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Li Z, Xu K, Qin L, Zhao D, Yang N, Wang D, Yang Y. Hollow Nanomaterials in Advanced Drug Delivery Systems: From Single- to Multiple Shells. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2203890. [PMID: 35998336 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202203890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Hollow-structured nanomaterials (HSNMs) have attracted increased interest in biomedical fields, owing to their excellent potential as drug delivery systems (DDSs) for clinical applications. Among HSNMs, hollow multi-shelled structures (HoMSs) exhibit properties such as high loading capacity, sequential drug release, and multi-functionalized modification and represent a new class of nanoplatforms for clinical applications. The remarkable properties of HoMS-based DDS can simultaneously satisfy and enhance DDSs for delivering small molecular drugs (e.g., antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, and imaging agents) and macromolecular drugs (e.g., protein/peptide- and nucleic acid-based drugs). First, the latest research advances in delivering small molecular drugs are summarized and highlight the inherent advantages of HoMS-based DDSs for small molecular drug targeting, combining continuous therapeutic drug delivery and theranostics to optimize the clinical benefit. Meanwhile, the macromolecular drugs DDSs are in the initial development stage and currently offer limited delivery modes. There is a growing need to analyze the deficiency of other HSNMs and integrate the advantages of HSNMs, providing solutions for the safe, stable, and cascade delivery of macromolecular drugs to meet vast treatment requirements. Therefore, the latest advances in HoMS-based DDSs are comprehensively reviewed, mainly focusing on the characteristics, research progress by drug category, and future research prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Ke Xu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Linlin Qin
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Decai Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Nailiang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Dan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, China
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Butler SS, Date K, Okumura T, Lueck C, Ghosh B, Maitra A, Suh J. Membrane-bound MMP-14 protease-activatable adeno-associated viral vectors for gene delivery to pancreatic tumors. Gene Ther 2021; 29:138-146. [PMID: 33958732 PMCID: PMC8571120 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-021-00255-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus' (AAV) relatively simple structure makes it accommodating for engineering into controllable delivery platforms. Cancer, such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), are often characterized by upregulation of membrane-bound proteins, such as MMP-14, that propagate survival integrin signaling. In order to target tumors, we have engineered an MMP-14 protease-activatable AAV vector that responds to both membrane-bound and extracellularly active MMPs. This "provector" was generated by inserting a tetra-aspartic acid inactivating motif flanked by the MMP-14 cleavage sequence IPESLRAG into the capsid subunits. The MMP-14 provector shows lower background transduction than previously developed provectors, leading to a 9.5-fold increase in transduction ability. In a murine model of PDAC, the MMP-14 provector shows increased delivery to an allograft tumor. This proof-of-concept study illustrates the possibilities of membrane-bound protease-activatable gene therapies to target tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan S Butler
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kenjiro Date
- Departments of Translational Molecular Pathology and Pathology, Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Takashi Okumura
- Departments of Translational Molecular Pathology and Pathology, Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Cooper Lueck
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Bidyut Ghosh
- Departments of Translational Molecular Pathology and Pathology, Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Anirban Maitra
- Departments of Translational Molecular Pathology and Pathology, Sheikh Ahmed Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Junghae Suh
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA. .,Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA.
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Wagner HJ, Weber W, Fussenegger M. Synthetic Biology: Emerging Concepts to Design and Advance Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors for Gene Therapy. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:2004018. [PMID: 33977059 PMCID: PMC8097373 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202004018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Three recent approvals and over 100 ongoing clinical trials make adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based vectors the leading gene delivery vehicles in gene therapy. Pharmaceutical companies are investing in this small and nonpathogenic gene shuttle to increase the therapeutic portfolios within the coming years. This prospect of marking a new era in gene therapy has fostered both investigations of the fundamental AAV biology as well as engineering studies to enhance delivery vehicles. Driven by the high clinical potential, a new generation of synthetic-biologically engineered AAV vectors is on the rise. Concepts from synthetic biology enable the control and fine-tuning of vector function at different stages of cellular transduction and gene expression. It is anticipated that the emerging field of synthetic-biologically engineered AAV vectors can shape future gene therapeutic approaches and thus the design of tomorrow's gene delivery vectors. This review describes and discusses the recent trends in capsid and vector genome engineering, with particular emphasis on synthetic-biological approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna J. Wagner
- Department of Biosystems Science and EngineeringETH ZurichMattenstrasse 26Basel4058Switzerland
- Faculty of BiologyUniversity of FreiburgSchänzlestraße 1Freiburg79104Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSSUniversity of FreiburgSchänzlestraße 18Freiburg79104Germany
| | - Wilfried Weber
- Faculty of BiologyUniversity of FreiburgSchänzlestraße 1Freiburg79104Germany
- Signalling Research Centres BIOSS and CIBSSUniversity of FreiburgSchänzlestraße 18Freiburg79104Germany
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and EngineeringETH ZurichMattenstrasse 26Basel4058Switzerland
- Faculty of ScienceUniversity of BaselKlingelbergstrasse 50Basel4056Switzerland
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Wang Y, Bruggeman KF, Franks S, Gautam V, Hodgetts SI, Harvey AR, Williams RJ, Nisbet DR. Is Viral Vector Gene Delivery More Effective Using Biomaterials? Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2001238. [PMID: 33191667 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202001238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Gene delivery has been extensively investigated for introducing foreign genetic material into cells to promote expression of therapeutic proteins or to silence relevant genes. This approach can regulate genetic or epigenetic disorders, offering an attractive alternative to pharmacological therapy or invasive protein delivery options. However, the exciting potential of viral gene therapy has yet to be fully realized, with a number of clinical trials failing to deliver optimal therapeutic outcomes. Reasons for this include difficulty in achieving localized delivery, and subsequently lower efficacy at the target site, as well as poor or inconsistent transduction efficiency. Thus, ongoing efforts are focused on improving local viral delivery and enhancing its efficiency. Recently, biomaterials have been exploited as an option for more controlled, targeted and programmable gene delivery. There is a growing body of literature demonstrating the efficacy of biomaterials and their potential advantages over other delivery strategies. This review explores current limitations of gene delivery and the progress of biomaterial-mediated gene delivery. The combination of biomaterials and gene vectors holds the potential to surmount major challenges, including the uncontrolled release of viral vectors with random delivery duration, poorly localized viral delivery with associated off-target effects, limited viral tropism, and immune safety concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Wang
- Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials Research School of Engineering The Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Kiara F. Bruggeman
- Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials Research School of Engineering The Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Stephanie Franks
- Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials Research School of Engineering The Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Vini Gautam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering The University of Melbourne Melbourne Victoria 3010 Australia
| | - Stuart I. Hodgetts
- School of Human Sciences The University of Western Australia Perth WA 6009 Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science Perth WA 6009 Australia
| | - Alan R. Harvey
- School of Human Sciences The University of Western Australia Perth WA 6009 Australia
- Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science Perth WA 6009 Australia
| | - Richard J. Williams
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation (IMPACT) School of Medicine Deakin University Waurn Ponds VIC 3216 Australia
- Biofab3D St. Vincent's Hospital Fitzroy 3065 Australia
| | - David R. Nisbet
- Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials Research School of Engineering The Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
- Biofab3D St. Vincent's Hospital Fitzroy 3065 Australia
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Lugin ML, Lee RT, Kwon YJ. Synthetically Engineered Adeno-Associated Virus for Efficient, Safe, and Versatile Gene Therapy Applications. ACS NANO 2020; 14:14262-14283. [PMID: 33073995 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c03850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy directly targets mutations causing disease, allowing for a specific treatment at a molecular level. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has been of increasing interest as a gene delivery vehicle, as AAV vectors are safe, effective, and capable of eliciting a relatively contained immune response. With the recent FDA approval of two AAV drugs for treating rare genetic diseases, AAV vectors are now on the market and are being further explored for other therapies. While showing promise in immune privileged tissue, the use of AAV for systemic delivery is still limited due to the high prevalence of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). To avoid nAb-mediated inactivation, engineered AAV vectors with modified protein capsids, materials tethered to the capsid surface, or fully encapsulated in a second, larger carrier have been explored. Many of these engineered AAVs have added benefits, including avoided immune response, overcoming the genome size limit, targeted and stimuli-responsive delivery, and multimodal therapy of two or more therapeutic modalities in one platform. Native and engineered AAV vectors have been tested to treat a broad range of diseases, including spinal muscular atrophy, retinal diseases, cancers, and tissue damage. This review will cover the benefits of AAV as a promising gene vector by itself, the progress and advantages of engineered AAV vectors, particularly synthetically engineered ones, and the current state of their clinical translation in therapy.
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Maurya S, Mary B, Jayandharan GR. Rational Engineering and Preclinical Evaluation of Neddylation and SUMOylation Site Modified Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors in Murine Models of Hemophilia B and Leber Congenital Amaurosis. Hum Gene Ther 2019; 30:1461-1476. [PMID: 31642343 PMCID: PMC6919284 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2019.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic engineering of viral vectors such as adeno-associated virus (AAV) is crucial to overcome host transduction barriers observed during clinical gene therapy. We reasoned that exploring the role of cellular ubiquitin-like modifiers (UBLs) such as Neddylation or SUMOylation during AAV transduction could be beneficial. Using a combination of in silico biochemical and molecular engineering strategies, we have studied the impact of these UBLs during AAV2 infection and further developed Neddylation or SUMOylation site–modified AAV vectors and validated them in multiple disease models in vitro and in vivo. Hepatic gene transfer of two novel vectors developed, K105Q (SUMOylation-site mutant) and K665Q (Neddylation-site mutant), demonstrated a significantly improved human coagulation factor (F) IX expression (up to two-fold) in a murine model of hemophilia B. Furthermore, subretinal gene transfer of AAV2-K105Q vector expressing RPE65 gene demonstrated visual correction in a murine model of a retinal degenerative disease (rd12 mice). These vectors did not have any adverse immunogenic events in vivo. Taken together, we demonstrate that gene delivery vectors specifically engineered at UBLs can improve the therapeutic outcome during AAV-mediated ocular or hepatic gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubham Maurya
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Bertin Mary
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Giridhara R Jayandharan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Tong JG, Evans AC, Ho ML, Guenther CM, Brun MJ, Judd J, Wu E, Suh J. Reducing off target viral delivery in ovarian cancer gene therapy using a protease-activated AAV2 vector platform. J Control Release 2019; 307:292-301. [PMID: 31252037 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy is a promising strategy for treating metastatic epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). However, efficient vector targeting to tumors is difficult and off-target effects can be severely detrimental. Most vector targeting approaches rely on surface receptors overexpressed on some subpopulation of cancer cells. Unfortunately, there is no universally expressed cell surface biomarker for tumor cells. As an alternative, we developed an adeno-associated virus (AAV) based "Provector" whose cellular transduction can be activated by extracellular proteases, such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) that are overexpressed in the tumor microenvironments of the most aggressive forms of EOC. In a non-tumor bearing mouse model, the Provector demonstrates efficient de-targeting of healthy tissues, especially the liver, where viral delivery is <1% of AAV2. In an orthotopic HeyA8 tumor model of EOC, the Provector maintains decreased off-target delivery in the liver and other tissues but with no loss in tumor delivery. Notably, approximately 10% of the injected Provector is still detected in the blood at 24 h while >99% of injected AAV2 has been cleared from the blood by 1 h. Furthermore, mouse serum raised against the Provector is 16-fold less able to neutralize Provector transduction compared to AAV2 serum neutralizing AAV2 transduction (1:200 vs 1:3200 serum dilution, respectively). Thus, the Provector appears to generate less neutralizing antibodies than AAV2. Importantly, serum against AAV2 does not neutralize the Provector as well as AAV2, suggesting that pre-existing antibodies against AAV2 would not negate the clinical application of Provectors. Taken together, we present an EOC gene delivery vector platform based on AAV with decreased off-target delivery without loss of on-target specificity, and greater immunological stealth over the traditional AAV2 gene delivery vector.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Tong
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, United States of America
| | - A C Evans
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, United States of America
| | - M L Ho
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, United States of America
| | - C M Guenther
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, United States of America
| | - M J Brun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, United States of America
| | - J Judd
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, United States of America
| | - E Wu
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, United States of America
| | - J Suh
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, United States of America; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, United States of America; Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Program, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, United States of America.
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Chen MY, Butler SS, Chen W, Suh J. Physical, chemical, and synthetic virology: Reprogramming viruses as controllable nanodevices. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2019; 11:e1545. [PMID: 30411529 PMCID: PMC6461522 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The fields of physical, chemical, and synthetic virology work in partnership to reprogram viruses as controllable nanodevices. Physical virology provides the fundamental biophysical understanding of how virus capsids assemble, disassemble, display metastability, and assume various configurations. Chemical virology considers the virus capsid as a chemically addressable structure, providing chemical pathways to modify the capsid exterior, interior, and subunit interfaces. Synthetic virology takes an engineering approach, modifying the virus capsid through rational, combinatorial, and bioinformatics-driven design strategies. Advances in these three subfields of virology aim to develop virus-based materials and tools that can be applied to solve critical problems in biomedicine and biotechnology, including applications in gene therapy and drug delivery, diagnostics, and immunotherapy. Examples discussed include mammalian viruses, such as adeno-associated virus (AAV), plant viruses, such as cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), and bacterial viruses, such as Qβ bacteriophage. Importantly, research efforts in physical, chemical, and synthetic virology have further unraveled the design principles foundational to the form and function of viruses. This article is categorized under: Diagnostic Tools > Diagnostic Nanodevices Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Protein and Virus-Based Structures.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan S Butler
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas
| | - Weitong Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas
| | - Junghae Suh
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas
- Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Program, Rice University, Houston, Texas
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Guenther CM, Brun MJ, Bennett AD, Ho ML, Chen W, Zhu B, Lam M, Yamagami M, Kwon S, Bhattacharya N, Sousa D, Evans AC, Voss J, Sevick-Muraca EM, Agbandje-McKenna M, Suh J. Protease-Activatable Adeno-Associated Virus Vector for Gene Delivery to Damaged Heart Tissue. Mol Ther 2019; 27:611-622. [PMID: 30772143 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) has emerged as a promising gene delivery vector because of its non-pathogenicity, simple structure and genome, and low immunogenicity compared to other viruses. However, its adoption as a safe and effective delivery vector for certain diseases relies on altering its tropism to deliver transgenes to desired cell populations. To this end, we have developed a protease-activatable AAV vector, named provector, that responds to elevated extracellular protease activity commonly found in diseased tissue microenvironments. The AAV9-based provector is initially inactive, but then it can be switched on by matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2 and -9. Cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction reveal that the provector capsid is structurally similar to that of AAV9, with a flexible peptide insertion at the top of the 3-fold protrusions. In an in vivo model of myocardial infarction (MI), the provector is able to deliver transgenes site specifically to high-MMP-activity regions of the damaged heart, with concomitant decreased delivery to many off-target organs, including the liver. The AAV provector may be useful in the future for enhanced delivery of transgenes to sites of cardiac damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin M Guenther
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Mitchell J Brun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Antonette D Bennett
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, 1200 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Michelle L Ho
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Weitong Chen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Banghe Zhu
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77225, USA
| | - Michael Lam
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Momona Yamagami
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Sunkuk Kwon
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77225, USA
| | - Nilakshee Bhattacharya
- Biological Science Imaging facility (BSIR), Department of Biology, 89 Chieftan Way, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Duncan Sousa
- Biological Science Imaging facility (BSIR), Department of Biology, 89 Chieftan Way, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Annicka C Evans
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - Julie Voss
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77225, USA
| | - Eva M Sevick-Muraca
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 6767 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX 77225, USA
| | - Mavis Agbandje-McKenna
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Florida, 1200 Newell Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
| | - Junghae Suh
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005, USA.
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Chen MY, Robinson TM, Suh J. Longer Inactivating Sequence in Peptide Lock Improves Performance of Synthetic Protease-Activatable Adeno-Associated Virus. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:91-98. [PMID: 30614703 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are promising gene therapy vectors but may exhibit off-target delivery due to broad tissue tropism. We recently developed a synthetic protease-activatable AAV vector, named provector, that transduces cells preferentially in environments rich in matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which are elevated in a variety of diseases, including various cancers and heart diseases. The provector displays peptide locks made up of MMP recognition sites flanking an inactivating sequence (IS) composed of four aspartic acid residues (D4). When present, the IS prevents AAV from binding cell receptors and no transduction occurs (OFF state). High levels of MMPs cleave the recognition sequences and release the IS from the capsid surface, restoring cell receptor binding (ON state). The AAV9 provector prototype is not optimal as it displays baseline OFF transduction at 5-10% of that of the wild-type capsid, which can lead to off-target delivery. We hypothesized that changes to the IS may decrease OFF state transduction. We created a provector panel with IS of lengths 0 (D0) to 10 (D10) aspartic acid residues and characterized this panel in vitro. Notably, we find that the D10 provector has an OFF transduction of less than 1% of wild-type capsid and an ON/OFF transduction ratio of 27, the best outcome achieved for any provector thus far. In summary, our results enable us to define new design rules for the provector platform, specifically that (1) the IS is necessary for provector locking and (2) increasing the number of aspartic acid residues in this sequence improves locking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Y. Chen
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas 77030, United States
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Lee EJ, Guenther CM, Suh J. Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) Vectors: Rational Design Strategies for Capsid Engineering. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2018; 7:58-63. [PMID: 31106283 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2018.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) consists of a simple genome, infects mammalian cells, displays nonpathogenicity in humans, and spans an array of serotypes and variants bearing distinct tissue tropisms. These attributes lend AAV tremendous promise as a gene delivery vector, further substantiated by its extensive testing in human clinical trials. Rational design approaches to capsid engineering leverage current scientific knowledge of AAV to further modulate, enhance and optimize the performance of the vectors. Capsid modification strategies include amino acid point mutations, peptide domain insertions, and chemical biology approaches. Through such efforts, insights regarding AAV capsid sequence-structure-function relationships can be learned. Developments over the last 5 years in rational design-based capsid engineering approaches will be presented and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther J Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6500 Main St., MS-142, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Caitlin M Guenther
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6500 Main St., MS-142, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Junghae Suh
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, 6500 Main St., MS-142, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Brun MJ, Gomez EJ, Suh J. Stimulus-responsive viral vectors for controlled delivery of therapeutics. J Control Release 2017; 267:80-89. [PMID: 28842318 PMCID: PMC5723212 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2017.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Virus-based therapies have gained momentum as the next generation of treatments for a variety of serious diseases. In order to make these therapies more controllable, stimulus-responsive viral vectors capable of sensing and responding to specific environmental inputs are currently being developed. A number of viruses naturally respond to endogenous stimuli, such as pH, redox, and proteases, which are present at different concentrations in diseases and at different organ and organelle sites. Additionally, rather than relying on natural viral properties, efforts are underway to engineer viruses to respond to endogenous stimuli in new ways as well as to exogenous stimuli, such as temperature, magnetic field, and optical light. Viruses with stimulus-responsive capabilities, either nature-evolved or human-engineered, will be reviewed to capture the current state of the field. Stimulus-responsive viral vector design considerations as well as gaps in current research efforts will be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitchell J Brun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Eric J Gomez
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Junghae Suh
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States; Systems, Synthetic, and Physical Biology Program, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States.
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