1
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Guo F, Luo Z, Zhou W. Considering Joule heating in coupled electroporation and electrodeformation modeling of glioblastoma cells. Comput Biol Med 2024; 177:108678. [PMID: 38833796 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108678] [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: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Cells exposed to a pulsed electric field undergo electroporation(EP) and electrodeformation(ED) under electric field stress, and a coupled model of EP and ED of glioblastoma(GBM) taking into account Joule heating is proposed. The model geometry is extracted from real cell boundaries, and the effects of Joule heating-induced temperature rise on the EP and ED processes are considered. The results show that the temperature rise will increase the cell's local conductivity, leading to a decrease in the transmembrane potential(TMP). The temperature rise also causes a decrease in the dynamic Young's modulus of the cell membrane, making the cell less resistant to deformation. In addition, GBM cells are more susceptible to EP in the middle portion of the cell and ED in the three tentacle portions under pulsed electric fields, and the cells undergo significant positional shifts. The ED of the nucleus is similar to spherical cells, but the degree of ED is smaller.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Guo
- Institute of Ecological Safety, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, 400065, China.
| | - Zhijun Luo
- Institute of Ecological Safety, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, 400065, China
| | - Weina Zhou
- Institute of Ecological Safety, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, 400065, China
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2
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Liu F, Su R, Jiang X, Wang S, Mu W, Chang L. Advanced micro/nano-electroporation for gene therapy: recent advances and future outlook. NANOSCALE 2024; 16:10500-10521. [PMID: 38757536 DOI: 10.1039/d4nr01408a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Gene therapy is a promising disease treatment approach by editing target genes, and thus plays a fundamental role in precision medicine. To ensure gene therapy efficacy, the effective delivery of therapeutic genes into specific cells is a key challenge. Electroporation utilizes short electric pulses to physically break the cell membrane barrier, allowing gene transfer into the cells. It dodges the off-target risks associated with viral vectors, and also stands out from other physical-based gene delivery methods with its high-throughput and cargo-accelerating features. In recent years, with the help of advanced micro/nanotechnology, micro/nanostructure-integrated electroporation (micro/nano-electroporation) techniques and devices have significantly improved cell viability, transfection efficiency and dose controllability of the electroporation strategy, enhancing its application practicality especially in vivo. This technical advancement makes micro/nano-electroporation an effective and versatile tool for gene therapy. In this review, we first introduce the evolution of electroporation technique with a brief explanation of the perforation mechanism, and then provide an overview of the recent advancements and prospects of micro/nano-electroporation technology in the field of gene therapy. To comprehensively showcase the latest developments of micro/nano-electroporation technology in gene therapy, we focus on discussing micro/nano-electroporation devices and current applications at both in vitro and in vivo levels. Additionally, we outline the ongoing clinical studies of gene electrotransfer (GET), revealing the tremendous potential of electroporation-based gene delivery in disease treatment and healthcare. Lastly, the challenges and future directions in this field are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Liu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Rongtai Su
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xinran Jiang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Siqi Wang
- Department of General Surgery and Obesity and Metabolic Disease Center, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Wei Mu
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
- School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
- Key Laboratory of Big Data-Based Precision Medicine (Beihang University), Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Lingqian Chang
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
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3
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Kasparyan G, Hub JS. Molecular Simulations Reveal the Free Energy Landscape and Transition State of Membrane Electroporation. PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 2024; 132:148401. [PMID: 38640376 DOI: 10.1103/physrevlett.132.148401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
The formation of pores over lipid membranes by the application of electric fields, termed membrane electroporation, is widely used in biotechnology and medicine to deliver drugs, vaccines, or genes into living cells. Continuum models for describing the free energy landscape of membrane electroporation were proposed decades ago, but they have never been tested against spatially detailed atomistic models. Using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations with a recently proposed reaction coordinate, we computed potentials of mean force of pore nucleation and pore expansion in lipid membranes at various transmembrane potentials. Whereas the free energies of pore expansion are compatible with previous continuum models, the experimentally important free energy barrier of pore nucleation is at variance with established models. The discrepancy originates from different geometries of the transition state; previous continuum models assumed the presence of a membrane-spanning defect throughout the process, whereas, according to the MD simulations, the transition state of pore nucleation is typically passed before a transmembrane defect has formed. A modified continuum model is presented that qualitatively agrees with the MD simulations. Using kinetics of pore opening together with transition state theory, our free energies of pore nucleation are in excellent agreement with previous experimental data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gari Kasparyan
- Theoretical Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Jochen S Hub
- Theoretical Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
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4
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Pushko P, Lukashevich IS, Johnson DM, Tretyakova I. Single-Dose Immunogenic DNA Vaccines Coding for Live-Attenuated Alpha- and Flaviviruses. Viruses 2024; 16:428. [PMID: 38543793 PMCID: PMC10974764 DOI: 10.3390/v16030428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2024] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Single-dose, immunogenic DNA (iDNA) vaccines coding for whole live-attenuated viruses are reviewed. This platform, sometimes called immunization DNA, has been used for vaccine development for flavi- and alphaviruses. An iDNA vaccine uses plasmid DNA to launch live-attenuated virus vaccines in vitro or in vivo. When iDNA is injected into mammalian cells in vitro or in vivo, the RNA genome of an attenuated virus is transcribed, which starts replication of a defined, live-attenuated vaccine virus in cell culture or the cells of a vaccine recipient. In the latter case, an immune response to the live virus vaccine is elicited, which protects against the pathogenic virus. Unlike other nucleic acid vaccines, such as mRNA and standard DNA vaccines, iDNA vaccines elicit protection with a single dose, thus providing major improvement to epidemic preparedness. Still, iDNA vaccines retain the advantages of other nucleic acid vaccines. In summary, the iDNA platform combines the advantages of reverse genetics and DNA immunization with the high immunogenicity of live-attenuated vaccines, resulting in enhanced safety and immunogenicity. This vaccine platform has expanded the field of genetic DNA and RNA vaccines with a novel type of immunogenic DNA vaccines that encode entire live-attenuated viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Pushko
- Medigen, Inc., 8420 Gas House Pike Suite S, Frederick, MD 21701, USA;
| | - Igor S. Lukashevich
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Center for Predictive Medicine and Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville, 505 S Hancock St., Louisville, KY 40202, USA;
| | - Dylan M. Johnson
- Department of Biotechnology & Bioengineering, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA 945501, USA;
| | - Irina Tretyakova
- Medigen, Inc., 8420 Gas House Pike Suite S, Frederick, MD 21701, USA;
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5
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Leomil FC, Stephan M, Pramanik S, Riske KA, Dimova R. Bilayer Charge Asymmetry and Oil Residues Destabilize Membranes upon Poration. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:4719-4731. [PMID: 38373285 PMCID: PMC10919074 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Transmembrane asymmetry is ubiquitous in cells, particularly with respect to lipids, where charged lipids are mainly restricted to one monolayer. We investigate the influence of anionic lipid asymmetry on the stability of giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs), minimal plasma membrane models. To quantify asymmetry, we apply the fluorescence quenching assay, which is often difficult to reproduce, and caution in handling the quencher is generally underestimated. We first optimize this assay and then apply it to GUVs prepared with the inverted emulsion transfer protocol by using increasing fractions of anionic lipids restricted to one leaflet. This protocol is found to produce highly asymmetric bilayers but with ∼20% interleaflet mixing. To probe the stability of asymmetric versus symmetric membranes, we expose the GUVs to porating electric pulses and monitor the fraction of destabilized vesicles. The pulses open macropores, and the GUVs either completely recover or exhibit leakage or bursting/collapse. Residual oil destabilizes porated membranes, and destabilization is even more pronounced in asymmetrically charged membranes. This is corroborated by the measured pore edge tension, which is also found to decrease with increasing charge asymmetry. Using GUVs with imposed transmembrane pH asymmetry, we confirm that poration-triggered destabilization does not depend on the approach used to generate membrane asymmetry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda
S. C. Leomil
- Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14776 Potsdam, Germany
- Departamento
de Biofísica, Universidade Federal
de São Paulo, São
Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Mareike Stephan
- Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14776 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Shreya Pramanik
- Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14776 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Karin A. Riske
- Departamento
de Biofísica, Universidade Federal
de São Paulo, São
Paulo 04039-032, Brazil
| | - Rumiana Dimova
- Max
Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14776 Potsdam, Germany
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Kawai MY, Yoshida T, Kato T, Watanabe T, Kashiwagi M, Yamanaka S, Yamamoto H, Nagahiro S, Iwamoto T, Masud K, Aoki K, Ohura K, Nakao K. bmp-2 Gene-Transferred Skeletal Muscles with Needle-Type Electrodes as Efficient and Reliable Biomaterials for Bone Regeneration. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 17:880. [PMID: 38399131 PMCID: PMC10890310 DOI: 10.3390/ma17040880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (bmp-2) has a high potential to induce bone tissue formation in skeletal muscles. We developed a bone induction system in skeletal muscles using the bmp-2 gene through in vivo electroporation. Natural bone tissues with skeletal muscles can be considered potential candidates for biomaterials. However, our previous system using plate-type electrodes did not achieve a 100% success rate in inducing bone tissues in skeletal muscles. In this study, we aimed to enhance the efficiency of bone tissue formation in skeletal muscles by using a non-viral bmp-2 gene expression plasmid vector (pCAGGS-bmp-2) and needle-type electrodes. METHODS We injected the bmp-2 gene with pCAGGS-bmp-2 into the skeletal muscles of rats' legs and immediately placed needle-type electrodes there. Skeletal tissues were then observed on the 21st day after gene transfer using soft X-ray and histological analyses. RESULTS The use of needle-type electrodes resulted in a 100% success rate in inducing bone tissues in skeletal muscles. In contrast, the plate-type electrodes only exhibited a 33% success rate. Thus, needle-type electrodes can be more efficient and reliable for transferring the bmp-2 gene to skeletal muscles, making them potential biomaterials for repairing bone defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Yamamoto Kawai
- Department of Welfare, Kansai Women’s College, Osaka 582-0026, Japan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; (T.Y.); (T.K.); (T.W.); (M.K.); (S.Y.); (H.Y.); (K.N.)
| | - Takeshi Yoshida
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; (T.Y.); (T.K.); (T.W.); (M.K.); (S.Y.); (H.Y.); (K.N.)
| | - Tomoki Kato
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; (T.Y.); (T.K.); (T.W.); (M.K.); (S.Y.); (H.Y.); (K.N.)
| | - Takuma Watanabe
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; (T.Y.); (T.K.); (T.W.); (M.K.); (S.Y.); (H.Y.); (K.N.)
| | - Marina Kashiwagi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; (T.Y.); (T.K.); (T.W.); (M.K.); (S.Y.); (H.Y.); (K.N.)
| | - Shigeki Yamanaka
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; (T.Y.); (T.K.); (T.W.); (M.K.); (S.Y.); (H.Y.); (K.N.)
| | - Hiromitsu Yamamoto
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; (T.Y.); (T.K.); (T.W.); (M.K.); (S.Y.); (H.Y.); (K.N.)
| | - Shigeki Nagahiro
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry/Special Needs Dentistry, Division of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan; (S.N.); (T.I.)
| | - Tsutomu Iwamoto
- Department of Pediatric Dentistry/Special Needs Dentistry, Division of Oral Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan; (S.N.); (T.I.)
| | - Khan Masud
- Department of Basic Oral Health Engineering, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan; (K.M.); (K.A.)
| | - Kazuhiro Aoki
- Department of Basic Oral Health Engineering, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8549, Japan; (K.M.); (K.A.)
| | - Kiyoshi Ohura
- Department of Nursing, Taisei Gakuin University, Osaka 587-8555, Japan;
- Graduate School, Division of Dental Research, Osaka Dental University, Osaka 573-1121, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Nakao
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan; (T.Y.); (T.K.); (T.W.); (M.K.); (S.Y.); (H.Y.); (K.N.)
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7
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Guan X, Pei Y, Song J. DNA-Based Nonviral Gene Therapy─Challenging but Promising. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:427-453. [PMID: 38198640 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00907] [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: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Over the past decades, significant progress has been made in utilizing nucleic acids, including DNA and RNA molecules, for therapeutic purposes. For DNA molecules, although various DNA delivery systems have been established, viral vector systems are the go-to choice for large-scale commercial applications. However, viral systems have certain disadvantages such as immune response, limited payload capacity, insertional mutagenesis and pre-existing immunity. In contrast, nonviral systems are less immunogenic, not size limited, safer, and easier for manufacturing compared with viral systems. What's more, nonviral DNA vectors have demonstrated their capacity to mediate specific protein expression in vivo for diverse therapeutic objectives containing a wide range of diseases such as cancer, rare diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases, yielding promising therapeutic outcomes. However, exogenous plasmid DNA is prone to degrade and has poor immunogenicity in vivo. Thus, various strategies have been developed: (i) designing novel plasmids with special structures, (ii) optimizing plasmid sequences for higher expression, and (iii) developing more efficient nonviral DNA delivery systems. Based on these strategies, many interesting clinical results have been reported. This Review discusses the development of DNA-based nonviral gene therapy, including novel plasmids, nonviral delivery systems, clinical advances, and prospects. These developments hold great potential for enhancing the efficacy and safety of nonviral gene therapy and expanding its applications in the treatment of various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaocai Guan
- Institute of Nano Biomedicine and Engineering, Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yufeng Pei
- Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, China
| | - Jie Song
- Institute of Nano Biomedicine and Engineering, Department of Instrument Science and Engineering, School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Institute of Basic Medicine and Cancer (IBMC), Chinese Academy of Sciences, The Cancer Hospital of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hangzhou 310022, China
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8
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Batista Napotnik T, Kos B, Jarm T, Miklavčič D, O'Connor RP, Rems L. Genetically engineered HEK cells as a valuable tool for studying electroporation in excitable cells. Sci Rep 2024; 14:720. [PMID: 38184741 PMCID: PMC10771480 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-51073-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Electric pulses used in electroporation-based treatments have been shown to affect the excitability of muscle and neuronal cells. However, understanding the interplay between electroporation and electrophysiological response of excitable cells is complex, since both ion channel gating and electroporation depend on dynamic changes in the transmembrane voltage (TMV). In this study, a genetically engineered human embryonic kidney cells expressing NaV1.5 and Kir2.1, a minimal complementary channels required for excitability (named S-HEK), was characterized as a simple cell model used for studying the effects of electroporation in excitable cells. S-HEK cells and their non-excitable counterparts (NS-HEK) were exposed to 100 µs pulses of increasing electric field strength. Changes in TMV, plasma membrane permeability, and intracellular Ca2+ were monitored with fluorescence microscopy. We found that a very mild electroporation, undetectable with the classical propidium assay but associated with a transient increase in intracellular Ca2+, can already have a profound effect on excitability close to the electrostimulation threshold, as corroborated by multiscale computational modelling. These results are of great relevance for understanding the effects of pulse delivery on cell excitability observed in context of the rapidly developing cardiac pulsed field ablation as well as other electroporation-based treatments in excitable tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Batista Napotnik
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Bor Kos
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tomaž Jarm
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Miklavčič
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Rodney P O'Connor
- École des Mines de Saint-Étienne, Department of Bioelectronics, Georges Charpak Campus, Centre Microélectronique de Provence, 880 Route de Mimet, 13120, Gardanne, France
| | - Lea Rems
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška Cesta 25, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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9
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Cvetkoska A, Maček-Lebar A, Polajžer T, Reberšek M, Upchurch W, Iaizzo PA, Sigg DC, Miklavčič D. The Effects of Interphase and Interpulse Delays and Pulse Widths on Induced Muscle Contractions, Pain and Therapeutic Efficacy in Electroporation-Based Therapies. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2023; 10:490. [PMID: 38132658 PMCID: PMC10744272 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd10120490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Electroporation is used in medicine for drug and gene delivery, and as a nonthermal ablation method in tumor treatment and cardiac ablation. Electroporation involves delivering high-voltage electric pulses to target tissue; however, this can cause effects beyond the intended target tissue like nerve stimulation, muscle contractions and pain, requiring use of sedatives or anesthetics. It was previously shown that adjusting pulse parameters may mitigate some of these effects, but not how these adjustments would affect electroporation's efficacy. We investigated the effect of varying pulse parameters such as interphase and interpulse delay while keeping the duration and number of pulses constant on nerve stimulation, muscle contraction and assessing pain and electroporation efficacy, conducting experiments on human volunteers, tissue samples and cell lines in vitro. Our results show that using specific pulse parameters, particularly short high-frequency biphasic pulses with short interphase and long interpulse delays, reduces muscle contractions and pain sensations in healthy individuals. Higher stimulation thresholds were also observed in experiments on isolated swine phrenic nerves and human esophagus tissues. However, changes in the interphase and interpulse delays did not affect the cell permeability and survival, suggesting that modifying the pulse parameters could minimize adverse effects while preserving therapeutic goals in electroporation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Cvetkoska
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.C.); (A.M.-L.); (T.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Alenka Maček-Lebar
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.C.); (A.M.-L.); (T.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Tamara Polajžer
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.C.); (A.M.-L.); (T.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Matej Reberšek
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.C.); (A.M.-L.); (T.P.); (M.R.)
| | - Weston Upchurch
- Visible Heart® Laboratories, Department of Surgery and the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (W.U.); (P.A.I.)
| | - Paul A. Iaizzo
- Visible Heart® Laboratories, Department of Surgery and the Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; (W.U.); (P.A.I.)
| | - Daniel C. Sigg
- Cardiac Ablation Solutions, Medtronic, Inc., Minneapolis, MN 55432, USA;
| | - Damijan Miklavčič
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; (A.C.); (A.M.-L.); (T.P.); (M.R.)
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10
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Bai C, Wang C, Lu Y. Novel Vectors and Administrations for mRNA Delivery. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2303713. [PMID: 37475520 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202303713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
mRNA therapy has shown great potential in infectious disease vaccines, cancer immunotherapy, protein replacement therapy, gene editing, and other fields due to its central role in all life processes. However, mRNA is challenging to pass through the cell membrane due to its significant negative charges and degradation from RNase, so the key to mRNA therapy is efficient packaging and delivery of it with appropriate vectors. Presently researchers have developed various vectors such as viruses and liposomes, but these conventional vectors are now difficult to meet the growing requirement like safety, efficiency, and targeting, so many novel delivery vectors with unique advantages have emerged recently. This review mainly introduces two categories of novel vectors: biomacromolecules and inorganic nanoparticles, as well as two novel methods of control and administration based on these novel vectors: controlled-release administration and non-invasive administration. These novel delivery strategies have the advantages of high safety, biocompatibility, versatility, intelligence, and targeting. This paper analyzes the challenges faced by the field of mRNA delivery in depth, and discusses how to use the characteristics of novel vectors and administrations to solve these problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenghai Bai
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yuan Lu
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biocatalysis, Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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11
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Din SRU, Saeed S, Khan SU, Arbi FM, Xuefang G, Zhong M. Bacteria-driven cancer therapy: Exploring advancements and challenges. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol 2023; 191:104141. [PMID: 37742883 DOI: 10.1016/j.critrevonc.2023.104141] [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: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer, a serious fatal disease caused by the uncontrolled growth of cells, is the biggest challenge flagging around medicine and health fields. Conventionally, various treatments-based strategies such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and alternative cancer therapies possess drugs that cannot reach the cancerous tissues and make them toxic to noncancerous cells. Cancer immunotherapy has made outstanding achievements in reducing the chances of cancer. Our considerable attention towards cancer-directed immune responses and the mechanisms behind which immune cells kill cancer cells have progressively been helpful in the advancement of new therapies. Among them, bacteria-based cancer immunotherapy has achieved much more attention due to smart and robust mechanisms in activating the host anti-tumor response. Moreover, bacterial-based therapy can be utilized as a single monotherapy or in combination with multiple anticancer immunotherapies to accelerate productive clinical results. Herein, we comprehensively reviewed recent advancements, challenges, and future perspectives in developing bacterial-based cancer immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syed Riaz Ud Din
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Sumbul Saeed
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Shahid Ullah Khan
- Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City and Southwest University, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China; Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Women Medical and Dental College, Khyber Medical University, Peshawar, KPK 22020, Pakistan
| | - Fawad Mueen Arbi
- Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Punjab 63100, Pakistan
| | - Guo Xuefang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China
| | - Mintao Zhong
- Department of Microbiology, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116044, China.
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12
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Qian K, Zhong Z. Research frontiers of electroporation-based applications in cancer treatment: a bibliometric analysis. BIOMED ENG-BIOMED TE 2023; 68:445-456. [PMID: 37185096 DOI: 10.1515/bmt-2023-0113] [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: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Electroporation, the breakdown of the biomembrane induced by external electric fields, has increasingly become a research hotspot for its promising related methods in various kinds of cancers. CONTENT In this article, we utilized CiteSpace 6.1.R2 to perform a bibliometric analysis on the research foundation and frontier of electroporation-based applications in cancer therapy. A total of 3,966 bibliographic records were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection for the bibliometric analysis. Sersa G. and Mir L. M. are the most indispensable researchers in this field, and the University of Ljubljana of Slovenia is a prominent institution. By analyzing references and keywords, we found that, with a lower recurrence rate, fewer severe adverse events, and a higher success rate, irreversible electroporation, gene electrotransfer, and electrochemotherapy are the three main research directions that may influence the future treatment protocol of cancers. SUMMARY This article visualized relevant data to synthesize scientific research on electroporation-based cancer therapy, providing helpful suggestions for further investigations on electroporation. OUTLOOK Although electroporation-based technologies have been proven as promising tools for cancer treatment, its radical mechanism is still opaque and their commercialization and universalization need further efforts from peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Qian
- Department of High-voltage and Insulation, School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zilong Zhong
- Research Institute of Foreign Languages, Beijing Foreign Studies University, Beijing, China
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13
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Khalid K, Poh CL. The development of DNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Adv Med Sci 2023; 68:213-226. [PMID: 37364379 PMCID: PMC10290423 DOI: 10.1016/j.advms.2023.05.003] [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: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic exerted significant impacts on public health and global economy. Research efforts to develop vaccines at warp speed against SARS-CoV-2 led to novel mRNA, viral vectored, and inactivated vaccines being administered. The current COVID-19 vaccines incorporate the full S protein of the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain but rapidly emerging variants of concern (VOCs) have led to significant reductions in protective efficacies. There is an urgent need to develop next-generation vaccines which could effectively prevent COVID-19. METHODS PubMed and Google Scholar were systematically reviewed for peer-reviewed papers up to January 2023. RESULTS A promising solution to the problem of emerging variants is a DNA vaccine platform since it can be easily modified. Besides expressing whole protein antigens, DNA vaccines can also be constructed to include specific nucleotide genes encoding highly conserved and immunogenic epitopes from the S protein as well as from other structural/non-structural proteins to develop effective vaccines against VOCs. DNA vaccines are associated with low transfection efficiencies which could be enhanced by chemical, genetic, and molecular adjuvants as well as delivery systems. CONCLUSIONS The DNA vaccine platform offers a promising solution to the design of effective vaccines. The challenge of limited immunogenicity in humans might be solved through the use of genetic modifications such as the addition of nuclear localization signal (NLS) peptide gene, strong promoters, MARs, introns, TLR agonists, CD40L, and the development of appropriate delivery systems utilizing nanoparticles to increase uptake by APCs in enhancing the induction of potent immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanwal Khalid
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia
| | - Chit Laa Poh
- Centre for Virus and Vaccine Research, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Bandar Sunway, Malaysia.
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14
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Neshat SY, Chan CHR, Harris J, Zmily OM, Est-Witte S, Karlsson J, Shannon SR, Jain M, Doloff JC, Green JJ, Tzeng SY. Polymeric nanoparticle gel for intracellular mRNA delivery and immunological reprogramming of tumors. Biomaterials 2023; 300:122185. [PMID: 37290232 PMCID: PMC10330908 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Immuno-oncology therapies have been of great interest with the goal of inducing sustained tumor regression, but clinical results have demonstrated the need for improved and widely applicable methods. An antigen-free method of cancer immunotherapy can stimulate the immune system to recruit lymphocytes and produce immunostimulatory factors without prior knowledge of neoantigens, while local delivery reduces the risk of systemic toxicity. To improve the interactions between tumor cells and cytotoxic lymphocytes, a gene delivery nanoparticle platform was engineered to reprogram the tumor microenvironment (TME) in situ to be more immunostimulatory by inducing tumor-associated antigen-presenting cells (tAPCs) to activate cytotoxic lymphocytes against the tumor. Biodegradable, lipophilic poly (beta-amino ester) (PBAE) nanoparticles were synthesized and used to co-deliver mRNA constructs encoding a signal 2 co-stimulatory molecule (4-1BBL) and a signal 3 immuno-stimulatory cytokine (IL-12), along with a nucleic acid-based immunomodulatory adjuvant. Nanoparticles are combined with a thermoresponsive block copolymer for gelation at the injection site for local NP retention at the tumor. The reprogramming nanoparticle gel synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) to induce tumor regression and clearance in addition to resistance to tumor rechallenge at a distant site. In vitro and in vivo studies reveal increases in immunostimulatory cytokine production and recruitment of immune cells as a result of the nanoparticles. Intratumoral injection of nanoparticles encapsulating mRNA encoding immunostimulatory agents and adjuvants via an injectable thermoresponsive gel has great translational potential as an immuno-oncology therapy that can be accessible to a wide range of patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Y Neshat
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Chun Hei Ryan Chan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Jawaun Harris
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Osamah M Zmily
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Savannah Est-Witte
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Johan Karlsson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Sydney R Shannon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Manav Jain
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Joshua C Doloff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA; Department of Oncology, Sidney-Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA; Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Jordan J Green
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA; Department of Oncology, Sidney-Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA; Bloomberg-Kimmel Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA; Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA
| | - Stephany Y Tzeng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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15
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Tabaja C, Younis A, Hussein AA, Taigen TL, Nakagawa H, Saliba WI, Sroubek J, Santangeli P, Wazni OM. Catheter-Based Electroporation: A Novel Technique for Catheter Ablation of Cardiac Arrhythmias. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2023; 9:2008-2023. [PMID: 37354168 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2023.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/26/2023]
Abstract
Catheter ablation of arrhythmias is now standard of care in invasive electrophysiology. Current ablation strategies are based on the use of thermal energy. With continuous efforts to optimize thermal energy delivery, effectiveness has greatly improved; however, safety concerns persist. This review focuses on a novel ablation technology, irreversible electroporation (IRE), also known as pulsed-field ablation which may be a safer alternative for arrhythmia management. Pulsed-field ablation is thought to be a nonthermal ablation that applies short-duration high-voltage electrical fields to ablate myocardial tissue with high selectivity and durability while sparing important neighboring structures such as the esophagus and phrenic nerves. There are multiple ongoing studies investigating the potential superior outcomes of IRE compared to radiofrequency ablation in treating patients with atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. In this review, we describe the current evidence of preclinical and clinical trials that have shown promising results of catheter-based IRE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chadi Tabaja
- Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Arwa Younis
- Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ayman A Hussein
- Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Tyler L Taigen
- Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Hiroshi Nakagawa
- Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Walid I Saliba
- Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Jakub Sroubek
- Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Pasquale Santangeli
- Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Oussama M Wazni
- Cardiac Electrophysiology and Pacing Section, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
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16
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Schunke J, Mailänder V, Landfester K, Fichter M. Delivery of Immunostimulatory Cargos in Nanocarriers Enhances Anti-Tumoral Nanovaccine Efficacy. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12174. [PMID: 37569548 PMCID: PMC10419017 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Finding a long-term cure for tumor patients still represents a major challenge. Immunotherapies offer promising therapy options, since they are designed to specifically prime the immune system against the tumor and modulate the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Using nucleic-acid-based vaccines or cellular vaccines often does not achieve sufficient activation of the immune system in clinical trials. Additionally, the rapid degradation of drugs and their non-specific uptake into tissues and cells as well as their severe side effects pose a challenge. The encapsulation of immunomodulatory molecules into nanocarriers provides the opportunity of protected cargo transport and targeted uptake by antigen-presenting cells. In addition, different immunomodulatory cargos can be co-delivered, which enables versatile stimulation of the immune system, enhances anti-tumor immune responses and improves the toxicity profile of conventional chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Schunke
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
- Max Planck Insitute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Volker Mailänder
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
- Max Planck Insitute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Michael Fichter
- Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center Mainz, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany
- Max Planck Insitute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128 Mainz, Germany
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17
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Coirada FC, Fernandes ER, Mello LRD, Schuch V, Soares Campos G, Braconi CT, Boscardin SB, Santoro Rosa D. Heterologous DNA Prime- Subunit Protein Boost with Chikungunya Virus E2 Induces Neutralizing Antibodies and Cellular-Mediated Immunity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10517. [PMID: 37445695 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241310517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has become a significant public health concern due to the increasing number of outbreaks worldwide and the associated comorbidities. Despite substantial efforts, there is no specific treatment or licensed vaccine against CHIKV to date. The E2 glycoprotein of CHIKV is a promising vaccine candidate as it is a major target of neutralizing antibodies during infection. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity of two DNA vaccines (a non-targeted and a dendritic cell-targeted vaccine) encoding a consensus sequence of E2CHIKV and a recombinant protein (E2*CHIKV). Mice were immunized with different homologous and heterologous DNAprime-E2* protein boost strategies, and the specific humoral and cellular immune responses were accessed. We found that mice immunized with heterologous non-targeted DNA prime- E2*CHIKV protein boost developed high levels of neutralizing antibodies, as well as specific IFN-γ producing cells and polyfunctional CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. We also identified 14 potential epitopes along the E2CHIKV protein. Furthermore, immunization with recombinant E2*CHIKV combined with the adjuvant AS03 presented the highest humoral response with neutralizing capacity. Finally, we show that the heterologous prime-boost strategy with the non-targeted pVAX-E2 DNA vaccine as the prime followed by E2* protein + AS03 boost is a promising combination to elicit a broad humoral and cellular immune response. Together, our data highlights the importance of E2CHIKV for the development of a CHIKV vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Caroline Coirada
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Edgar Ruz Fernandes
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Lucas Rodrigues de Mello
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo 04044-020, Brazil
| | - Viviane Schuch
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Gúbio Soares Campos
- Laboratório de Virologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Salvador 40110-909, Brazil
| | - Carla Torres Braconi
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
| | - Silvia Beatriz Boscardin
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Investigação em Imunologia-INCT (III), São Paulo 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Daniela Santoro Rosa
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo 04023-062, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Investigação em Imunologia-INCT (III), São Paulo 05403-900, Brazil
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18
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Silva-Pilipich N, Covo-Vergara Á, Vanrell L, Smerdou C. Checkpoint blockade meets gene therapy: Opportunities to improve response and reduce toxicity. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 379:43-86. [PMID: 37541727 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2023.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) based on monoclonal antibodies represent a breakthrough for the treatment of cancer. However, their efficacy varies among tumor types and patients, and they can lead to adverse effects due to on-target/off-tumor activity, since they are administered systemically at high doses. An alternative and attractive approach for the delivery of ICIs is the use of gene therapy vectors able to express them in vivo. This review focuses on the most recent studies using viral vectors able to express ICIs locally or systemically in preclinical models of cancer. These vectors include non-replicating viruses, oncolytic viruses able to propagate specifically in tumor cells and destroy them, and self-amplifying RNA vectors, armed with different formats of antibodies against immune checkpoints. Non-replicating vectors usually lead to long-term ICI expression, potentially eliminating the need for repeated administration. Vectors with replication capacity, although they have a shorter window of expression, can induce inflammation which enhances the antitumor effect. Finally, these engineered vectors can be used in combination with other immunostimulatory molecules or with CAR-T cells, further boosting the antitumor immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Silva-Pilipich
- Division of Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA), and CCUN, Pamplona, Spain.
| | - Ángela Covo-Vergara
- Division of Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA), and CCUN, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Lucía Vanrell
- Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad ORT Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay; Nanogrow Biotech, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Cristian Smerdou
- Division of Gene Therapy and Regulation of Gene Expression, Cima Universidad de Navarra, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdISNA), and CCUN, Pamplona, Spain.
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19
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Kasparyan G, Hub JS. Equivalence of Charge Imbalance and External Electric Fields during Free Energy Calculations of Membrane Electroporation. J Chem Theory Comput 2023; 19:2676-2683. [PMID: 37052575 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jctc.3c00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Electric fields across lipid membranes play important roles in physiology, medicine, and biotechnology, rationalizing the wide interest in modeling transmembrane potentials in molecular dynamics simulations. Transmembrane potentials have been implemented with external electric fields or by imposing charge imbalance between the two water compartments of a stacked double-membrane system. We compare the two methods in the context of membrane electroporation, which involves a large change of membrane structure and capacitance. We show that, given that Ewald electrostatics are defined with tinfoil boundary conditions, the two methods lead to (i) identical potentials of mean force (PMFs) of pore formation and expansion at various potentials, demonstrating that the two methods impose equivalent driving forces for large-scale transitions at membranes, and (ii) to identical polarization of water within thin water wires or open pores, suggesting that the two methods furthermore impose equivalent local electric fields. Without tinfoil boundary conditions, effects from external fields on pore formation are spuriously suppressed or even removed. Together, our study shows that both methods, external fields and charge imbalance, are well suitable for studying large-scale transitions of lipid membranes that involve changes of membrane capacitance. However, using charge imbalance is technically more challenging for maintaining a constant transmembrane potential since it requires updating of the charge imbalance as the membrane capacitance changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gari Kasparyan
- Theoretical Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Jochen S Hub
- Theoretical Physics and Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
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20
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A linear DNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain elicits potent immune response and neutralizing antibodies in domestic cats. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 28:238-248. [PMID: 36618106 PMCID: PMC9806924 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiologic agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been shown to infect a wide range of animal species, especially mammals, and besides human-to-human transmission, human-to-animal transmission has also been observed in some wild animals and pets, especially in cats. It has been demonstrated that cats are permissive to COVID-19 and are susceptible to airborne infections. Given the high transmissibility potential of SARS-CoV-2 to different host species and the close contact between humans and animals, it is crucial to find mechanisms to prevent the transmission chain and reduce the risk of spillover to susceptible species. Here, we show results from a clinical trial conducted in domestic cats to assess safety and immunogenicity of a linear DNA (linDNA) vaccine encoding the receptor-binding domain (RBD) from SARS-CoV-2 (Lin-COVID-eVax). Lin-COVID-eVax proved to be safe, with no significant adverse events, and was able to elicit both RBD-specific antibodies and T cells. Also, the linDNA vaccine induced neutralizing antibody titers against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants. These findings demonstrate the safety and immunogenicity of a genetic vaccine against COVID-19 administered to cats and strongly support the development of vaccines for preventing viral spread in susceptible species, especially those in close contact with humans.
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21
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Aurisicchio L, Brambilla N, Cazzaniga ME, Bonfanti P, Milleri S, Ascierto PA, Capici S, Vitalini C, Girolami F, Giacovelli G, Caselli G, Visintin M, Fanti F, Ghirri M, Conforti A, Compagnone M, Lione L, Salvatori E, Pinto E, Muzi A, Marra E, Palombo F, Roscilli G, Manenti A, Montomoli E, Cadossi M, Rovati LC. A first-in-human trial on the safety and immunogenicity of COVID-eVax, a cellular response-skewed DNA vaccine against COVID-19. Mol Ther 2023; 31:788-800. [PMID: 36575794 PMCID: PMC9792419 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and the need for additional safe, effective, and affordable vaccines gave new impetus into development of vaccine genetic platforms. Here we report the findings from the phase 1, first-in-human, dose-escalation study of COVID-eVax, a DNA vaccine encoding the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Sixty-eight healthy adults received two doses of 0.5, 1, or 2 mg 28 days apart, or a single 2-mg dose, via intramuscular injection followed by electroporation, and they were monitored for 6 months. All participants completed the primary safety and immunogenicity assessments after 8 weeks. COVID-eVax was well tolerated, with mainly mild to moderate solicited adverse events (tenderness, pain, bruising, headache, and malaise/fatigue), less frequent after the second dose, and it induced an immune response (binding antibodies and/or T cells) at all prime-boost doses tested in up to 90% of the volunteers at the highest dose. However, the vaccine did not induce neutralizing antibodies, while particularly relevant was the T cell-mediated immunity, with a robust Th1 response. This T cell-skewed immunological response adds significant information to the DNA vaccine platform and should be assessed in further studies for its protective capacity and potential usefulness also in other therapeutic areas, such as oncology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nadia Brambilla
- Rottapharm Biotech, Via Valosa di Sopra 9, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Marina E Cazzaniga
- Phase 1 Research Centre and Division of Medical Oncology, San Gerardo Hospital, University of Milano-Bicocca School of Medicine, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Paolo Bonfanti
- Infectious Diseases Unit, San Gerardo Hospital, University of Milano-Bicocca School of Medicine, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Stefano Milleri
- CRC - Centro Ricerche Cliniche di Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
| | - Paolo A Ascierto
- Istituto Nazionale Tumori, IRCCS, Fondazione G. Pascale, 80131 Napoli, Italy
| | - Serena Capici
- Phase 1 Research Centre and Division of Medical Oncology, San Gerardo Hospital, University of Milano-Bicocca School of Medicine, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Francesca Fanti
- Rottapharm Biotech, Via Valosa di Sopra 9, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Matteo Ghirri
- Rottapharm Biotech, Via Valosa di Sopra 9, 20900 Monza, Italy
| | - Antonella Conforti
- Takis Biotech, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy; Evvivax Biotech, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lucia Lione
- Takis Biotech, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Alessia Muzi
- Takis Biotech, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Fabio Palombo
- Takis Biotech, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Emanuele Montomoli
- VisMederi Research, 53100 Siena, Italy; Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | | | - Lucio C Rovati
- Rottapharm Biotech, Via Valosa di Sopra 9, 20900 Monza, Italy; University of Milano-Bicocca School of Medicine, 20900 Monza, Italy.
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22
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Tumor Radiosensitization by Gene Electrotransfer-Mediated Double Targeting of Tumor Vasculature. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032755. [PMID: 36769077 PMCID: PMC9917180 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeting the tumor vasculature through specific endothelial cell markers involved in different signaling pathways represents a promising tool for tumor radiosensitization. Two prominent targets are endoglin (CD105), a transforming growth factor β co-receptor, and the melanoma cell adhesion molecule (CD1046), present also on many tumors. In our recent in vitro study, we constructed and evaluated a plasmid for simultaneous silencing of these two targets. In the current study, our aim was to explore the therapeutic potential of gene electrotransfer-mediated delivery of this new plasmid in vivo, and to elucidate the effects of combined therapy with tumor irradiation. The antitumor effect was evaluated by determination of tumor growth delay and proportion of tumor free mice in the syngeneic murine mammary adenocarcinoma tumor model TS/A. Histological analysis of tumors (vascularization, proliferation, hypoxia, necrosis, apoptosis and infiltration of immune cells) was performed to evaluate the therapeutic mechanisms. Additionally, potential activation of the immune response was evaluated by determining the induction of DNA sensor STING and selected pro-inflammatory cytokines using qRT-PCR. The results point to a significant radiosensitization and a good therapeutic potential of this gene therapy approach in an otherwise radioresistant and immunologically cold TS/A tumor model, making it a promising novel treatment modality for a wide range of tumors.
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Liu X, Yang Y, Zheng X, Liu M, Wang G. Enhancedanti-tumor efficacy through a combination of intramuscularly expressed DNA vaccine and plasmid-encoded PD-1 antibody. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1169850. [PMID: 37138873 PMCID: PMC10150030 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1169850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Immune check inhibitors (ICIs) have moderate response rates (~20%-30%) in some malignancies clinically, and, when used in combination with other immunotherapeutic strategies such as DNA tumor vaccines, there is evidence to suggest that they could optimize the efficacy of cancer treatment. In this study, we validated that intramuscular injection of plasmid DNA (pDNA) encoding OVA combined with pDNA encoding α-PD-1 (abbreviated as α-PD-1 in the following treatment groups) may enhance therapeutic efficacy by means of in situ gene delivery and enhanced muscle-specific potent promoter. Mice treated with pDNA-OVA or pDNA-α-PD-1 alone showed weak tumor inhibition in the MC38-OVA-bearing model. In comparison, the combined treatment of pDNA-OVA and pDNA-α-PD-1 resulted in superior tumor growth inhibition and a significantly improved survival rate of over 60% on day 45. In the B16-F10-OVA metastasis model, the addition of the DNA vaccine enhanced resistance to tumor metastasis and increased the populations of CD8+ T cells in blood and spleen. In conclusion, the current research shows that a combination of pDNA-encoded PD-1 antibody and DNA vaccine expressed in vivo is an efficient, safe, and economical strategy for tumor therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Liu
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yueyao Yang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiufeng Zheng
- Department of Medical Oncology/Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ming Liu
- Department of Medical Oncology/Gastric Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Gang Wang, ; Ming Liu,
| | - Gang Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials, College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
- *Correspondence: Gang Wang, ; Ming Liu,
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Ahmed A, Safdar M, Sardar S, Yousaf S, Farooq F, Raza A, Shahid M, Malik K, Afzal S. Modern vaccine strategies for emerging zoonotic viruses. Expert Rev Vaccines 2022; 21:1711-1725. [PMID: 36384000 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2148660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The significant increase in the emergence of notable zoonotic viruses in the previous decades has become a serious concern to global public health. Ninety-nine percent of infectious diseases have originated from zoonotic viruses with immense potential for dissemination, infecting the susceptible population completely lacking herd immunity. AREAS COVERED Zoonotic viruses appear in the last two decades as a major health threat either newly evolved or previously present with elevated prevalence in the last few years are selected to explain their current prophylactic measures. In this review, modern generation vaccines including viral vector vaccines, mRNA vaccines, DNA vaccines, synthetic vaccines, virus-like particles, and plant-based vaccines are discussed with their benefits and challenges. Moreover, the traditional vaccines and their efficacy are also compared with the latest vaccines. EXPERT OPINION The emergence and reemergence of viruses that constantly mutate themselves have greatly increased the chance of transmission and immune escape mechanisms in humans. Therefore, the only possible solution to prevent viral infection is the use of vaccines with improved safety profile and efficacy, which becomes the basis of modern generation vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atif Ahmed
- Division of Molecular Virology and Infectious Diseases, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Safdar
- Division of Molecular Virology and Infectious Diseases, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Samran Sardar
- Division of Molecular Virology and Infectious Diseases, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Sahar Yousaf
- Division of Molecular Virology and Infectious Diseases, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Fiza Farooq
- Division of Molecular Virology and Infectious Diseases, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ali Raza
- Division of Molecular Virology and Infectious Diseases, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shahid
- Division of Molecular Virology and Infectious Diseases, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Kausar Malik
- Division of Molecular Virology and Infectious Diseases, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Samia Afzal
- Division of Molecular Virology and Infectious Diseases, Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
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Advances of Electroporation-Related Therapies and the Synergy with Immunotherapy in Cancer Treatment. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10111942. [PMID: 36423037 PMCID: PMC9692484 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Electroporation is the process of instantaneously increasing the permeability of a cell membrane under a pulsed electric field. Depending on the parameters of the electric pulses and the target cell electrophysiological characteristics, electroporation can be either reversible or irreversible. Reversible electroporation facilitates the delivery of functional genetic materials or drugs to target cells, inducing cell death by apoptosis, mitotic catastrophe, or pseudoapoptosis; irreversible electroporation is an ablative technology which directly ablates a large amount of tissue without causing harmful thermal effects; electrotherapy using an electric field can induce cell apoptosis without any aggressive invasion. Reversible and irreversible electroporation can also activate systemic antitumor immune response and enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss recent progress related to electroporation, and summarize its latest applications. Further, we discuss the synergistic effects of electroporation-related therapies and immunotherapy. We also propose perspectives for further investigating electroporation and immunotherapy in cancer treatment.
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Hollevoet K, Thomas D, Compernolle G, Vermeire G, De Smidt E, De Vleeschauwer S, Smith TRF, Fisher PD, Dewilde M, Geukens N, Declerck P. Clinically relevant dosing and pharmacokinetics of DNA-encoded antibody therapeutics in a sheep model. Front Oncol 2022; 12:1017612. [PMID: 36263202 PMCID: PMC9574358 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.1017612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA-encoded delivery and in vivo expression of antibody therapeutics presents an innovative alternative to conventional protein production and administration, including for cancer treatment. To support clinical translation, we evaluated this approach in 18 40-45 kg sheep, using a clinical-matched intramuscular electroporation (IM EP) and hyaluronidase-plasmid DNA (pDNA) coformulation setup. Two cohorts of eight sheep received either 1 or 4 mg pDNA encoding an ovine anti-cancer embryonic antigen (CEA) monoclonal antibody (mAb; OVAC). Results showed a dose-response with average maximum serum concentrations of respectively 0.3 and 0.7 µg/ml OVAC, 4-6 weeks after IM EP. OVAC was detected in all 16 sheep throughout the 6-week follow-up, and no anti-OVAC antibodies were observed. Another, more exploratory, cohort of two sheep received a 12 mg pOVAC dose. Both animals displayed a similar dose-dependent mAb increase and expression profile in the first two weeks. However, in one animal, an anti-OVAC antibody response led to loss of mAb detection four weeks after IM EP. In the other animal, no anti-drug antibodies were observed. Serum OVAC concentrations peaked at 4.9 µg/ml 6 weeks after IM EP, after which levels gradually decreased but remained detectable around 0.2 to 0.3 µg/ml throughout a 13-month follow-up. In conclusion, using a delivery protocol that is currently employed in clinical Phase 1 studies of DNA-based antibodies, we achieved robust and prolonged in vivo production of anti-cancer DNA-encoded antibody therapeutics in sheep. The learnings from this large-animal model regarding the impact of pDNA dose and host immune response on the expressed mAb pharmacokinetics can contribute to advancing clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Hollevoet
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- *Correspondence: Kevin Hollevoet,
| | - Debby Thomas
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Griet Compernolle
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Giles Vermeire
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Elien De Smidt
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Maarten Dewilde
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nick Geukens
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Paul Declerck
- PharmAbs, The KU Leuven Antibody Center – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Laboratory for Therapeutic and Diagnostic Antibodies, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Kumar S, Basu M, Ghosh P, Ansari A, Ghosh MK. COVID-19: Clinical status of vaccine development to date. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2022; 89:114-149. [PMID: 36184710 PMCID: PMC9538545 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2)-induced COVID-19 is a complicated disease. Clinicians are continuously facing difficulties to treat infected patients using the principle of repurposing of drugs as no specific drugs are available to treat COVID-19. To minimize the severity and mortality, global vaccination is the only hope as a potential preventive measure. After a year-long global research and clinical struggle, 165 vaccine candidates have been developed and some are currently still in the pipeline. A total of 28 candidate vaccines have been approved for use and the remainder are in different phases of clinical trials. In this comprehensive report, the authors aim to demonstrate, classify and provide up-to-date clinical trial status of all the vaccines discovered to date and specifically focus on the approved candidates. Finally, the authors specifically focused on the vaccination of different types of medically distinct populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunny Kumar
- Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder DivisionCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research‐Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR‐IICB), TRUE CampusKolkataIndia
| | - Malini Basu
- Department of MicrobiologyDhruba Chand Halder CollegeIndia
| | - Pratyasha Ghosh
- Department of Economics, Bethune CollegeUniversity of CalcuttaKolkataIndia
| | - Aafreen Ansari
- Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder DivisionCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research‐Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR‐IICB), TRUE CampusKolkataIndia
| | - Mrinal K. Ghosh
- Cancer Biology and Inflammatory Disorder DivisionCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research‐Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR‐IICB), TRUE CampusKolkataIndia
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28
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Advances in Biomaterial-Mediated Gene Therapy for Articular Cartilage Repair. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:bioengineering9100502. [PMID: 36290470 PMCID: PMC9598732 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9100502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Articular cartilage defects caused by various reasons are relatively common in clinical practice, but the lack of efficient therapeutic methods remains a substantial challenge due to limitations in the chondrocytes’ repair abilities. In the search for scientific cartilage repair methods, gene therapy appears to be more effective and promising, especially with acellular biomaterial-assisted procedures. Biomaterial-mediated gene therapy has mainly been divided into non-viral vector and viral vector strategies, where the controlled delivery of gene vectors is contained using biocompatible materials. This review will introduce the common clinical methods of cartilage repair used, the strategies of gene therapy for cartilage injuries, and the latest progress.
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Recent Advances in DNA Vaccines against Lung Cancer: A Mini Review. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10101586. [PMID: 36298450 PMCID: PMC9612219 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10101586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung cancer is regarded as the major causes of patient death around the world. Although the novel tumor immunotherapy has made great progress in the past decades, such as utilizing immune checkpoint inhibitors or oncolytic viruses, the overall 5-year survival of patients with lung cancers is still low. Thus, development of effective vaccines to treat lung cancer is urgently required. In this regard, DNA vaccines are now considered as a promising immunotherapy strategy to activate the host immune system against lung cancer. DNA vaccines are able to induce both effective humoral and cellular immune responses, and they possess several potential advantages such as greater stability, higher safety, and being easier to manufacture compared to conventional vaccination. In the present review, we provide a global overview of the mechanism of cancer DNA vaccines and summarize the innovative neoantigens, delivery platforms, and adjuvants in lung cancer that have been investigated or approved. Importantly, we highlight the recent advance of clinical studies in the field of lung cancer DNA vaccine, focusing on their safety and efficacy, which might accelerate the personalized design of DNA vaccine against lung cancer.
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Martínez-Puente DH, Pérez-Trujillo JJ, Zavala-Flores LM, García-García A, Villanueva-Olivo A, Rodríguez-Rocha H, Valdés J, Saucedo-Cárdenas O, Montes de Oca-Luna R, Loera-Arias MDJ. Plasmid DNA for Therapeutic Applications in Cancer. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14091861. [PMID: 36145609 PMCID: PMC9503848 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, the interest in using nucleic acids for therapeutic applications has been increasing. DNA molecules can be manipulated to express a gene of interest for gene therapy applications or vaccine development. Plasmid DNA can be developed to treat different diseases, such as infections and cancer. In most cancers, the immune system is limited or suppressed, allowing cancer cells to grow. DNA vaccination has demonstrated its capacity to stimulate the immune system to fight against cancer cells. Furthermore, plasmids for cancer gene therapy can direct the expression of proteins with different functions, such as enzymes, toxins, and cytotoxic or proapoptotic proteins, to directly kill cancer cells. The progress and promising results reported in animal models in recent years have led to interesting clinical results. These DNA strategies are expected to be approved for cancer treatment in the near future. This review discusses the main strategies, challenges, and future perspectives of using plasmid DNA for cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José Juan Pérez-Trujillo
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), Monterrey 64460, Mexico
| | - Laura Mireya Zavala-Flores
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Northeast Biomedical Research Center (CIBIN) of IMSS, Nuevo Leon Delegation, Monterrey 64720, Mexico
| | - Aracely García-García
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), Monterrey 64460, Mexico
| | - Arnulfo Villanueva-Olivo
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), Monterrey 64460, Mexico
| | - Humberto Rodríguez-Rocha
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), Monterrey 64460, Mexico
| | - Jesús Valdés
- Departamento de Bioquímica, CINVESTAV-México, Av. IPN 2508, Colonia San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - Odila Saucedo-Cárdenas
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), Monterrey 64460, Mexico
| | - Roberto Montes de Oca-Luna
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), Monterrey 64460, Mexico
- Correspondence: (R.M.d.O.-L.); (M.d.J.L.-A.); Tel.: +52-81-8329-4195 (R.M.d.O.-L. & M.d.J.L.-A.)
| | - María de Jesús Loera-Arias
- Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), Monterrey 64460, Mexico
- Correspondence: (R.M.d.O.-L.); (M.d.J.L.-A.); Tel.: +52-81-8329-4195 (R.M.d.O.-L. & M.d.J.L.-A.)
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Design, Development, and Testing of a Device for Gene Electrotransfer to Skin Cells In Vivo. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14091826. [PMID: 36145573 PMCID: PMC9505516 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14091826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene electrotransfer (GET) is considered one of the most efficient, safe, reproducible, and cost-effective methods of gene therapy, in which a gene is delivered to the cells in the form of a plasmid DNA vector by a method known as electroporation. To achieve successful electroporation, cells must be exposed to sufficiently high electric fields generated by short-duration, high-voltage electrical pulses that result in a temporary increase in plasma membrane permeability. The electrical pulses are generated by pulse generators (electroporators) and delivered to the cells via electrodes (applicators). However, there is a lack of standardized pulse delivery protocols as well as certified clinical pulse generators and applicators for gene delivery. In this paper, the development of a new pulse generator, applicator, and pulse delivery protocol for GET to skin cells is presented. A numerical model of electroporated skin developed and tested for two electrode configurations and two different pulse delivery protocols is also presented. An alternative pulse delivery protocol was proposed. The developed pulse generator, applicator, and the proposed pulse delivery protocol were then used in vivo for GET to skin cells in mice. The results showed high efficiency of the proposed pulse delivery protocol for the purpose of GET in mouse skin cells. Specifically, electroporation with the developed pulse generator, applicator, and proposed pulse delivery protocol resulted in higher gene expression in skin cells compared to the currently used pulse generator, applicator, and pulse delivery protocol.
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Kranjc M, Dermol-Černe J, Potočnik T, Novickij V, Miklavčič D. High-Intensity Pulsed Electromagnetic Field-Mediated Gene Electrotransfection In Vitro. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23179543. [PMID: 36076938 PMCID: PMC9455820 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23179543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A high-intensity pulsed electromagnetic field (HI-PEMF) is a non-invasive and non-contact delivery method and may, as such, have an advantage over gene electrotransfer mediated by conventional electroporation using contact electrodes. Due to the limited number of in vitro studies in the field of gene electrotransfection by HI-PEMF, we designed experiments to investigate and demonstrate the feasibility of such a technique for the non-viral delivery of genetic material into cells in vitro. We first showed that HI-PEMF causes DNA adsorption to the membrane, a generally accepted prerequisite step for successful gene electrotransfection. We also showed that HI-PEMF can induce gene electrotransfection as the application of HI-PEMF increased the percentage of GFP-positive cells for two different combinations of pDNA size and concentration. Furthermore, by measuring the uptake of larger molecules, i.e., fluorescently labelled dextrans of three different sizes, we showed endocytosis to be a possible mechanism for introducing large molecules into cells by HI-PEMF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matej Kranjc
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Janja Dermol-Černe
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tjaša Potočnik
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Vitalij Novickij
- Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, 03227 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Damijan Miklavčič
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Correspondence:
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Vaccines platforms and COVID-19: what you need to know. Trop Dis Travel Med Vaccines 2022; 8:20. [PMID: 35965345 PMCID: PMC9537331 DOI: 10.1186/s40794-022-00176-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The novel SARS-CoV-2, responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is the third zoonotic coronavirus since the beginning of the 21 first century, and it has taken more than 6 million human lives because of the lack of immunity causing global economic losses. Consequently, developing a vaccine against the virus represents the fastest way to finish the threat and regain some "normality." OBJECTIVE Here, we provide information about the main features of the most important vaccine platforms, some of them already approved, to clear common doubts fostered by widespread misinformation and to reassure the public of the safety of the vaccination process and the different alternatives presented. METHODS Articles published in open access databases until January 2022 were identified using the search terms "SARS-CoV-2," "COVID-19," "Coronavirus," "COVID-19 Vaccines," "Pandemic," COVID-19, and LMICs or their combinations. DISCUSSION Traditional first-generation vaccine platforms, such as whole virus vaccines (live attenuated and inactivated virus vaccines), as well as second-generation vaccines, like protein-based vaccines (subunit and viral vector vaccines), and third-generation vaccines, such as nanoparticle and genetic vaccines (mRNA vaccines), are described. CONCLUSIONS SARS-CoV-2 sequence information obtained in a record time provided the basis for the fast development of a COVID-19 vaccine. The adaptability characteristic of the new generation of vaccines is changing our capability to react to emerging threats to future pandemics. Nevertheless, the slow and unfair distribution of vaccines to low- and middle-income countries and the spread of misinformation are a menace to global health since the unvaccinated will increase the chances for resurgences and the surge of new variants that can escape the current vaccines.
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Wang WC, Sayedahmed EE, Sambhara S, Mittal SK. Progress towards the Development of a Universal Influenza Vaccine. Viruses 2022; 14:v14081684. [PMID: 36016306 PMCID: PMC9415875 DOI: 10.3390/v14081684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza viruses are responsible for millions of cases globally and significantly threaten public health. Since pandemic and zoonotic influenza viruses have emerged in the last 20 years and some of the viruses have resulted in high mortality in humans, a universal influenza vaccine is needed to provide comprehensive protection against a wide range of influenza viruses. Current seasonal influenza vaccines provide strain-specific protection and are less effective against mismatched strains. The rapid antigenic drift and shift in influenza viruses resulted in time-consuming surveillance and uncertainty in the vaccine protection efficacy. Most recent universal influenza vaccine studies target the conserved antigen domains of the viral surface glycoproteins and internal proteins to provide broader protection. Following the development of advanced vaccine technologies, several innovative strategies and vaccine platforms are being explored to generate robust cross-protective immunity. This review provides the latest progress in the development of universal influenza vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Chien Wang
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue Institute for Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease, and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (W.-C.W.); (E.E.S.)
| | - Ekramy E. Sayedahmed
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue Institute for Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease, and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (W.-C.W.); (E.E.S.)
| | - Suryaprakash Sambhara
- Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (S.K.M.)
| | - Suresh K. Mittal
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue Institute for Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease, and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (W.-C.W.); (E.E.S.)
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (S.K.M.)
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Appraisal for the Potential of Viral and Nonviral Vectors in Gene Therapy: A Review. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13081370. [PMID: 36011281 PMCID: PMC9407213 DOI: 10.3390/genes13081370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, gene therapy has gained immense importance in medical research as a promising treatment strategy for diseases such as cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, and many genetic disorders. When a gene needs to be delivered to a target cell inside the human body, it has to pass a large number of barriers through the extracellular and intracellular environment. This is why the delivery of naked genes and nucleic acids is highly unfavorable, and gene delivery requires suitable vectors that can carry the gene cargo to the target site and protect it from biological degradation. To date, medical research has come up with two types of gene delivery vectors, which are viral and nonviral vectors. The ability of viruses to protect transgenes from biological degradation and their capability to efficiently cross cellular barriers have allowed gene therapy research to develop new approaches utilizing viruses and their different genomes as vectors for gene delivery. Although viral vectors are very efficient, science has also come up with numerous nonviral systems based on cationic lipids, cationic polymers, and inorganic particles that provide sustainable gene expression without triggering unwanted inflammatory and immune reactions, and that are considered nontoxic. In this review, we discuss in detail the latest data available on all viral and nonviral vectors used in gene delivery. The mechanisms of viral and nonviral vector-based gene delivery are presented, and the advantages and disadvantages of all types of vectors are also given.
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Chiaramello E, Fiocchi S, Bonato M, Gallucci S, Benini M, Tognola G, Ravazzani P, Parazzini M. Gold nanoparticles as enablers of cell membrane permeabilization by time-varying magnetic field: influence of distance and geometry. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2022; 2022:4723-4726. [PMID: 36086609 DOI: 10.1109/embc48229.2022.9871079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study is based on the quantification of the influence of the presence of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), of their geometry and their distance from cell membrane during time-varying electromagnetic fields cell membrane permeabilization on the pores opening dynamics. Results showed that the combined use of Au NPs and time-varying magnetic field can improve significantly the permeabilization of cell membrane. The presence of Au NPs allowed to reach transmembrane potential values enabling the cell membrane permeabilization only when placed at very short distance, equal to 20 nm. Both geometry and variability of the positioning in proximity of the cell membrane showed a strong influence on the probability of enabling pores opening. Clinical Relevance- This study provides a better comprehension about the mechanisms, still not completely understood, underlying cell membrane permeabilization by combining Au NPs and time-varying magnetic fields.
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Scuderi M, Dermol-Černe J, Amaral da Silva C, Muralidharan A, Boukany PE, Rems L. Models of electroporation and the associated transmembrane molecular transport should be revisited. Bioelectrochemistry 2022; 147:108216. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2022.108216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Conforti A, Salvatori E, Lione L, Compagnone M, Pinto E, Shorrock C, Hayward JA, Sun Y, Liang BM, Palombo F, Viscount B, Aurisicchio L. Linear DNA amplicons as a novel cancer vaccine strategy. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2022; 41:195. [PMID: 35668533 PMCID: PMC9169303 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-022-02402-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND DNA-based vaccines represent a simple, safe and promising strategy for harnessing the immune system to fight infectious diseases as well as various forms of cancer and thus are considered an important tool in the cancer immunotherapy toolbox. Nonetheless, the manufacture of plasmid DNA vaccines has several drawbacks, including long lead times and the need to remove impurities from bacterial cultures. Here we report the development of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-produced amplicon expression vectors as DNA vaccines and their in vivo application to elicit antigen-specific immune responses in animal cancer models. METHODS Plasmid DNA and amplicon expression was assessed both in vitro, by Hela cells transfection, and in vivo, by evaluating luciferase expression in wild-type mice through optical imaging. Immunogenicity induced by DNA amplicons was assessed by vaccinating wild-type mice against a tumor-associated antigen, whereas the antitumoral effect of DNA amplicons was evaluated in a murine cancer model in combination with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). RESULTS Amplicons encoding tumor-associated-antigens, such as telomerase reverse transcriptase or neoantigens expressed by murine tumor cell lines, were able to elicit antigen-specific immune responses and proved to significantly impact tumor growth when administered in combination with ICIs. CONCLUSIONS These results strongly support the further exploration of the use of PCR-based amplicons as an innovative immunotherapeutic approach to cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Conforti
- Takis, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
- Evvivax, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | - Lucia Lione
- Takis, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Clay Shorrock
- Applied DNA Sciences, 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11790 USA
| | - James A. Hayward
- Applied DNA Sciences, 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11790 USA
| | - Yuhua Sun
- Applied DNA Sciences, 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11790 USA
| | - Ben Minghwa Liang
- Applied DNA Sciences, 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11790 USA
| | - Fabio Palombo
- Takis, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
- Neomatrix, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Brian Viscount
- Applied DNA Sciences, 50 Health Sciences Drive, Stony Brook, NY 11790 USA
| | - Luigi Aurisicchio
- Takis, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
- Evvivax, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
- Neomatrix, Via Castel Romano 100, 00128 Rome, Italy
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Muscle contractions and pain sensation accompanying high-frequency electroporation pulses. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8019. [PMID: 35577873 PMCID: PMC9110404 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12112-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
To minimize neuromuscular electrical stimulation during electroporation-based treatments, the replacement of long monophasic pulses with bursts of biphasic high-frequency pulses in the range of microseconds was suggested in order to reduce muscle contraction and pain sensation due to pulse application. This treatment modality appeared under the term high-frequency electroporation (HF-EP), which can be potentially used for some clinical applications of electroporation such as electrochemotherapy, gene electrotransfer, and tissue ablation. In cardiac tissue ablation, which utilizes irreversible electroporation, the treatment is being established as Pulsed Field Ablation. While the reduction of muscle contractions was confirmed in multiple in vivo studies, the reduction of pain sensation in humans was not confirmed yet, nor was the relationship between muscle contraction and pain sensation investigated. This is the first study in humans examining pain sensation using biphasic high-frequency electroporation pulses. Twenty-five healthy individuals were subjected to electrical stimulation of the tibialis anterior muscle with biphasic high-frequency pulses in the range of few microseconds and both, symmetric and asymmetric interphase and interpulse delays. Our results confirm that biphasic high-frequency pulses with a pulse width of 1 or 2 µs reduce muscle contraction and pain sensation as opposed to currently used longer monophasic pulses. In addition, interphase and interpulse delays play a significant role in reducing the muscle contraction and/or pain sensation. The study shows that the range of the optimal pulse parameters may be increased depending on the prerequisites of the therapy. However, further evaluation of the biphasic pulse protocols presented herein is necessary to confirm the efficiency of the newly proposed HF-EP.
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Combination of DNA Vaccine and Immune Checkpoint Blockades Improves the Immune Response in an Orthotopic Unresectable Glioblastoma Model. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14051025. [PMID: 35631612 PMCID: PMC9145362 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14051025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Combination immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy to increase the immune response in glioblastoma (GBM) and overcome the complex immunosuppression occurring in its microenvironment. In this study, we hypothesized that combining DNA vaccines—to stimulate a specific immune response—and dual immune checkpoint blockade (ICB)—to decrease the immunosuppression exerted on T cells—will improve the immune response and the survival in an orthotopic unresectable GL261 model. We first highlighted the influence of the insertion position of a GBM epitope sequence in a plasmid DNA vaccine encoding a vesicular stomatitis virus glycoprotein (VSV-G) (here referred to as pTOP) in the generation of a specific and significant IFN-γ response against the GBM antigen TRP2 by inserting a CD8 epitope sequence in specific permissive sites. Then, we combined the pTOP vaccine with anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 ICBs. Immune cell analysis revealed an increase in effector T cell to Treg ratios in the spleens and an increase in infiltrated IFN-γ-secreting CD8 T cell frequency in the brains following combination therapy. Even if the survival was not significantly different between dual ICB and combination therapy, we offer a new immunotherapeutic perspective by improving the immune landscape in an orthotopic unresectable GBM model.
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Lin P, Shen G, Guo K, Qin S, Pu Q, Wang Z, Gao P, Xia Z, Khan N, Jiang J, Xia Q, Wu M. Type III CRISPR-based RNA editing for programmable control of SARS-CoV-2 and human coronaviruses. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:e47. [PMID: 35166837 PMCID: PMC9071467 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene-editing technologies, including the widespread usage of CRISPR endonucleases, have the potential for clinical treatments of various human diseases. Due to the rapid mutations of SARS-CoV-2, specific and effective prevention and treatment by CRISPR toolkits for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are urgently needed to control the current pandemic spread. Here, we designed Type III CRISPR endonuclease antivirals for coronaviruses (TEAR-CoV) as a therapeutic to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection. We provided a proof of principle demonstration that TEAR-CoV-based RNA engineering approach leads to RNA-guided transcript degradation both in vitro and in eukaryotic cells, which could be used to broadly target RNA viruses. We report that TEAR-CoV not only cleaves SARS-CoV-2 genome and mRNA transcripts, but also degrades live influenza A virus (IAV), impeding viral replication in cells and in mice. Moreover, bioinformatics screening of gRNAs along RNA sequences reveals that a group of five gRNAs (hCoV-gRNAs) could potentially target 99.98% of human coronaviruses. TEAR-CoV also exerted specific targeting and cleavage of common human coronaviruses. The fast design and broad targeting of TEAR-CoV may represent a versatile antiviral approach for SARS-CoV-2 or potentially other emerging human coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Lin
- Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Wound Trauma Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Guanwang Shen
- Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Kai Guo
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shugang Qin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
| | - Qinqin Pu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
| | - Zhihan Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
| | - Pan Gao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
| | - Zhenwei Xia
- Department of Pediatrics, Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Nadeem Khan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
| | - Jianxin Jiang
- Wound Trauma Medical Center, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
| | - Qingyou Xia
- Biological Science Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
| | - Min Wu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58203, USA
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Zhang X, Jin X, Sun R, Zhang M, Lu W, Zhao M. Gene knockout in cellular immunotherapy: Application and limitations. Cancer Lett 2022; 540:215736. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2022.215736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Sachdev S, Potočnik T, Rems L, Miklavčič D. Revisiting the role of pulsed electric fields in overcoming the barriers to in vivo gene electrotransfer. Bioelectrochemistry 2022; 144:107994. [PMID: 34930678 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2021.107994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapies are revolutionizing medicine by providing a way to cure hitherto incurable diseases. The scientific and technological advances have enabled the first gene therapies to become clinically approved. In addition, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we are witnessing record speeds in the development and distribution of gene-based vaccines. For gene therapy to take effect, the therapeutic nucleic acids (RNA or DNA) need to overcome several barriers before they can execute their function of producing a protein or silencing a defective or overexpressing gene. This includes the barriers of the interstitium, the cell membrane, the cytoplasmic barriers and (in case of DNA) the nuclear envelope. Gene electrotransfer (GET), i.e., transfection by means of pulsed electric fields, is a non-viral technique that can overcome these barriers in a safe and effective manner. GET has reached the clinical stage of investigations where it is currently being evaluated for its therapeutic benefits across a wide variety of indications. In this review, we formalize our current understanding of GET from a biophysical perspective and critically discuss the mechanisms by which electric field can aid in overcoming the barriers. We also identify the gaps in knowledge that are hindering optimization of GET in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaurya Sachdev
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška cesta 25, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Tjaša Potočnik
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška cesta 25, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Lea Rems
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška cesta 25, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Damijan Miklavčič
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Tržaška cesta 25, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Labouta HI, Langer R, Cullis PR, Merkel OM, Prausnitz MR, Gomaa Y, Nogueira SS, Kumeria T. Role of drug delivery technologies in the success of COVID-19 vaccines: a perspective. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2022; 12:2581-2588. [PMID: 35290656 PMCID: PMC8923087 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-022-01146-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The triumphant success of mRNA vaccines is a testimony to the important role drug delivery technologies have played in protecting billions of people against SARS-CoV-2 (or the Corona Virus Disease 2019; COVID-19). Several lipid nanoparticle (LNP) mRNA vaccines were developed and have been instrumental in preventing the disease by boosting the immune system against the pathogen, SARS-CoV-2. These vaccines have been built on decades of scientific research in drug delivery of mRNA, vaccines, and other biologicals. In this manuscript, several leading and emerging scientists in the field of drug delivery share their perspective on the role of drug delivery technologies in developing safe and efficacious vaccines, in a roundtable discussion. The authors also discussed their viewpoint on the current challenges, and the key research questions that should drive this important area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagar I. Labouta
- grid.21613.370000 0004 1936 9609College of Pharmacy, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T5 Canada ,grid.21613.370000 0004 1936 9609Biomedical Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB Canada ,grid.460198.20000 0004 4685 0561Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4 Canada ,grid.7155.60000 0001 2260 6941Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 21521 Egypt
| | - Robert Langer
- grid.116068.80000 0001 2341 2786David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA ,grid.116068.80000 0001 2341 2786Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Pieter R. Cullis
- grid.17091.3e0000 0001 2288 9830Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Canada
| | - Olivia M. Merkel
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDepartment of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 81337 Munich, Germany
| | - Mark R. Prausnitz
- grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
| | - Yasmine Gomaa
- grid.213917.f0000 0001 2097 4943School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
| | - Sara S. Nogueira
- grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia ,grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Tushar Kumeria
- grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia ,grid.1005.40000 0004 4902 0432Australian Centre for NanoMedicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
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Vaccine Technologies and Platforms for Infectious Diseases: Current Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9121490. [PMID: 34960236 PMCID: PMC8708925 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9121490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccination is a key component of public health policy with demonstrated cost-effective benefits in protecting both human and animal populations. Vaccines can be manufactured under multiple forms including, inactivated (killed), toxoid, live attenuated, Virus-like Particles, synthetic peptide, polysaccharide, polysaccharide conjugate (glycoconjugate), viral vectored (vector-based), nucleic acids (DNA and mRNA) and bacterial vector/synthetic antigen presenting cells. Several processes are used in the manufacturing of vaccines and recent developments in medical/biomedical engineering, biology, immunology, and vaccinology have led to the emergence of innovative nucleic acid vaccines, a novel category added to conventional and subunit vaccines. In this review, we have summarized recent advances in vaccine technologies and platforms focusing on their mechanisms of action, advantages, and possible drawbacks.
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46
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Dong Z, Chang L. Recent electroporation-based systems for intracellular molecule delivery. NANOTECHNOLOGY AND PRECISION ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.1063/10.0005649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zaizai Dong
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Lingqian Chang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
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Hu S, Alimire A, Lai Y, Hu H, Chen Z, Li Y. Trends and Frontiers of Research on Cancer Gene Therapy From 2016 to 2020: A Bibliometric Analysis. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:740710. [PMID: 34765618 PMCID: PMC8576170 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.740710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: With rapid development in molecular biology techniques and a greater understanding of cancer pathogenesis, the growing attention has been concentrated on cancer gene therapy, with numerous articles on this topic published in recent 5 years. However, there is lacking a bibliometric analysis of research on cancer gene therapy. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis to provide the trends and frontiers of research on cancer gene therapy during 2016-2020. Methods: We utilized CiteSpace 5.7.R5 software to conduct a bibliometric analysis of publications on cancer gene therapy published during 2016-2020. The bibliometric records were obtained from the Web of Science Core Collection. Results: A total of 4,392 papers were included in the bibliometric analysis. Materials Science and Nanoscience and Nanotechnology took an increasing part in the field of cancer gene therapy. Additionally, WANG W was the most productive author, while ZHANG Y ranked top in terms of citations. Harvard Medical School and Sichuan University ranked top in the active institutions. P NATL ACAD SCI USA was identified as the core journal in the field of cancer gene therapy. "Ovarian cancer" was found to be the latest keyword with the strongest burst. The keyword analysis suggested that the top three latest clusters were labeled "gene delivery," "drug delivery," and "gene therapy." In the reference analysis, cluster#2 labeled "gene delivery" held a dominant place considering both the node volume and mean year. Conclusion: The academic attention on cancer gene therapy was growing at a dramatically high speed. Materials Science and Nanoscience and Nanotechnology might become promising impetus for the development of this field. "Gene delivery" was thought to best reflect the research frontier on cancer gene therapy. The top-cited articles on gene delivery were focused on several novel non-viral vectors due to their specialty compared with viral vectors. "Ovarian cancer" was likely to be the potential research direction. These findings would help medical workers conduct further investigations on cancer gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoushan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Alifu Alimire
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yancheng Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Haonan Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhuo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Head and Neck Oncology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Edelblute C, Mangiamele C, Heller R. Moderate Heat-Assisted Gene Electrotransfer as a Potential Delivery Approach for Protein Replacement Therapy through the Skin. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13111908. [PMID: 34834323 PMCID: PMC8624362 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111908] [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: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene-based approaches for protein replacement therapies have the potential to reduce the number of administrations. Our previous work demonstrated that expression could be enhanced and/or the applied voltage reduced by preheating the tissue prior to pulse administration. In the current study, we utilized our 16-pin multi-electrode array (MEA) and incorporated nine optical fibers, connected to an infrared laser, between each set of four electrodes to heat the tissue to 43 °C. For proof of principle, a guinea pig model was used to test delivery of reporter genes. We observed that when the skin was preheated, it was possible to achieve the same expression levels as gene electrotransfer without preheating, but with a 23% reduction of applied voltage or a 50% reduction of pulse number. With respect to expression distribution, preheating allowed for delivery to the deep dermis and muscle. This suggested that this cutaneous delivery approach has the potential to achieve expression in the systemic circulation, thus this protocol was repeated using a plasmid encoding Human Factor IX. Elevated Factor IX serum protein levels were detected by ELISA up to 100 days post gene delivery. Further work will involve optimizing protein levels and scalability in an effort to reduce application frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Edelblute
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, 4211 Monarch Way, Suite 300, Norfolk, VA 23508, USA; (C.E.); (C.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23508, USA
| | - Cathryn Mangiamele
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, 4211 Monarch Way, Suite 300, Norfolk, VA 23508, USA; (C.E.); (C.M.)
| | - Richard Heller
- Department of Medical Engineering, Colleges of Medicine and Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33612, USA
- Correspondence:
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Chiaramello E, Fiocchi S, Bonato M, Gallucci S, Benini M, Tognola G, Ravazzani P, Parazzini M. Contactless Cell Permeabilization by Time-Varying Magnetic fields: Modelling Transmembrane Potential and Mechanical Stress in in- vitro Experimental Set-Up. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2021; 2021:4303-4305. [PMID: 34892173 DOI: 10.1109/embc46164.2021.9629570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The feasibility of using time-varying magnetic field as a contactless cells permeabilization method was demonstrated by experimental results, but the underlying mechanism is still poorly understood. In this study a numerical analysis of the transmembrane potential (TMP) at cell membranes during permeabilization by time-varying magnetic fields was proposed, and a first quantification of mechanical stress induced by the magnetic and electric fields and hypothesized to play an important role in the permeabilization mechanism was carried out. TMP values induced by typical in-vitro experimental conditions were far below the values needed for membrane permeabilization, with a strong dependence on distance of the cell from the coil. The preliminary assessment of the mechanical pressure and potential deformation of cells showed that stress values evaluated in conditions in which TMP values were too low to cause membrane permeabilization were comparable to those known to influence the pore opening mechanisms.Clinical Relevance- Results represent a significant step towards a better comprehension of the mechanism underlying cell membrane permeabilization by time-varying magnetic fields.
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50
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Shafaati M, Saidijam M, Soleimani M, Hazrati F, Mirzaei R, Amirheidari B, Tanzadehpanah H, Karampoor S, Kazemi S, Yavari B, Mahaki H, Safaei M, Rahbarizadeh F, Samadi P, Ahmadyousefi Y. A brief review on DNA vaccines in the era of COVID-19. Future Virol 2021; 17:10.2217/fvl-2021-0170. [PMID: 34858516 PMCID: PMC8629371 DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2021-0170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
This article provides a brief overview of DNA vaccines. First, the basic DNA vaccine design strategies are described, then specific issues related to the industrial production of DNA vaccines are discussed, including the production and purification of DNA products such as plasmid DNA, minicircle DNA, minimalistic, immunologically defined gene expression (MIDGE) and Doggybone™. The use of adjuvants to enhance the immunogenicity of DNA vaccines is then discussed. In addition, different delivery routes and several physical and chemical methods to increase the efficacy of DNA delivery into cells are explained. Recent preclinical and clinical trials of DNA vaccines for COVID-19 are then summarized. Lastly, the advantages and obstacles of DNA vaccines are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Shafaati
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, Jahrom Branch, Islamic Azad University, Jahrom, Iran
| | - Massoud Saidijam
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Meysam Soleimani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Fereshte Hazrati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Rasoul Mirzaei
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Bagher Amirheidari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Extremophile and Productive Microorganisms Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Hamid Tanzadehpanah
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Sajad Karampoor
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sima Kazemi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Bahram Yavari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Hanie Mahaki
- Vascular & Endovascular Surgery Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohsen Safaei
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Rahbarizadeh
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Pouria Samadi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Yaghoub Ahmadyousefi
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Medical Sciences & Technologies, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
- Research Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
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