1
|
Blake TR, Haabeth OAW, Sallets A, McClellan RL, Del Castillo TJ, Vilches-Moure JG, Ho WC, Wender PA, Levy R, Waymouth RM. Lysine-Derived Charge-Altering Releasable Transporters: Targeted Delivery of mRNA and siRNA to the Lungs. Bioconjug Chem 2023:10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00019. [PMID: 36996808 PMCID: PMC10601965 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Targeted delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics to the lungs could transform treatment options for pulmonary disease. We have previously developed oligomeric charge-altering releasable transporters (CARTs) for in vivo mRNA transfection and demonstrated their efficacy for use in mRNA-based cancer vaccination and local immunomodulatory therapies against murine tumors. While our previously reported glycine-based CART-mRNA complexes (G-CARTs/mRNA) show selective protein expression in the spleen (mouse, >99%), here, we report a new lysine-derived CART-mRNA complex (K-CART/mRNA) that, without additives or targeting ligands, shows selective protein expression in the lungs (mouse, >90%) following systemic IV administration. We further show that by delivering siRNA using the K-CART, we can significantly decrease expression of a lung-localized reporter protein. Blood chemistry and organ pathology studies demonstrate that K-CARTs are safe and well-tolerated. We report on the new step economical, organocatalytic synthesis (two steps) of functionalized polyesters and oligo-carbonate-co-α-aminoester K-CARTs from simple amino acid and lipid-based monomers. The ability to direct protein expression selectively in the spleen or lungs by simple, modular changes to the CART structure opens fundamentally new opportunities in research and gene therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R Blake
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ole A W Haabeth
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Adrienne Sallets
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Rebecca L McClellan
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Trevor J Del Castillo
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Jose G Vilches-Moure
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Wilson C Ho
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Paul A Wender
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ronald Levy
- Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Robert M Waymouth
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Testa S, Haabeth OAW, Blake TR, Del Castillo TJ, Czerwinski DK, Rajapaksa R, Wender PA, Waymouth RM, Levy R. Fingolimod-Conjugated Charge-Altering Releasable Transporters Efficiently and Specifically Deliver mRNA to Lymphocytes In Vivo and In Vitro. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:2976-2988. [PMID: 35748182 PMCID: PMC10199726 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Charge-altering releasable transporters (CARTs) are a class of oligonucleotide delivery vehicles shown to be effective for delivery of messenger RNA (mRNA) both in vitro and in vivo. Here, we exploited the chemical versatility of the CART synthesis to generate CARTs containing the small-molecule drug fingolimod (FTY720) as a strategy to increase mRNA delivery and expression in lymphocytes through a specific ligand-receptor interaction. Fingolimod is an FDA-approved small-molecule drug that, upon in vivo phosphorylation, binds to the sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1P1), which is highly expressed on lymphocytes. Compared to its non-fingolimod-conjugated analogue, the fingolimod-conjugated CART achieved superior transfection of activated human and murine T and B lymphocytes in vitro. The higher transfection of the fingolimod-conjugated CARTs was lost when cells were exposed to a free fingolimod before transfection. In vivo, the fingolimod-conjugated CART showed increased mRNA delivery to marginal zone B cells and NK cells in the spleen, relative to CARTs lacking fingolimod. Moreover, fingolimod-CART-mediated mRNA delivery induces peripheral blood T-cell depletion similar to free fingolimod. Thus, we show that functionalization of CARTs with a pharmacologically validated small molecule can increase transfection of a cellular population of interest while conferring some of the targeting properties of the conjugated small molecule to the CARTs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Testa
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ole A W Haabeth
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Timothy R Blake
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Trevor J Del Castillo
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Debra K Czerwinski
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ranjani Rajapaksa
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Paul A Wender
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Robert M Waymouth
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Ronald Levy
- Stanford Cancer Institute, Division of Oncology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Haabeth OAW, Lohmeyer JJK, Sallets A, Blake TR, Sagiv-Barfi I, Czerwinski DK, McCarthy B, Powell AE, Wender PA, Waymouth RM, Levy R. An mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine employing Charge-Altering Releasable Transporters with a TLR-9 agonist induces neutralizing antibodies and T cell memory. bioRxiv 2021. [PMID: 33880472 DOI: 10.1101/2021.04.14.439891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has necessitated the rapid development of prophylactic vaccines. Two mRNA vaccines have been approved for emergency use by the FDA and have demonstrated extraordinary effectiveness. The success of these mRNA vaccines establishes the speed of development and therapeutic potential of mRNA. These authorized vaccines encode full-length versions of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. They are formulated with Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) delivery vehicles that have inherent immunostimulatory properties. Different vaccination strategies and alternative mRNA delivery vehicles would be desirable to ensure flexibility of future generations of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the development of mRNA vaccines in general. Here, we report on the development of an alternative mRNA vaccine approach using a delivery vehicle called Charge-Altering Releasable Transporters (CARTs). Using these inherently nonimmunogenic vehicles we can tailor the vaccine immunogenicity by inclusion of co-formulated adjuvants such as oligodeoxynucleotides with CpG motifs (CpG-ODN). Mice vaccinated with the mRNA-CART vaccine developed therapeutically relevant levels of RBD-specific neutralizing antibodies in both the circulation and in the lung bronchial fluids. In addition, vaccination elicited strong and long lasting RBD-specific T H 1 T cell responses including CD4 + and CD8 + T cell memory.
Collapse
|
4
|
Frank MJ, Khodadoust MS, Czerwinski DK, Haabeth OAW, Chu MP, Miklos DB, Advani RH, Alizadeh AA, Gupta NK, Maeda LS, Reddy SA, Laport GG, Meyer EH, Negrin RS, Rezvani AR, Weng WK, Sheehan K, Faham M, Okada A, Moore AH, Phillips DL, Wapnir IL, Brody JD, Levy R. Autologous tumor cell vaccine induces antitumor T cell immune responses in patients with mantle cell lymphoma: A phase I/II trial. J Exp Med 2021; 217:151871. [PMID: 32558897 PMCID: PMC7478738 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20191712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we report on the results of a phase I/II trial (NCT00490529) for patients with mantle cell lymphoma who, having achieved remission after immunochemotherapy, were vaccinated with irradiated, CpG-activated tumor cells. Subsequently, vaccine-primed lymphocytes were collected and reinfused after a standard autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). The primary endpoint was detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) within 1 yr after ASCT at the previously validated threshold of ≥1 malignant cell per 10,000 leukocyte equivalents. Of 45 evaluable patients, 40 (89%) were found to be MRD negative, and the MRD-positive patients experienced early subsequent relapse. The vaccination induced antitumor CD8 T cell immune responses in 40% of patients, and these were associated with favorable clinical outcomes. Patients with high tumor PD-L1 expression after in vitro exposure to CpG had inferior outcomes. Vaccination with CpG-stimulated autologous tumor cells followed by the adoptive transfer of vaccine-primed lymphocytes after ASCT is feasible and safe.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Michael P Chu
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - David B Miklos
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University Healthcare, Stanford, CA
| | | | | | - Neel K Gupta
- Division of Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | | | - Sunil A Reddy
- Division of Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Ginna G Laport
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University Healthcare, Stanford, CA
| | - Everett H Meyer
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University Healthcare, Stanford, CA
| | - Robert S Negrin
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University Healthcare, Stanford, CA
| | - Andrew R Rezvani
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University Healthcare, Stanford, CA
| | - Wen-Kai Weng
- Division of Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Stanford University Healthcare, Stanford, CA
| | - Kevin Sheehan
- Division of Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | | | - Ami Okada
- Division of Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | | | | | - Irene L Wapnir
- Department of Surgery, Stanford University Healthcare, Stanford, CA
| | | | - Ronald Levy
- Division of Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Benner NL, McClellan RL, Turlington CR, Haabeth OAW, Waymouth RM, Wender PA. Oligo(serine ester) Charge-Altering Releasable Transporters: Organocatalytic Ring-Opening Polymerization and their Use for in Vitro and in Vivo mRNA Delivery. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:8416-8421. [PMID: 31083999 PMCID: PMC7209379 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b03154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
RNA technology is transforming life science research and medicine, but many applications are limited by the accessibility, cost, efficacy, and tolerability of delivery systems. Here we report the first members of a new class of dynamic RNA delivery vectors, oligo(serine ester)-based charge-altering releasable transporters (Ser-CARTs). Composed of lipid-containing oligocarbonates and cationic oligo(serine esters), Ser-CARTs are readily prepared (one flask) by a mild ring-opening polymerization using thiourea anions and, upon simple mixing with mRNA, readily form complexes that degrade to neutral serine-based products, efficiently releasing their mRNA cargo. mRNA/Ser-CART transfection efficiencies of >95% are achieved in vitro. Intramuscular or intravenous (iv) injections of mRNA/Ser-CARTs into living mice result in in vivo expression of a luciferase reporter protein, with spleen localization observed after iv injection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nancy L. Benner
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Rebecca L. McClellan
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | | | - Ole A. W. Haabeth
- Department of Medicine, Division of Oncology, Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Robert M. Waymouth
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| | - Paul A. Wender
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
| |
Collapse
|