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Anderson CF, Singh A, Stephens T, Hoang CD, Schneider JP. Kinetically Controlled Polyelectrolyte Complex Assembly of microRNA-Peptide Nanoparticles toward Treating Mesothelioma. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2314367. [PMID: 38532642 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202314367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Broad size distributions and poor long-term colloidal stability of microRNA-carrying nanoparticles, especially those formed by polyelectrolyte complexation, represent major hurdles in realizing their clinical translation. Herein, peptide design is used alongside optimized flash nanocomplexation (FNC) to produce uniform peptide-based miRNA particles of exceptional stability that display anticancer activity against mesothelioma in vitro and in vivo. Modulating the content and display of lysine-based charge from small intrinsically disordered peptides used to complex miRNA proves essential in achieving stable colloids. FNC facilitates kinetic isolation of the mechanistic steps involved in particle formation to allow the preparation of particles of discrete size in a highly reproducible, scalable, and continuous manner, facilitating pre-clinical studies. To the best of the authors knowledge, this work represents the first example of employing FNC to prepare polyelectrolyte complexes of miRNA and peptide. Encapsulation of these particles into an injectable hydrogel matrix allows for their localized in vivo delivery by syringe. A one-time injection of a gel containing particles composed of miRNA-215-5p and the peptide PKM1 limits tumor progression in a xenograft model of mesothelioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb F Anderson
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21701, USA
| | - Anand Singh
- Thoracic Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Tyler Stephens
- Vaccine Research Center Electron Microscopy Unit, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 20701, USA
| | - Chuong D Hoang
- Thoracic Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Joel P Schneider
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD, 21701, USA
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2
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Wang Z, Liu Q, Liu Q, Qi H, Li Y, Song DP. Self-Assembly and In Situ Quaternization of Triblock Bottlebrush Block Copolymers via Organized Spontaneous Emulsification for Effective Loading of DNA. Macromol Rapid Commun 2023; 44:e2300192. [PMID: 37194368 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202300192] [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: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Microspheres bearing large pores are useful in the capture and separation of biomolecules. However, pore size is typically poorly controlled, leading to disordered porous structures with limited performances. Herein, ordered porous spheres with a layer of cations on the internal surface of the nanopores are facilely fabricated in a single step for effective loading of DNA bearing negative charges. Triblock bottlebrush copolymers (BBCPs), (polynorbornene-g-polystyrene)-b-(polynorbornene-g-polyethylene oxide)-b-(polynorbornene-g-bromoethane) (PNPS-b-PNPEO-b-PNBr), are designed and synthesized for fabrication of the positively charged porous spheres through self-assembly and in situ quaternization during an organized spontaneous emulsification (OSE) process. Pore diameter as well as charge density increase with the increase of PNBr content, resulting in a significant increase of loading density from 4.79 to 22.5 ng µg-1 within the spheres. This work provides a general strategy for efficient loading and encapsulation of DNA, which may be extended to a variety of different areas for different real applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoxu Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, P. R. China
| | - Qiujun Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, P. R. China
| | - Qian Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
| | - Hao Qi
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China
| | - Yuesheng Li
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, P. R. China
| | - Dong-Po Song
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300350, P. R. China
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3
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Andrianov A, Hlushko R, Pozharski E, Prabhu V. Cryo-EM and AFM visualize linear polyorganophosphazene: individual chains and single-chain assemblies with proteins. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3411603. [PMID: 37961436 PMCID: PMC10635375 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3411603/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Polyorganophosphazenes are biodegradable macromolecules with potent immunoadjuvant activity that self-assemble with protein antigens to provide biological activity. Direct imaging by cryogenic electron microscopy reveals the coil structure of the highly-charged high molecular mass synthetic polyorganophosphazenes within the vitrified state without any additives for contrast enhancement for the first time. Upon mixing with protein antigens under a controlled stoichiometric ratio, multiple proteins bind at the single chain level revealing a structural change reminiscent of compact spherical complexes or stiffened coils depending on the bound protein antigen. The structural outcome depends on the protein charge density that cannot be deduced by methods, such as dynamic light scattering, thus revealing direct morphological insight necessary to understand in vivo biological activity. Complementary atomic force microscopy supports the binding morphology outcomes as well as additional analytical techniques that indicate binding. These observations open opportunities to understand supramolecular assembly of proteins and other biomacromolecules at the single chain level with highly charged polyelectrolytes for vaccines as well as important to developing fields such as polyelectrolyte complex coacervation.
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4
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Bekkouche I, Kuznetsova MN, Rejepov DT, Vetcher AA, Shishonin AY. Recent Advances in DNA Nanomaterials. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:2449. [PMID: 37686956 PMCID: PMC10490369 DOI: 10.3390/nano13172449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Applications of DNA-containing nanomaterials (DNA-NMs) in science and technology are currently attracting increasing attention in the fields of medicine, environment, engineering, etc. Such objects have become important for various branches of science and industries due to their outstanding characteristics such as small size, high controllability, clustering actions, and strong permeability. For these reasons, DNA-NMs deserve a review with respect to their recent advancements. On the other hand, precise cluster control, targeted drug distribution in vivo, and cellular micro-nano operation remain as problems. This review summarizes the recent progress in DNA-NMs and their crossover and integration into multiple disciplines (including in vivo/in vitro, microcircles excisions, and plasmid oligomers). We hope that this review will motivate relevant practitioners to generate new research perspectives and boost the advancement of nanomanipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Incherah Bekkouche
- Nanotechnology Scientific and Educational Center, Institute of Biochemical Technology and Nanotechnology, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia n.a. P. Lumumba (RUDN), Miklukho-Maklaya St. 6, Moscow 117198, Russia; (M.N.K.); (D.T.R.)
| | - Maria N. Kuznetsova
- Nanotechnology Scientific and Educational Center, Institute of Biochemical Technology and Nanotechnology, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia n.a. P. Lumumba (RUDN), Miklukho-Maklaya St. 6, Moscow 117198, Russia; (M.N.K.); (D.T.R.)
| | - Dovlet T. Rejepov
- Nanotechnology Scientific and Educational Center, Institute of Biochemical Technology and Nanotechnology, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia n.a. P. Lumumba (RUDN), Miklukho-Maklaya St. 6, Moscow 117198, Russia; (M.N.K.); (D.T.R.)
| | - Alexandre A. Vetcher
- Nanotechnology Scientific and Educational Center, Institute of Biochemical Technology and Nanotechnology, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia n.a. P. Lumumba (RUDN), Miklukho-Maklaya St. 6, Moscow 117198, Russia; (M.N.K.); (D.T.R.)
- Complementary and Integrative Health Clinic of Dr. Shishonin, 5, Yasnogorskaya Str., Moscow 117588, Russia;
| | - Alexander Y. Shishonin
- Complementary and Integrative Health Clinic of Dr. Shishonin, 5, Yasnogorskaya Str., Moscow 117588, Russia;
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5
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Stevens K, Marras AE, Campagna TR, Ting JM, Tirrell MV. Effect of Charged Block Length Mismatch on Double Diblock Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelle Cores. Macromolecules 2023; 56:5557-5566. [PMID: 37521249 PMCID: PMC10373519 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte complex micelles are hydrophilic nanoparticles that self-assemble in aqueous environments due to associative microphase separation between oppositely charged blocky polyelectrolytes. In this work, we employ a suite of physical characterization tools to examine the effect of charged block length mismatch on the equilibrium structure of double diblock polyelectrolyte complex micelles (D-PCMs) by mixing a diverse library of peptide and synthetic charged-neutral block polyelectrolytes with a wide range of charged block lengths (25-200 units) and chemistries. Early work on D-PCMs suggested that this class of micelles can only be formed from blocky polyelectrolytes with identical charged block lengths, a phenomenon referred to as chain length recognition. Here, we use salt annealing to create PCMs at equilibrium, which shows that chain length recognition, a longstanding hurdle to repeatable self-assembly from mismatched polyelectrolytes, can be overcome. Interestingly, D-PCM structure-property relationships display a range of values that vary systematically with the charged block lengths and chemical identity of constituent polyelectrolyte pairings and cannot be described by generalizable scaling laws. We discuss the interdependent growth behavior of the radius, ionic pair aggregation number, and density in the micelle core for three chemically distinct diblock pairings and suggest a potential physical mechanism that leads to this unique behavior. By comparing the results of these D-PCMs to the scaling laws recently developed for single diblock polyelectrolyte complex micelles (S-PCMs: diblock + homopolymer), we observe that D-PCM design schemes reduce the size and aggregation number and restrict their growth to a function of charged block length relative to S-PCMs. Understanding these favorable attributes enables more predictive use of a wider array of charged molecular building blocks to anticipate and control macroscopic properties of micelles spanning countless storage and delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaden
C. Stevens
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Alexander E. Marras
- Walker
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Texas
Materials Institute, The University of Texas
at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Trinity R. Campagna
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | | | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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6
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Santhamoorthy M, Thirupathi K, Kumar SSD, Pandiaraj S, Rahaman M, Phan TTV, Kim SC. k-Carrageenan based magnetic@polyelectrolyte complex composite hydrogel for pH and temperature-responsive curcumin delivery. Int J Biol Macromol 2023:125467. [PMID: 37336380 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125467] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
The dual stimuli-responsive drug delivery system has attracted a lot of interest in controlled drug delivery to specific sites. The magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles integrated polyelectrolyte complex-based hydrogel (MPEC HG) system was developed in this work. First, magnetic nanoparticles were produced in situ in the synthetic polymer polyhexamethylene guanidine (PHMG). Furthermore, the natural biopolymer k-carrageenan (kCG) was employed to form the polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) through charge-balancing interaction between positively charged guanidine units and negatively charged sulfonate groups. Various characterization approaches were used to characterize the developed magnetic polyelectrolyte complex hydrogel (MPEC HG) system. Curcumin (Cur) was employed as a model bioactive agent to examine the drug loading and stimuli-responsive drug release efficiency of the MPEC HG system. Under the combined pH and temperature stimuli conditions (pH 5.0/42 °C), the developed hydrogel system demonstrated great drug loading efficiency (~ 68 %) and enhanced drug release. Furthermore, the MPEC HG system's in vitro cytotoxicity behavior was investigated on a human liver cancer (HepG2) cell line, and the results revealed that the MPEC HG system is biocompatible. As a result, the MPEC HG system might be used for dual pH and temperature stimuli-responsive drug delivery applications in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kokila Thirupathi
- Department of Physics, Government Arts and Science College for Women, Karimngalam-635111, Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sathish Sundar Dhilip Kumar
- Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2028, South Africa
| | - Saravanan Pandiaraj
- Department of Self-Development Skills, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mostafizur Rahaman
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Thi Tuong Vy Phan
- Center for Advanced Chemistry, Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, 03 Quang Trung, Hai Chau, Danang 550000, Viet Nam; Faculty of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Duy Tan University, 03 Quang Trung, Hai Chau, Danang 550000, Viet Nam.
| | - Seong-Cheol Kim
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan 38541, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Rappoport S, Chrysostomou V, Pispas S, Talmon Y. The nanostructure of polyelectrolyte complexes of QPDMAEMA- b-POEGMA copolymers and oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, and their stability in the presence of serum albumin. SOFT MATTER 2023; 19:3688-3699. [PMID: 37171380 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00467h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Quaternized poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate)-b-poly(oligo(ethyleneglycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (QPDMAEMA-b-POEGMA) is a copolymer of a positively charged block and a non-ionic hydrophilic block. The positively charged block, QPDMAEMA, electrostatically interacts with oppositely charged polymers, e.g., poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and DNA, to form a complex. This complex is stable in aqueous solution due to the hydrophilic block, POEGMA, which provides colloidal stability and biocompatibility. Polyplexes can be used as non-viral vectors in gene therapy. Polyplexes are essential for delivering genetic materials into cells because they protect the genetic material from degradation before reaching the target cells, thus increasing the transfection efficiency. However, currently used polyplexes show a low transfection efficiency in vivo, probably because the polyplexes are exposed to blood proteins, such as serum albumin, which cause their dissociation. The main goal of this research is the morphology characterization of QPDMAEMA-b-POEGMA complexes with the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid (NaPAA), and with DNA by cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). These methods give qualitative and quantitative data about the morphology of the complexes. The morphology of the complexes was examined at different charge ratios (CRs). Complexes with NaPAA form core-corona spherical micelles and vesicular structures, whereas complexes with DNA form lamellar and hexagonal structures. The QPDMAEMA-b-POEGMA and DNA complexes were also examined after exposing them to bovine serum albumin (BSA). We found that BSA does not affect the complexes for seven days. This morphology characterization is essential for better design and formulation of vectors for gene therapy and polyelectrolyte complexes for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sapir Rappoport
- Department of Chemical Engineering and The Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel.
| | - Varvara Chrysostomou
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Stergios Pispas
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Avenue, 11635 Athens, Greece
| | - Yeshayahu Talmon
- Department of Chemical Engineering and The Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute (RBNI), Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 3200003, Israel.
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8
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Alsmaeil AW, Kouloumpis A, Potsi G, Hammami MA, Kanj MY, Giannelis EP. Probing the Interfacial Properties of Oil-Water Interfaces Decorated with Ionizable, pH Responsive Silica Nanoparticles. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:3118-3130. [PMID: 36791471 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Particle-stabilized emulsions (Pickering emulsions) have recently attracted significant attention in scientific studies and for technological applications. The interest stems from the ease of directly assembling the particles at interfaces and modulating the interfacial properties. In this paper, we demonstrate the formation of stable, practical emulsions leveraging the assembly of ionizable, pH responsive silica nanoparticles, surface-functionalized by a mixture of silanes containing amine/ammonium groups, which renders them positively charged. Using pH as the trigger, the assembly and the behavior of the emulsion are controlled by modulating the charges of the functional groups of the nanoparticle and the oil (crude oil). In addition to their tunable charge, the particular combination of silane coupling agents leads to stable particle dispersions, which is critical for practical applications. Atomic force microscopy and interfacial tension (IFT) measurements are used to monitor the assembly, which is controlled by both the electrostatic interactions between the particles and oil and the interparticle interactions, both of which are modulated by pH. Under acidic conditions, when the surfaces of the oil and the nanoparticles (NPs) are positively charged, the NPs are not attracted at the interface and there is no significant reduction in the IFT. In contrast, under basic conditions in which the oil carries a high negative charge and the amine groups on the silica are deprotonated while still positively charged because of the ammonium groups, the NPs assemble at the interface in a closely packed configuration yielding a jammed state with a high dilatational modulus. As a result, two oil droplets do not coalesce even when pushed against each other and the emulsion stability improves significantly. The study provides new insights into the directed assembly of nanoparticles at fluid interfaces relevant to several applications, including environmental remediation, catalysis, drug delivery, food technology, and oil recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Wasel Alsmaeil
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
- EXPEC Advanced Research Center, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - Antonios Kouloumpis
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
| | - Georgia Potsi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
| | - Mohamed Amen Hammami
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
| | - Mazen Yousef Kanj
- College of Petroleum Engineering & Geosciences, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
| | - Emmanuel P Giannelis
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, United States
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9
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Grimme CJ, Hanson MG, Corcoran LG, Reineke TM. Polycation Architecture Affects Complexation and Delivery of Short Antisense Oligonucleotides: Micelleplexes Outperform Polyplexes. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:3257-3271. [PMID: 35862267 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Herein, we examine the complexation and biological delivery of a short single-stranded antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) payload with four polymer derivatives that form two architectural variants (polyplexes and micelleplexes): a homopolymer poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (D), a diblock polymer poly(ethylene glycol)methylether methacrylate-block-poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (ObD), and two micelle-forming variants, poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (DB) and poly(ethylene glycol)methylether methacrylate-block-poly(2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)-block-poly(n-butyl methacrylate) (ObDB). Both polyplexes and micelleplexes complexed ASOs, and the incorporation of an Ob brush enhances colloidal stability. Micellplexes are templated by the size and shape of the unloaded micelle and that micelle-ASO complexation is not sensitive to formulation/mixing order, allowing ease, versatility, and reproducibility in packaging short oligonucleotides. The DB micelleplexes promoted the largest gene silencing, internalization, and tolerable toxicity while the ObDB micelleplexes displayed enhanced colloidal stability and highly efficient payload trafficking despite having lower cellular uptake. Overall, this work demonstrates that cationic micelles are superior delivery vehicles for ASOs denoting the importance of vehicle architecture in biological performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian J Grimme
- Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science, University of Minnesota, 421 Washington Avenue SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Mckenna G Hanson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Louis G Corcoran
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Theresa M Reineke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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10
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Aquino Queirós MV, Loh W. How to Predict the Order of Phase Separation of Polyelectrolyte Complexes and Their Miscibility. J Phys Chem B 2022; 126:5362-5373. [PMID: 35819870 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c03454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The mixture of two oppositely charged polyelectrolyte solutions results in complexation that may lead to an associative phase separation, forming a highly concentrated phase in both polyelectrolytes in equilibrium with a dilute phase. In this work, we aim to investigate what controls the order of complexation when more polyelectrolytes of the same charge are present. For this, the effect of the addition of a third oppositely charged polyelectrolyte in a mixture of two polyelectrolytes with the same charge was studied. Our results show that, under certain conditions, the electrostatic complexation takes place selectively, where one polyanion (or polycation) phase separates first, followed by the other phase separation, with both complexes at their 1:1 charge stoichiometry. Infrared analyses of the phase-separated complexes confirmed that, in a mixture of polyanions, poly(styrenesulfonate) is complexed first, followed by poly(acrylate). For polycations, these analyses showed that poly(diallyldimethylammonium) is preferentially complexed over poly(allylamine). These results suggest that electrostatic complexation occurs following the sequence predicted as in an acid/base titration, where the acidic/basic strength of the involved polyions dictates which one is complexed first. In this respect, the order of complexation can be associated with the equivalence pH for each pair, which we propose can be used as a parameter to predict phase separation in polyelectrolyte mixtures. In addition, we have investigated the miscibility of these complex mixtures, confirming that multiphasic complexes are formed whenever the polyions display ionizable groups with different acid/basic strengths and that this can also be related to their equivalence pH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Watson Loh
- Institute of Chemistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), P.O. Box 6154, 13083-970 Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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11
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Pham TT, Takahashi R, Pham TD, Yusa SI. Stable Water-soluble Polyion Complex Micelles Composed of Oppositely Charged Diblock Copolymers and Reinforced by Hydrophobic Interactions. CHEM LETT 2022. [DOI: 10.1246/cl.220241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thu Thao Pham
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Hyogo, 2167 Shosha, Himeji, Hyogo 671-2280, Japan
| | - Rintaro Takahashi
- Department of Energy Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8603, Japan
| | - Tien Duc Pham
- Faculty of Chemistry, University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, 19 Le Thanh Tong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
| | - Shin-ichi Yusa
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, University of Hyogo, 2167 Shosha, Himeji, Hyogo 671-2280, Japan
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12
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Bos I, Brink E, Michels L, Sprakel J. DNA dynamics in complex coacervate droplets and micelles. SOFT MATTER 2022; 18:2012-2027. [PMID: 35191449 PMCID: PMC8905490 DOI: 10.1039/d1sm01787j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Single stranded DNA (ssDNA), or another polyanion, can be mixed with polycations to form liquid-like complex coacervates. When the polycations are replaced by cationic-neutral diblock copolymers, complex coacervate core micelles (C3Ms) can be formed instead. In both complex coacervates and C3Ms, dynamics plays an important role. Yet, to date, the effect of chain length on the dynamics effect is still not fully understood. The DNA complexes provide a versatile platform to further elucidate these chain length effects because the DNA is monodisperse and its length can be easily adapted. Therefore, we study in this paper the dynamics of fluorescently labelled ssDNA in both complex coacervate droplets and micelles. The DNA dynamics in the complex coacervate droplets is probed by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP). We observe that the DNA diffusion coefficient depends more strongly on the DNA length than predicted by the sticky Rouse model and we show that this can be partly explained by changes in complex coacervate density, but that also other factors might play a role. We measure the molecular exchange of C3Ms by making use of Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) and complement these measurements with Langevin dynamics simulations. We conclude that chain length polydispersity is the main cause of a broad distribution of exchange rates. We hypothesise that the different exchange rates that we observe for the monodisperse DNA are mainly caused by differences in dye interactions and show that the dye can indeed have a large effect on the C3M exchange. In addition, we show that a new description of the C3M molecular exchange is required that accounts among others for the effect of the length of the oppositely charged core species. Together our findings can help to better understand the dynamics in both specific DNA systems and in complex coacervate droplets and micelles in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inge Bos
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Eline Brink
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Lucile Michels
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Joris Sprakel
- Physical Chemistry and Soft Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
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13
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Matsuo M, Kurihara K. Proliferating coacervate droplets as the missing link between chemistry and biology in the origins of life. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5487. [PMID: 34561428 PMCID: PMC8463549 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25530-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The hypothesis that prebiotic molecules were transformed into polymers that evolved into proliferating molecular assemblages and eventually a primitive cell was first proposed about 100 years ago. To the best of our knowledge, however, no model of a proliferating prebiotic system has yet been realised because different conditions are required for polymer generation and self-assembly. In this study, we identify conditions suitable for concurrent peptide generation and self-assembly, and we show how a proliferating peptide-based droplet could be created by using synthesised amino acid thioesters as prebiotic monomers. Oligopeptides generated from the monomers spontaneously formed droplets through liquid-liquid phase separation in water. The droplets underwent a steady growth-division cycle by periodic addition of monomers through autocatalytic self-reproduction. Heterogeneous enrichment of RNA and lipids within droplets enabled RNA to protect the droplet from dissolution by lipids. These results provide experimental constructs for origins-of-life research and open up directions in the development of peptide-based materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muneyuki Matsuo
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
- Department of Basic Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Creative Research, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Kensuke Kurihara
- Department of Creative Research, Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.
- Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science & Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.
- Faculty of Education, Utsunomiya University, Utsumomiya, Tochigi, Japan.
- Department of Life and Coordination-Complex Molecular Science, Biomolecular Functions, Institute for Molecular Science, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.
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14
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Zhang Y, Tao Y, Wang K, Zhao S, Zhu J, Cheng H. Two kinds of polyaniline fiber photo sensor with interdigital electrode and flexible hydrogel. J Appl Polym Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/app.50628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Anhui University of Science and Technology Huainan China
| | - Yulun Tao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Anhui University of Science and Technology Huainan China
| | - Kequan Wang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Anhui University of Science and Technology Huainan China
| | - Shuai Zhao
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Anhui University of Science and Technology Huainan China
| | - Jinbo Zhu
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering Anhui University of Science and Technology Huainan China
| | - Hao Cheng
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering Guangxi Key Laboratory of Green Processing of Sugar Resources Liuzhou China
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15
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Marras AE, Ting JM, Stevens KC, Tirrell MV. Advances in the Structural Design of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:7076-7089. [PMID: 34160221 PMCID: PMC9282648 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c01258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte complex micelles (PCMs) are a unique class of self-assembled nanoparticles that form with a core of associated polycations and polyanions, microphase-separated from neutral, hydrophilic coronas in aqueous solution. The hydrated nature and structural and chemical versatility make PCMs an attractive system for delivery and for fundamental polymer physics research. By leveraging block copolymer design with controlled self-assembly, fundamental structure-property relationships can be established to tune the size, morphology, and stability of PCMs precisely in pursuit of tailored nanocarriers, ultimately offering storage, protection, transport, and delivery of active ingredients. This perspective highlights recent advances in predictive PCM design, focusing on (i) structure-property relationships to target specific nanoscale dimensions and shapes and (ii) characterization of PCM dynamics primarily using time-resolved scattering techniques. We present several vignettes from these two emerging areas of PCM research and discuss key opportunities for PCM design to advance precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Marras
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jeffrey M Ting
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Kaden C Stevens
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Matthew V Tirrell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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16
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Marras AE, Campagna TR, Vieregg JR, Tirrell MV. Physical Property Scaling Relationships for Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E. Marras
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Trinity R. Campagna
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jeffrey R. Vieregg
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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17
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Shah S, Leon L. Structural dynamics, phase behavior, and applications of polyelectrolyte complex micelles. Curr Opin Colloid Interface Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cocis.2021.101424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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18
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Kumar R, Santa Chalarca CF, Bockman MR, Bruggen CV, Grimme CJ, Dalal RJ, Hanson MG, Hexum JK, Reineke TM. Polymeric Delivery of Therapeutic Nucleic Acids. Chem Rev 2021; 121:11527-11652. [PMID: 33939409 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The advent of genome editing has transformed the therapeutic landscape for several debilitating diseases, and the clinical outlook for gene therapeutics has never been more promising. The therapeutic potential of nucleic acids has been limited by a reliance on engineered viral vectors for delivery. Chemically defined polymers can remediate technological, regulatory, and clinical challenges associated with viral modes of gene delivery. Because of their scalability, versatility, and exquisite tunability, polymers are ideal biomaterial platforms for delivering nucleic acid payloads efficiently while minimizing immune response and cellular toxicity. While polymeric gene delivery has progressed significantly in the past four decades, clinical translation of polymeric vehicles faces several formidable challenges. The aim of our Account is to illustrate diverse concepts in designing polymeric vectors towards meeting therapeutic goals of in vivo and ex vivo gene therapy. Here, we highlight several classes of polymers employed in gene delivery and summarize the recent work on understanding the contributions of chemical and architectural design parameters. We touch upon characterization methods used to visualize and understand events transpiring at the interfaces between polymer, nucleic acids, and the physiological environment. We conclude that interdisciplinary approaches and methodologies motivated by fundamental questions are key to designing high-performing polymeric vehicles for gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramya Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | | | - Matthew R Bockman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Craig Van Bruggen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Christian J Grimme
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Rishad J Dalal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Mckenna G Hanson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Joseph K Hexum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Theresa M Reineke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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19
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Upadhya R, Kosuri S, Tamasi M, Meyer TA, Atta S, Webb MA, Gormley AJ. Automation and data-driven design of polymer therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 171:1-28. [PMID: 33242537 PMCID: PMC8127395 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2020.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Polymers are uniquely suited for drug delivery and biomaterial applications due to tunable structural parameters such as length, composition, architecture, and valency. To facilitate designs, researchers may explore combinatorial libraries in a high throughput fashion to correlate structure to function. However, traditional polymerization reactions including controlled living radical polymerization (CLRP) and ring-opening polymerization (ROP) require inert reaction conditions and extensive expertise to implement. With the advent of air-tolerance and automation, several polymerization techniques are now compatible with well plates and can be carried out at the benchtop, making high throughput synthesis and high throughput screening (HTS) possible. To avoid HTS pitfalls often described as "fishing expeditions," it is crucial to employ intelligent and big data approaches to maximize experimental efficiency. This is where the disruptive technologies of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) will likely play a role. In fact, ML and AI are already impacting small molecule drug discovery and showing signs of emerging in drug delivery. In this review, we present state-of-the-art research in drug delivery, gene delivery, antimicrobial polymers, and bioactive polymers alongside data-driven developments in drug design and organic synthesis. From this insight, important lessons are revealed for the polymer therapeutics community including the value of a closed loop design-build-test-learn workflow. This is an exciting time as researchers will gain the ability to fully explore the polymer structural landscape and establish quantitative structure-property relationships (QSPRs) with biological significance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Supriya Atta
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, USA
| | - Michael A Webb
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
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20
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Bisht S, Balaguru S, Ramachandran SK, Gangasalam A, Kweon J. Proton exchange composite membranes comprising
SiO
2
, sulfonated
SiO
2
, and metal–organic frameworks loaded in
SPEEK
polymer for fuel cell applications. J Appl Polym Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/app.50530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Bisht
- Membrane Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli Tamil Nadu India
| | - Sasikumar Balaguru
- Membrane Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli Tamil Nadu India
| | - Sathish Kumar Ramachandran
- Membrane Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli Tamil Nadu India
| | - Arthanareeswaran Gangasalam
- Membrane Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli Tamil Nadu India
| | - Jihyang Kweon
- Water Treatment and Membrane Laboratory, Department of Environmental Engineering Konkuk University Seoul Republic of Korea
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21
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Li L, Rumyantsev AM, Srivastava S, Meng S, de Pablo JJ, Tirrell MV. Effect of Solvent Quality on the Phase Behavior of Polyelectrolyte Complexes. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c01000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lu Li
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Artem M. Rumyantsev
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Samanvaya Srivastava
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095, United States
| | - Siqi Meng
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Juan J. de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
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22
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SAXS methods for investigating macromolecular and self-assembled polyelectrolyte complexes. Methods Enzymol 2020; 646:223-259. [PMID: 33453927 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte complexation is driven by associative interactions between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, resulting in formation of a macroscopic polymer dense phase and a polymer dilute phase with applications in coatings, adhesives, and purification membranes. Beyond macroscale phase separation, precision polymer synthesis has enabled further development of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC)-based self-assembled micelles and hydrogels with applications in biotechnology. Interestingly, it has been suggested that mechanisms similar to polyelectrolyte complexation drive formation of biological condensates that play an indispensable role in cellular biogenesis. The formation pathways and functionality of these complex materials is dependent on the physical properties that are built into polymer structure and the resulting physical conformation in the dilute and dense phase. Scattering techniques have enabled in situ investigation of structure-function relationships in PEC materials that may address unresolved biophysical questions in cellular processes as well as catalyze the development of novel materials for diverse applications. We describe preparation of PEC materials with controlled polymer characteristics (length, blockiness, charge density), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques employed to probe appropriate length scales, and the data analysis routines from a practical standpoint for new users. This article deals with bulk complexes and not with the related, important and interesting area of non-equilibrium layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes.
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23
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Magana JR, Sproncken CCM, Voets IK. On Complex Coacervate Core Micelles: Structure-Function Perspectives. Polymers (Basel) 2020; 12:E1953. [PMID: 32872312 PMCID: PMC7565781 DOI: 10.3390/polym12091953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The co-assembly of ionic-neutral block copolymers with oppositely charged species produces nanometric colloidal complexes, known, among other names, as complex coacervates core micelles (C3Ms). C3Ms are of widespread interest in nanomedicine for controlled delivery and release, whilst research activity into other application areas, such as gelation, catalysis, nanoparticle synthesis, and sensing, is increasing. In this review, we discuss recent studies on the functional roles that C3Ms can fulfil in these and other fields, focusing on emerging structure-function relations and remaining knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ilja K. Voets
- Laboratory of Self-Organizing Soft Matter, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry and Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands; (J.R.M.); (C.C.M.S.)
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24
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Meng S, Ting JM, Wu H, Tirrell MV. Solid-to-Liquid Phase Transition in Polyelectrolyte Complexes. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Meng
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jeffrey M. Ting
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Hao Wu
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
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25
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Ting JM, Marras AE, Mitchell JD, Campagna TR, Tirrell MV. Comparing Zwitterionic and PEG Exteriors of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles. Molecules 2020; 25:E2553. [PMID: 32486282 PMCID: PMC7321349 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25112553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of model polyelectrolyte complex micelles (PCMs) was prepared to investigate the consequences of neutral and zwitterionic chemistries and distinct charged cores on the size and stability of nanocarriers. Using aqueous reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, we synthesized a well-defined diblock polyelectrolyte system, poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine methacrylate)-block-poly((vinylbenzyl) trimethylammonium) (PMPC-PVBTMA), at various neutral and charged block lengths to compare directly against PCM structure-property relationships centered on poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly((vinylbenzyl) trimethylammonium) (PEG-PVBTMA) and poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(l-lysine) (PEG-PLK). After complexation with a common polyanion, poly(sodium acrylate), the resulting PCMs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). We observed uniform assemblies of spherical micelles with a diameter ~1.5-2× larger when PMPC-PVBTMA was used compared to PEG-PLK and PEG-PVBTMA via SAXS and DLS. In addition, PEG-PLK PCMs proved most resistant to dissolution by both monovalent and divalent salt, followed by PEG-PVBTMA then PMPC-PVBTMA. All micelle systems were serum stable in 100% fetal bovine serum over the course of 8 h by time-resolved DLS, demonstrating minimal interactions with serum proteins and potential as in vivo drug delivery vehicles. This thorough study of the synthesis, assembly, and characterization of zwitterionic polymers in PCMs advances the design space for charge-driven micelle assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M. Ting
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (J.M.T.); (A.E.M.); (J.D.M.); (T.R.C.)
- Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Alexander E. Marras
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (J.M.T.); (A.E.M.); (J.D.M.); (T.R.C.)
- Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Joseph D. Mitchell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (J.M.T.); (A.E.M.); (J.D.M.); (T.R.C.)
| | - Trinity R. Campagna
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (J.M.T.); (A.E.M.); (J.D.M.); (T.R.C.)
| | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (J.M.T.); (A.E.M.); (J.D.M.); (T.R.C.)
- Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
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26
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Abstract
AbstractStrongly interacting polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) are a versatile class of materials whose physical states can be driven from solids into liquids and ultimately into homogenous solution upon salt addition. However, many of these materials can display high stability using common monovalent salts, leading to difficulties in accessing the entire PEC spectrum. Here, the model system, composed of two styrenic polyelectrolytes, required exceptionally high salt to drive phase transition. We term the amount of salt required to drive these transitions salt resistance. In water, the PEC transferred from solid into liquid at 2.5 M NaBr and never fully dissociated within the studied salt range. We discovered an unconventional approach of weakening salt resistance by switching the solvent to miscible ethylene glycol/water and ethanol/water, allowing us to systematically introduce more hydrophobic constituents. Employing microscopy to determine physical states qualitatively, we found that higher hydrophobicity lowered salt resistance for phase transition and disassembly.
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27
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Wu H, Ting JM, Tirrell MV. Mechanism of Dissociation Kinetics in Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles. Macromolecules 2020. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wu
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jeffrey M. Ting
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
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28
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Bos I, Sprakel J. Langevin Dynamics Simulations of the Exchange of Complex Coacervate Core Micelles: The Role of Nonelectrostatic Attraction and Polyelectrolyte Length. Macromolecules 2019; 52:8923-8931. [PMID: 31787780 PMCID: PMC6881903 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b01442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Complex coacervate core micelles (C3Ms) are promising encapsulators for a wide variety of (bio)molecules. To protect and stabilize their cargo, it is essential to control their exchange dynamics. Yet, to date, little is known about the kinetic stability of C3Ms and the dynamic equilibrium of molecular building blocks with micellar species. Here we study the C3M exchange during the initial micellization by using Langevin dynamics simulations. In this way, we show that charge neutral heterocomplexes consisting of multiple building blocks are the primary mediator for exchange. In addition, we show that the kinetic stability of the C3Ms can be tuned not only by the electrostatic interaction but also by the nonelectrostatic attraction between the polyelectrolytes, the polyelectrolyte length ratio, and the overall polyelectrolyte length. These insights offer new rational design guides to aid the development of new C3M encapsulation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inge Bos
- Physical Chemistry and Soft
Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Joris Sprakel
- Physical Chemistry and Soft
Matter, Wageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4, 6708 WE Wageningen, The Netherlands
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29
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Carton F, Chevalier Y, Nicoletti L, Tarnowska M, Stella B, Arpicco S, Malatesta M, Jordheim LP, Briançon S, Lollo G. Rationally designed hyaluronic acid-based nano-complexes for pentamidine delivery. Int J Pharm 2019; 568:118526. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.118526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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30
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Wu H, Ting JM, Weiss TM, Tirrell MV. Interparticle Interactions in Dilute Solutions of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles. ACS Macro Lett 2019; 8:819-825. [PMID: 35619501 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.9b00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The application of dilute solutions of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) micelles for delivering therapeutic nucleic acids into disease sites has gained momentum. This Letter reports a detailed characterization of PEC micelles in dilute solutions including their internal structures and the determination of the interparticle interactions. The polymer concentration ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 wt %, a regime where micelle-micelle interactions are infrequent. We employ synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to simultaneously probe the morphology, internal structure, and radius of gyration (Rg) of the self-assemblies formed by charged diblock polyelectrolytes and homopolyelectrolytes. The emerging appearance of the structure factor in SAXS profiles with the increasing polymer concentration demonstrates the presence of the repulsive intermicellar correlations, which is further confirmed by the differences between the "reciprocal Rg" estimated by Guinier approximation and the "real space Rg" determined by pair distribution functions. We find that the soft corona chains tethered on the surface of phase-separated complex domains are compressed when micelles come close to the point where a hard-sphere interaction takes over. These findings contribute to the fundamental understanding of the structure and space-filling constraints in the complexation-driven self-assemblies and advance the rational design of cationic polymer-based nonviral gene delivery vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wu
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jeffrey M. Ting
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
| | - Thomas M. Weiss
- Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, California 94025, United States
| | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Institute for Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
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31
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Rumyantsev AM, de Pablo JJ. Liquid Crystalline and Isotropic Coacervates of Semiflexible Polyanions and Flexible Polycations. Macromolecules 2019. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.9b00797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Artem M. Rumyantsev
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Juan J. de Pablo
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
- Center for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439, United States
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Shah S, Leon L. Structural transitions and encapsulation selectivity of thermoresponsive polyelectrolyte complex micelles. J Mater Chem B 2019; 7:6438-6448. [DOI: 10.1039/c9tb01194c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte complex micelles containing thermoresponsive coronas can exhibit varying morphologies and encapsulate multivalently charged therapeutics for drug delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachit Shah
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- University of Central Florida
- Orlando
- USA
| | - Lorraine Leon
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering
- University of Central Florida
- Orlando
- USA
- NanoScience Technology Center
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