Multifunctional Cationic PeptoStars as siRNA Carrier: Influence of Architecture and Histidine Modification on Knockdown Potential

Introducing Savie: A Biodegradable Surfactant Enabling Chemo- and Biocatalysis and Related Reactions in Recyclable Water

Savie is a biodegradable surfactant derived from vitamin E and polysarcosine (PSar) developed for use in organic synthesis in recyclable water. This includes homogeneous catalysis (including examples employing only ppm levels of catalyst), heterogeneous catalysis, and biocatalytic transformations, including a multistep chemoenzymatic sequence. Use of Savie frequently leads to significantly higher yields than do conventional surfactants, while obviating the need for waste-generating organic solvents.

An Inspection into Multifarious Ways to Synthesize Poly(Amino Acid)s

Poly(α-amino acid)s (PAAs) attract growing attention due to their essential role in the application as biomaterials. To synthesize PAAs with desired structures and properties, scientists have developed various synthetic techniques with respective advantages. Here, different approaches to preparing PAAs are inspected. Basic features and recent progresses of these methods are summarized, including polymerizations of amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs), amino acid N-thiocarboxyanhydrides (NTAs), and N-phenoxycarbonyl amino acids (NPCs), as well as other synthetic routes. NCA is the most classical monomer to prepare PAAs with high molecular weights (MWs). NTA polymerizations are promising alternative pathways to produce PAAs, which can tolerate nucleophiles including alcohols, mercaptans, carboxyl acids, and water. By various techniques including choosing appropriate solvents or using organic acids as promoters, NTAs polymerize to produce polypeptoids and polypeptides with narrow dispersities and designed MWs up to 55.0 and 57.0 kg mol^-1 , respectively. NPC polymerizations are phosgene-free ways to synthesize polypeptides and polypeptoids. For the future prospects, detail investigations into polymerization mechanisms of NTA and NPC are expected. The synthesis of PAAs with designed topologies and assembly structures is another intriguing topic. The advantages and unsettled problems in various synthetic ways are discussed for readers to choose appropriate approaches for PAAs.

α-Amino acid N-carboxyanhydride (NCA)-derived synthetic polypeptides for nucleic acids delivery

In recent years, gene therapy has come into the spotlight for the prevention and treatment of a wide range of diseases. Polypeptides have been widely used in mediating nucleic acid delivery, due to their versatilities in chemical structures, desired biodegradability, and low cytotoxicity. Chemistry plays an essential role in the development of innovative polypeptides to address the challenges of producing efficient and safe gene vectors. In this Review, we mainly focused on the latest chemical advances in the design and preparation of polypeptide-based nucleic acid delivery vehicles. We first discussed the synthetic approach of polypeptides via ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of N-carboxyanhydrides (NCAs), and introduced the various types of polypeptide-based gene delivery systems. The extracellular and intracellular barriers against nucleic acid delivery were then outlined, followed by detailed review on the recent advances in polypeptide-based delivery systems that can overcome these barriers to enable in vitro and in vivo gene transfection. Finally, we concluded this review with perspectives in this field.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA) to target genes and molecular pathways in glioblastoma therapy: Current status with an emphasis on delivery systems

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the worst brain tumors arising from glial cells, causing many deaths annually. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy are used for GBM treatment. However, GBM is still an incurable disease, and new approaches are required for its successful treatment. Because mutations and amplifications occurring in several genes are responsible for the progression and aggressive behavior of GBM cells, genetic approaches are of great importance in its treatment. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a new emerging tool to silence the genes responsible for disease progression, particularly cancer. SiRNA can be used for GBM treatment by down-regulating genes such as VEGF, STAT3, ELTD1 or EGFR. Furthermore, the use of siRNA can promote the chemosensitivity of GBM cells. However, the efficiency of siRNA in GBM is limited via its degradation by enzymes, and its off-targeting effects. SiRNA-loaded carriers, especially nanovehicles that are ligand-functionalized by CXCR4 or angiopep-2, can be used for the protection and targeted delivery of siRNA. Nanostructures can provide a platform for co-delivery of siRNA plus anti-tumor drugs as another benefit. The prepared nanovehicles should be stable and biocompatible in order to be tested in human studies.

Influence of Riboflavin Targeting on Tumor Accumulation and Internalization of Peptostar Based Drug Delivery Systems

Riboflavin carrier protein (RCP) and riboflavin transporters (RFVTs) have been reported to be highly overexpressed in various cancer cells. Hence, targeting RCP and RFVTs using riboflavin may enhance tumor accumulation and internalization of drug delivery systems. To test this hypothesis, butyl-based 3-arm peptostar polymers were synthesized consisting of a lysine core (10 units per arm) and a sarcosine shell (100 units per arm). The end groups of the arms and the core were successfully modified with riboflavin and the Cy5.5 fluorescent dye, respectively. While in phosphate buffered saline the functionalized peptostars showed a bimodal behavior and formed supramolecular structures over time, they were stable in the serum maintaining their hydrodynamic diameter of 12 nm. Moreover, the polymers were biocompatible and the uptake of riboflavin targeted peptostars in A431 and PC3 cells was higher than in nontargeted controls and could be blocked competitively. In vivo, the polymers showed a moderate passive tumor accumulation, which was not significantly different between targeted and nontargeted peptostars. Nonetheless, at the histological level, internalization into tumor cells was strongly enhanced for the riboflavin-targeted peptostars. Based on these results, we conclude that passive accumulation is dominating the accumulation of peptostars, while tumor cell internalization is strongly promoted by riboflavin targeting.

Therapeutic potential of polypeptide-based conjugates: Rational design and analytical tools that can boost clinical translation

The clinical success of polypeptides as polymeric drugs, covered by the umbrella term "polymer therapeutics," combined with related scientific and technological breakthroughs, explain their exponential growth in the development of polypeptide-drug conjugates as therapeutic agents. A deeper understanding of the biology at relevant pathological sites and the critical biological barriers faced, combined with advances regarding controlled polymerization techniques, material bioresponsiveness, analytical methods, and scale up-manufacture processes, have fostered the development of these nature-mimicking entities. Now, engineered polypeptides have the potential to combat current challenges in the advanced drug delivery field. In this review, we will discuss examples of polypeptide-drug conjugates as single or combination therapies in both preclinical and clinical studies as therapeutics and molecular imaging tools. Importantly, we will critically discuss relevant examples to highlight those parameters relevant to their rational design, such as linking chemistry, the analytical strategies employed, and their physicochemical and biological characterization, that will foster their rapid clinical translation.

The generation of stabilized supramolecular nanorods from star-shaped polyglutamates

We developed a new strategy of polyglutamate nanorod preparation based on supramolecular polymers stabilized with hydrophobic drugs.