Ring-opening polymerization of diepoxides as an alternative method to overcome PEG dilemma in gene delivery

Cationic crosslinked carbon dots-adjuvanted intranasal vaccine induces protective immunity against Omicron-included SARS-CoV-2 variants

Mucosal immunity plays a significant role in the first-line defense against viruses transmitted and infected through the respiratory system, such as SARS-CoV-2. However, the lack of effective and safe adjuvants currently limits the development of COVID-19 mucosal vaccines. In the current study, we prepare an intranasal vaccine containing cationic crosslinked carbon dots (CCD) and a SARS-CoV-2 antigen, RBD-HR with spontaneous antigen particlization. Intranasal immunization with CCD/RBD-HR induces high levels of antibodies with broad-spectrum neutralization against authentic viruses/pseudoviruses of Omicron-included variants and protects immunized female BALB/c mice from Omicron infection. Despite strong systemic cellular immune response stimulation, the intranasal CCD/RBD-HR vaccine also induces potent mucosal immunity as determined by the generation of tissue-resident T cells in the lungs and airway. Moreover, CCD/RBD-HR not only activates professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs), dendritic cells, but also effectively targets nasal epithelial cells, promotes antigen binding via sialic acid, and surprisingly provokes the antigen-presenting of nasal epithelial cells. We demonstrate that CCD is a promising intranasal vaccine adjuvant for provoking strong mucosal immunity and might be a candidate adjuvant for intranasal vaccine development for many types of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

Zn-Promoted gene transfection efficiency for non-viral vectors: a mechanism study

Mechanism studies revealed that a Zn coordination to cyclen-based cationic polymer may effectively improve the buffering capacity and endosomal escape ability.

Amino Acid-Linked Low Molecular Weight Polyethylenimine for Improved Gene Delivery and Biocompatibility

The construction of efficient and low toxic non-viral gene delivery vectors is of great significance for gene therapy. Herein, two novel polycations were constructed via Michael addition from low molecular weight polyethylenimine (PEI) 600 Da and amino acid-containing linkages. Lysine and histidine were introduced for the purpose of improved DNA binding and pH buffering capacity, respectively. The ester bonds afforded the polymer biodegradability, which was confirmed by the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) measurement. The polymers could well condense DNA into nanoparticles and protect DNA from degradation by nuclease. Compared with PEI 25 kDa, these polymers showed higher transfection efficiency, lower toxicity, and better serum tolerance. Study of this mechanism revealed that the polyplexes enter the cells mainly through caveolae-mediated endocytosis pathway; this, together with their biodegradability, facilitates the internalization of polyplexes and the release of DNA. The results reveal that the amino acid-linked low molecular weight PEI polymers could serve as promising candidates for non-viral gene delivery.

Effects of the molecular weight and molar ratio of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-based lipid on the pH sensitivity, stability, and antitumor efficacy of liposomes

In this study, we evaluated and screened the effects of the molecular weight (MW) and molar ratio of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline)-cholesteryl methyl carbonate (PEtOz-CHMC) on the pH sensitivity, stability, and antitumor efficacy of liposomes. The pH sensitivity of PEtOz-CHMC with different MWs and molar ratios was screened by drug release and cytotoxicity experiments at different pH levels. Results indicated that the liposomes coated with PEtOz1k-CHMC (7% molar ratio) and PEtOz2k-CHMC (5% molar ratio) exhibited the desirable pH responsiveness. When the MW of PEtOz was relatively low, 7% of the modified ratio obtained the strongest stability, but the turbidity of the liposomes did not obviously change when the molar ratio of PEtOz-CHMC was further increased. A375 cells were used as models to investigate the cellular uptake and intracellular localization of coumarin-6-loaded liposomes (C6-L), PEGylated liposomes (PEG-C6-L), and PEtOzylated liposomes. PEtOz1k-C6-L and PEtOz2k-C6-L presented remarkably stronger fluorescence intensity at low pH than at pH 7.4, whereas C6-L and PEG-C6-L did not achieve any obvious diversity at different pH conditions. Compared with C6-L and PEG-C6-L, PEtOz-C6-L showed efficient intracellular trafficking, including endosomal/lysosomal escape and cytoplasmic release. Pharmacokinetic experiments demonstrated that half-lives of PEG2k-C6-L, PEtOz2k-C6-L, and PEtOz1k-C6-L were 11.89-, 7.00-, and 5.29-fold times higher than those of C6-L, respectively. Among the liposomes, the DOX·HCl-loaded liposomes coated with PEtOz2k-CHMC demonstrated the strongest antitumor efficacy against B16 tumor xenograft models in vivo. These findings provide the feasibility of using PEtOz-CHMC with optimal pH sensitivity and long circulation to extend the application of liposomes to efficient anticancer drug delivery.

From Synthesis to Characterization of Site-Selective PEGylated Proteins

Covalent attachment of therapeutic proteins to polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely used for the improvement of its pharmacokinetic and pharmacological properties, as well as the reduction in reactogenicity and related side effects. This technique named PEGylation has been successfully employed in several approved drugs to treat various diseases, even cancer. Some methods have been developed to obtain PEGylated proteins, both in multiple protein sites or in a selected amino acid residue. This review focuses mainly on traditional and novel examples of chemical and enzymatic methods for site-selective PEGylation, emphasizing in N-terminal PEGylation, that make it possible to obtain products with a high degree of homogeneity and preserve bioactivity. In addition, the main assay methods that can be applied for the characterization of PEGylated molecules in complex biological samples are also summarized in this paper.