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Pushpa Ragini S, Dyett BP, Sarkar S, Zhai J, White JF, Banerjee R, Drummond CJ, Conn CE. A systematic study of the effect of lipid architecture on cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of cationic cubosomes. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 663:82-93. [PMID: 38394820 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.02.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
HYPOTHESIS Lipid nanoparticles containing a cationic lipid are increasingly used in drug and gene delivery as they can display improved cellular uptake, enhanced loading for anionic cargo such as siRNA and mRNA or exhibit additional functionality such as cytotoxicity against cancer cells. This research study tests the hypothesis that the molecular structure of the cationic lipid influences the structure of the lipid nanoparticle, the cellular uptake, and the resultant cytotoxicity. EXPERIMENTS Three potentially cytotoxic cationic lipids, with systematic variations to the hydrophobic moiety, were designed and synthesised. All the three cationic lipids synthesised contain pharmacophores such as the bicyclic coumarin group (CCA12), the tricyclic etodolac moiety (ETD12), or the large pentacyclic triterpenoid "ursolic" group (U12) conjugated to a quaternary ammonium cationic lipid containing twin C12 chains. The cationic lipids were doped into monoolein cubosomes at a range of concentrations from 0.1 mol% to 5 mol% and the effect of the lipid molecular architecture on the cubosome phase behaviour was assessed using a combination of Small Angle X-Ray Scattering (SAXS), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), zeta-potential and cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy (Cryo-TEM). The resulting cytotoxicity of these particles against a range of cancerous and non-cancerous cell-lines was assessed, along with their cellular uptake. FINDINGS The molecular architecture of the cationic lipid was linked to the internal nanostructure of the resulting cationic cubosomes with a transition to more curved cubic and hexagonal phases generally observed. Cubosomes formed from the cationic lipid CCA12 were found to have improved cellular uptake and significantly higher cytotoxicity than the cationic lipids ETD12 and U12 against the gastric cancer cell-line (AGS) at lipid concentrations ≥ 75 µg/mL. CCA12 cationic cubosomes also displayed reasonable cytotoxicity against the prostate cancer PC-3 cell-line at lipid concentrations ≥ 100 µg/mL. In contrast, 2.5 mol% ETD12 and 2.5 mol% U12 cubosomes were generally non-toxic against both cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines over the entire concentration range tested. The molecular architecture of the cationic lipid was found to influence the cubosome phase behaviour, the cellular uptake and the toxicity although further studies are necessary to determine the exact relationship between structure and cellular uptake across a range of cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Pushpa Ragini
- Department of Oils, lipids science and technology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India; STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia
| | - Brendan P Dyett
- STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sampa Sarkar
- STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jiali Zhai
- STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jacinta F White
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Rajkumar Banerjee
- Department of Oils, lipids science and technology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Calum J Drummond
- STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Charlotte E Conn
- STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia.
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2
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Anderson CF, Singh A, Stephens T, Hoang CD, Schneider JP. Kinetically Controlled Polyelectrolyte Complex Assembly of microRNA-Peptide Nanoparticles toward Treating Mesothelioma. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024; 36:e2314367. [PMID: 38532642 PMCID: PMC11176031 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202314367] [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: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Broad size distributions and poor long-term colloidal stability of microRNA-carrying nanoparticles, especially those formed by polyelectrolyte complexation, represent major hurdles in realizing their clinical translation. Herein, peptide design is used alongside optimized flash nanocomplexation (FNC) to produce uniform peptide-based miRNA particles of exceptional stability that display anticancer activity against mesothelioma in vitro and in vivo. Modulating the content and display of lysine-based charge from small intrinsically disordered peptides used to complex miRNA proves essential in achieving stable colloids. FNC facilitates kinetic isolation of the mechanistic steps involved in particle formation to allow the preparation of particles of discrete size in a highly reproducible, scalable, and continuous manner, facilitating pre-clinical studies. To the best of the authors knowledge, this work represents the first example of employing FNC to prepare polyelectrolyte complexes of miRNA and peptide. Encapsulation of these particles into an injectable hydrogel matrix allows for their localized in vivo delivery by syringe. A one-time injection of a gel containing particles composed of miRNA-215-5p and the peptide PKM1 limits tumor progression in a xenograft model of mesothelioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb F. Anderson
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Anand Singh
- Thoracic Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tyler Stephens
- Vaccine Research Center Electron Microscopy Unit, Cancer Research Technology Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 20701, USA
| | - Chuong D. Hoang
- Thoracic Surgery Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Joel P. Schneider
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
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3
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Bezrukov A, Galeeva A, Krupin A, Galyametdinov Y. Molecular Orientation Behavior of Lyotropic Liquid Crystal-Carbon Dot Hybrids in Microfluidic Confinement. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5520. [PMID: 38791556 PMCID: PMC11122583 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25105520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Lyotropic liquid crystals represent an important class of anisotropic colloid systems. Their integration with optically active nanoparticles can provide us with responsive luminescent media that offer new fundamental and applied solutions for biomedicine. This paper analyzes the molecular-level behavior of such composites represented by tetraethylene glycol monododecyl ether and nanoscale carbon dots in microfluidic channels. Microfluidic confinement allows for simultaneously applying multiple factors, such as flow dynamics, wall effects, and temperature, for the precise control of the molecular arrangement in such composites and their resulting optical properties. The microfluidic behavior of composites was characterized by a set of analytical and modeling tools such as polarized and fluorescent microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and fluorescent spectroscopy, as well as image processing in Matlab. The composites were shown to form tunable anisotropic intermolecular structures in microchannels with several levels of molecular ordering. A predominant lamellar structure of the composites was found to undergo additional ordering with respect to the microchannel axis and walls. Such an alignment was controlled by applying shear and temperature factors to the microfluidic environment. The revealed molecular behavior of the composite may contribute to the synthesis of hybrid organized media capable of polarized luminescence for on-chip diagnostics and biomimetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Artem Bezrukov
- Department of Physical and Colloid Chemistry, Kazan National Research Technological University, 68 Karl Marx Str., 420015 Kazan, Russia; (A.G.); (A.K.); (Y.G.)
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4
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Caselli L, Conti L, De Santis I, Berti D. Small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering applied to lipid-based nanoparticles: Recent advancements across different length scales. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 327:103156. [PMID: 38643519 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2024.103156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs), ranging from nanovesicles to non-lamellar assemblies, have gained significant attention in recent years, as versatile carriers for delivering drugs, vaccines, and nutrients. Small-angle scattering methods, employing X-rays (SAXS) or neutrons (SANS), represent unique tools to unveil structure, dynamics, and interactions of such particles on different length scales, spanning from the nano to the molecular scale. This review explores the state-of-the-art on scattering methods applied to unveil the structure of lipid-based nanoparticles and their interactions with drugs and bioactive molecules, to inform their rational design and formulation for medical applications. We will focus on complementary information accessible with X-rays or neutrons, ranging from insights on the structure and colloidal processes at a nanoscale level (SAXS) to details on the lipid organization and molecular interactions of LNPs (SANS). In addition, we will review new opportunities offered by Time-resolved (TR)-SAXS and -SANS for the investigation of dynamic processes involving LNPs. These span from real-time monitoring of LNPs structural evolution in response to endogenous or external stimuli (TR-SANS), to the investigation of the kinetics of lipid diffusion and exchange upon interaction with biomolecules (TR-SANS). Finally, we will spotlight novel combinations of SAXS and SANS with complementary on-line techniques, recently enabled at Large Scale Facilities for X-rays and neutrons. This emerging technology enables synchronized multi-method investigation, offering exciting opportunities for the simultaneous characterization of the structure and chemical or mechanical properties of LNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucrezia Caselli
- Physical Chemistry 1, University of Lund, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Laura Conti
- Consorzio Sistemi a Grande Interfase, Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Ilaria De Santis
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy
| | - Debora Berti
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Via della Lastruccia 3, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence 50019, Italy; Consorzio Sistemi a Grande Interfase, Department of Chemistry, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
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5
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Yu H, Dyett B, Kirby N, Cai X, Mohamad ME, Bozinovski S, Drummond CJ, Zhai J. pH-Dependent Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Mesophase and Ionization Behavior of Phytantriol-Based Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2309200. [PMID: 38295089 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202309200] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Self-assembled lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), serving as essential nanocarriers in recent COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, provide a stable and versatile platform for delivering a wide range of biological materials. Notably, LNPs with unique inverse mesostructures, such as cubosomes and hexosomes, are recognized as fusogenic nanocarriers in the drug delivery field. This study delves into the physicochemical properties, including size, lyotropic liquid crystalline mesophase, and apparent pKa of LNPs with various lipid components, consisting of two ionizable lipids (ALC-0315 and SM-102) used in commercial COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and a well-known inverse mesophase structure-forming helper lipid, phytantriol (PT). Two partial mesophase diagrams are generated for both ALC-0315/PT LNPs and SM-102/PT LNPs as a function of two factors, ionizable lipid ratio (α, 0-100 mol%) and pH condition (pH 3-11). Furthermore, the impact of different LNP stabilizers (Pluronic F127, Pluronic F108, and Tween 80) on their pH-dependent phase behavior is evaluated. The findings offer insights into the self-assembled mesostructure and ionization state of the studied LNPs with potentially enhanced endosomal escape ability. This research is relevant to developing innovative next-generation LNP systems for delivering various therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Yu
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Brendan Dyett
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Nigel Kirby
- SAXS/WAXS beamline, Australian Synchrotron, ANSTO, 800 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia
| | - Xudong Cai
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Mohamad El Mohamad
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Steven Bozinovski
- Centre for Respiratory Science and Health, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Calum J Drummond
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
| | - Jiali Zhai
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
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6
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El Mohamad M, Han Q, Clulow AJ, Cao C, Safdar A, Stenzel M, Drummond CJ, Greaves TL, Zhai J. Regulating the structural polymorphism and protein corona composition of phytantriol-based lipid nanoparticles using choline ionic liquids. J Colloid Interface Sci 2024; 657:841-852. [PMID: 38091907 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/02/2024]
Abstract
Lipid-based lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNPs) face stability challenges in biological fluids during clinical translation. Ionic Liquids (ILs) have emerged as effective solvent additives for tuning the structure of LCNP's and enhancing their stability. We investigated the effect of a library of 21 choline-based biocompatible ILs with 9 amino acid anions as well as 10 other organic/inorganic anions during the preparation of phytantriol (PHY)-based LCNPs, followed by incubation in human serum and serum proteins. Small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) results show that the phase behaviour of the LCNPs depends on the IL concentration and anion structure. Incubation with human serum led to a phase transition from the inverse bicontinuous cubic (Q2) to the inverse hexagonal (H2) mesophase, influenced by the specific IL present. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and proteomics analysis of selected samples, including PHY control and those with choline glutamate, choline hexanoate, and choline geranate, identified abundant proteins in the protein corona, including albumin, apolipoproteins, and serotransferrin. The composition of the protein corona varied among samples, shedding light on the intricate interplay between ILs, internal structure and surface chemistry of LCNPs, and biological fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamad El Mohamad
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Qi Han
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Andrew J Clulow
- Australian Synchrotron, ANSTO, 800 Blackburn Road, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Cheng Cao
- Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design, School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Aneeqa Safdar
- Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design, School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Martina Stenzel
- Centre for Advanced Macromolecular Design, School of Chemistry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Calum J Drummond
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
| | - Tamar L Greaves
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
| | - Jiali Zhai
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, 124 La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
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7
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Yaghmur A, Moghimi SM. Intrinsic and Dynamic Heterogeneity of Nonlamellar Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline Nanodispersions. ACS NANO 2023; 17:22183-22195. [PMID: 37943319 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c09231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Nonlamellar lyotropic liquid crystalline (LLC) nanoparticles are a family of versatile nano-self-assemblies, which are finding increasing applications in drug solubilization and targeted drug delivery. LLC nanodispersions are heterogeneous with discrete nanoparticle subpopulations of distinct internal architecture and morphology, frequently coexisting with micelles and/or vesicles. Diversity in the internal architectural repertoire of LLC nanodispersions grants versatility in drug solubilization, encapsulation, and release rate. However, drug incorporation contributes to the heterogeneity of LLC nanodispersions, and on exposure to biological media, LLC nanodispersions often undergo nanostructural and morphological transformations. From a pharmaceutical perspective, coexistence of multiple types of nanoparticles with diverse structural attributes, together with media-driven transformations in colloidal characteristics, brings challenges in dissecting biological and therapeutic performance of LLC nanodispersions in a spatiotemporal manner. Here, we outline innate and acquired heterogeneity of LLC nanodispersions and discuss technological developments and alternative approaches needed to improve homogeneity of LLC formulations for drug delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anan Yaghmur
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, Denmark
| | - S Moein Moghimi
- School of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, U.K
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
- Colorado Center for Nanomedicine and Nanosafety, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, 12850 East Montview Boulevard, Aurora, Colorado 80045, United States
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8
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Araújo-Silva H, Teixeira PV, Gomes AC, Lúcio M, Lopes CM. Lyotropic liquid crystalline 2D and 3D mesophases: Advanced materials for multifunctional anticancer nanosystems. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:189011. [PMID: 37923232 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality. Despite significant breakthroughs in conventional therapies, treatment is still far from ideal due to high toxicity in normal tissues and therapeutic inefficiency caused by short drug lifetime in the body and resistance mechanisms. Current research moves towards the development of multifunctional nanosystems for delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs, bioactives and/or radionuclides that can be combined with other therapeutic modalities, like gene therapy, or imaging to use in therapeutic screening and diagnosis. The preparation and characterization of Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline (LLC) mesophases self-assembled as 2D and 3D structures are addressed, with an emphasis on the unique properties of these nanoassemblies. A comprehensive review of LLC nanoassemblies is also presented, highlighting the most recent advances and their outstanding advantages as drug delivery systems, including tailoring strategies that can be used to overcome cancer challenges. Therapeutic agents loaded in LLC nanoassemblies offer qualitative and quantitative enhancements that are superior to conventional chemotherapy, particularly in terms of preferential accumulation at tumor sites and promoting enhanced cancer cell uptake, lowering tumor volume and weight, improving survival rates, and increasing the cytotoxicity of their loaded therapeutic agents. In terms of quantitative anticancer efficacy, loaded LLC nanoassemblies reduced the IC50 values from 1.4-fold against lung cancer cells to 125-fold against ovarian cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Araújo-Silva
- Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Patricia V Teixeira
- Centro de Física das Universidades do Minho e Porto (CF-UM-UP), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Andreia C Gomes
- Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Marlene Lúcio
- Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Centro de Física das Universidades do Minho e Porto (CF-UM-UP), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Carla M Lopes
- Instituto de Investigação, Inovação e Desenvolvimento (FP-I3ID), Biomedical and Health Sciences Research Unit (FP-BHS), Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, 4200-150 Porto, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, MEDTECH, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
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9
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Yu H, Iscaro J, Dyett B, Zhang Y, Seibt S, Martinez N, White J, Drummond CJ, Bozinovski S, Zhai J. Inverse Cubic and Hexagonal Mesophase Evolution within Ionizable Lipid Nanoparticles Correlates with mRNA Transfection in Macrophages. J Am Chem Soc 2023. [PMID: 37870621 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c08729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) technology presents enormous opportunities to prevent and treat various diseases. Here, we developed a novel series of LNPs containing ionizable amino-lipids showing a remarkable array of tunable and pH-sensitive lyotropic liquid crystalline mesophases including the inverse bicontinuous cubic and hexagonal phases characterized by high-throughput synchrotron radiation X-ray scattering. Furthermore, with an interest in developing mRNA therapeutics for lung macrophage targeting, we discovered that there is a strong correlation between the mesophase transition of the LNPs during acidification and the macrophage association/transfection efficiency of mRNAs. The slight molecular structural differences between the SM-102 and ALC-0315 ionizable lipids are linked to the LNP's ability to transform their internal structures from an amorphous state to the inverse micellar, hexagonal, and finally cubic structures during endosomal maturation. SM-102 LNPs showed exceptionally improved transfection efficiency due to their ability to form a cubic structure at a lower pH than the ALC-0315 analogues, which remained within the hexagonal structure, previously attributed to promoting endosomal escape of the ionizable LNPs. Overall, the new knowledge draws our attention to the important role of mesophase transition in endosomal escape, and the novel LNP libraries reported herein have broad prospects for advancing mRNA therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Yu
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Joshua Iscaro
- Centre for Respiratory Science & Health, School of Health & Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Brendan Dyett
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Yiran Zhang
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Susanne Seibt
- SAXS/WAXS Beamline, Australian Synchrotron, ANSTO, 800 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia
| | - Natalia Martinez
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Jacinta White
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue,Clayton, Victoria 3169, Australia
| | - Calum J Drummond
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Steven Bozinovski
- Centre for Respiratory Science & Health, School of Health & Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Jiali Zhai
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
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10
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Yu H, Angelova A, Angelov B, Dyett B, Matthews L, Zhang Y, El Mohamad M, Cai X, Valimehr S, Drummond CJ, Zhai J. Real-Time pH-Dependent Self-Assembly of Ionisable Lipids from COVID-19 Vaccines and In Situ Nucleic Acid Complexation. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202304977. [PMID: 37391876 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202304977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Ionisable amino-lipid is a key component in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), which plays a crucial role in the encapsulation of RNA molecules, allowing efficient cellular uptake and then releasing RNA from acidic endosomes. Herein, we present direct evidence for the remarkable structural transitions, with decreasing membrane curvature, including from inverse micellar, to inverse hexagonal, to two distinct inverse bicontinuous cubic, and finally to a lamellar phase for the two mainstream COVID-19 vaccine ionisable ALC-0315 and SM-102 lipids, occurring upon gradual acidification as encountered in endosomes. The millisecond kinetic growth of the inverse cubic and hexagonal structures and the evolution of the ordered structural formation upon ionisable lipid-RNA/DNA complexation are quantitatively revealed by in situ synchrotron radiation time-resolved small angle X-ray scattering coupled with rapid flow mixing. We found that the final self-assembled structural identity, and the formation kinetics, were controlled by the ionisable lipid molecular structure, acidic bulk environment, lipid compositions, and nucleic acid molecular structure/size. The implicated link between the inverse membrane curvature of LNP and LNP endosomal escape helps future optimisation of ionisable lipids and LNP engineering for RNA and gene delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Yu
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Angelina Angelova
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut Galien Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Borislav Angelov
- Extreme Light Infrastructure ERIC, Za Radnici 835, 25241, Dolni Brezany, Czech Republic
| | - Brendan Dyett
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Lauren Matthews
- ESRF, The European Synchrotron, 71 avenue des Martyrs, 38043, Grenoble, France
| | - Yiran Zhang
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Mohamad El Mohamad
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Xudong Cai
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Sepideh Valimehr
- Ian Holmes Imaging Center, Bio21 Molecular Science & Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre for Cryo-Electron Microscopy of Membrane Proteins, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Calum J Drummond
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Jiali Zhai
- School of Science, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
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11
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Pushpa Ragini S, White J, Kirby N, Banerjee R, Reddy Bathula S, Drummond CJ, Conn CE. Novel bioactive cationic cubosomes enhance the cytotoxic effect of paclitaxel against a paclitaxel resistant prostate cancer cell-line. J Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 649:966-976. [PMID: 37392686 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Hypothesis The study aimed to use molecular hybridization of a cationic lipid with a known pharmacophore to produce a bifunctional lipid having a cationic charge to enhance fusion with the cancer cell surface and biological activity via the pharmacophoric head group. Experiments The novel cationic lipid DMP12 [N-(2-(3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl) propanamido) ethyl)-N-dodecyl-N-methyldodecan-1-aminium iodide] was synthesised by conjugating 3-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl) propanoic acid (or 3,4-dimethoxyhydrocinnamic acid) to twin 12 carbon chains bearing a quaternary ammonium group [N-(2-aminoethyl)-N-dodecyl-N-methyldodecan-1-aminium iodide]. The physicochemical and biological properties of DMP12 were investigated. Cubosome particles consisting of monoolein (MO) doped with DMP12 and paclitaxel were characterized using Small-angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Cryo-Transmission Electron Microscopy (Cryo-TEM). Combination therapy using these cubosomes was assessed in vitro against the gastric (AGS) and prostate (DU-145 and PC-3) cancer cell lines using cytotoxicity assay. Findings Monoolein (MO) cubosomes doped with DMP12 were observed to be toxic against the AGS and DU-145 cell-lines at higher cubosome concentrations (≥100 µg/ml) but had limited activity against the PC-3 cell-line. However, combination therapy consisting of 5 mol% DMP12 and 0.5 mol% paclitaxel (PTX) significantly increased the cytotoxicity against the PC-3 cell-line which was resistant to either DMP12 or PTX individually. The results demonstrate that DMP12 has a prospective role as a bioactive excipient in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Pushpa Ragini
- Department of Oils, lipids science and technology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India; Department of Organic Synthesis and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad-500007, India; School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jacinta White
- CSIRO Manufacturing, Bayview Avenue, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Nigel Kirby
- Australian Synchrotron, 800 Blackburn Rd, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Rajkumar Banerjee
- Department of Oils, lipids science and technology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Surendar Reddy Bathula
- Academy of Scientific and Innovation Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India; Department of Organic Synthesis and Process Chemistry, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad-500007, India
| | - Calum J Drummond
- School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia
| | - Charlotte E Conn
- School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia.
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