151
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Gabriel CM, Pimentel BR, Gomez CA, Cedillo I, Rodriguez AA. Improved Purification of GalNAc-Conjugated Antisense Oligonucleotides Using Boronic Acids. Org Process Res Dev 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.oprd.1c00439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Gabriel
- Department of Process Organic Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Brian R. Pimentel
- Department of Process Organic Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Christian A. Gomez
- Department of Process Organic Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Isaiah Cedillo
- Department of Process Organic Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Andrew A. Rodriguez
- Department of Process Organic Chemistry, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Court, Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
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152
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Yasuhara H, Yoshida T, Sasaki K, Obika S, Inoue T. Reduction of Off-Target Effects of Gapmer Antisense Oligonucleotides by Oligonucleotide Extension. Mol Diagn Ther 2022; 26:117-127. [PMID: 34994962 PMCID: PMC8766371 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-021-00573-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Aim Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) has the potential to induce off-target effects by inadvertent binding of ASOs to unintended RNAs that have a sequence similar to the target RNA. In the present study, we focused on the association between oligonucleotide length and off-target effects. Oligonucleotide extension is assumed to have bilateral effects on hybridization-dependent changes in gene expression, i.e., one is the decrease of off-target effects based on the reduced number of off-target candidate genes with perfect matches, and the other is the increase of off-target effects based on the increased binding affinity between the ASO and the complementary RNAs that leads to better tolerability for mismatches. Methods To determine the effects of oligonucleotide extension of gapmer ASOs on off-target effects, an extensive microarray analysis was performed using human cells treated with a 14-mer gapmer ASO and the extended 18-mer derivatives with the same core 14-mer region. Results and Discussion Our data indicated that change in gene expression in the cells treated with 18-mer ASOs was significantly smaller than those with a 14-mer ASO, showing the decrease of off-target effects by oligonucleotide extension. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40291-021-00573-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidenori Yasuhara
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tokuyuki Yoshida
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan
- Division of Molecular Target and Gene Therapy Products, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kiyomi Sasaki
- Division of Molecular Target and Gene Therapy Products, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Satoshi Obika
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Takao Inoue
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
- Division of Molecular Target and Gene Therapy Products, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan.
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153
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Narayanaswami P, Živković S. Molecular and Genetic Therapies. Neuromuscul Disord 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-71317-7.00011-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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154
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Raguraman R, Shanmugarama S, Mehta M, Elle Peterson J, Zhao YD, Munshi A, Ramesh R. Drug delivery approaches for HuR-targeted therapy for lung cancer. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 180:114068. [PMID: 34822926 PMCID: PMC8724414 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.114068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer (LC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage and conventional treatments for disease management have limitations associated with them. Novel therapeutic targets are thus avidly sought for the effective management of LC. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) have been convincingly established as key players in tumorigenesis, and their dysregulation is linked to multiple cancers, including LC. In this context, we review the role of Human antigen R (HuR), an RBP that is overexpressed in LC, and further associated with various aspects of LC tumor growth and response to therapy. Herein, we describe the role of HuR in LC progression and outline the evidences supporting various pharmacologic and biologic approaches for inhibiting HuR expression and function. These approaches, including use of small molecule inhibitors, siRNAs and shRNAs, have demonstrated favorable results in reducing tumor cell growth, invasion and migration, angiogenesis and metastasis. Hence, HuR has significant potential as a key therapeutic target in LC. Use of siRNA-based approaches, however, have certain limitations that prevent their maximal exploitation as cancer therapies. To address this, in the conclusion of this review, we provide a list of nanomedicine-based HuR targeting approaches currently being employed for siRNA and shRNA delivery, and provide a rationale for the immense potential therapeutic benefits offered by nanocarrier-based HuR targeting and its promise for treating patients with LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajeswari Raguraman
- Department of Pathology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Santny Shanmugarama
- Department of Pathology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Meghna Mehta
- Radiation Oncology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Jo Elle Peterson
- Department of Pathology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Yan D Zhao
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Anupama Munshi
- Radiation Oncology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Rajagopal Ramesh
- Department of Pathology, The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA.
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155
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Gomes D, Wang S, Goodspeed L, Turk KE, Wietecha T, Liu Y, Bornfeldt KE, O'Brien KD, Chait A, den Hartigh LJ. Comparison between genetic and pharmaceutical disruption of LDLR expression for the development of atherosclerosis. J Lipid Res 2022; 63:100174. [PMID: 35101425 PMCID: PMC8953673 DOI: 10.1016/j.jlr.2022.100174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Gomes
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shari Wang
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Leela Goodspeed
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Katherine E Turk
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tomasz Wietecha
- Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Yongjun Liu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Karin E Bornfeldt
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kevin D O'Brien
- Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alan Chait
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Laura J den Hartigh
- Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Diabetes Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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156
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Oren YS, Avizur-Barchad O, Ozeri-Galai E, Elgrabli R, Schirelman MR, Blinder T, Stampfer CD, Ordan M, Laselva O, Cohen-Cymberknoh M, Kerem E, Bear CE, Kerem B. Antisense oligonucleotide splicing modulation as a novel Cystic Fibrosis therapeutic approach for the W1282X nonsense mutation. J Cyst Fibros 2021; 21:630-636. [PMID: 34972649 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcf.2021.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antisense oligonucleotide- based drugs for splicing modulation were recently approved for various genetic diseases with unmet need. Here we aimed to generate skipping over exon 23 of the CFTR transcript, to eliminate the W1282X nonsense mutation and avoid RNA degradation induced by the nonsense mediated mRNA decay mechanism, allowing production of partially active CFTR proteins lacking exon 23. METHODS ∼80 ASOs were screened in 16HBEge W1282X cells. ASO candidates showing significant exon skipping were assessed for their W1282X allele selectivity and the increase of CFTR protein maturation and function. The effect of a highly potent ASO candidates was further analyzed in well differentiated primary human nasal epithelial cells, derived from a W1282X homozygous patient. RESULTS ASO screening led to identification of several ASOs that significantly decrease the level of CFTR transcripts including exon 23. These ASOs resulted in significant levels of mature CFTR protein and together with modulators restore the channel function following free uptake into these cells. Importantly, a highly potent lead ASOs, efficiently delivered by free uptake, was able to increase the level of transcripts lacking exon 23 and restore the CFTR function in cells from a W1282X homozygote patient. CONCLUSION The highly efficient exon 23 skipping induced by free uptake of the lead ASO and the resulting levels of mature CFTR protein exhibiting channel function in the presence of modulators, demonstrate the ASO therapeutic potential benefit for CF patients carrying the W1282X mutation with the objective to advance the lead candidate SPL23-2 to proof-of-concept clinical study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifat S Oren
- SpliSense Biohouse Labs, Hadassah Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | | | - Renana Elgrabli
- SpliSense Biohouse Labs, Hadassah Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Tehilla Blinder
- SpliSense Biohouse Labs, Hadassah Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | | | - Merav Ordan
- SpliSense Biohouse Labs, Hadassah Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Onofrio Laselva
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy; Division of Molecular Medicine, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Malena Cohen-Cymberknoh
- Pediatric Pulmonology Unit and CF Center, Hadassah Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Eitan Kerem
- CF Center, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Christine E Bear
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Batsheva Kerem
- SpliSense Biohouse Labs, Hadassah Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Genetics, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
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157
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Ma WK, Voss DM, Scharner J, Costa ASH, Lin KT, Jeon HY, Wilkinson JE, Jackson M, Rigo F, Bennett CF, Krainer AR. ASO-based PKM splice-switching therapy inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma growth. Cancer Res 2021; 82:900-915. [PMID: 34921016 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-0948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The M2 pyruvate kinase (PKM2) isoform is upregulated in most cancers and plays a crucial role in regulation of the Warburg effect, which is characterized by the preference for aerobic glycolysis over oxidative phosphorylation for energy metabolism. PKM2 is an alternative-splice isoform of the PKM gene and is a potential therapeutic target. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) that switch PKM splicing from the cancer-associated PKM2 to the PKM1 isoform have been shown to induce apoptosis in cultured glioblastoma cells when delivered by lipofection. Here, we explore the potential of ASO-based PKM splice switching as a targeted therapy for liver cancer. A more potent lead cEt/DNA ASO induced PKM splice-switching and inhibited the growth of cultured hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. This PKM isoform switch increased pyruvate-kinase activity and altered glucose metabolism. In an orthotopic HCC xenograft mouse model, the lead ASO and a second ASO targeting a non-overlapping site inhibited tumor growth. Finally, in a genetic HCC mouse model, a surrogate mouse-specific ASO induced Pkm splice switching and inhibited tumorigenesis, without observable toxicity. These results lay the groundwork for a potential ASO-based splicing therapy for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dillon M Voss
- Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Stony Brook University School of Medicine
| | | | - Ana S H Costa
- Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | | | | | - John E Wilkinson
- Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor
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158
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Cherubini A, Casirati E, Tomasi M, Valenti L. PNPLA3 as a therapeutic target for fatty liver disease: the evidence to date. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2021; 25:1033-1043. [PMID: 34904923 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2021.2018418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION An interaction between metabolic triggers and inherited predisposition underpins the development and progression of non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and fatty liver disease in general. Among the specific NAFLD risk variants, PNPLA3 rs738409 C>G, encoding for the p.I148M protein variant, accounts for the largest fraction of liver disease heritability and is being intensively scrutinized. It promotes intrahepatic lipid accumulation and is associated with lipotoxicity and the more severe phenotypes, including fibrosis and carcinogenesis. Therefore, PNPLA3 appears as an appealing therapeutic target to counter NAFLD progression. AREAS COVERED The scope of this review is to briefly describe the PNPLA3 gene and protein function before discussing therapeutic approaches for fatty liver aiming at this target. Literature review was carried out searching through PubMed and clinicaltrials.gov website and focusing on the most recent works and reviews. EXPERT OPINION The main therapeutic strategies under development for NAFLD have shown variable efficacy and side-effects likely due to disease heterogeneity and lack of engagement of the main pathogenic drivers of liver disease. To overcome these limitations, new strategies are becoming available for targeting PNPLA3 p.I148M, responsible for a large fraction of disease susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Cherubini
- Precision Medicine - Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Fondazione Irccs Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Elia Casirati
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Melissa Tomasi
- Precision Medicine - Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Fondazione Irccs Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Luca Valenti
- Precision Medicine - Department of Transfusion Medicine and Hematology, Fondazione Irccs Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università Degli Studi Di Milano, Milan, Italy
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159
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Sabaie H, Amirinejad N, Asadi MR, Jalaiei A, Daneshmandpour Y, Rezaei O, Taheri M, Rezazadeh M. Molecular Insight Into the Therapeutic Potential of Long Non-coding RNA-Associated Competing Endogenous RNA Axes in Alzheimer's Disease: A Systematic Scoping Review. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:742242. [PMID: 34899268 PMCID: PMC8656158 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.742242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a heterogeneous degenerative brain disorder with a rising prevalence worldwide. The two hallmarks that characterize the AD pathophysiology are amyloid plaques, generated via aggregated amyloid β, and neurofibrillary tangle, generated via accumulated phosphorylated tau. At the post-transcriptional and transcriptional levels, the regulatory functions of non-coding RNAs, in particular long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), have been ascertained in gene expressions. It is noteworthy that a number of lncRNAs feature a prevalent role in their potential of regulating gene expression through modulation of microRNAs via a process called the mechanism of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA). Given the multifactorial nature of ceRNA interaction networks, they might be advantageous in complex disorders (e.g., AD) investigations at the therapeutic targets level. We carried out scoping review in this research to analyze validated loops of ceRNA in AD and focus on ceRNA axes associated with lncRNA. This scoping review was performed according to a six-stage methodology structure and PRISMA guideline. A systematic search of seven databases was conducted to find eligible articles prior to July 2021. Two reviewers independently performed publications screening and data extraction, and quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. Fourteen articles were identified that fulfill the inclusion criteria. Studies with different designs reported nine lncRNAs that were experimentally validated to act as ceRNA in AD in human-related studies, including BACE1-AS, SNHG1, RPPH1, NEAT1, LINC00094, SOX21-AS1, LINC00507, MAGI2-AS3, and LINC01311. The BACE1-AS/BACE1 was the most frequent ceRNA pair. Among miRNAs, miR-107 played a key role by regulating three different loops. Understanding the various aspects of this regulatory mechanism can help elucidate the unknown etiology of AD and provide new molecular targets for use in therapeutic and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hani Sabaie
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Nazanin Amirinejad
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Asadi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Abbas Jalaiei
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Yousef Daneshmandpour
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Omidvar Rezaei
- Skull Base Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Taheri
- Skull Base Research Center, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Institute of Human Genetics, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Maryam Rezazadeh
- Molecular Medicine Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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160
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Roussis SG, Cedillo I, Rentel C. Characterizing the Diastereoisomeric Distribution of Phosphorothioate Oligonucleotides by Metal Ion Complexation Chromatography, In-Series Reversed Phase-Strong Anion Exchange Chromatography, and 31P NMR. Anal Chem 2021; 93:16035-16042. [PMID: 34813705 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c03593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Replacement of a non-bridging oxygen atom of the phosphate diester linkage of an oligonucleotide by sulfur conveys pharmacokinetic benefits, such as increased nuclease resistance and enhanced protein binding. Substitution renders the internucleotide linkages chiral, and so phosphorothioate diester (PS) oligonucleotides comprise complex mixtures of diastereoisomers. Currently, chromatographic separation of individual diastereoisomers is limited to oligonucleotides that contain no more than about four or five PS linkages. The development of therapeutic PS oligonucleotides, which often contain >15 PS linkages, would be greatly aided by methods useful for assessing batch-to-batch stereo-reproducibility. To this effect, the relative sensitivities of metal ion complexation chromatography (MICC), in-series reversed phase-strong anion exchange chromatography (RP-SAX), and 31P NMR toward changes in the diastereoisomeric distributions of therapeutic PS oligonucleotides were compared. Model oligonucleotides synthesized under conditions known to impact PS stereochemistry were used to evaluate the method performance, and all three methods showed excellent sensitivity toward changes in the diastereoisomeric composition. Interactions via the solvent-accessible areas and a combination of hydrophobic and electrostatic forces may be responsible for the selectivity demonstrated by MICC and in-series RP-SAX, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stilianos G Roussis
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Ct., Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Isaiah Cedillo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Ct., Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
| | - Claus Rentel
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, 2855 Gazelle Ct., Carlsbad, California 92010, United States
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161
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Zhao Y, Shu R, Liu J. The development and improvement of ribonucleic acid therapy strategies. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2021; 26:997-1013. [PMID: 34540356 PMCID: PMC8437697 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The biological understanding of RNA has evolved since the discovery of catalytic RNAs in the early 1980s and the establishment of RNA interference (RNAi) in the 1990s. RNA is no longer seen as the simple mid-product between transcription and translation but as potential molecules to be developed as RNA therapeutic drugs. RNA-based therapeutic drugs have gained recognition because of their ability to regulate gene expression and perform cellular functions. Various nucleobase, backbone, and sugar-modified oligonucleotides have been synthesized, as natural oligonucleotides have some limitations such as poor low nuclease resistance, binding affinity, poor cellular uptake, and toxicity, which affect their use as RNA therapeutic drugs. In this review, we briefly discuss different RNA therapeutic drugs and their internal connections, including antisense oligonucleotides, small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), aptamers, small activating RNAs (saRNAs), and RNA vaccines. We also discuss the important roles of RNA vaccines and their use in the fight against COVID-19. In addition, various chemical modifications and delivery systems used to improve the performance of RNA therapeutic drugs and overcome their limitations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Rui Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Corresponding author: Rui Shu, State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Jiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Corresponding author: Jiang Liu, State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Research Unit of Oral Carcinogenesis and Management, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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162
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Pfafenrot C, Schneider T, Müller C, Hung LH, Schreiner S, Ziebuhr J, Bindereif A. Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus proliferation by designer antisense-circRNAs. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:12502-12516. [PMID: 34850109 PMCID: PMC8643703 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that exist in all eukaryotes investigated and are derived from back-splicing of certain pre-mRNA exons. Here, we report the application of artificial circRNAs designed to act as antisense-RNAs. We systematically tested a series of antisense-circRNAs targeted to the SARS-CoV-2 genome RNA, in particular its structurally conserved 5'-untranslated region. Functional assays with both reporter transfections as well as with SARS-CoV-2 infections revealed that specific segments of the SARS-CoV-2 5'-untranslated region can be efficiently accessed by specific antisense-circRNAs, resulting in up to 90% reduction of virus proliferation in cell culture, and with a durability of at least 48 h. Presenting the antisense sequence within a circRNA clearly proved more efficient than in the corresponding linear configuration and is superior to modified antisense oligonucleotides. The activity of the antisense-circRNA is surprisingly robust towards point mutations in the target sequence. This strategy opens up novel applications for designer circRNAs and promising therapeutic strategies in molecular medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Pfafenrot
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Tim Schneider
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Christin Müller
- Institute of Medical Virology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Lee-Hsueh Hung
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Silke Schreiner
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - John Ziebuhr
- Institute of Medical Virology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Albrecht Bindereif
- Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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163
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Li M, Jancovski N, Jafar-Nejad P, Burbano LE, Rollo B, Richards K, Drew L, Sedo A, Heighway J, Pachernegg S, Soriano A, Jia L, Blackburn T, Roberts B, Nemiroff A, Dalby K, Maljevic S, Reid CA, Rigo F, Petrou S. Antisense oligonucleotide therapy reduces seizures and extends life span in an SCN2A gain-of-function epilepsy model. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:152079. [PMID: 34850743 DOI: 10.1172/jci152079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
De novo variation in SCN2A can give rise to severe childhood disorders. Biophysical gain of function in SCN2A is seen in some patients with early seizure onset developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). In these cases, targeted reduction in SCN2A expression could substantially improve clinical outcomes. We tested this theory by central administration of a gapmer antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) targeting Scn2a mRNA in a mouse model of Scn2a early seizure onset DEE (Q/+ mice). Untreated Q/+ mice presented with spontaneous seizures at P1 and did not survive beyond P30. Administration of the ASO to Q/+ mice reduced spontaneous seizures and significantly extended life span. Across a range of behavioral tests, Scn2a ASO-treated Q/+ mice were largely indistinguishable from WT mice, suggesting treatment is well tolerated. A human SCN2A gapmer ASO could likewise impact the lives of patients with SCN2A gain-of-function DEE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melody Li
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nikola Jancovski
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Lisseth E Burbano
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ben Rollo
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kay Richards
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lisa Drew
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alicia Sedo
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jacqueline Heighway
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Svenja Pachernegg
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Linghan Jia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Todd Blackburn
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,RogCon Biosciences, Miami Beach, Florida, USA
| | - Blaine Roberts
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alex Nemiroff
- RogCon Biosciences, Miami Beach, Florida, USA.,Praxis Precision Medicines, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kelley Dalby
- RogCon Biosciences, Miami Beach, Florida, USA.,Praxis Precision Medicines, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Snezana Maljevic
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christopher A Reid
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frank Rigo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, USA
| | - Steven Petrou
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,RogCon Biosciences, Miami Beach, Florida, USA.,Praxis Precision Medicines, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Barroso‐Gil M, Olinger E, Ramsbottom SA, Molinari E, Miles CG, Sayer JA. Update of genetic variants in CEP120 and CC2D2A-With an emphasis on genotype-phenotype correlations, tissue specific transcripts and exploring mutation specific exon skipping therapies. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2021; 9:e1603. [PMID: 33486889 PMCID: PMC8683696 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutations in ciliary genes cause a spectrum of both overlapping and distinct clinical syndromes (ciliopathies). CEP120 and CC2D2A are paradigmatic examples for this genetic heterogeneity and pleiotropy as mutations in both cause Joubert syndrome but are also associated with skeletal ciliopathies and Meckel syndrome, respectively. The molecular basis for this phenotypical variability is not understood but basal exon skipping likely contributes to tolerance for deleterious mutations via tissue-specific preservation of the amount of expressed functional protein. METHODS We systematically reviewed and annotated genetic variants and clinical presentations reported in CEP120- and CC2D2A-associated disease and we combined in silico and ex vivo approaches to study tissue-specific transcripts and identify molecular targets for exon skipping. RESULTS We confirmed more severe clinical presentations associated with truncating CC2D2A mutations. We identified and confirmed basal exon skipping in the kidney, with possible relevance for organ-specific disease manifestations. Finally, we proposed a multimodal approach to classify exons amenable to exon skipping. By mapping reported variants, 14 truncating mutations in 7 CC2D2A exons were identified as potentially rescuable by targeted exon skipping, an approach that is already in clinical use for other inherited human diseases. CONCLUSION Genotype-phenotype correlations for CC2D2A support the deleteriousness of null alleles and CC2D2A, but not CEP120, offers potential for therapeutic exon skipping approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Barroso‐Gil
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
| | - Eric Olinger
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
| | - Simon A. Ramsbottom
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
| | - Elisa Molinari
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
| | - Colin G. Miles
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
| | - John A. Sayer
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
- Renal ServicesThe Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNewcastle Upon TyneUK
- NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research CentreNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
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165
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Liu J, Guo ZN, Yan XL, Yang Y, Huang S. Brain Pathogenesis and Potential Therapeutic Strategies in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:755392. [PMID: 34867280 PMCID: PMC8634727 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.755392] [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: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common muscular dystrophy that affects multiple systems including the muscle and heart. The mutant CTG expansion at the 3'-UTR of the DMPK gene causes the expression of toxic RNA that aggregate as nuclear foci. The foci then interfere with RNA-binding proteins, affecting hundreds of mis-spliced effector genes, leading to aberrant alternative splicing and loss of effector gene product functions, ultimately resulting in systemic disorders. In recent years, increasing clinical, imaging, and pathological evidence have indicated that DM1, though to a lesser extent, could also be recognized as true brain diseases, with more and more researchers dedicating to develop novel therapeutic tools dealing with it. In this review, we summarize the current advances in the pathogenesis and pathology of central nervous system (CNS) deficits in DM1, intervention measures currently being investigated are also highlighted, aiming to promote novel and cutting-edge therapeutic investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Center & Clinical Trial and Research Center for Stroke, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- China National Comprehensive Stroke Center, Changchun, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Disease, Changchun, China
| | - Zhen-Ni Guo
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Center & Clinical Trial and Research Center for Stroke, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- China National Comprehensive Stroke Center, Changchun, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Disease, Changchun, China
| | - Xiu-Li Yan
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Center & Clinical Trial and Research Center for Stroke, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Center & Clinical Trial and Research Center for Stroke, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- China National Comprehensive Stroke Center, Changchun, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Disease, Changchun, China
| | - Shuo Huang
- Department of Neurology, Stroke Center & Clinical Trial and Research Center for Stroke, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
- China National Comprehensive Stroke Center, Changchun, China
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Cerebrovascular Disease, Changchun, China
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166
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Trivedi T, Pagnotti GM, Guise TA, Mohammad KS. The Role of TGF-β in Bone Metastases. Biomolecules 2021; 11:1643. [PMID: 34827641 PMCID: PMC8615596 DOI: 10.3390/biom11111643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Complications associated with advanced cancer are a major clinical challenge and, if associated with bone metastases, worsen the prognosis and compromise the survival of the patients. Breast and prostate cancer cells exhibit a high propensity to metastasize to bone. The bone microenvironment is unique, providing fertile soil for cancer cell propagation, while mineralized bone matrices store potent growth factors and cytokines. Biologically active transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), one of the most abundant growth factors, is released following tumor-induced osteoclastic bone resorption. TGF-β promotes tumor cell secretion of factors that accelerate bone loss and fuel tumor cells to colonize. Thus, TGF-β is critical for driving the feed-forward vicious cycle of tumor growth in bone. Further, TGF-β promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), increasing cell invasiveness, angiogenesis, and metastatic progression. Emerging evidence shows TGF-β suppresses immune responses, enabling opportunistic cancer cells to escape immune checkpoints and promote bone metastases. Blocking TGF-β signaling pathways could disrupt the vicious cycle, revert EMT, and enhance immune response. However, TGF-β's dual role as both tumor suppressor and enhancer presents a significant challenge in developing therapeutics that target TGF-β signaling. This review presents TGF-β's role in cancer progression and bone metastases, while highlighting current perspectives on the therapeutic potential of targeting TGF-β pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trupti Trivedi
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
| | - Gabriel M. Pagnotti
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
| | - Theresa A. Guise
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
| | - Khalid S. Mohammad
- Department of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders, Division of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (T.T.); (G.M.P.); (T.A.G.)
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
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167
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Amato A, Arrigo A, Aragona E, Manitto MP, Saladino A, Bandello F, Battaglia Parodi M. Gene Therapy in Inherited Retinal Diseases: An Update on Current State of the Art. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:750586. [PMID: 34722588 PMCID: PMC8553993 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.750586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Gene therapy cannot be yet considered a far perspective, but a tangible therapeutic option in the field of retinal diseases. Although still confined in experimental settings, the preliminary results are promising and provide an overall scenario suggesting that we are not so far from the application of gene therapy in clinical settings. The main aim of this review is to provide a complete and updated overview of the current state of the art and of the future perspectives of gene therapy applied on retinal diseases. Methods: We carefully revised the entire literature to report all the relevant findings related to the experimental procedures and the future scenarios of gene therapy applied in retinal diseases. A clinical background and a detailed description of the genetic features of each retinal disease included are also reported. Results: The current literature strongly support the hope of gene therapy options developed for retinal diseases. Although being considered in advanced stages of investigation for some retinal diseases, such as choroideremia (CHM), retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and Leber's congenital amaurosis (LCA), gene therapy is still quite far from a tangible application in clinical practice for other retinal diseases. Conclusions: Gene therapy is an extremely promising therapeutic tool for retinal diseases. The experimental data reported in this review offer a strong hope that gene therapy will be effectively available in clinical practice in the next years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessia Amato
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Arrigo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Aragona
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Pia Manitto
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Saladino
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Bandello
- Department of Ophthalmology, Scientific Institute San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, Italy
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168
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Gill T, Wang H, Bandaru R, Lawlor M, Lu C, Nieman LT, Tao J, Zhang Y, Anderson DG, Ting DT, Chen X, Bradner JE, Ott CJ. Selective targeting of MYC mRNA by stabilized antisense oligonucleotides. Oncogene 2021; 40:6527-6539. [PMID: 34650218 PMCID: PMC8627489 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-02053-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
MYC is a prolific proto-oncogene driving the malignant behaviors of numerous common cancers, yet potent and selective cell-permeable inhibitors of MYC remain elusive. In order to ultimately realize the goal of therapeutic MYC inhibition in cancer, we have initiated discovery chemistry efforts aimed at inhibiting MYC translation. Here we describe a series of conformationally stabilized synthetic antisense oligonucleotides designed to target MYC mRNA (MYCASOs). To support bioactivity, we designed and synthesized this focused library of MYCASOs incorporating locked nucleic acid (LNA) bases at the 5'- and 3'-ends, a phosphorothioate backbone, and internal DNA bases. Treatment of MYC-expressing cancer cells with MYCASOs leads to a potent decrease in MYC mRNA and protein levels. Cleaved MYC mRNA in MYCASO-treated cells is detected with a sensitive 5' Rapid Amplification of cDNA Ends (RACE) assay. MYCASO treatment of cancer cell lines leads to significant inhibition of cellular proliferation while specifically perturbing MYC-driven gene expression signatures. In a MYC-induced model of hepatocellular carcinoma, MYCASO treatment decreases MYC protein levels within tumors, decreases tumor burden, and improves overall survival. MYCASOs represent a new chemical tool for in vitro and in vivo modulation of MYC activity, and promising therapeutic agents for MYC-addicted tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor Gill
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Haichuan Wang
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Raj Bandaru
- ENZON Pharmaceuticals, Cranford, NJ, 07016, USA
| | - Matthew Lawlor
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Chenyue Lu
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Linda T Nieman
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Junyan Tao
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | | | - Daniel G Anderson
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - David T Ting
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Xin Chen
- Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - James E Bradner
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Christopher J Ott
- Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
- Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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Abstract
RNA-based therapeutics have shown great promise in treating a broad spectrum of diseases through various mechanisms including knockdown of pathological genes, expression of therapeutic proteins, and programmed gene editing. Due to the inherent instability and negative-charges of RNA molecules, RNA-based therapeutics can make the most use of delivery systems to overcome biological barriers and to release the RNA payload into the cytosol. Among different types of delivery systems, lipid-based RNA delivery systems, particularly lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), have been extensively studied due to their unique properties, such as simple chemical synthesis of lipid components, scalable manufacturing processes of LNPs, and wide packaging capability. LNPs represent the most widely used delivery systems for RNA-based therapeutics, as evidenced by the clinical approvals of three LNP-RNA formulations, patisiran, BNT162b2, and mRNA-1273. This review covers recent advances of lipids, lipid derivatives, and lipid-derived macromolecules used in RNA delivery over the past several decades. We focus mainly on their chemical structures, synthetic routes, characterization, formulation methods, and structure-activity relationships. We also briefly describe the current status of representative preclinical studies and clinical trials and highlight future opportunities and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuebao Zhang
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Changzhen Sun
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Chang Wang
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Katarina E Jankovic
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Yizhou Dong
- Division of Pharmaceutics & Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Center for Clinical and Translational Science, The Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dorothy M. Davis Heart & Lung Research Institute, Department of Radiation Oncology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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170
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Verdile V, Guizzo G, Ferrante G, Paronetto MP. RNA Targeting in Inherited Neuromuscular Disorders: Novel Therapeutic Strategies to Counteract Mis-Splicing. Cells 2021; 10:cells10112850. [PMID: 34831073 PMCID: PMC8616048 DOI: 10.3390/cells10112850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuromuscular disorders represent multifaceted abnormal conditions, with little or no cure, leading to patient deaths from complete muscle wasting and atrophy. Despite strong efforts in the past decades, development of effective treatments is still urgently needed. Advent of next-generation sequencing technologies has allowed identification of novel genes and mutations associated with neuromuscular pathologies, highlighting splicing defects as essential players. Deciphering the significance and relative contributions of defective RNA metabolism will be instrumental to address and counteract these malignancies. We review here recent progress on the role played by alternative splicing in ensuring functional neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), and its involvement in the pathogenesis of NMJ-related neuromuscular disorders, with particular emphasis on congenital myasthenic syndromes and muscular dystrophies. We will also discuss novel strategies based on oligonucleotides designed to bind their cognate sequences in the RNA or targeting intermediary of mRNA metabolism. These efforts resulted in several chemical classes of RNA molecules that have recently proven to be clinically effective, more potent and better tolerated than previous strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Verdile
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (V.V.); (G.G.); (G.F.)
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome Foro Italico, Piazza Lauro de Bosis 6, 00135 Rome, Italy
| | - Gloria Guizzo
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (V.V.); (G.G.); (G.F.)
| | - Gabriele Ferrante
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (V.V.); (G.G.); (G.F.)
| | - Maria Paola Paronetto
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Fondazione Santa Lucia, CERC, 00143 Rome, Italy; (V.V.); (G.G.); (G.F.)
- Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome Foro Italico, Piazza Lauro de Bosis 6, 00135 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
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171
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Biessen EAL, Van Berkel TJC. N-Acetyl Galactosamine Targeting: Paving the Way for Clinical Application of Nucleotide Medicines in Cardiovascular Diseases. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2021; 41:2855-2865. [PMID: 34645280 DOI: 10.1161/atvbaha.121.316290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
While the promise of oligonucleotide therapeutics, such as (chemically modified) ASO (antisense oligonucleotides) and short interfering RNAs, is undisputed from their introduction onwards, their unfavorable pharmacokinetics and intrinsic capacity to mobilize innate immune responses, were limiting widespread clinical use. However, these major setbacks have been tackled by breakthroughs in chemistry, stability and delivery. When aiming an intervention hepatic targets, such as lipid and sugar metabolism, coagulation, not to mention cancer and virus infection, introduction of N-acetylgalactosamine aided targeting technology has advanced the field profoundly and by now a dozen of N-acetylgalactosamine therapeutics for these indications have been approved for clinical use or have progressed to clinical trial stage 2 to 3 testing. This technology, in combination with major advances in oligonucleotide stability allows safe and durable intervention in targets that were previously deemed undruggable, such as Lp(a) and PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9), at high efficacy and specificity, often with as little as 2 doses per year. Their successful use even the most visionary would not have predicted 2 decades ago. Here, we will review the evolution of N-acetylgalactosamine technology. We shall outline their fundamental design principles and merits, and their application for the delivery of oligonucleotide therapeutics to the liver. Finally, we will discuss the perspectives of N-acetylgalactosamine technology and propose directions for future research in receptor targeted delivery of these gene medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik A L Biessen
- Institute for Molecular Cardiovascular Research, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany (E.A.L.B.).,Department of Pathology, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University Medical Centre, the Netherlands (E.A.L.B.)
| | - Theo J C Van Berkel
- Division of Biopharmaceutics, LACDR, Leiden University, the Netherlands (T.J.C.V.B.)
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172
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The discovery and development of transthyretin amyloidogenesis inhibitors: what are the lessons? Future Med Chem 2021; 13:2083-2105. [PMID: 34633220 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2021-0248] [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] Open
Abstract
Transthyretin (TTR) is associated with several human amyloid diseases. Various kinetic stabilizers have been developed to inhibit the dissociation of TTR tetramer and the formation of amyloid fibrils. Most of them are bisaryl derivatives, natural flavonoids, crown ethers and carborans. In this review article, we focus on TTR tetramer stabilizers, genetic therapeutic approaches and fibril remodelers. The binding modes of typical bisaryl derivatives, natural flavonoids, crown ethers and carborans are discussed. Based on knowledge of the binding of thyroxine to TTR tetramer, many stabilizers have been screened to dock into the thyroxine binding sites, leading to TTR tetramer stabilization. Particularly, those stabilizers with unique binding profiles have shown great potential in developing the therapeutic management of TTR amyloidogenesis.
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173
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Vázquez-Mojena Y, León-Arcia K, González-Zaldivar Y, Rodríguez-Labrada R, Velázquez-Pérez L. Gene Therapy for Polyglutamine Spinocerebellar Ataxias: Advances, Challenges, and Perspectives. Mov Disord 2021; 36:2731-2744. [PMID: 34628681 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) comprise a heterogeneous group of six autosomal dominant ataxias caused by cytosine-adenine-guanine repeat expansions in the coding region of single genes. Currently, there is no curative or disease-slowing treatment for these disorders, but their monogenic inheritance has informed rationales for development of gene therapy strategies. In fact, RNA interference strategies have shown promising findings in cellular and/or animal models of SCA1, SCA3, SCA6, and SCA7. In addition, antisense oligonucleotide therapy has provided encouraging proofs of concept in models of SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, and SCA7, but they have not yet progressed to clinical trials. On the contrary, the gene editing strategies, such as the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR/Cas9), have been introduced to a limited extent in these disorders. In this article, we review the available literature about gene therapy in polyglutamine SCAs and discuss the main technological and ethical challenges toward the prospect of their use in future clinical trials. Although antisense oligonucleotide therapies are further along the path to clinical phases, the recent failure of three clinical trials in Huntington's disease may delay their utilization for polyglutamine SCAs, but they offer lessons that could optimize the likelihood of success in potential future clinical studies. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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174
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Bockstahler M, Salbach C, Müller AM, Kübler A, Müller OJ, Katus HA, Frey N, Kaya Z. LNA oligonucleotide mediates an anti-inflammatory effect in autoimmune myocarditis via targeting lactate dehydrogenase B. Immunology 2021; 165:158-170. [PMID: 34606637 PMCID: PMC9426621 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment of myocarditis is often limited to symptomatic treatment due to unknown pathomechanisms. In order to identify new therapeutic approaches, the contribution of locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotides (LNA ASOs) in autoimmune myocarditis was investigated. Hence, A/J mice were immunized with cardiac troponin I (TnI) to induce experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) and treated with LNA ASOs. The results showed an unexpected anti‐inflammatory effect for one administered LNA ASO MB_1114 by reducing cardiac inflammation and fibrosis. The target sequence of MB_1114 was identified as lactate dehydrogenase B (mLDHB). For further analysis, mice received mLdhb‐specific GapmeR during induction of EAM. Here, mice receiving the mLdhb‐specific GapmeR showed increased protein levels of cardiac mLDHB and a reduced cardiac inflammation and fibrosis. The effect of increased cardiac mLDHB protein level was associated with a downregulation of genes of reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐associated proteins, indicating a reduction in ROS. Here, the suppression of murine pro‐apoptotic Bcl‐2‐associated X protein (mBax) was also observed. In our study, an unexpected anti‐inflammatory effect of LNA ASO MB_1114 and mLdhb‐specific GapmeR during induction of EAM could be demonstrated in vivo. This effect was associated with increased protein levels of cardiac mLDHB, mBax suppression and reduced ROS activation. Thus, LDHB and LNA ASOs may be considered as a promising target for directed therapy of myocarditis. Nevertheless, further investigations are necessary to clarify the mechanism of action of anti‐inflammatory LDHB‐triggered effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariella Bockstahler
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Salbach
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna-Maria Müller
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andrea Kübler
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oliver J Müller
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Hugo A Katus
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Norbert Frey
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ziya Kaya
- Department of Internal Medicine III, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Heidelberg/Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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175
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Pandey M, Ojha D, Bansal S, Rode AB, Chawla G. From bench side to clinic: Potential and challenges of RNA vaccines and therapeutics in infectious diseases. Mol Aspects Med 2021; 81:101003. [PMID: 34332771 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2021.101003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The functional and structural versatility of Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) makes them ideal candidates for overcoming the limitations imposed by small molecule-based drugs. Hence, RNA-based biopharmaceuticals such as messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNA mimics, anti-miRNA oligonucleotides (AMOs), aptamers, riboswitches, and CRISPR-Cas9 are emerging as vital tools for the treatment and prophylaxis of many infectious diseases. Some of the major challenges to overcome in the area of RNA-based therapeutics have been the instability of single-stranded RNAs, delivery to the diseased cell, and immunogenicity. However, recent advancements in the delivery systems of in vitro transcribed mRNA and chemical modifications for protection against nucleases and reducing the toxicity of RNA have facilitated the entry of several exogenous RNAs into clinical trials. In this review, we provide an overview of RNA-based vaccines and therapeutics, their production, delivery, current advancements, and future translational potential in treating infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manish Pandey
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, India
| | - Divya Ojha
- Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, India
| | - Sakshi Bansal
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, India
| | - Ambadas B Rode
- Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, India.
| | - Geetanjali Chawla
- RNA Biology Laboratory, Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, 121001, India.
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176
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Zhou Y, Xu S, Zhang M, Wu Q. Systematic functional characterization of antisense eRNA of protocadherin α composite enhancer. Genes Dev 2021; 35:1383-1394. [PMID: 34531317 DOI: 10.1101/gad.348621.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Enhancers generate bidirectional noncoding enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) that may regulate gene expression. At present, the eRNA function remains enigmatic. Here, we report a 5' capped antisense eRNA PEARL (Pcdh eRNA associated with R-loop formation) that is transcribed from the protocadherin (Pcdh) α HS5-1 enhancer region. Through loss- and gain-of-function experiments with CRISPR/Cas9 DNA fragment editing, CRISPRi, and CRISPRa, as well as locked nucleic acid strategies, in conjunction with ChIRP, MeDIP, DRIP, QHR-4C, and HiChIP experiments, we found that PEARL regulates Pcdhα gene expression by forming local RNA-DNA duplexes (R-loops) in situ within the HS5-1 enhancer region to promote long-distance chromatin interactions between distal enhancers and target promoters. In particular, increased levels of eRNA PEARL via perturbing transcription elongation factor SPT6 lead to strengthened local three-dimensional chromatin organization within the Pcdh superTAD. These findings have important implications regarding molecular mechanisms by which the HS5-1 enhancer regulates stochastic Pcdhα promoter choice in single cells in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxiao Zhou
- Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,WLA Laboratories, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Siyuan Xu
- Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,WLA Laboratories, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Mo Zhang
- Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,WLA Laboratories, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Qiang Wu
- Center for Comparative Biomedicine, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Systems Biomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Joint International Research Laboratory of Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Institute of Systems Biomedicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.,WLA Laboratories, Shanghai 201203, China
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177
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Application of Non-Viral Vectors in Drug Delivery and Gene Therapy. Polymers (Basel) 2021; 13:polym13193307. [PMID: 34641123 PMCID: PMC8512075 DOI: 10.3390/polym13193307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vectors and carriers play an indispensable role in gene therapy and drug delivery. Non-viral vectors are widely developed and applied in clinical practice due to their low immunogenicity, good biocompatibility, easy synthesis and modification, and low cost of production. This review summarized a variety of non-viral vectors and carriers including polymers, liposomes, gold nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes from the aspects of physicochemical characteristics, synthesis methods, functional modifications, and research applications. Notably, non-viral vectors can enhance the absorption of cargos, prolong the circulation time, improve therapeutic effects, and provide targeted delivery. Additional studies focused on recent innovation of novel synthesis techniques for vector materials. We also elaborated on the problems and future research directions in the development of non-viral vectors, which provided a theoretical basis for their broad applications.
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178
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Bost JP, Barriga H, Holme MN, Gallud A, Maugeri M, Gupta D, Lehto T, Valadi H, Esbjörner EK, Stevens MM, El-Andaloussi S. Delivery of Oligonucleotide Therapeutics: Chemical Modifications, Lipid Nanoparticles, and Extracellular Vesicles. ACS NANO 2021; 15:13993-14021. [PMID: 34505766 PMCID: PMC8482762 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c05099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Oligonucleotides (ONs) comprise a rapidly growing class of therapeutics. In recent years, the list of FDA-approved ON therapies has rapidly expanded. ONs are small (15-30 bp) nucleotide-based therapeutics which are capable of targeting DNA and RNA as well as other biomolecules. ONs can be subdivided into several classes based on their chemical modifications and on the mechanisms of their target interactions. Historically, the largest hindrance to the widespread usage of ON therapeutics has been their inability to effectively internalize into cells and escape from endosomes to reach their molecular targets in the cytosol or nucleus. While cell uptake has been improved, "endosomal escape" remains a significant problem. There are a range of approaches to overcome this, and in this review, we focus on three: altering the chemical structure of the ONs, formulating synthetic, lipid-based nanoparticles to encapsulate the ONs, or biologically loading the ONs into extracellular vesicles. This review provides a background to the design and mode of action of existing FDA-approved ONs. It presents the most common ON classifications and chemical modifications from a fundamental scientific perspective and provides a roadmap of the cellular uptake pathways by which ONs are trafficked. Finally, this review delves into each of the above-mentioned approaches to ON delivery, highlighting the scientific principles behind each and covering recent advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy P. Bost
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 14152, Sweden
| | - Hanna Barriga
- Department
of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Margaret N. Holme
- Department
of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Audrey Gallud
- Department
of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers
University of Technology, Gothenburg 41296, Sweden
- Advanced
Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 43150, Sweden
| | - Marco Maugeri
- Department
of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine,
Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 41390, Sweden
| | - Dhanu Gupta
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 14152, Sweden
| | - Taavi Lehto
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 14152, Sweden
- Institute
of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Hadi Valadi
- Department
of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine,
Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 41390, Sweden
| | - Elin K. Esbjörner
- Department
of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers
University of Technology, Gothenburg 41296, Sweden
| | - Molly M. Stevens
- Department
of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
- Department
of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical
Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BU, United Kingdom
| | - Samir El-Andaloussi
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 14152, Sweden
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179
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Pavlova AS, Yakovleva KI, Epanchitseva AV, Kupryushkin MS, Pyshnaya IA, Pyshnyi DV, Ryabchikova EI, Dovydenko IS. An Influence of Modification with Phosphoryl Guanidine Combined with a 2'-O-Methyl or 2'-Fluoro Group on the Small-Interfering-RNA Effect. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22189784. [PMID: 34575949 PMCID: PMC8467447 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22189784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is the most important tool for the manipulation of mRNA expression and needs protection from intracellular nucleases when delivered into the cell. In this work, we examined the effects of siRNA modification with the phosphoryl guanidine (PG) group, which, as shown earlier, makes oligodeoxynucleotides resistant to snake venom phosphodiesterase. We obtained a set of siRNAs containing combined modifications PG/2'-O-methyl (2'-OMe) or PG/2'-fluoro (2'-F); biophysical and biochemical properties were characterized for each duplex. We used the UV-melting approach to estimate the thermostability of the duplexes and RNAse A degradation assays to determine their stability. The ability to induce silencing was tested in cultured cells stably expressing green fluorescent protein. The introduction of the PG group as a rule decreased the thermodynamic stability of siRNA. At the same time, the siRNAs carrying PG groups showed increased resistance to RNase A. A gene silencing experiment indicated that the PG-modified siRNA retained its activity if the modifications were introduced into the passenger strand.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ilya S. Dovydenko
- Correspondence: (E.I.R.); (I.S.D.); Tel.: +7-383-363-5163 (E.I.R. & I.S.D.)
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180
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Fields E, Vaughan E, Tripu D, Lim I, Shrout K, Conway J, Salib N, Lee Y, Dhamsania A, Jacobsen M, Woo A, Xue H, Cao K. Gene targeting techniques for Huntington's disease. Ageing Res Rev 2021; 70:101385. [PMID: 34098113 PMCID: PMC8373677 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2021.101385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal neurodegenerative disorder caused by extended trinucleotide CAG repetition in the HTT gene. Wild-type huntingtin protein (HTT) is essential, involved in a variety of crucial cellular functions such as vesicle transportation, cell division, transcription regulation, autophagy, and tissue maintenance. The mutant HTT (mHTT) proteins in the body interfere with HTT's normal cellular functions and cause additional detrimental effects. In this review, we discuss multiple approaches targeting DNA and RNA to reduce mHTT expression. These approaches are categorized into non-allele-specific silencing and allele-specific-silencing using Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) and haplogroup analysis. Additionally, this review discusses a potential application of recent CRISPR prime editing technology in targeting HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Fields
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Erik Vaughan
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Deepika Tripu
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Isabelle Lim
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Katherine Shrout
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Jessica Conway
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Nicole Salib
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Yubin Lee
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Akash Dhamsania
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Michael Jacobsen
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Ashley Woo
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Huijing Xue
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States
| | - Kan Cao
- Gemstone Honors Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States; Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, United States.
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181
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Hunter WB, Wintermantel WM. Optimizing Efficient RNAi-Mediated Control of Hemipteran Pests (Psyllids, Leafhoppers, Whitefly): Modified Pyrimidines in dsRNA Triggers. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10091782. [PMID: 34579315 PMCID: PMC8472347 DOI: 10.3390/plants10091782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The advantages from exogenously applied RNAi biopesticides have yet to be realized in through commercialization due to inconsistent activity of the dsRNA trigger, and the activity level of RNAi suppression. This has prompted research on improving delivery methods for applying exogenous dsRNA into plants and insects for the management of pests and pathogens. Another aspect to improve RNAi activity is the incorporation of modified 2′-F pyrimidine nucleotides into the dsRNA trigger. Modified dsRNA incorporating 32–55% of the 2′-F- nucleotides produced improved RNAi activity that increased insect mortality by 12–35% greater than non-modified dsRNA triggers of the same sequence. These results were repeatable across multiple Hemiptera: the Asian citrus psyllid (Diaphorina citri, Liviidae); whitefly (Bemisia tabaci, Aleyroididae); and the glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis, Cicadellidae). Studies using siRNA with modified 2′-F- pyrimidines in mammalian cells show they improved resistance to degradation from nucleases, plus result in greater RNAi activity, due to increase concentrations and improved binding affinity to the mRNA target. Successful RNAi biopesticides of the future will be able to increase RNAi repeatability in the field, by incorporating modifications of the dsRNA, such as 2′-F- pyrimidines, that will improve delivery after applied to fruit trees or crop plants, with increased activity after ingestion by insects. Costs of RNA modification have decreased significantly over the past few years such that biopesticides can now compete on pricing with commercial chemical products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne Brian Hunter
- U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Subtropical Insects Res., Fort Pierce, FL 34945, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - William M. Wintermantel
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service, Crop Improvement and Protection Research, Salinas, CA 93905, USA;
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182
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Lesman D, Rodriguez Y, Rajakumar D, Wein N. U7 snRNA, a Small RNA with a Big Impact in Gene Therapy. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 32:1317-1329. [PMID: 34139889 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2021.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The uridine-rich 7 (U7) small nuclear RNA (snRNA) is a component of a small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) complex. U7 snRNA naturally contains an antisense sequence that identifies histone premessenger RNAs (pre-mRNAs) and is involved in their 3' end processing. By altering this antisense sequence, researchers have turned U7 snRNA into a versatile tool for targeting pre-mRNAs and modifying splicing. Encapsulating a modified U7 snRNA into a viral vector such as adeno-associated virus (also referred as vectorized exon skipping/inclusion, or VES/VEI) enables the delivery of this highly efficacious splicing modulator into a range of cell lines, primary cells, and tissues. In addition, and in contrast to antisense oligonucleotides, viral delivery of U7 snRNA enables long-term expression of antisense sequences in the nucleus as part of a stable snRNP complex. As a result, VES/VEI has emerged as a promising therapeutic platform for treating a large variety of human diseases caused by errors in pre-mRNA splicing or its regulation. Here we provide an overview of U7 snRNA's natural function and its applications in gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Lesman
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Yacidzohara Rodriguez
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Dhanarajan Rajakumar
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Nicolas Wein
- Center for Gene Therapy, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Department of Pediatric, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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183
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Parthymos I, Kostapanos MS, Mikhailidis DP, Florentin M. Lipoprotein (a) as a treatment target for cardiovascular disease prevention and related therapeutic strategies: a critical overview. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2021; 29:739-755. [PMID: 34389859 DOI: 10.1093/eurjpc/zwab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Advances in several fields of cardiovascular (CV) medicine have produced new treatments (e.g. to treat dyslipidaemia) that have proven efficacy in terms of reducing deaths and providing a better quality of life. However, the burden of CV disease (CVD) remains high. Thus, there is a need to search for new treatment targets. Lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] has emerged as a potential novel target since there is evidence that it contributes to CVD events. In this narrative review, we present the current evidence of the potential causal relationship between Lp(a) and CVD and discuss the likely magnitude of Lp(a) lowering required to produce a clinical benefit. We also consider current and investigational treatments targeting Lp(a), along with the potential cost of these interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Parthymos
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece
| | - Michael S Kostapanos
- Department of General Medicine, Lipid Clinic, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dimitri P Mikhailidis
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Royal Free Hospital Campus, University College London Medical School, University College London (UCL), London NW3 2QG, UK
| | - Matilda Florentin
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece
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184
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The current aim in the HBV landscape is to develop therapeutic strategies to achieve a functional cure of infection, characterized by a sustained loss of HBsAg off-treatment. Current treatment options, that is, nucleos(t)ide analogues and IFN are effective at viral suppression but very poor at achieving HBsAg loss. This article is designed to summarize the HBV life cycle in order to review the current treatment strategies and compounds targeting different points of the virus life cycle, which are either in preclinical or clinical phases. RECENT FINDINGS Recently our developed understanding of the HBV life cycle has enabled the development of multiple novel treatment options, all aiming for functional cure. SUMMARY It is likely that combinations of novel treatments will be needed to achieve a functional cure, including those that target the virus itself as well as those that target the immune system.
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185
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Pluskota-Karwatka D, Hoffmann M, Barciszewski J. Reducing SARS-CoV-2 pathological protein activity with small molecules. J Pharm Anal 2021; 11:383-397. [PMID: 33842018 PMCID: PMC8020608 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpha.2021.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses are dangerous human and animal pathogens. The newly identified coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 outbreak, which is a real threat to human health and life. The world has been struggling with this epidemic for about a year, yet there are still no targeted drugs and effective treatments are very limited. Due to the long process of developing new drugs, reposition of existing ones is one of the best ways to deal with an epidemic of emergency infectious diseases. Among the existing drugs, there are candidates potentially able to inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 replication, and thus inhibit the infection of the virus. Some therapeutics target several proteins, and many diseases share molecular paths. In such cases, the use of existing pharmaceuticals for more than one purpose can reduce the time needed to design new drugs. The aim of this review was to analyze the key targets of viral infection and potential drugs acting on them, as well as to discuss various strategies and therapeutic approaches, including the possible use of natural products. We highlighted the approach based on increasing the involvement of human deaminases, particularly APOBEC deaminases in editing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA. This can reduce the cytosine content in the viral genome, leading to the loss of its integrity. We also indicated the nucleic acid technologies as potential approaches for COVID-19 treatment. Among numerous promising natural products, we pointed out curcumin and cannabidiol as good candidates for being anti-SARS-CoV-2 agents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcin Hoffmann
- Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Jan Barciszewski
- NanoBiomedical Center of the Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences 61-704, Poznań, Poland
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186
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Dong X, Cong S. The emerging roles of long non-coding RNAs in polyglutamine diseases. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:8095-8102. [PMID: 34318578 PMCID: PMC8419158 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are characterized by trinucleotide repeat amplifications within genes, thus resulting in the formation of polyQ peptides, selective neuronal degeneration and possibly death due to neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which exceed 200 nucleotides in length, have been shown to play important roles in several pathological processes of NDDs, including polyQ diseases. Some lncRNAs have been consistently identified to be specific to polyQ diseases, and circulating lncRNAs are among the most promising novel candidates in the search for non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of polyQ diseases. In this review, we describe the emerging roles of lncRNAs in polyQ diseases and provide an overview of the general biology of lncRNAs, their implications in pathophysiology and their potential roles as future biomarkers and applications for therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Dong
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Shuyan Cong
- Department of Neurology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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187
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Caputo M, Kurhe Y, Kumari S, Cansby E, Amrutkar M, Scandalis E, Booten SL, Ståhlman M, Borén J, Marschall HU, Aghajan M, Mahlapuu M. Silencing of STE20-type kinase MST3 in mice with antisense oligonucleotide treatment ameliorates diet-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21567. [PMID: 33891332 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002671rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is emerging as a leading cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. Despite intensive nonclinical and clinical research in this field, no specific pharmacological therapy is currently approved to treat NAFLD, which has been recognized as one of the major unmet medical needs of the 21st century. Our recent studies have identified STE20-type kinase MST3, which localizes to intracellular lipid droplets, as a critical regulator of ectopic fat accumulation in human hepatocytes. Here, we explored whether treatment with Mst3-targeting antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) can promote hepatic lipid clearance and mitigate NAFLD progression in mice in the context of obesity. We found that administration of Mst3-targeting ASOs in mice effectively ameliorated the full spectrum of high-fat diet-induced NAFLD including liver steatosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and hepatocellular damage. Mechanistically, Mst3 ASOs suppressed lipogenic gene expression, as well as acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) protein abundance, and substantially reduced lipotoxicity-mediated oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress in the livers of obese mice. Furthermore, we found that MST3 protein levels correlated positively with the severity of NAFLD in human liver biopsies. In summary, this study provides the first in vivo evidence that antagonizing MST3 signaling is sufficient to mitigate NAFLD progression in conditions of excess dietary fuels and warrants future investigations to assess whether MST3 inhibitors may provide a new strategy for the treatment of patients with NAFLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Caputo
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yeshwant Kurhe
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Sima Kumari
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Emmelie Cansby
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Manoj Amrutkar
- Department of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | - Marcus Ståhlman
- Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jan Borén
- Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Hanns-Ulrich Marschall
- Wallenberg Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | - Margit Mahlapuu
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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188
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Prajapati R, Somoza Á. Albumin Nanostructures for Nucleic Acid Delivery in Cancer: Current Trend, Emerging Issues, and Possible Solutions. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3454. [PMID: 34298666 PMCID: PMC8304767 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13143454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the major health problems worldwide, and hence, suitable therapies with enhanced efficacy and reduced side effects are desired. Gene therapy, involving plasmids, small interfering RNAs, and antisense oligonucleotides have been showing promising potential in cancer therapy. In recent years, the preparation of various carriers for nucleic acid delivery to the tumor sites is gaining attention since intracellular and extracellular barriers impart major challenges in the delivery of naked nucleic acids. Albumin is a versatile protein being used widely for developing carriers for nucleic acids. It provides biocompatibility, tumor specificity, the possibility for surface modification, and reduces toxicity. In this review, the advantages of using nucleic acids in cancer therapy and the challenges associated with their delivery are presented. The focus of this article is on the different types of albumin nanocarriers, such as nanoparticles, polyplexes, and nanoconjugates, employed to overcome the limitations of the direct use of nucleic acids in vivo. This review also highlights various approaches for the modification of the surface of albumin to enhance its transfection efficiency and targeted delivery in the tumor sites.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Álvaro Somoza
- Instituto Madrileño de Estudios Avanzados en Nanociencia (IMDEA Nanociencia), Faraday 9, 28049 Madrid, Spain;
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189
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Li J, Stolee JA, Meda A. Simultaneous quantitation of inorganic ions in oligonucleotides using mixed-mode liquid chromatography coupled with a charged aerosol detector. J Pharm Biomed Anal 2021; 204:114244. [PMID: 34280819 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2021.114244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The amounts of inorganic ions (e.g. sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, chloride, and phosphate) in intrathecally administered oligonucleotide drug products need to be controlled in order to meet the final target formulation composition. During process development, these ions are measured to ensure the solution composition does not change during purification or drug product compounding and to ensure the final drug product targets are achieved. A quantitative method for ion analysis in antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs was developed by mixed-mode anion exchange/cation exchange-hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (AEX/CEX-HILIC) with a charged aerosol detector (CAD). This thirteen-minute method measures monovalent and multivalent cations and anions simultaneously. LC separation conditions, CAD parameters, and sample preparation were judiciously optimized to ensure that the method is specific, accurate, precise, linear, robust, and rugged. With this LC-CAD approach, ion analysis for oligonucleotide drugs can be performed in most analytical labs to support drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangwei Li
- Department of Analytical Development, Biogen, 225 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Jessica A Stolee
- Department of Analytical Development, Biogen, 225 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Alvin Meda
- Department of Analytical Development, Biogen, 225 Binney St, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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190
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Antisense oligonucleotide-based drug development for Cystic Fibrosis patients carrying the 3849+10 kb C-to-T splicing mutation. J Cyst Fibros 2021; 20:865-875. [PMID: 34226157 PMCID: PMC8464507 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcf.2021.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Background: Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based drugs for splicing modulation were recently approved for various genetic diseases with unmet need. Here we aimed to develop an ASO-based splicing modulation therapy for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients carrying the 3849 + 10 kb C-to-T splicing mutation in the CFTR gene. Methods: We have screened, in FRT cells expressing the 3849 + 10 kb C-to-T splicing mutation, ~30 2ʹ-O-Methyl-modified phosphorothioate ASOs, targeted to prevent the recognition and inclusion of a cryptic exon generated due to the mutation. The effect of highly potent ASO candidates on the splicing pattern, protein maturation and CFTR function was further analyzed in well differentiated primary human nasal and bronchial epithelial cells, derived from patients carrying at least one 3849 + 10 kb C-to-T allele. Results: A highly potent lead ASO, efficiently delivered by free uptake, was able to significantly increase the level of correctly spliced mRNA and completely restore the CFTR function to wild type levels in cells from a homozygote patient. This ASO led to CFTR function with an average of 43% of wild type levels in cells from various heterozygote patients. Optimized efficiency of the lead ASO was further obtained with 2ʹ-Methoxy Ethyl modification (2ʹMOE). Conclusion: The highly efficient splicing modulation and functional correction, achieved by free uptake of the selected lead ASO in various patients, demonstrate the ASO therapeutic potential benefit for CF patients carrying splicing mutations and is aimed to serve as the basis for our current clinical development.
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191
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Delivery of Genetic Information: Viral Vector and Nonviral Vector Gene Therapies. Int Ophthalmol Clin 2021; 61:35-57. [PMID: 34196317 DOI: 10.1097/iio.0000000000000360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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192
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Sutton JM, Kim J, El Zahar NM, Bartlett MG. BIOANALYSIS AND BIOTRANSFORMATION OF OLIGONUCLEOTIDE THERAPEUTICS BY LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY-MASS SPECTROMETRY. MASS SPECTROMETRY REVIEWS 2021; 40:334-358. [PMID: 32588492 DOI: 10.1002/mas.21641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Since 2016, eight new oligonucleotide therapies have been approved which has led to increased interest in oligonucleotide analysis. There is a particular need for powerful bioanalytical tools to study the metabolism and biotransformation of these molecules. This review provides the background on the biological basis of these molecules as currently used in therapies. The article also reviews the current state of analytical methodology including state of the art sample preparation techniques, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods, and the current limits of detection/quantitation. Finally, the article summarizes the challenges in oligonucleotide bioanalysis and provides future perspectives for this emerging field. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Michael Sutton
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, 250 West Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602-2352
| | - Jaeah Kim
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, 250 West Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602-2352
| | - Noha M El Zahar
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, 250 West Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602-2352
- Pharmaceutical Analytical Chemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Organization of African Unity Street, Cairo, 11566, Egypt
| | - Michael G Bartlett
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, 250 West Green Street, Athens, GA, 30602-2352
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193
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Pereira S, Santos RS, Moreira L, Guimarães N, Gomes M, Zhang H, Remaut K, Braeckmans K, De Smedt S, Azevedo NF. Lipoplexes to Deliver Oligonucleotides in Gram-Positive and Gram-Negative Bacteria: Towards Treatment of Blood Infections. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13070989. [PMID: 34210111 PMCID: PMC8309032 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13070989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics threatens the ability to treat life-threatening bloodstream infections. Oligonucleotides (ONs) composed of nucleic acid mimics (NAMs) able to inhibit essential genes can become an alternative to traditional antibiotics, as long as they are safely transported in human serum upon intravenous administration and they are carried across the multilayered bacterial envelopes, impermeable to ONs. In this study, fusogenic liposomes were considered to transport the ONs and promote their internalization in clinically relevant bacteria. Locked nucleic acids and 2′-OMethyl RNA were evaluated as model NAMs and formulated into DOTAP–DOPE liposomes followed by post-PEGylation. Our data showed a complexation stability between the post-PEGylated liposomes and the ONs of over 82%, during 24 h in native human serum, as determined by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. Quantification by a lipid-mixing assay showed that liposomes, with and without post-PEGylation, fused with all bacteria tested. Such fusion promoted the delivery of a fraction of the ONs into the bacterial cytosol, as observed by fluorescence in situ hybridization and bacterial fractionation. In short, we demonstrated for the first time that liposomes can safely transport ONs in human serum and intracellularly deliver them in both Gram-negative and -positive bacteria, which holds promise towards the treatment of bloodstream infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Pereira
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; (S.P.); (L.M.); (N.G.); (M.G.); (N.F.A.)
| | - Rita Sobral Santos
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; (S.P.); (L.M.); (N.G.); (M.G.); (N.F.A.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +351-225-08-48-71
| | - Luís Moreira
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; (S.P.); (L.M.); (N.G.); (M.G.); (N.F.A.)
| | - Nuno Guimarães
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; (S.P.); (L.M.); (N.G.); (M.G.); (N.F.A.)
| | - Mariana Gomes
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; (S.P.); (L.M.); (N.G.); (M.G.); (N.F.A.)
| | - Heyang Zhang
- Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (H.Z.); (K.R.); (K.B.); (S.D.S.)
| | - Katrien Remaut
- Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (H.Z.); (K.R.); (K.B.); (S.D.S.)
| | - Kevin Braeckmans
- Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (H.Z.); (K.R.); (K.B.); (S.D.S.)
- Centre for Advanced Light Microscopy, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Stefaan De Smedt
- Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (H.Z.); (K.R.); (K.B.); (S.D.S.)
- Centre for Advanced Light Microscopy, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nuno Filipe Azevedo
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; (S.P.); (L.M.); (N.G.); (M.G.); (N.F.A.)
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194
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Karpe Y, Chen Z, Li XJ. Stem Cell Models and Gene Targeting for Human Motor Neuron Diseases. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:565. [PMID: 34204831 PMCID: PMC8231537 DOI: 10.3390/ph14060565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor neurons are large projection neurons classified into upper and lower motor neurons responsible for controlling the movement of muscles. Degeneration of motor neurons results in progressive muscle weakness, which underlies several debilitating neurological disorders including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP), and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). With the development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, human iPSCs can be derived from patients and further differentiated into motor neurons. Motor neuron disease models can also be generated by genetically modifying human pluripotent stem cells. The efficiency of gene targeting in human cells had been very low, but is greatly improved with recent gene editing technologies such as zinc-finger nucleases (ZFN), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN), and CRISPR-Cas9. The combination of human stem cell-based models and gene editing tools provides unique paradigms to dissect pathogenic mechanisms and to explore therapeutics for these devastating diseases. Owing to the critical role of several genes in the etiology of motor neuron diseases, targeted gene therapies have been developed, including antisense oligonucleotides, viral-based gene delivery, and in situ gene editing. This review summarizes recent advancements in these areas and discusses future challenges toward the development of transformative medicines for motor neuron diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yashashree Karpe
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (Y.K.); (Z.C.)
| | - Zhenyu Chen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (Y.K.); (Z.C.)
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Xue-Jun Li
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford, IL 61107, USA; (Y.K.); (Z.C.)
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
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195
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Lin M, Hu X, Chang S, Chang Y, Bian W, Hu R, Wang J, Zhu Q, Qiu J. Advances of Antisense Oligonucleotide Technology in the Treatment of Hereditary Neurodegenerative Diseases. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2021; 2021:6678422. [PMID: 34211575 PMCID: PMC8211492 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6678422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Antisense nucleic acids are single-stranded oligonucleotides that have been specially chemically modified, which can bind to RNA expressed by target genes through base complementary pairing and affect protein synthesis at the level of posttranscriptional processing or protein translation. In recent years, the application of antisense nucleic acid technology in the treatment of neuromuscular diseases has made remarkable progress. In 2016, the US FDA approved two antisense nucleic acid drugs for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), and the development to treat other neurodegenerative diseases has also entered the clinical stage. Therefore, ASO represents a treatment with great potential. The article will summarize ASO therapies in terms of mechanism of action, chemical modification, and administration methods and analyze their role in several common neurodegenerative diseases, such as SMA, DMD, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This article systematically summarizes the great potential of antisense nucleic acid technology in the treatment of hereditary neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengsi Lin
- Department of Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis Center, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, China
| | - Xinyi Hu
- Department of Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis Center, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, China
| | - Shiyi Chang
- School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, China
| | - Yan Chang
- School of Life Sciences, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, China
| | - Wenjun Bian
- Department of Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis Center, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, China
| | - Ruikun Hu
- Department of Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis Center, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis Center, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, China
| | - Qingwen Zhu
- Department of Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis Center, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, China
| | - Jiaying Qiu
- Department of Prenatal Screening and Diagnosis Center, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province 226001, China
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196
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Barbosa A, Araújo D, Henriques M, Silva S. The combined application of the anti-RAS1 and anti-RIM101 2'-OMethylRNA oligomers enhances Candida albicans filamentation control. Med Mycol 2021; 59:1024-1031. [PMID: 34097057 DOI: 10.1093/mmy/myab033] [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: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Whereas antisense oligomers (ASOs) have been successfully utilized to control gene expression, they have been little exploited to control Candida albicans virulence's determinants. Filamentation is an important virulence factor of C. albicans, and RAS1 and RIM101 genes are involved in its regulation. Thus, the main goal of this work was to project ASOs, based on 2'-OMethyl chemical modification, to target RAS1 and RIM101 mRNA and to validate its application either alone or in combination, to reduce Candida filamentation in different human body fluids.It was verified that both, anti-RAS1 2'OMe and anti-RIM101 2'OMe oligomers, were able to reduce the levels of RAS1 and RIM101 genes' expression and to significantly reduce C. albicans filamentation. Furthermore, the combined application of anti-RAS1 2'OMe oligomer and anti-RIM101 2'OMe oligomer enhances the control of C. albicans filamentation in artificial saliva and urine.Our work confirms that ASOs are useful tools for research and therapeutic development on the control of candidiasis. LAY ABSTRACT This work aimed to project antisense oligomers to control Candida albicans filamentation. The results revealed that the projected oligomers, anti-RAS1 2'OMe and anti-RIM101 2'OMe, were able to control RAS1 and RIM101 gene expression and to significantly reduce C. albicans filamentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Barbosa
- LIBRO - Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Daniela Araújo
- LIBRO - Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Mariana Henriques
- LIBRO - Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Sónia Silva
- LIBRO - Laboratório de Investigação em Biofilmes Rosário Oliveira, CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
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197
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Baraniak D, Boryski J. Triazole-Modified Nucleic Acids for the Application in Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry. Biomedicines 2021; 9:628. [PMID: 34073038 PMCID: PMC8229351 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9060628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This review covers studies which exploit triazole-modified nucleic acids in the range of chemistry and biology to medicine. The 1,2,3-triazole unit, which is obtained via click chemistry approach, shows valuable and unique properties. For example, it does not occur in nature, constitutes an additional pharmacophore with attractive properties being resistant to hydrolysis and other reactions at physiological pH, exhibits biological activity (i.e., antibacterial, antitumor, and antiviral), and can be considered as a rigid mimetic of amide linkage. Herein, it is presented a whole area of useful artificial compounds, from the clickable monomers and dimers to modified oligonucleotides, in the field of nucleic acids sciences. Such modifications of internucleotide linkages are designed to increase the hybridization binding affinity toward native DNA or RNA, to enhance resistance to nucleases, and to improve ability to penetrate cell membranes. The insertion of an artificial backbone is used for understanding effects of chemically modified oligonucleotides, and their potential usefulness in therapeutic applications. We describe the state-of-the-art knowledge on their implications for synthetic genes and other large modified DNA and RNA constructs including non-coding RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Baraniak
- Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Noskowskiego 12/14, 61-704 Poznan, Poland;
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198
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Uppuladinne MVN, Dowerah D, Sonavane UB, Ray SK, Deka RC, Joshi RR. Structural insight into locked nucleic acid based novel antisense modifications: A DFT calculations at monomer and MD simulations at oligomer level. J Mol Graph Model 2021; 107:107945. [PMID: 34102527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2021.107945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, five novel LNA based antisense modifications have been proposed. A conformational search was carried out using TANGO, followed by geometry optimization using MOPAC. Based on their electronic energies the most stable conformation for each modification was identified. Further, DFT based full geometry optimization on the most stable conformations at the gas phase B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) using a Gaussian03 and single point energy calculations on the optimized structures at the solvent phase B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory were done to derive their quantum chemical descriptors using the Gaussian09. A comparison of global reactivity descriptors confirmed that the LNA based modifications were the most reactive. Base-pair stability was recorded by observing the binding energies and base-pairing conformations of modified GC base pairs at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed at the oligomer duplex level by incorporating individual modifications on 20-mer RNA-RNA duplexes using AMBER16. Free energy calculations of duplex structures suggested that incorporation of A2 modification into the RNA-RNA duplex increased the duplex binding affinity similar to LNA. Whereas, the A3 modification showed less binding compared to LNA but improved binding compared to MOE. This computational approach using quantum chemical methods may be very useful to propose better modifications than the existing ones before performing the experiments in the area of antisense technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallikarjunachari V N Uppuladinne
- HPC - Medical & Bioinformatics Applications Group, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Panchavati, Pashan, Pune, India.
| | - Dikshita Dowerah
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Assam, India.
| | - Uddhavesh B Sonavane
- HPC - Medical & Bioinformatics Applications Group, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Panchavati, Pashan, Pune, India.
| | - Suvendra Kumar Ray
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Assam, India.
| | - Ramesh C Deka
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Assam, India.
| | - Rajendra R Joshi
- HPC - Medical & Bioinformatics Applications Group, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Panchavati, Pashan, Pune, India.
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199
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Demelenne A, Servais AC, Crommen J, Fillet M. Analytical techniques currently used in the pharmaceutical industry for the quality control of RNA-based therapeutics and ongoing developments. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1651:462283. [PMID: 34107400 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The number of RNA-based therapeutics has significantly grown in number on the market over the last 20 years. This number is expected to further increase in the coming years as many RNA therapeutics are being tested in late clinical trials stages. The first part of this paper considers the mechanism of action, the synthesis and the potential impurities resulting from synthesis as well as the strategies used to increase RNA-based therapeutics efficacy. In the second part of this review, the tests that are usually performed in the pharmaceutical industry for the quality testing of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), small-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) will be described. In the last part, the remaining challenges and the ongoing developments to meet them are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Demelenne
- Laboratory for the Analysis of Medicines, Department of Pharmacy, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liege, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue Hippocrate 15, CHU, B36, Liege 4000, Belgium
| | - Anne-Catherine Servais
- Laboratory for the Analysis of Medicines, Department of Pharmacy, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liege, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue Hippocrate 15, CHU, B36, Liege 4000, Belgium
| | - Jacques Crommen
- Laboratory for the Analysis of Medicines, Department of Pharmacy, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liege, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue Hippocrate 15, CHU, B36, Liege 4000, Belgium
| | - Marianne Fillet
- Laboratory for the Analysis of Medicines, Department of Pharmacy, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liege, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue Hippocrate 15, CHU, B36, Liege 4000, Belgium.
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Enmark M, Harun S, Samuelsson J, Örnskov E, Thunberg L, Dahlén A, Fornstedt T. Selectivity limits of and opportunities for ion pair chromatographic separation of oligonucleotides. J Chromatogr A 2021; 1651:462269. [PMID: 34102400 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2021.462269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Here it was investigated how oligonucleotide retention and selectivity factors are affected by electrostatic and non-electrostatic interactions in ion pair chromatography. A framework was derived describing how selectivity depends on the electrostatic potential generated by the ion-pair reagent concentration, co-solvent volume fraction, charge difference between the analytes, and temperature. Isocratic experiments verified that, in separation problems concerning oligonucleotides of different charges, selectivity increases with increasing surface potential and analyte charge difference and with decreasing co-solvent volume fraction and temperature. For analytes of the same charge, for example, diastereomers of phosphorothioated oligonucleotides, selectivity can be increased by decreasing the co-solvent volume fraction or the temperature and has only a minor dependency on the ion-pairing reagent concentration. An important observation is that oligonucleotide retention is driven predominantly by electrostatic interaction generated by the adsorption of the ion-pairing reagent. We therefore compared classical gradient elution in which the co-solvent volume fraction increases over time versus gradient elution with a constant co-solvent volume fraction but with decreasing ion-pair reagent concentration over time. Both modes decrease the electrostatic potential. Oligonucleotide selectivity was found to increase with decreasing ion-pairing reagent concentration. The two elution modes were finally applied to two different model antisense oligonucleotide separation problems, and it was shown that the ion-pair reagent gradient increases the selectivity of non-charge-based separation problems while maintaining charge-difference-based selectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Enmark
- Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences, Karlstad University, SE-651 88 Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Said Harun
- Advanced Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca,Gothenburg, 431 83, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Jörgen Samuelsson
- Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences, Karlstad University, SE-651 88 Karlstad, Sweden.
| | - Eivor Örnskov
- Advanced Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca,Gothenburg, 431 83, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Linda Thunberg
- Early Chemical Development, Pharmaceutical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, 431 83, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Anders Dahlén
- Oligonucleotide Discovery, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, 431 83, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Torgny Fornstedt
- Department of Engineering and Chemical Sciences, Karlstad University, SE-651 88 Karlstad, Sweden.
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