarce. This is due to many reasons, including the very contextual effects of autophagy in cancer, low bioavailability and non-targeted delivery of existing autophagy modulatory compounds. Conjugating the versatile characteristics of nanoparticles with autophagy modulators may render these drugs safer and more effective for cancer treatment. Here, we review current standing questions on the biology of autophagy in tumor progression, and precursory studies and the state-of-the-art in harnessing nanomaterials science to enhance the specificity and therapeutic potential of autophagy modulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania B López-Méndez
- NanoBioCel Group, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.,Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Miguel Sánchez-Álvarez
- Area of Cell and Developmental Biology. Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC), Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas Alberto Sols (IIB), Madrid, Spain
| | - Flavia Trionfetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - José L Pedraz
- NanoBioCel Group, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.,Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Marco Tripodi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Cordani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain. .,Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Raffaele Strippoli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. .,National Institute for Infectious Diseases L. Spallanzani IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
| | - Juan González-Valdivieso
- Department of Radiology, Molecular Imaging Innovations Institute (MI3), Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, USA.
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3
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Zorko M, Jones S, Langel Ü. Cell-penetrating peptides in protein mimicry and cancer therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 180:114044. [PMID: 34774552 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Extensive research has been undertaken in the pursuit of anticancer therapeutics. Many anticancer drugs require specificity of delivery to cancer cells, whilst sparing healthy tissue. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), now well established as facilitators of intracellular delivery, have in recent years advanced to incorporate target specificity and thus possess great potential for the targeted delivery of anticancer cargoes. Though none have yet been approved for clinical use, this novel technology has already entered clinical trials. In this review we present CPPs, discuss their classification, mechanisms of cargo internalization and highlight strategies for conjugation to anticancer moieties including their incorporation into therapeutic proteins. As the mainstay of this review, strategies to build specificity into tumor targeting CPP constructs through exploitation of the tumor microenvironment and the use of tumor homing peptides are discussed, whilst acknowledging the extensive contribution made by CPP constructs to target specific protein-protein interactions integral to intracellular signaling pathways associated with tumor cell survival and progression. Finally, antibody/antigen CPP conjugates and their potential roles in cancer immunotherapy and diagnostics are considered. In summary, this review aims to harness the potential of CPP-aided drug delivery for future cancer therapies and diagnostics whilst highlighting some of the most recent achievements in selective delivery of anticancer drugs, including cytostatic drugs, to a range of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Zorko
- University of Ljubljana, Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Sarah Jones
- University of Wolverhampton, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Science & Engineering, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK.
| | - Ülo Langel
- University of Stockholm, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden; Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu, Estonia 50411, Estonia.
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4
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Phosphonodithioester-Amine Coupling as a Key Reaction Step for the Design of Cationic Amphiphiles Used for Gene Delivery. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26247507. [PMID: 34946591 PMCID: PMC8707180 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26247507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
A convergent synthesis of cationic amphiphilic compounds is reported here with the use of the phosphonodithioester–amine coupling (PAC) reaction. This versatile reaction occurs at room temperature without any catalyst, allowing binding of the lipid moiety to a polar head group. This strategy is illustrated with the use of two lipid units featuring either two oleyl chains or two-branched saturated lipid chains. The final cationic amphiphiles were evaluated as carriers for plasmid DNA delivery in four cell lines (A549, Calu3, CFBE and 16HBE) and were compared to standards (BSV36 and KLN47). These new amphiphilic derivatives, which were formulated with DOPE or DOPE-cholesterol as helper lipids, feature high transfection efficacies when associated with DOPE. The highest transfection efficacies were observed in the four cell lines at low charge ratios (CR = 0.7, 1 or 2). At these CRs, no toxic effects were detected. Altogether, this new synthesis scheme using the PAC reaction opens up new possibilities for investigating the effects of lipid or polar head groups on transfection efficacies.
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Lützenburg T, Burdina N, Scholz MS, Neundorf I. Improving Membrane Activity and Cargo Delivery Efficacy of a Cell-Penetrating Peptide by Loading with Carboranes. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:2075. [PMID: 34959356 PMCID: PMC8709211 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13122075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have emerged as versatile tools to increase the intracellular accumulation of different kinds of cargoes. For an efficient cellular uptake and drug delivery, their organization into a distinct and stable secondary structure at the outer surface of the plasma membrane is a hallmark and supports optimal lipid-peptide interactions. Incorporation of hydrophobic moieties, such as carboranes (CBs), has the potential to increase the lipophilicity of peptides, and thus, to facilitate the formation of secondary structures. Herein, we present synthesis and biophysical as well as biological characterization of carborane-CPP conjugates having incorporated one or more CB clusters. Our results highlight the possibility to modulate the secondary structure of CPPs by the addition of CB's leading to constructs with altered membrane activity and promising use in terms of nucleic acid delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Lützenburg
- Institute for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany; (T.L.); (N.B.)
| | - Nele Burdina
- Institute for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany; (T.L.); (N.B.)
| | - Matthias S. Scholz
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry I & II, Pharmaceutical Institute, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Bonn, An der Immenburg 4, 53121 Bonn, Germany;
| | - Ines Neundorf
- Institute for Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany; (T.L.); (N.B.)
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6
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Simón-Gracia L, Kiisholts K, Petrikaitė V, Tobi A, Saare M, Lingasamy P, Peters M, Salumets A, Teesalu T. Homing Peptide-Based Targeting of Tenascin-C and Fibronectin in Endometriosis. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 11:3257. [PMID: 34947606 PMCID: PMC8708492 DOI: 10.3390/nano11123257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The current diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for endometriosis are limited. Although endometriosis is a benign condition, some of its traits, such as increased cell invasion, migration, tissue inflammation, and angiogenesis are similar to cancer. Here we explored the application of homing peptides for precision delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic compounds to endometriotic lesions. First, we audited a panel of peptide phages for the binding to the cultured immortalized endometriotic epithelial 12Z and eutopic stromal HESC cell lines. The bacteriophages displaying PL1 peptide that engages with angiogenic extracellular matrix overexpressed in solid tumors showed the strongest binding to both cell lines. The receptors of PL1 peptide, tenascin C domain C (TNC-C) and fibronectin Extra Domain-B (Fn-EDB), were expressed in both cells. Silver nanoparticles functionalized with synthetic PL1 peptide showed specific internalization in 12Z and HESC cells. Treatment with PL1-nanoparticles loaded with the potent antimitotic drug monomethyl auristatin E decreased the viability of endometriotic cells in 2D and 3D cultures. Finally, PL1-nanoparticless bound to the cryosections of clinical peritoneal endometriotic lesions in the areas positive for TNC-C and Fn-EDB immunoreactivities and not to sections of normal endometrium. Our findings suggest potential applications for PL1-guided nanoparticles in precision diagnosis and therapy of endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Simón-Gracia
- Laboratory of Precision and Nanomedicine, Department of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (L.S.-G.); (A.T.); (P.L.)
| | - Kristina Kiisholts
- Competence Centre on Health Technologies, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (K.K.); (M.S.); (M.P.); (A.S.)
| | - Vilma Petrikaitė
- Laboratory of Drug Target Histopathology, Institute of Cardiology, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 44307 Kaunas, Lithuania;
- Life Sciences Center, Institute of Biotechnology, Vilnius University, 10257 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Allan Tobi
- Laboratory of Precision and Nanomedicine, Department of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (L.S.-G.); (A.T.); (P.L.)
| | - Merli Saare
- Competence Centre on Health Technologies, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (K.K.); (M.S.); (M.P.); (A.S.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, 50406 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Prakash Lingasamy
- Laboratory of Precision and Nanomedicine, Department of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (L.S.-G.); (A.T.); (P.L.)
| | - Maire Peters
- Competence Centre on Health Technologies, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (K.K.); (M.S.); (M.P.); (A.S.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, 50406 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Andres Salumets
- Competence Centre on Health Technologies, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (K.K.); (M.S.); (M.P.); (A.S.)
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, 50406 Tartu, Estonia
- Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, 51010 Tartu, Estonia
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, 14152 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tambet Teesalu
- Laboratory of Precision and Nanomedicine, Department of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; (L.S.-G.); (A.T.); (P.L.)
- Center for Nanomedicine, Department of Cell, Molecular and Developmental Biology, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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7
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Utilization of Cell-Penetrating Peptides for In Vivo Delivery of Bioactive Cargo: The Effect of Nanoparticle Formulation. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34766294 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1752-6_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
The efficacy of nanoparticle drugs necessitates the high bioactivity of constituents, but the distribution of the nanoparticles in organisms is mostly determined by their physical properties. Therefore, generation of stable particles with strictly defined characteristics is highly essential. Here we describe a formulation protocol of stable and homogenous CPP/pDNA nanoparticles for in vivo applications.
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8
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Cell-Penetrating Peptides and Transportan. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13070987. [PMID: 34210007 PMCID: PMC8308968 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13070987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the most recent 25–30 years, multiple novel mechanisms and applications of cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) have been demonstrated, leading to novel drug delivery systems. In this review, I present a brief introduction to the CPP area with selected recent achievements. This is followed by a nostalgic journey into the research in my own laboratories, which lead to multiple CPPs, starting from transportan and paving a way to CPP-based therapeutic developments in the delivery of bio-functional materials, such as peptides, proteins, vaccines, oligonucleotides and small molecules, etc.
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10
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Yang J, Firdaus F, Azuar A, Khalil ZG, Marasini N, Capon RJ, Hussein WM, Toth I, Skwarczynski M. Cell-Penetrating Peptides-Based Liposomal Delivery System Enhanced Immunogenicity of Peptide-Based Vaccine against Group A Streptococcus. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:499. [PMID: 34066099 PMCID: PMC8151947 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9050499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Peptide-based vaccine development represents a highly promising strategy for preventing Group A Streptococcus (GAS) infection. However, these vaccines need to be administered with the help of a delivery system and/or immune adjuvant. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have been used as a powerful tool for delivering various therapeutic agents, including peptides, as they can overcome the permeability barrier of cell membranes. Here, we used CPPs to deliver our lead lipopeptide-based vaccine (LCP-1). CPPs were anchored through a spacer to LCP-1-bearing multilamellar and unilamellar liposomes and administered to Swiss outbred mice. Tat47-57 conjugated to two palmitic acids via a (Gly)6 spacer (to form a liposome-anchoring moiety) was the most efficient system for triggering immune responses when combined with multilamellar liposomes bearing LCP-1. The immunostimulatory potential of a variety of other CPPs was examined following intranasal administration in mice. Among them, LCP-1/liposomes/Tat47-57 and LCP-1/liposomes/KALA induced the highest antibody titers. The antibodies produced showed high opsonic activity against clinically isolated GAS strains D3840 and GC2 203. The use of the CPP-liposome delivery system is a promising strategy for liposome-based GAS vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieru Yang
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.Y.); (F.F.); (A.A.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Farrhana Firdaus
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.Y.); (F.F.); (A.A.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Armira Azuar
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.Y.); (F.F.); (A.A.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Zeinab G. Khalil
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.G.K.); (R.J.C.)
| | - Nirmal Marasini
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia;
| | - Robert J. Capon
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.G.K.); (R.J.C.)
| | - Waleed M. Hussein
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.Y.); (F.F.); (A.A.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.Y.); (F.F.); (A.A.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.G.K.); (R.J.C.)
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (J.Y.); (F.F.); (A.A.); (W.M.H.); (I.T.)
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11
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Kong X, Xu J, Yang X, Zhai Y, Ji J, Zhai G. Progress in tumour-targeted drug delivery based on cell-penetrating peptides. J Drug Target 2021; 30:46-60. [PMID: 33944641 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2021.1920026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Since the discovery of cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) in the 1980s, they have played a unique role in various fields owing to their excellent and unique cell membrane penetration function. In particular, in the treatment of tumours, CPPS have been used to deliver several types of 'cargos' to cancer cells. To address the insufficient targeting ability, non-selectivity, and blood instability, activatable cell-penetrating peptides, which can achieve targeted drug delivery in tumour treatment, enhance curative effects, and reduce toxicity have been developed. This study reviews the application of different cell-penetrating peptides in tumour-targeted delivery, overcoming multidrug resistance, organelle targeting, tumour imaging, and diagnosis, and summarises the different mechanisms of activatable cell-penetrating peptides in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinru Kong
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jiangkang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoye Yang
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yujia Zhai
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Jianbo Ji
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Guangxi Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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12
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Khan MM, Filipczak N, Torchilin VP. Cell penetrating peptides: A versatile vector for co-delivery of drug and genes in cancer. J Control Release 2020; 330:1220-1228. [PMID: 33248708 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Biological barriers hamper the efficient delivery of drugs and genes to targeted sites. Cell penetrating peptides (CPP) have the ability to rapidly internalize across biological membranes. CPP have been effective for delivery of various chemotherapeutic agents used to combat cancer. CPP can enhance delivery of drugs to a targeted site when combined with tumor targeting peptides. CPP can be linked with various cargos like nanoparticles, micelles and liposomes to deliver drugs and genes to the cancer cell. Here, we focus on CPP mediated delivery of drugs to the tumor sites, delivery of genes (siRNA,pDNA) and co-delivery of drugs and genes to combat drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Muzamil Khan
- Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Nanomedicines, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pharmacy, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan.
| | - Nina Filipczak
- Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Nanomedicines, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Departments of Lipids and Liposomes, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, 50-383 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Vladimir P Torchilin
- Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Nanomedicines, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Oncology, Radiotherapy and Plastic Surgery I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Moscow, Russia.
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13
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Peptides as a material platform for gene delivery: Emerging concepts and converging technologies. Acta Biomater 2020; 117:40-59. [PMID: 32966922 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Successful gene therapies rely on methods that safely introduce DNA into target cells and enable subsequent expression of proteins. To that end, peptides are an attractive materials platform for DNA delivery, facilitating condensation into nanoparticles, delivery into cells, and subcellular release to enable protein expression. Peptides are programmable materials that can be designed to address biocompatibility, stability, and subcellular barriers that limit efficiency of non-viral gene delivery systems. This review focuses on fundamental structure-function relationships regarding peptide design and their impact on nanoparticle physical properties, biologic activity, and biocompatibility. Recent peptide technologies utilize multi-dimensional structures, non-natural chemistries, and combinations of peptides with lipids to achieve desired properties and efficient transfection. Advances in DNA cargo design are also presented to highlight further opportunities for peptide-based gene delivery. Modern DNA designs enable prolonged expression compared to traditional plasmids, providing an additional component that can be synergized with peptide carriers for improved transfection. Peptide transfection systems are poised to become a flexible and efficient platform incorporating new chemistries, functionalities, and improved DNA cargos to usher in a new era of gene therapy.
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14
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Kurrikoff K, Vunk B, Langel Ü. Status update in the use of cell-penetrating peptides for the delivery of macromolecular therapeutics. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2020; 21:361-370. [PMID: 32938243 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2021.1823368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In this review, recent developments and applications with cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) are discussed. CPPs are widely used tools for the delivery of various macromolecular therapeutics, such as proteins and nucleic acids. AREAS COVERED The current review focuses on recent important advances and reports that demonstrate high clinical and translational potential. Most important clinical developments have occurred with the CPP-drug conjugate approaches that target various protein-protein interactions, and these have been highlighted subsequently. Most of the applications are targeting cancer, but recently, noteworthy advances have taken place in the field of antisense oligonucleotides and muscular dystrophies, lung targeting, and trans-BBB targeting. EXPERT OPINION Successful applications and clinical development with the drug conjugate approaches are discussed. On the other hand, the reasons of why the nanoparticle approaches are not as far in development are analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaido Kurrikoff
- University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Birgit Vunk
- University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ülo Langel
- University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, Tartu, Estonia.,Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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15
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Behzadipour Y, Sadeghian I, Ghaffarian Bahraman A, Hemmati S. Introducing a delivery system for melanogenesis inhibition in melanoma B16F10 cells mediated by the conjugation of tyrosine ammonia-lyase and a TAT-penetrating peptide. Biotechnol Prog 2020; 37:e3071. [PMID: 32840065 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Hyperpigmentation disorders negatively influence an individual's quality of life and may cause emotional distress. Over the years, various melanogenesis inhibitors (mainly tyrosinase inhibitors) have been developed, most of which with low efficacy or high toxicity. Although metabolic engineering by deviation in the flux of substrate is of considerable interest, trials to develop a melanogenesis inhibitor based on L-tyrosine (L-Tyr) restriction are missing. We propose a novel proteinaceous melanogenesis inhibitor called tyrosine ammonia-lyase (TAL), an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of L-Tyr to p-coumaric acid and ammonia. Since the cell membrane can act as a barrier for intracellular protein delivery, we have covalently conjugated a recombinant TAL enzyme from Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RsTAL) to a trans-activator of transcription (TAT) cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) to afford the intracellular delivery. The heterologously expressed TAT-RsTAL fusion protein was delivered successfully into B16F10 melanocytes as confirmed by the direct fluorescence microscopy with increased intensity from 30 to 180 min. TAT-RsTAL showed sufficient intracellular activity of about 0.83 ± 0.04 and 0.34 ± 0.03 nmol•mg-1 •s-1 for the native and inclusion body-extracted conjugates, respectively. The conjugate inhibited melanin biosynthesis in B16F10 cells in a time-dependent manner. Melanin accumulation was inhibited by 12.7 ± 6.2%, 28.2 ± 5.7%, and 33.9 ± 2.9% compared to the nontreated control groups after 24, 48, and 72 hr of incubation, respectively. L-Tyr restriction had no significant effect on the cell viability up to a concentration of 100 μgml-1 even after 72 hr. According to the observed hypopigmentary effect of the conjugate in this study, TAT-RsTAL can be suggested as a melanogenesis inhibitor for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasaman Behzadipour
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Issa Sadeghian
- Biotechnology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Ghaffarian Bahraman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Occupational Environment Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Shiva Hemmati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Biotechnology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.,Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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16
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Namazi F, Bolhassani A, Sadat SM, Irani S. Delivery of HIV-1 Polyepitope Constructs Using Cationic and Amphipathic Cell Penetrating Peptides into Mammalian Cells. Curr HIV Res 2020; 17:408-428. [DOI: 10.2174/1570162x17666191121114522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background:
An effective vaccine against human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) is
an important global health priority. Despite many efforts in the development of the HIV-1 vaccine,
no effective vaccine has been approved yet. Recently, polyepitope vaccines including several immunogenic
and conserved epitopes of HIV-1 proteins have received special attention.
Methods:
In this study, HIV-1 Nef, Tat, Gp160 and P24 proteins were considered for selection of
immunodominant and conserved epitopes due to their critical roles in the viral life cycle and pathogenesis.
At first, the Nef60-84-Nef126-144-Tat29-49-Gp16030-53-Gp160308-323-P248-151 DNA construct was
designed using in silico studies. Then, the DNA construct was subcloned in pEGFP-N1 and pET-
24a (+) expression vectors and the rNef-Tat-Gp160-P24 polyepitope peptide was generated in E.coli
expression system for in vitro delivery using novel cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), LDP-NLS and
CyLoP-1, in a non-covalent manner. Also, the HR9 and MPG CPPs were used to transfer the DNA
construct.
Results:
Our results showed that the recombinant polyepitope peptide generated in Rosetta strain
migrated as a clear band of ~31 kDa in SDS-PAGE. The SEM data confirmed the formation of stable
nanoparticles with a size below 250 nm. MTT assay revealed that the complexes did not represent
any considerable cytotoxic effect compared to untreated cells. The results of fluorescence microscopy,
flow cytometry and western blotting indicated that these CPPs successfully delivered polyepitope
constructs into HEK-293T cell line.
Conclusion:
These data suggested that these CPPs can be used as a promising approach for the development
of the HIV-1 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Namazi
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azam Bolhassani
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Mehdi Sadat
- Department of Hepatitis and AIDS, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shiva Irani
- Department of Biology, School of Basic Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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Kurrikoff K, Freimann K, Veiman KL, Peets EM, Piirsoo A, Langel Ü. Effective lung-targeted RNAi in mice with peptide-based delivery of nucleic acid. Sci Rep 2019; 9:19926. [PMID: 31882941 PMCID: PMC6934651 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56455-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously developed efficient peptide-based nucleic acid delivery vectors PF14 and NF55, where we have shown that these vectors preferentially transfect lung tissue upon systemic administration with the nucleic acid. In the current work, we have explored the utilization and potential of these vectors for the lung-targeted gene therapy. Accordingly, we assessed the efficacy of these peptides in (i) two different lung disease models - acute lung inflammation and asthma in mice and (ii) using two different nucleic acid cargos - siRNA and pDNA encoding shRNA. Using RNAi against cytokine TNFα, we showed efficient anti-inflammatory effects in both disease models and observed decreased disease symptoms. Our results highlight the potential of our transfection vectors for lung gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaido Kurrikoff
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Krista Freimann
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kadi-Liis Veiman
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Elin Madli Peets
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Andres Piirsoo
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ülo Langel
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
- Department Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, S. Arrheniusv 16B, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaido Kurrikoff
- University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ülo Langel
- University of Tartu, Institute of Technology, Tartu, Estonia
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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19
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Kurrikoff K, Aphkhazava D, Langel Ü. The future of peptides in cancer treatment. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2019; 47:27-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2019.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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