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Xin J, Lu X, Cao J, Wu W, Liu Q, Wang D, Zhou X, Ding D. Fluorinated Organic Polymers for Cancer Drug Delivery. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2404645. [PMID: 38678386 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202404645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/30/2024]
Abstract
In the realm of cancer therapy, the spotlight is on nanoscale pharmaceutical delivery systems, especially polymer-based nanoparticles, for their enhanced drug dissolution, extended presence in the bloodstream, and precision targeting achieved via surface engineering. Leveraging the amplified permeation and retention phenomenon, these systems concentrate therapeutic agents within tumor tissues. Nonetheless, the hurdles of systemic toxicity, biological barriers, and compatibility with living systems persist. Fluorinated polymers, distinguished by their chemical idiosyncrasies, are poised for extensive biomedical applications, notably in stabilizing drug metabolism, augmenting lipophilicity, and optimizing bioavailability. Material science heralds the advent of fluorinated polymers that, by integrating fluorine atoms, unveil a suite of drug delivery merits: the hydrophobic traits of fluorinated alkyl chains ward off lipid or protein disruption, the carbon-fluorine bond's stability extends the drug's lifecycle in the system, and a lower alkalinity coupled with a diminished ionic charge bolsters the drug's ability to traverse cellular membranes. This comprehensive review delves into the utilization of fluorinated polymers for oncological pharmacotherapy, elucidating their molecular architecture, synthetic pathways, and functional attributes, alongside an exploration of their empirical strengths and the quandaries they encounter in both experimental and clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingrui Xin
- College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Xue Lu
- Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai International Advanced Research Institute (Shenzhen, Futian), and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Jimin Cao
- Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, and First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China
| | - Weihui Wu
- Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai International Advanced Research Institute (Shenzhen, Futian), and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
| | - Qian Liu
- Department of Urology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Deping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, and First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, and First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China
| | - Dan Ding
- Frontiers Science Center for New Organic Matter, Nankai International Advanced Research Institute (Shenzhen, Futian), and College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China
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Shi Y, Zhen X, Zhang Y, Li Y, Koo S, Saiding Q, Kong N, Liu G, Chen W, Tao W. Chemically Modified Platforms for Better RNA Therapeutics. Chem Rev 2024; 124:929-1033. [PMID: 38284616 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
RNA-based therapies have catalyzed a revolutionary transformation in the biomedical landscape, offering unprecedented potential in disease prevention and treatment. However, despite their remarkable achievements, these therapies encounter substantial challenges including low stability, susceptibility to degradation by nucleases, and a prominent negative charge, thereby hindering further development. Chemically modified platforms have emerged as a strategic innovation, focusing on precise alterations either on the RNA moieties or their associated delivery vectors. This comprehensive review delves into these platforms, underscoring their significance in augmenting the performance and translational prospects of RNA-based therapeutics. It encompasses an in-depth analysis of various chemically modified delivery platforms that have been instrumental in propelling RNA therapeutics toward clinical utility. Moreover, the review scrutinizes the rationale behind diverse chemical modification techniques aiming at optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of RNA molecules, thereby facilitating robust disease management. Recent empirical studies corroborating the efficacy enhancement of RNA therapeutics through chemical modifications are highlighted. Conclusively, we offer profound insights into the transformative impact of chemical modifications on RNA drugs and delineates prospective trajectories for their future development and clinical integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesi Shi
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xueyan Zhen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yongjiang Li
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Seyoung Koo
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Qimanguli Saiding
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Na Kong
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Gang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Wei Tao
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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Liu Y, Zhou L, Xu X, Cheng Z, Chen Y, Mei XA, Zheng N, Zhang C, Bai Y. Combination of Backbone Rigidity and Richness in Aryl Structures Enables Direct Membrane Translocation of Polymer Scaffolds for Efficient Gene Delivery. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:5698-5706. [PMID: 37945526 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
The development of cell-penetrating polymers with endocytosis-independent cell uptake pathways has emerged as a prominent strategy to enhance the transfection efficiency. Inspired by the rigid α-helical structure that endows polypeptides with cell-penetrating ability, we propose that a rigid backbone can facilitate the corresponding polymer vector's performance in gene delivery by bypassing the difficult endosomal escape process. Meanwhile, the installation of aromatic domains, as a way to promote gene transfection efficiency, is employed through the construction of a poly(benzyl ether) (PBE)-based scaffold in this work. We demonstrate that the direct membrane translocation capability of the synthesized PBE contributes to its enhanced transfection performance and excellent biocompatibility profile, rendering the imidazolium-functionalized PBE scaffold with higher activity and biocompatibility. Molecular details of the PBE-lipid interaction are also revealed in molecular dynamics simulations, indicating the important roles of individual structural elements on the polymeric scaffold in the membrane penetration process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Leyue Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
- Department of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Shijiazhuang College of Applied Technology, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050081, China
| | - Xiang Xu
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Zehong Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yajie Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Xue-Ao Mei
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Nan Zheng
- Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China
| | - Chunhui Zhang
- School of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
| | - Yugang Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Chemo-/Bio-Sensing and Chemometrics, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, Hunan 410082, China
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Hülsmann J, Lindemann H, Wegener J, Kühne M, Godmann M, Koschella A, Coldewey SM, Heinze T, Heinzel T. Dually Modified Cellulose as a Non-Viral Vector for the Delivery and Uptake of HDAC3 siRNA. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:2659. [PMID: 38140000 PMCID: PMC10747125 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15122659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
RNA interference can be applied to different target genes for treating a variety of diseases, but an appropriate delivery system is necessary to ensure the transport of intact siRNAs to the site of action. In this study, cellulose was dually modified to create a non-viral vector for HDAC3 short interfering RNA (siRNA) transfer into cells. A guanidinium group introduced positive charges into the cellulose to allow complexation of negatively charged genetic material. Furthermore, a biotin group fixed by a polyethylene glycol (PEG) spacer was attached to the polymer to allow, if required, the binding of targeting ligands. The resulting polyplexes with HDAC3 siRNA had a size below 200 nm and a positive zeta potential of up to 15 mV. For N/P ratio 2 and higher, the polymer could efficiently complex siRNA. Nanoparticles, based on this dually modified derivative, revealed a low cytotoxicity. Only minor effects on the endothelial barrier integrity and a transfection efficiency in HEK293 cells higher than Lipofectamine 2000TM were found. The uptake and release of the polyplexes were confirmed by immunofluorescence imaging. This study indicates that the modified biopolymer is an auspicious biocompatible non-viral vector with biotin as a promising moiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Hülsmann
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 2, 07745 Jena, Germany; (J.H.); (M.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Henry Lindemann
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Center of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany; (H.L.); (A.K.); (T.H.)
| | - Jamila Wegener
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany; (J.W.); (S.M.C.)
- Septomics Research Center, Jena University Hospital, Albert-Einstein-Straße 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Marie Kühne
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 2, 07745 Jena, Germany; (J.H.); (M.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Maren Godmann
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 2, 07745 Jena, Germany; (J.H.); (M.K.); (M.G.)
| | - Andreas Koschella
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Center of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany; (H.L.); (A.K.); (T.H.)
| | - Sina M. Coldewey
- Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany; (J.W.); (S.M.C.)
- Septomics Research Center, Jena University Hospital, Albert-Einstein-Straße 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Center for Sepsis Control and Care, Jena University Hospital, Am Klinikum 1, 07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Heinze
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry, Center of Excellence for Polysaccharide Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstraße 10, 07743 Jena, Germany; (H.L.); (A.K.); (T.H.)
- Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Thorsten Heinzel
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for Molecular Biomedicine, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Hans-Knöll-Straße 2, 07745 Jena, Germany; (J.H.); (M.K.); (M.G.)
- Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7, 07743 Jena, Germany
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Rahimi A, Esmaeili Y, Dana N, Dabiri A, Rahimmanesh I, Jandaghain S, Vaseghi G, Shariati L, Zarrabi A, Javanmard SH, Cordani M. A comprehensive review on novel targeted therapy methods and nanotechnology-based gene delivery systems in melanoma. Eur J Pharm Sci 2023:106476. [PMID: 37236377 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Melanoma, a malignant form of skin cancer, has been swiftly increasing in recent years. Although there have been significant advancements in clinical treatment underlying a well-understanding of melanoma-susceptible genes and the molecular basis of melanoma pathogenesis, the permanency of response to therapy is frequently constrained by the emergence of acquired resistance and systemic toxicity. Conventional therapies, including surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, have already been used to treat melanoma and are dependent on the cancer stage. Nevertheless, ineffective side effects and the heterogeneity of tumors pose major obstacles to the therapeutic treatment of malignant melanoma through such strategies. In light of this, advanced therapies including nucleic acid therapies (ncRNA, aptamers), suicide gene therapies, and gene therapy using tumor suppressor genes, have lately gained immense attention in the field of cancer treatment. Furthermore, nanomedicine and targeted therapy based on gene editing tools have been applied to the treatment of melanoma as potential cancer treatment approaches nowadays. Indeed, nanovectors enable delivery of the therapeutic agents into the tumor sites by passive or active targeting, improving therapeutic efficiency and minimizing adverse effects. Accordingly, in this review, we summarized the recent findings related to novel targeted therapy methods as well as nanotechnology-based gene systems in melanoma. We also discussed current issues along with potential directions for future research, paving the way for the next-generation of melanoma treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh Rahimi
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Yasaman Esmaeili
- Biosensor Research Center, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 8174673461, Iran
| | - Nasim Dana
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Arezou Dabiri
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Ilnaz Rahimmanesh
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Setareh Jandaghain
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Golnaz Vaseghi
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran; Isfahan Cardiovascular Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 8158388994, Iran
| | - Laleh Shariati
- Department of Biomaterials, Nanotechnology and Tissue Engineering, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan 8174673461, Iran
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Natural Sciences, Istinye University, Istanbul 34396, Turkey
| | - Shaghayegh Haghjooy Javanmard
- Applied Physiology Research Center, Cardiovascular Research Institute, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
| | - Marco Cordani
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Complutense University, 28040 Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias San Carlos (IdISSC), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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Kandasamy G, Maity D. Current Advancements in Self-assembling Nanocarriers-Based siRNA Delivery for Cancer Therapy. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2022; 221:113002. [PMID: 36370645 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2022.113002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Different therapeutic practices for treating cancers have significantly evolved to compensate and/or overcome the failures in conventional methodologies. The demonstrated potentiality in completely inhibiting the tumors and in preventing cancer relapse has made nucleic acids therapy (NAT)/gene therapy as an attractive practice. This has been made possible because NAT-based cancer treatments are highly focused on the fundamental mechanisms - i.e., silencing the expression of oncogenic genes responsible for producing abnormal proteins (via messenger RNAs (mRNAs)). However, the future clinical translation of NAT is majorly dependent upon the effective delivery of the exogenous nucleic acids (especially RNAs - e.g., short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) - herein called biological drugs). Moreover, nano-based vehicles (i.e., nanocarriers) are involved in delivering them to prevent degradation and undesired bioaccumulation while enhancing the stability of siRNAs. Herein, we have initially discussed about three major types of self-assembling nanocarriers (liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles and exosomes). Later, we have majorly reviewed recent developments in non-targeted/targeted nanocarriers for delivery of biological drugs (individual/dual) to silence the most important genes/mRNAs accountable for inducing protein abnormality. These proteins include polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1), survivin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), B-cell lymphoma/leukaemia-2 (Bcl-2) and multi-drug resistance (MDR). Besides, the consequent therapeutic effects on cancer growth, invasion and/or metastasis have also been discussed. Finally, we have comprehensively reviewed the improvements achieved in the cutting-edge cancer therapeutics while delivering siRNAs in combination with clinically approved chemotherapeutic drugs.
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gene delivery vectors are a crucial determinant for gene therapeutic efficacy. Usually, it is necessary to use an excess of cationic vectors to achieve better transfection efficiency. However, it will cause severe cytotoxicity. In addition, cationic vectors are not resistant to serum, suffering from reduced transfection efficiency by forming large aggregates. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop optimized gene delivery vectors. Recently, fluorination of vectors has been extensively applied to increase the gene delivery performance because of the unique properties of both hydrophobicity and lipophobicity, and chemical and biological inertness. AREAS COVERED This review will discuss the fluorophilic effects that impact gene delivery efficiency, and chemical modification approaches for fluorination. Next, recent advances and applications of fluorinated polymeric and lipidic vectors in gene therapy and gene editing are summarized. EXPERT OPINION Fluorinated vectors are a promising candidate for gene delivery. However, it still needs further studies to obtain pure and well-defined fluorinated polymers, guarantee the biosafety, and clarify the detailed mechanism. Apart from the improvements in gene delivery, exploiting other versatility of fluorinated vectors, such as oxygen-carrying ability, high affinity with fluorine-containing drugs, and imaging property upon introducing 19F, will further facilitate their applications in gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Wan
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Yuhan Yang
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Mingyu Wu
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
| | - Shun Feng
- Sichuan Engineering Research Center for Biomimetic Synthesis of Natural Drugs, School of Life Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 610031, China
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Costa B, Boueri B, Oliveira C, Silveira I, Ribeiro AJ. Lipoplexes and polyplexes as nucleic acids delivery nanosystems: The current state and future considerations. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2022; 19:577-594. [DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2022.2075846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Costa
- University of Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Beatriz Boueri
- University of Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Claudia Oliveira
- Group Genetics of Cognitive Dysfunction, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, I3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Isabel Silveira
- University of Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Group Genetics of Cognitive Dysfunction, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, I3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
| | - Antonio J. Ribeiro
- University of Coimbra, Faculty of Pharmacy, Azinhaga de Santa Comba, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal
- Group Genetics of Cognitive Dysfunction, IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, I3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135, Porto, Portugal
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Lv J, Wang H, Rong G, Cheng Y. Fluorination Promotes the Cytosolic Delivery of Genes, Proteins, and Peptides. Acc Chem Res 2022; 55:722-733. [PMID: 35175741 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.1c00766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The cytosolic delivery of biomolecules such as genes, proteins, and peptides is of great importance for biotherapy but usually limited by multiple barriers during the process. Cell membrane with high hydrophobic character is one of the representative biological barriers for cytosolic delivery. The introduction of hydrophobic ligands such as aliphatic lipids onto materials or biomolecules could improve their membrane permeability. However, these ligands are lipophilic and tend to interact with the phospholipids in the membrane as well as serum proteins, which may hinder efficient intracellular delivery. To solve this issue, our research group proposed the use of fluorous ligands with both hydrophobicity and lipophobicity as ideal alternatives to aliphatic lipids to promote cytosolic delivery.In our first attempt, fluorous ligands were conjugated onto cationic polymers to increase their gene delivery efficacy. The fluorination dramatically increased the gene delivery performance at low polymer doses. In addition, the strategy greatly improved the serum tolerance of cationic polymers, which is critical for efficient gene delivery in vivo. Besides serum tolerance, mechanism studies revealed that fluorination increases multiple steps such as cellular uptake and endosomal escape. Fluorination also allowed the assembly of low-molecular-weight polymers and achieved highly efficient gene delivery with minimal material toxicity. The method showed robust efficiency for polymers, including linear polymers, branched polymers, dendrimers, bola amphiphilies, and dendronized polymers.Besides gene delivery, fluorinated polymers were also used for intracellular protein delivery via a coassembly strategy. For this purpose, two lead fluoropolymers were screened from a library of amphiphilic materials. The fluoropolymers are greatly superior to their nonfluorinated analogues conjugated with aliphatic lipids. The fluorous lipids are beneficial for polymer assembly and protein encapsulation, reduced protein denaturation, facilitated endocytosis, and decreased polymer toxicity compared to nonfluorinated lipids. The materials exhibited potent efficacy in therapeutic protein and peptide delivery to achieve cancer therapy and were able to fabricate a personalized nanovaccine for cancer immunotherapy. Finally, the fluorous lipids were directly conjugated to peptides via a disulfide bond for cytosolic peptide delivery. Fluorous lipids drive the assembly of cargo peptides into uniform nanoparticles with much improved proteolytic stability and promote their delivery into various types of cells. The delivery efficacy of this strategy is greatly superior to traditional techniques such as cell-penetrating peptides both in vitro and in vivo. Overall, the fluorination techniques provide efficient and promising strategies for the cytosolic delivery of biomolecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Lv
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, P. R. China
| | - Hui Wang
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
| | - Guangyu Rong
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Functional and Intelligent Hybrid Materials and Devices, School of Molecular Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, P. R. China
| | - Yiyun Cheng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, P. R. China
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Song T, Gao Y, Song M, Qian J, Zhang H, Zhou J, Ding Y. Fluoropolymers-mediated efficient biomacromolecule drug delivery. MEDICINE IN DRUG DISCOVERY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medidd.2022.100123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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Zhang X, Hong K, Sun Q, Zhu Y, Du J. Bioreducible, arginine-rich polydisulfide-based siRNA nanocomplexes with excellent tumor penetration for efficient gene silencing. Biomater Sci 2021; 9:5275-5292. [PMID: 34180478 DOI: 10.1039/d1bm00643f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) technology has great potential in cancer therapy, e.g., small interfering RNA (siRNA) can be exploited to silence specific oncogenes related to tumor growth and progression. However, it is critical to achieve high transfection efficiency while reducing cytotoxicity. In this paper, we report an siRNA delivery strategy targeting the oncogene KRAS based on arginine-modified poly(disulfide amine)/siRNA nanocomplexes. The poly(disulfide amine) is synthesized via aza-Michael polyaddition followed by the introduction of arginine groups onto its backbone to afford poly((N,N'-bis(acryloyl)cystamine-co-ethylenediamine)-g-Nω-p-tosyl-l-arginine) (PBR) polycations. Thus multiple interactions including electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding and a hydrophobic effect are introduced simultaneously between PBR and siRNA or cell membranes to improve transfection efficiency. By optimizing the grafting density of arginine groups, PBR/siRNA nanocomplexes achieve high cellular uptake efficiency, successful endosomal/lysosomal escape, and rapid biodegradation in the presence of high GSH concentration in the cytoplasm, and finally release siRNA to activate the RNAi mechanism. Additionally, compared to commercially available PEI 25K, PBR/siRNA nanocomplexes possess a significantly increased gene silencing effect on human pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1) with decreased cytotoxicity and enhanced tumor penetration ability in PANC-1 multicellular spheroids in vitro. Overall, with both GSH-responsiveness and excellent tumor penetration, this safe and efficient poly(disulfide amine)-based siRNA delivery system is expected to provide a new strategy for gene therapy of pancreatic cancer and other stromal-rich tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Zhang
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, 301 Middle Yanchang Road, Shanghai 200072, China. and Department of Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 4800 Caoan Road, Shanghai 201804, China
| | - Kai Hong
- Department of Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 4800 Caoan Road, Shanghai 201804, China
| | - Qingmei Sun
- Department of Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 4800 Caoan Road, Shanghai 201804, China
| | - Yunqing Zhu
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, 301 Middle Yanchang Road, Shanghai 200072, China. and Department of Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 4800 Caoan Road, Shanghai 201804, China
| | - Jianzhong Du
- Department of Orthopedics, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University, 301 Middle Yanchang Road, Shanghai 200072, China. and Department of Polymeric Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, 4800 Caoan Road, Shanghai 201804, China
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12
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Karayianni M, Pispas S. Block copolymer solution self‐assembly: Recent advances, emerging trends, and applications. JOURNAL OF POLYMER SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/pol.20210430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Karayianni
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute National Hellenic Research Foundation Athens Greece
| | - Stergios Pispas
- Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute National Hellenic Research Foundation Athens Greece
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13
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Wu B, Yuan Y, Liu J, Shang H, Dong J, Liang X, Wang D, Chen Y, Wang C, Zhou Y, Jing H, Cheng W. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals the mechanism of sonodynamic therapy combined with a RAS inhibitor in the setting of hepatocellular carcinoma. J Nanobiotechnology 2021; 19:177. [PMID: 34118951 PMCID: PMC8199394 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-021-00923-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ras activation is a frequent event in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Combining a RAS inhibitor with traditional clinical therapeutics might be hampered by a variety of side effects, thus hindering further clinical translation. Herein, we report on integrating an IR820 nanocapsule-augmented sonodynamic therapy (SDT) with the RAS inhibitor farnesyl-thiosalicylic acid (FTS). Using cellular and tumor models, we demonstrate that combined nanocapsule-augmented SDT with FTS induces an anti-tumor effect, which not only inhibits tumor progression, and enables fluorescence imaging. To dissect the mechanism of a combined tumoricidal therapeutic strategy, we investigated the scRNA-seq transcriptional profiles of an HCC xenograft following treatment. RESULTS Integrative single-cell analysis identified several clusters that defined many corresponding differentially expressed genes, which provided a global view of cellular heterogeneity in HCC after combined SDT/FTS treatment. We conclude that the combination treatment suppressed HCC, and did so by inhibiting endothelial cells and a modulated immunity. Moreover, hepatic stellate secretes hepatocyte growth factor, which plays a key role in treating SDT combined FTS. By contrast, enrichment analysis estimated the functional roles of differentially expressed genes. The Gene Ontology terms "cadherin binding" and "cell adhesion molecule binding" and KEGG pathway "pathway in cancer" were significantly enriched by differentially expressed genes after combined SDT/FTS therapy. CONCLUSIONS Thus, some undefined mechanisms were revealed by scRNA-seq analysis. This report provides a novel proof-of-concept for combinatorial HCC-targeted therapeutics that is based on a non-invasive anti-tumor therapeutic strategy and a RAS inhibitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bolin Wu
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
- Department of Interventional Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
- Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Science, Harbin, China
| | - Yanchi Yuan
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
- Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Science, Harbin, China
| | - Jiayin Liu
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Haitao Shang
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Jing Dong
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Xitian Liang
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Dongxu Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yichi Chen
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
- Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Science, Harbin, China
| | - Chunyue Wang
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
- Institute of Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Science, Harbin, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Department of Radiology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Hui Jing
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Wen Cheng
- Department of Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No.150, Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China.
- Department of Interventional Ultrasound, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, Harbin, China.
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14
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Kumar R, Santa Chalarca CF, Bockman MR, Bruggen CV, Grimme CJ, Dalal RJ, Hanson MG, Hexum JK, Reineke TM. Polymeric Delivery of Therapeutic Nucleic Acids. Chem Rev 2021; 121:11527-11652. [PMID: 33939409 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The advent of genome editing has transformed the therapeutic landscape for several debilitating diseases, and the clinical outlook for gene therapeutics has never been more promising. The therapeutic potential of nucleic acids has been limited by a reliance on engineered viral vectors for delivery. Chemically defined polymers can remediate technological, regulatory, and clinical challenges associated with viral modes of gene delivery. Because of their scalability, versatility, and exquisite tunability, polymers are ideal biomaterial platforms for delivering nucleic acid payloads efficiently while minimizing immune response and cellular toxicity. While polymeric gene delivery has progressed significantly in the past four decades, clinical translation of polymeric vehicles faces several formidable challenges. The aim of our Account is to illustrate diverse concepts in designing polymeric vectors towards meeting therapeutic goals of in vivo and ex vivo gene therapy. Here, we highlight several classes of polymers employed in gene delivery and summarize the recent work on understanding the contributions of chemical and architectural design parameters. We touch upon characterization methods used to visualize and understand events transpiring at the interfaces between polymer, nucleic acids, and the physiological environment. We conclude that interdisciplinary approaches and methodologies motivated by fundamental questions are key to designing high-performing polymeric vehicles for gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramya Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | | | - Matthew R Bockman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Craig Van Bruggen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Christian J Grimme
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Rishad J Dalal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Mckenna G Hanson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Joseph K Hexum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Theresa M Reineke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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15
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Vetvicka D, Sivak L, Jogdeo CM, Kumar R, Khan R, Hang Y, Oupický D. Gene silencing delivery systems for the treatment of pancreatic cancer: Where and what to target next? J Control Release 2021; 331:246-259. [PMID: 33482273 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2021.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite intensive research efforts and development of numerous new anticancer drugs and treatment strategies over the past decades, there has been only very limited improvement in overall patient survival and in effective treatment options for pancreatic cancer. Current chemotherapy improves survival in terms of months and death rates in pancreatic cancer patients are almost equivalent to incidence rates. It is imperative to develop new therapeutic approaches. Among them, gene silencing shows promise of effectiveness in both tumor cells and stromal cells by inhibiting tumor-promoting genes. This review summarizes potential targets for gene silencing in both pancreatic cancer cells and abundant stromal cells focusing on non-viral delivery systems for small RNAs and discusses the potential immunological implications. The review concludes with the importance of multifactorial therapy of pancreatic cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Vetvicka
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States; Institute of Biophysics and Informatics, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Salmovska 1, Prague 2 12000, Czech Republic
| | - Ladislav Sivak
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-61300, Czech Republic
| | - Chinmay M Jogdeo
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - Raj Kumar
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - Rubayat Khan
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - Yu Hang
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States
| | - David Oupický
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States.
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16
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Wang H, Zhang S, Lv J, Cheng Y. Design of polymers for siRNA delivery: Recent progress and challenges. VIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/viw.20200026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology School of Molecular Science and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Song Zhang
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology School of Molecular Science and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Jia Lv
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology School of Molecular Science and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
| | - Yiyun Cheng
- South China Advanced Institute for Soft Matter Science and Technology School of Molecular Science and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology School of Life Sciences East China Normal University Shanghai China
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17
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Lv J, Cheng Y. Fluoropolymers in biomedical applications: state-of-the-art and future perspectives. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:5435-5467. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00258e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Biomedical applications of fluoropolymers in gene delivery, protein delivery, drug delivery, 19F MRI, PDT, anti-fouling, anti-bacterial, cell culture, and tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Lv
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology
- School of Life Sciences
- East China Normal University
- Shanghai
- China
| | - Yiyun Cheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology
- School of Life Sciences
- East China Normal University
- Shanghai
- China
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18
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Gene Delivery to the Skin - How Far Have We Come? Trends Biotechnol 2020; 39:474-487. [PMID: 32873394 PMCID: PMC7456264 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Gene therapies are powerful tools to prevent, treat, and cure human diseases. The application of gene therapies for skin diseases received little attention so far, despite the easy accessibility of skin and the urgent medical need. A major obstacle is the unique barrier properties of human skin, which significantly limits the absorption of biomacromolecules, and thus hampers the efficient delivery of nucleic acid payloads. In this review, we discuss current approaches, successes, and failures of cutaneous gene therapy and provide guidance toward the development of next-generation concepts. We specifically allude to the delivery strategies as the major obstacle that prevents the full potential of gene therapies – not only for skin disorders but also for almost any other human disease. Gene therapies are powerful tools for the treatment of inflammatory, genetic, and cancer-related skin diseases. The skin barrier function and the low number of cells that get transfected are the main hurdles for cutaneous gene therapy and contribute to the fact that gene therapies for skin diseases are an underexplored area. Gene editing provides an approach to cure rare and severe genodermatoses-like epidermolysis bullosa. First studies demonstrate the potential and invaluable impact these treatments may have even if only a small percentage of the gene function can be restored. Recent advancements demonstrate the power of non-viral delivery systems for the delivery of gene therapeutics to the skin. They may prove superior to viral vectors, the current gold standard, because their use is not limited by packaging size, serious safety concerns, or manufacturing issues.
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19
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Blakney AK, Zhu Y, McKay PF, Bouton C, Yeow J, Tang J, Hu K, Samnuan K, Grigsby CL, Shattock RJ, Stevens MM. Big Is Beautiful: Enhanced saRNA Delivery and Immunogenicity by a Higher Molecular Weight, Bioreducible, Cationic Polymer. ACS NANO 2020; 14:5711-5727. [PMID: 32267667 PMCID: PMC7304921 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c00326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) vaccines are highly advantageous, as they result in enhanced protein expression compared to mRNA (mRNA), thus minimizing the required dose. However, previous delivery strategies were optimized for siRNA or mRNA and do not necessarily deliver saRNA efficiently due to structural differences of these RNAs, thus motivating the development of saRNA delivery platforms. Here, we engineer a bioreducible, linear, cationic polymer called "pABOL" for saRNA delivery and show that increasing its molecular weight enhances delivery both in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrate that pABOL enhances protein expression and cellular uptake via both intramuscular and intradermal injection compared to commercially available polymers in vivo and that intramuscular injection confers complete protection against influenza challenge. Due to the scalability of polymer synthesis and ease of formulation preparation, we anticipate that this polymer is highly clinically translatable as a delivery vehicle for saRNA for both vaccines and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna K. Blakney
- Department
of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College
London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, U.K.
| | - Yunqing Zhu
- Department
of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical
Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji
University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Paul F. McKay
- Department
of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College
London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, U.K.
| | - Clément
R. Bouton
- Department
of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College
London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, U.K.
| | - Jonathan Yeow
- Department
of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical
Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Jiaqing Tang
- Department
of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical
Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, U.K.
| | - Kai Hu
- Department
of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College
London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, U.K.
| | - Karnyart Samnuan
- Department
of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College
London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, U.K.
| | - Christopher L. Grigsby
- Department
of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 65, Sweden
| | - Robin J. Shattock
- Department
of Infectious Diseases, Imperial College
London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, U.K.
| | - Molly M. Stevens
- Department
of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical
Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, U.K.
- Department
of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, 171 65, Sweden
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20
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Zhang JH, Wang WJ, Zhang J, Xiao YP, Liu YH, Yu XQ. ROS-responsive fluorinated polycations as non-viral gene vectors. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 182:111666. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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21
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Jo H, Gajendiran M, Kim K. Development of Polymer Coacersome Structure with Enhanced Colloidal Stability for Therapeutic Protein Delivery. Macromol Biosci 2019; 19:e1900207. [PMID: 31657524 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201900207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Poly(ethylene arginyl aspartate diglyceride) (PEAD) polycation is widely used to prepare coacervate particles by electrostatic complexation with an anionic heparin (HEP) in aqueous environments, for controlled release of therapeutic proteins. However, coacervate complexes aggregate randomly due to particle-particle charge interactions. Herein, a new term "coacersome" is introduced to represent a stable polyplex formed by complexation of mPEGylated PEAD and HEP. Methoxy polyethylene glycol (mPEG)-b-cationic PEAD diblock copolymers are synthesized and complexed with HEP to create a stable "coacersome" structure. Water-soluble mPEG moiety assembles on the surface of coacersomes in aqueous conditions and creates a steric barrier to avoid aggregation of coacersomes. The coacersomes are able to maintain their initial spherical morphology and size for longer durations in the presence of competing ions, such as 0.3 m NaCl. Additionally, the coacersomes exhibit biocompatibility toward human dermal fibroblasts, a high loading efficiency (>96%) for encapsulation of bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), and a sustained release profile up to 28 days. The BMP-2-loaded coacersomes further exhibit increased osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). The developed coacersome structures have the potential to be utilized as effective carriers for therapeutic protein delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heejung Jo
- Department of Bioengineering and Nano-Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon, 22012, Republic of Korea
| | - Mani Gajendiran
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul, 04620, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyobum Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Dongguk University, Seoul, 04620, Republic of Korea
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22
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Wang Y, Ding L, Li Z, Chen G, Sun M, Oupicky D. Treatment of acute lung injury and early- and late-stage pulmonary fibrosis with combination emulsion siRNA polyplexes. J Control Release 2019; 314:12-24. [PMID: 31644934 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.10.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Acute lung injury (ALI) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are severe lung diseases causing irreversible lung damage and premature death. Both diseases share multiple pathological features, including overexpression of C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) and upregulation of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1). The goal of the present study was to evaluate therapeutic potential of pulmonary treatment with combined inhibition of CXCR4 and PAI-1 in ALI and various disease stages of IPF. We report preparation of perfluorocarbon emulsion polyplexes containing a fluorinated polymeric CXCR4 antagonist (F-PAMD) as an siRNA carrier suitable for pulmonary delivery. In vitro testing of the emulsion polyplexes in primary lung fibroblasts from IPF mice showed high cellular uptake and promising antifibrotic effect as indicated by the decreased expression of α smooth muscle actin, when compared with conventional siRNA polyplexes. Biodistribution analysis in mice with IPF showed prolonged lung retention and widespread lung distribution following intratracheal administration of the formulations. The emulsion polyplexes showed promising therapeutic efficacy in ALI and in early fibrinogenic stage of IPF. Increased survival was observed in the model of late-stage IPF. The use of perfluorocarbon emulsion polyplexes to achieve combined CXCR4 antagonism and PAI-1 inhibition is a promising strategy for treatment of ALI and IPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Ling Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE 68198, USA
| | - Zhaoting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Gang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China; Institute of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Minjie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - David Oupicky
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha NE 68198, USA.
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23
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Lee GJ, Kim TI. Fluorination effect to intermediate molecular weight polyethylenimine for gene delivery systems. J Biomed Mater Res A 2019; 107:2468-2478. [PMID: 31276293 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.36753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Fluorinated intermediate molecular weight polyethylenimine (FP2ks) with various fluorination degrees was synthesized by conjugation with heptafluorobutyric anhydride and the fluorination effect for gene delivery systems was examined. FP2ks could condense pDNA, forming compact, positively charged, and nano-sized spherical particles. It was thought that their decreased electrostatic interaction with pDNA would be compensated by hydrophobic interaction. The cytotoxicity of FP2ks was increased with the increase of fluorination degree, probably due to the cellular membrane disruption via hydrophobic interaction with FP2ks. The transfection efficiency of highly fluorinated FP2ks was not severely affected in serum condition, assuming their good serum-compatibility. Discrepancy between their higher cellular uptake efficiency and lower transfection efficiency than PEI25k was thought to arise from the formation of compact polyplexes followed by the decreased dissociation of pDNA. It was also suggested that multiple energy-dependent cellular uptake mechanisms and endosome buffering would mediate the transfection of FP2ks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyeong Jin Lee
- Department of Biosystems & Biomaterials Science and Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Il Kim
- Department of Biosystems & Biomaterials Science and Engineering, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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24
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Xing H, Lu M, Yang T, Liu H, Sun Y, Zhao X, Xu H, Yang L, Ding P. Structure-function relationships of nonviral gene vectors: Lessons from antimicrobial polymers. Acta Biomater 2019; 86:15-40. [PMID: 30590184 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2018.12.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Revised: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, substantial advances have been achieved in the design and synthesis of nonviral gene vectors. However, lack of effective and biocompatible vectors still remains a major challenge that hinders their application in clinical settings. In the past decade, there has been a rapid expansion of cationic antimicrobial polymers, due to their potent, rapid, and broad-spectrum biocidal activity against resistant microbes, and biocompatible features. Given that antimicrobial polymers share common features with nonviral gene vectors in various aspects, such as membrane affinity, functional groups, physicochemical characteristics, and unique macromolecular architectures, these polymers may provide us with inspirations to overcome challenges in the design of novel vectors toward more safe and efficient gene delivery in clinic. Building off these observations, we provide here an overview of the structure-function relationships of polymers for both antimicrobial applications and gene delivery by elaborating some key structural parameters, including functional groups, charge density, hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance, MW, and macromolecular architectures. By borrowing a leaf from antimicrobial agents, great advancement in the development of newer nonviral gene vectors with high transfection efficiency and biocompatibility will be more promising. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The development of gene delivery is still in the preclinical stage for the lack of effective and biocompatible vectors. Given that antimicrobial polymers share common features with gene vectors in various aspects, such as membrane affinity, functional groups, physicochemical characteristics, and unique macromolecular architectures, these polymers may provide us with inspirations to overcome challenges in the design of novel vectors toward more safe and efficient gene delivery in clinic. In this review, we systematically summarized the structure-function relationships of antimicrobial polymers and gene vectors, with which the design of more advanced nonviral gene vectors is anticipated to be further boosted in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haonan Xing
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Mei Lu
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Tianzhi Yang
- Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Husson University, Bangor, ME, USA
| | - Hui Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Yanping Sun
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiaoyun Zhao
- School of Life Science and Biopharmaceutics, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Hui Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Li Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China.
| | - Pingtian Ding
- School of Pharmacy, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China.
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25
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Ranucci E, Manfredi A. Polyamidoamines: Versatile Bioactive Polymers with Potential for Biotechnological Applications. CHEMISTRY AFRICA-A JOURNAL OF THE TUNISIAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s42250-019-00046-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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26
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Chen H, Gu Z, An H, Chen C, Chen J, Cui R, Chen S, Chen W, Chen X, Chen X, Chen Z, Ding B, Dong Q, Fan Q, Fu T, Hou D, Jiang Q, Ke H, Jiang X, Liu G, Li S, Li T, Liu Z, Nie G, Ovais M, Pang D, Qiu N, Shen Y, Tian H, Wang C, Wang H, Wang Z, Xu H, Xu JF, Yang X, Zhu S, Zheng X, Zhang X, Zhao Y, Tan W, Zhang X, Zhao Y. Precise nanomedicine for intelligent therapy of cancer. Sci China Chem 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11426-018-9397-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 279] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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27
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Yuan H, Yang Y, Xue W, Liu Z. Fluorinated Redox-Responsive Poly(amidoamine) as a Vaccine Delivery System for Antitumor Immunotherapy. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2018; 5:644-653. [PMID: 33405828 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b00945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Hongyuan Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Biomaterials of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Jinan University, West Huangpu Road 601, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yong Yang
- Key Laboratory of Biomaterials of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Jinan University, West Huangpu Road 601, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Wei Xue
- Key Laboratory of Biomaterials of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Jinan University, West Huangpu Road 601, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Zonghua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biomaterials of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Jinan University, West Huangpu Road 601, Guangzhou 510632, China
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28
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Zhou Z, Zhang Q, Zhang M, Li H, Chen G, Qian C, Oupicky D, Sun M. ATP-activated decrosslinking and charge-reversal vectors for siRNA delivery and cancer therapy. Am J Cancer Res 2018; 8:4604-4619. [PMID: 30279726 PMCID: PMC6160761 DOI: 10.7150/thno.26889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Stimuli-responsive polycations have been developed for improved nucleic acid transfection and enhanced therapeutic efficacy. The most reported mechanisms for controlled release of siRNA are based on polyelectrolyte exchange reactions in the cytoplasm and the degradation of polycations initiated by specific triggers. However, the degradation strategy has not always been sufficient due to unsatisfactory kinetics and binding of cationic fragments to siRNA, which limits the gene silencing effect. In this study, a new strategy that combines degradation and charge reversal is proposed. Methods: We prepared a polycation (CrossPPA) by crosslinking of phenylboronic acid (PBA)-grafted 1.8k PEI with alginate. It was compared with 25k PEI, 1.8k PEI and 1.8k PEI-PBA on siRNA encapsulation, ATP-responsive behavior and mechanism, cytotoxicity, cell uptake, siRNA transfection, in vivo biodistribution and in vivo anti-tumor efficacy. The in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed on 4T1 murine breast cancer cells and 4T1 tumor model separately. Results: The crosslinking strategy obviously improve the siRNA loading ability of 1.8k PEI. We validated that intracellular levels of ATP could trigger CrossPPA disassembly and charge reversal, which resulted in efficient and rapid siRNA release due to electrostatic repulsion. Besides, CrossPPA/siRNA showed strong cell uptake in 4T1 cells compared with 1.8k PEI/siRNA. Notably, the cytotoxicity of CrossPPA was pretty low, which was owing to its biodegradability. Furthermore, the crosslinked polyplexes significantly enhanced siRNA transfection and improved tumor accumulation. The high gene silencing ability of CrossPPA polyplex led to strong anti-tumor efficacy when using Bcl2-targeted siRNA. Conclusion: These results indicated that the ATP-triggered disassembly and charge reversal strategy provided a new way for developing stimuli-responsive siRNA carriers and showed potential for nucleic acid delivery in the treatment of cancer.
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Zhou Z, Zhang M, Liu Y, Li C, Zhang Q, Oupicky D, Sun M. Reversible Covalent Cross-Linked Polycations with Enhanced Stability and ATP-Responsive Behavior for Improved siRNA Delivery. Biomacromolecules 2018; 19:3776-3787. [PMID: 30081638 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b00922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cationic polyplex as commonly used nucleic acid carriers faced several shortcomings, such as high cytotoxicity, low serum stability, and slow cargo release at the target site. The traditional solution is covering a negative charged layer (e.g., hyaluronic acid, HA) via electrostatic interaction. However, it was far from satisfactory for the deshielding by physiological anions in circulation (e.g., serum proteins, phosphate). In this study, we proposed a new strategy of reversible covalent cross-linking to enhance stability in circulation and enable stimuli-disassembly of polyplexes in tumor cells. Here, 25k polyethylenimine (PEI) was chosen as model polycations for veriying the hypothesis. HA-PEI conjugation was formed by the cross-linking of adenosine triphosphate grafted HA (HA-ATP) with phenylboronic acid grafted PEI (PEI-PBA) via the chemical reaction between PBA and ATP. Compared with noncovalent polyplex by electrostatic interaction (HA/PEI), HA-PEI exhibited much better colloidal stability and serum stability. The covered HA-ATP layer on PEI-PBA could maintain stable in the absence of physiological anions, while HA layer on PEI in HA/PEI group showed obvious detachment after anion's competition. More importantly, the covalent cross-linking polyplex could selectively release siRNA in the ATP rich environment of cytosol and significantly improve siRNA silence. Besides, the covalent cross-linking with HA-ATP could effectively reduce the cytotoxicity of cationic polyplex, improve the uptake by B61F10 cells and promote the endosomal escape. Consequently, this strategy of HA-PEI conjugation significantly enhanced the siRNA transfection in the absence or presence of FBS (fetal bovine serum) on B16F10 cells and CHO cells. Taken together, the reversible covalent cross-linking approach shows obvious superiority compared with the noncovalent absorption strategy. It held great potential to be developed to polish up the performance of cationic polyplex on reducing the toxicity, enhancing the serum tolerance and achieving controlled release of siRNA at target site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhanwei Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing , 210009 , China
| | - Minghua Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing , 210009 , China
| | - Yadong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing , 210009 , China
| | - Chenzi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing , 210009 , China
| | - Qingyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing , 210009 , China
| | - David Oupicky
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing , 210009 , China.,Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , Nebraska 68198 , United States
| | - Minjie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing , 210009 , China
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30
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Chen G, Wang Y, Wu P, Zhou Y, Yu F, Zhu C, Li Z, Hang Y, Wang K, Li J, Sun M, Oupicky D. Reversibly Stabilized Polycation Nanoparticles for Combination Treatment of Early- and Late-Stage Metastatic Breast Cancer. ACS NANO 2018; 12:6620-6636. [PMID: 29985577 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b01482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic breast cancer is a major cause of cancer-related female mortality worldwide. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and the chemokine receptor CXCR4 are involved in the metastatic spread of breast cancer. The goal of this study was to develop nanomedicine treatment based on combined inhibition of STAT3 and CXCR4. We synthesized a library of CXCR4-inhibiting polymers with a combination of beneficial features that included PEGylation, fluorination, and bioreducibility to achieve systemic delivery of siRNA to silence STAT3 expression in the tumors. An in vivo structure-activity relationship study in an experimental lung metastasis model revealed superior antimetastatic activity of bioreducible fluorinated polyplexes when compared with nonreducible controls despite similar CXCR4 antagonism and the ability to inhibit in vitro cancer cell invasion. When compared with nonreducible and nonfluorinated polyplexes, improved siRNA delivery was observed with the bioreducible fluorinated polyplexes. The improvement was ascribed to a combination of enhanced physical stability, decreased serum destabilization, and improved intracellular trafficking. Pharmacokinetic analysis showed that fluorination decreased the rate of renal clearance of the polyplexes and contributed to enhanced accumulation in the tumors. Therapeutic efficacy of the polyplexes with STAT3 siRNA was assessed in early stage breast cancer and late-stage metastatic breast cancer with primary tumor resection. Strong inhibition of the primary tumor growth and pronounced antimetastatic effects were observed in both models of metastatic breast cancer. Mechanistic studies revealed multifaceted mechanism of action of the combined STAT3 and CXCR4 inhibition by the developed polyplexes relying both on local and systemic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Yixin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Pengkai Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Yiwen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Fei Yu
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , Nebraska 68198 , United States
| | - Chenfei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Zhaoting Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Yu Hang
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , Nebraska 68198 , United States
| | - Kaikai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - Jing Li
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , Nebraska 68198 , United States
| | - Minjie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
| | - David Oupicky
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics , China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing 210009 , China
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha , Nebraska 68198 , United States
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31
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Zhou Y, Yu F, Zhang F, Chen G, Wang K, Sun M, Li J, Oupický D. Cyclam-Modified PEI for Combined VEGF siRNA Silencing and CXCR4 Inhibition To Treat Metastatic Breast Cancer. Biomacromolecules 2018; 19:392-401. [PMID: 29350899 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.7b01487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Chemokine receptor CXCR4 plays an important role in cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Recent findings suggest that anti-VEGF therapies upregulate CXCR4 expression, which contributes to resistance to antiangiogenic therapies. Here, we report the development of novel derivatives of polyethylenimine (PEI) that effectively inhibit CXCR4 while delivering anti-VEGF siRNA. PEI was alkylated with different amounts of a CXCR4-binding cyclam derivative to prepare PEI-C. Modification with the cyclam derivatives resulted in a considerable decrease in cytotoxicity when compared with unmodified PEI. All the PEI-C showed significant CXCR4 antagonism and the ability to inhibit cancer cell invasion. Polyplexes of PEI-C prepared with siVEGF showed effective silencing of the VEGF expression in vitro. In vivo testing in a syngeneic breast cancer model showed promising antitumor and antimetastatic activity of the PEI-C/siVEGF polyplexes. Our data demonstrate the feasibility of using PEI-C as a carrier for simultaneous VEGF silencing and CXCR4 inhibition for enhanced antiangiogenic cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Fei Yu
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - Feiran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Gang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Kaikai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Minjie Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Jing Li
- Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha Nebraska 68198, United States
| | - David Oupický
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, China Pharmaceutical University , Nanjing, 210009, China.,Center for Drug Delivery and Nanomedicine, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center , Omaha Nebraska 68198, United States
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32
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Tan E, Lv J, Hu J, Shen W, Wang H, Cheng Y. Statistical versus block fluoropolymers in gene delivery. J Mater Chem B 2018; 6:7230-7238. [DOI: 10.1039/c8tb01470a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A statistical fluorocopolymer shows dramatically higher transfection efficiency in gene delivery than a block one.
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Affiliation(s)
- Echuan Tan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology
- School of Life Sciences
- East China Normal University
- Shanghai
- P. R. China
| | - Jia Lv
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology
- School of Life Sciences
- East China Normal University
- Shanghai
- P. R. China
| | - Jingjing Hu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology
- School of Life Sciences
- East China Normal University
- Shanghai
- P. R. China
| | - Wanwan Shen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology
- School of Life Sciences
- East China Normal University
- Shanghai
- P. R. China
| | - Hui Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology
- School of Life Sciences
- East China Normal University
- Shanghai
- P. R. China
| | - Yiyun Cheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology
- School of Life Sciences
- East China Normal University
- Shanghai
- P. R. China
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