1
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Giulimondi F, Digiacomo L, Renzi S, Cassone C, Pirrottina A, Molfetta R, Palamà IE, Maiorano G, Gigli G, Amenitsch H, Pozzi D, Zingoni A, Caracciolo G. Optimizing Transfection Efficiency in CAR-T Cell Manufacturing through Multiple Administrations of Lipid-Based Nanoparticles. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2024; 7:3746-3757. [PMID: 38775109 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00103] [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] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The existing manufacturing protocols for CAR-T cell therapies pose notable challenges, particularly in attaining a transient transfection that endures for a significant duration. To address this gap, this study aims to formulate a transfection protocol utilizing multiple lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs) administrations to enhance transfection efficiency (TE) to clinically relevant levels. By systematically fine-tuning and optimizing our transfection protocol through a series of iterative refinements, we have accomplished a remarkable one-order-of-magnitude augmentation in TE within the immortalized T-lymphocyte Jurkat cell line. This enhancement has been consistently observed over 2 weeks, and importantly, it has been achieved without any detrimental impact on cell viability. In the subsequent phase of our study, we aimed to optimize the gene delivery system by evaluating three lipid-based formulations tailored for DNA encapsulation using our refined protocol. These formulations encompassed two LNPs constructed from ionizable lipids and featuring systematic variations in lipid composition (iLNPs) and a cationic lipoplex (cLNP). Our findings showcased a notable standout among the three formulations, with cLNP emerging as a frontrunner for further refinement and integration into the production pipeline of CAR-T therapies. Consequently, cLNP was scrutinized for its potential to deliver CAR-encoding plasmid DNA to the HEK-293 cell line. Confocal microscopy experiments demonstrated its efficiency, revealing substantial internalization compared to iLNPs. By employing a recently developed confocal image analysis method, we substantiated that cellular entry of cLNP predominantly occurs through macropinocytosis. This mechanism leads to heightened intracellular endosomal escape and mitigates lysosomal accumulation. The successful expression of anti-CD19-CD28-CD3z, a CAR engineered to target CD19, a protein often expressed on the surface of B cells, was confirmed using a fluorescence-based assay. Overall, our results indicated the effectiveness of cLNP in gene delivery and suggested the potential of multiple administration transfection as a practical approach for refining T-cell engineering protocols in CAR therapies. Future investigations may focus on refining outcomes by adjusting transfection parameters like nucleic acid concentration, lipid-to-DNA ratio, and incubation time to achieve improved TE and increased gene expression levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Giulimondi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Luca Digiacomo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Serena Renzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Chiara Cassone
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Andrea Pirrottina
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Rosa Molfetta
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | | | - Gabriele Maiorano
- Nanotechnology Institute, CNR-NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gigli
- Nanotechnology Institute, CNR-NANOTEC, Via Monteroni, Lecce 73100, Italy
- Department of Medicine, University of Salento, Arnesano street c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce 73100, Italy
| | - Heinz Amenitsch
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, Graz 8010, Austria
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Alessandra Zingoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, V.le Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
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2
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Pozzi D, Caracciolo G. Looking Back, Moving Forward: Lipid Nanoparticles as a Promising Frontier in Gene Delivery. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2023; 6:1561-1573. [PMID: 37974625 PMCID: PMC10644400 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.3c00185] [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: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have shown remarkable success in delivering genetic materials like COVID-19 LNP vaccines, such as mRNA-1273/SpikeVax by Moderna and BNT162b2/Comirnaty by BioNTech/Pfizer, as well as siRNA for rare inherited diseases, such as Onpattro from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals. These LNPs are advantageous since they minimize side effects, target specific cells, and regulate payload delivery. There has been a surge of interest in these particles due to their success stories; however, we still do not know much about how they work. This perspective will recapitulate the evolution of lipid-based gene delivery, starting with Felgner's pioneering 1987 PNAS paper, which introduced the initial DNA-transfection method utilizing a synthetic cationic lipid. Our journey takes us to the early 2020s, a time when advancements in bionano interactions enabled us to create biomimetic lipoplexes characterized by a remarkable ability to evade capture by immune cells in vivo. Through this overview, we propose leveraging previous achievements to assist us in formulating improved research goals when optimizing LNPs for medical conditions such as infectious diseases, cancer, and heritable disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Pozzi
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina
Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina
Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
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3
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Digiacomo L, Renzi S, Quagliarini E, Pozzi D, Amenitsch H, Ferri G, Pesce L, De Lorenzi V, Matteoli G, Cardarelli F, Caracciolo G. Investigating the mechanism of action of DNA-loaded PEGylated lipid nanoparticles. NANOMEDICINE : NANOTECHNOLOGY, BIOLOGY, AND MEDICINE 2023; 53:102697. [PMID: 37507061 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2023.102697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
PEGylated lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are commonly used to deliver bioactive molecules, but the role of PEGylation in DNA-loaded LNP interactions at the cellular and subcellular levels remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of action of DNA-loaded PEGylated LNPs using gene reporter technologies, dynamic light scattering (DLS), synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and fluorescence confocal microscopy (FCS). We found that PEG has no significant impact on the size or nanostructure of DNA LNPs but reduces their zeta potential and interaction with anionic cell membranes. PEGylation increases the structural stability of LNPs and results in lower DNA unloading. FCS experiments revealed that PEGylated LNPs are internalized intact inside cells and largely shuttled to lysosomes, while unPEGylated LNPs undergo massive destabilization on the plasma membrane. These findings can inform the design, optimization, and validation of DNA-loaded LNPs for gene delivery and vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Digiacomo
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Renzi
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Erica Quagliarini
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Heinz Amenitsch
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Gianmarco Ferri
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Pesce
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Giulia Matteoli
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Giulio Caracciolo
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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4
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Sadeqi Nezhad M. Poly (beta-amino ester) as an in vivo nanocarrier for therapeutic nucleic acids. Biotechnol Bioeng 2023; 120:95-113. [PMID: 36266918 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic nucleic acids are an emerging class of therapy for treating various diseases through immunomodulation, protein replacement, gene editing, and genetic engineering. However, they need a vector to effectively and safely reach the target cells. Most gene and cell therapies rely on ex vivo gene delivery, which is laborious, time-consuming, and costly; therefore, devising a systematic vector for effective and safe in vivo delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids is required to target the cells of interest in an efficient manner. Synthetic nanoparticle vector poly beta amino ester (PBAE), a class of degradable polymer, is a promising candidate for in vivo gene delivery. PBAE is considered the most potent in vivo vector due to its excellent transfection performance and biodegradability. PBAE nanoparticles showed tunable charge density, diverse structural characteristics, excellent encapsulation capacity, high stability, stimuli-responsive release, site-specific delivery, potent binding to nucleic acids, flexible binding ability to various conjugates, and effective endosomal escape. These unique properties of PBAE are an essential contribution to in vivo gene delivery. The current review discusses each of the components used for PBAE synthesis and the impact of various environmental and physicochemical factors of the body on PBAE nanocarrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Sadeqi Nezhad
- Clinical and Translational Science Institute, Translational Biomedical Science Department, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA.,Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA.,Department of Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
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5
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Quagliarini E, Wang J, Renzi S, Cui L, Digiacomo L, Ferri G, Pesce L, De Lorenzi V, Matteoli G, Amenitsch H, Masuelli L, Bei R, Pozzi D, Amici A, Cardarelli F, Marchini C, Caracciolo G. Mechanistic Insights into the Superior DNA Delivery Efficiency of Multicomponent Lipid Nanoparticles: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:56666-56677. [PMID: 36524967 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c20019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are currently having an increasing impact on nanomedicines as delivery agents, among others, of RNA molecules (e.g., short interfering RNA for the treatment of hereditary diseases or messenger RNA for the development of COVID-19 vaccines). Despite this, the delivery of plasmid DNA (pDNA) by LNPs in preclinical studies is still unsatisfactory, mainly due to the lack of systematic structural and functional studies on DNA-loaded LNPs. To tackle this issue, we developed, characterized, and tested a library of 16 multicomponent DNA-loaded LNPs which were prepared by microfluidics and differed in lipid composition, surface functionalization, and manufacturing factors. 8 out of 16 formulations exhibited proper size and zeta potential and passed to the validation step, that is, the simultaneous quantification of transfection efficiency and cell viability in human embryonic kidney cells (HEK-293). The most efficient formulation (LNP15) was then successfully validated both in vitro, in an immortalized adult keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) and in an epidermoid cervical cancer cell line (CaSki), and in vivo as a nanocarrier to deliver a cancer vaccine against the benchmark target tyrosine-kinase receptor HER2 in C57BL/6 mice. Finally, by a combination of confocal microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering, we were able to show that the superior efficiency of LNP15 can be linked to its disordered nanostructure consisting of small-size unoriented layers of pDNA sandwiched between closely apposed lipid membranes that undergo massive destabilization upon interaction with cellular lipids. Our results provide new insights into the structure-activity relationship of pDNA-loaded LNPs and pave the way to the clinical translation of this gene delivery technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Quagliarini
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161Rome, Italy
| | - Junbiao Wang
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032Camerino, Italy
| | - Serena Renzi
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161Rome, Italy
| | - Lishan Cui
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032Camerino, Italy
| | - Luca Digiacomo
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161Rome, Italy
| | - Gianmarco Ferri
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127Pisa, Italy
| | - Luca Pesce
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127Pisa, Italy
| | - Valentina De Lorenzi
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127Pisa, Italy
| | - Giulia Matteoli
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127Pisa, Italy
| | - Heinz Amenitsch
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, 8010Graz, Austria
| | - Laura Masuelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome "Sapienza", 00161Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Bei
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", 00133Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161Rome, Italy
| | - Augusto Amici
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032Camerino, Italy
| | - Francesco Cardarelli
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Marchini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032Camerino, Italy
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- NanoDelivery Lab, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161Rome, Italy
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6
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Giulimondi F, Digiacomo L, Vulpis E, Loconte L, Ferri G, Cardarelli F, Pozzi D, Zingoni A, Caracciolo G. In vitro and ex vivo nano-enabled immunomodulation by the protein corona. NANOSCALE 2022; 14:10531-10539. [PMID: 35833584 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr01878k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
New technologies with the capacity to tune immune system activity are highly desired in clinical practice and disease management. Here we demonstrate that nanoparticles with a protein corona enriched with gelsolin (GSN), an abundant plasma protein that acts as a modulator of immune responses, are avidly captured by human monocytic THP-1 cells in vitro and by leukocyte subpopulations derived from healthy donors ex vivo. In human monocytes, GSN modulates the production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in an inverse dose-dependent manner. Overall, our results suggest that artificial coronas can be exploited to finely tune the immune response, opening new approaches for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Giulimondi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Luca Digiacomo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Elisabetta Vulpis
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Luisa Loconte
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Gianmarco Ferri
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Francesco Cardarelli
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Alessandra Zingoni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy.
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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7
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Giulimondi F, Vulpis E, Digiacomo L, Giuli MV, Mancusi A, Capriotti AL, Laganà A, Cerrato A, Zenezini Chiozzi R, Nicoletti C, Amenitsch H, Cardarelli F, Masuelli L, Bei R, Screpanti I, Pozzi D, Zingoni A, Checquolo S, Caracciolo G. Opsonin-Deficient Nucleoproteic Corona Endows UnPEGylated Liposomes with Stealth Properties In Vivo. ACS NANO 2022; 16:2088-2100. [PMID: 35040637 PMCID: PMC8867903 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c07687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
For several decades, surface grafted polyethylene glycol (PEG) has been a go-to strategy for preserving the synthetic identity of liposomes in physiological milieu and preventing clearance by immune cells. However, the limited clinical translation of PEGylated liposomes is mainly due to the protein corona formation and the subsequent modification of liposomes' synthetic identity, which affects their interactions with immune cells and blood residency. Here we exploit the electric charge of DNA to generate unPEGylated liposome/DNA complexes that, upon exposure to human plasma, gets covered with an opsonin-deficient protein corona. The final product of the synthetic process is a biomimetic nanoparticle type covered by a proteonucleotidic corona, or "proteoDNAsome", which maintains its synthetic identity in vivo and is able to slip past the immune system more efficiently than PEGylated liposomes. Accumulation of proteoDNAsomes in the spleen and the liver was lower than that of PEGylated systems. Our work highlights the importance of generating stable biomolecular coronas in the development of stealth unPEGylated particles, thus providing a connection between the biological behavior of particles in vivo and their synthetic identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Giulimondi
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Vulpis
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Digiacomo
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Valeria Giuli
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Angelica Mancusi
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Laura Capriotti
- Department
of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Aldo Laganà
- Department
of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Cerrato
- Department
of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Riccardo Zenezini Chiozzi
- Biomolecular
Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular
Research, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 8, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Carmine Nicoletti
- Unit
of Histology and Medical Embryology, Department of Anatomy, Histology,
Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza
University of Rome, Viale A. Scarpa 16, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Heinz Amenitsch
- Institute
of inorganic Chemistry, Graz University
of Technology, Stremayerg 6/IV, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | | | - Laura Masuelli
- Department
of Experimental Medicine, University of
Rome “Sapienza”, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Bei
- Department
of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Screpanti
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Zingoni
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Saula Checquolo
- Department
of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnology, Sapienza University of Rome, Corso della Repubblica 79, 04100 Latina, Italy
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department
of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University
of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
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8
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Quagliarini E, Renzi S, Digiacomo L, Giulimondi F, Sartori B, Amenitsch H, Tassinari V, Masuelli L, Bei R, Cui L, Wang J, Amici A, Marchini C, Pozzi D, Caracciolo G. Microfluidic Formulation of DNA-Loaded Multicomponent Lipid Nanoparticles for Gene Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:1292. [PMID: 34452253 PMCID: PMC8400491 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13081292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have gained considerable attention in numerous research fields ranging from gene therapy to cancer immunotherapy and DNA vaccination. While some RNA-encapsulating LNP formulations passed clinical trials, DNA-loaded LNPs have been only marginally explored so far. To fulfil this gap, herein we investigated the effect of several factors influencing the microfluidic formulation and transfection behavior of DNA-loaded LNPs such as PEGylation, total flow rate (TFR), concentration and particle density at the cell surface. We show that PEGylation and post-synthesis sample concentration facilitated formulation of homogeneous and small size LNPs with high transfection efficiency and minor, if any, cytotoxicity on human Embryonic Kidney293 (HEK-293), spontaneously immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT), immortalized keratinocytes (N/TERT) generated from the transduction of human primary keratinocytes, and epidermoid cervical cancer (CaSki) cell lines. On the other side, increasing TFR had a detrimental effect both on the physicochemical properties and transfection properties of LNPs. Lastly, the effect of particle concentration at the cell surface on the transfection efficiency (TE) and cell viability was largely dependent on the cell line, suggesting that its case-by-case optimization would be necessary. Overall, we demonstrate that fine tuning formulation and microfluidic parameters is a vital step for the generation of highly efficient DNA-loaded LNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Quagliarini
- Department of Chemistry, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Serena Renzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.R.); (L.D.); (F.G.); (V.T.)
| | - Luca Digiacomo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.R.); (L.D.); (F.G.); (V.T.)
| | - Francesca Giulimondi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.R.); (L.D.); (F.G.); (V.T.)
| | - Barbara Sartori
- Institute of inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria; (B.S.); (H.A.)
| | - Heinz Amenitsch
- Institute of inorganic Chemistry, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria; (B.S.); (H.A.)
| | - Valentina Tassinari
- Department of Molecular Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.R.); (L.D.); (F.G.); (V.T.)
| | - Laura Masuelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Roberto Bei
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Translational Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Lishan Cui
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (L.C.); (J.W.); (A.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Junbiao Wang
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (L.C.); (J.W.); (A.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Augusto Amici
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (L.C.); (J.W.); (A.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Cristina Marchini
- School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy; (L.C.); (J.W.); (A.A.); (C.M.)
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.R.); (L.D.); (F.G.); (V.T.)
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy; (S.R.); (L.D.); (F.G.); (V.T.)
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9
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Digiacomo L, Giulimondi F, Capriotti AL, Piovesana S, Montone CM, Chiozzi RZ, Laganà A, Mahmoudi M, Pozzi D, Caracciolo G. Optimal centrifugal isolating of liposome-protein complexes from human plasma. NANOSCALE ADVANCES 2021; 3:3824-3834. [PMID: 36133013 PMCID: PMC9418580 DOI: 10.1039/d1na00211b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
In the past few years, characterization of the protein corona (PC) that forms around liposomal systems has gained increasing interest for the development of novel therapeutic and diagnostic technologies. At the crossroads of fast-moving research fields, the interdisciplinarity of protein corona investigations poses challenges for experimental design and reporting. Isolation of liposome-protein complexes from biological fluids has been identified as a fundamental step of the entire workflow of PC characterization but exact specifications for conditions to optimize pelleting remain elusive. In the present work, key factors affecting precipitation of liposome-protein complexes by centrifugation, including time of centrifugation, total sample volume, lipid : protein ratio and contamination from biological NPs were comprehensively evaluated. Here we show that the total amount of isolated liposome-protein complexes and the extent of contamination from biological NPs may vary with influence factors. Our results provide protein corona researchers with precise indications to separate liposome-protein complexes from protein-rich fluids and include proper controls, thus they are anticipated to catalyze improved consistency of data mining and computational modelling of protein corona composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Digiacomo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome Viale Regina Elena 291 00161 Rome Italy
| | - Francesca Giulimondi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome Viale Regina Elena 291 00161 Rome Italy
| | - Anna Laura Capriotti
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome P.le A. Moro 5 00185 Rome Italy
| | - Susy Piovesana
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome P.le A. Moro 5 00185 Rome Italy
| | - Carmela Maria Montone
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome P.le A. Moro 5 00185 Rome Italy
| | - Riccardo Zenezini Chiozzi
- Biomolecular Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics, Bijvoet Center for Biomolecular Research, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences Utrecht University Heidelberglaan 8 3584 CS Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - Aldo Laganà
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome P.le A. Moro 5 00185 Rome Italy
| | - Morteza Mahmoudi
- Department of Radiology, Precision Health Program, Michigan State University MI USA
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome Viale Regina Elena 291 00161 Rome Italy
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome Viale Regina Elena 291 00161 Rome Italy
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10
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Artificial Protein Coronas Enable Controlled Interaction with Corneal Epithelial Cells: New Opportunities for Ocular Drug Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13060867. [PMID: 34204664 PMCID: PMC8231102 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13060867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Topical administration is the most convenient route for ocular drug delivery, but only a minor fraction is retained in the precorneal pocket. To overcome this limitation, numerous drug delivery systems (DDS) have been developed. The protein corona (PC) is the layer of biomolecules (e.g., proteins, sugars, lipids, etc.) that forms around DDS in physiological environments by non-covalent interaction. The PC changes the DDS physical-chemical properties, providing them with a completely novel biological identity. The specific involvement of PC in ocular drug delivery has not been addressed so far. To fulfill this gap, here we explored the interaction between a library of four cationic liposome-DNA complexes (lipoplexes) and mucin (MUC), one of the main components of the tear film. We demonstrate that MUC binds to the lipoplex surface shifting both their size and surface charge and reducing their absorption by primary corneal epithelial cells. To surpass such restrictions, we coated lipoplexes with two different artificial PCs made of Fibronectin (FBN) and Val-Gly-Asp (VGA) tripeptide that are recognized by receptors expressed on the ocular surface. Both these functionalizations remarkedly boosted internalization in corneal epithelial cells with respect to pristine (i.e., uncoated) lipoplexes. This opens the gateway for the exploitation of artificial protein corona in targeted ocular delivery, which will significantly influence the development of novel nanomaterials.
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11
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Ferri G, Fiume G, Pozzi D, Caracciolo G, Cardarelli F. Probing the role of nuclear-envelope invaginations in the nuclear-entry route of lipofected DNA by multi-channel 3D confocal microscopy. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2021; 205:111881. [PMID: 34062346 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2021.111881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear breakdown was found to be the dominant route for DNA entry into the nucleus in actively dividing cells. The possibility that alternative routes contribute to DNA entry into the nucleus, however, cannot be ruled out. Here we address the process of lipofection by monitoring the localization of fluorescently-labelled DNA plasmids at the single-cell level by confocal imaging in living interphase cells. As test formulation we choose the cationic 3β-[N-(N,N-dimethylaminoethane)-carbamoyl] cholesterol (DC-Chol) and the zwitterionic helper lipid dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) with plasmidic DNA pre-condensed by means of protamine. By exploiting the spectral shift of the fluorescent dye FM4-64 (N-(3-triethylammoniumpropyl)-4-(p-diethylaminophenylhexatrienyl)-pyridinium 2Br) we monitor the position of the nuclear envelope (NE), while concomitantly imaging the whole nucleus (by Hoechst) and the DNA (by Cy3 fluorophore) in a multi-channel 3D confocal imaging experiment. Reported results show that DNA clusters are typically associated with the NE membrane in the form of tubular invaginations spanning the nuclear environment, but not completely trapped within the NE invaginations, i.e. the DNA may use these NE regions as entry-points towards the nucleus. These observations pave the way to investigating the molecular details of the postulated processes for a better exploitation of gene-delivery vectors, particularly for applications in non-dividing cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giuseppe Fiume
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy; Ares Genetics GmbH, Vienna, Austria
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Cardarelli
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa, Italy; NEST, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza S. Silvestro, 12, I-56127, Pisa, Italy.
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12
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Perini G, Giulimondi F, Palmieri V, Augello A, Digiacomo L, Quagliarini E, Pozzi D, Papi M, Caracciolo G. Inhibiting the Growth of 3D Brain Cancer Models with Bio-Coronated Liposomal Temozolomide. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13030378. [PMID: 33809262 PMCID: PMC7999290 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13030378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as an effective means to deliver anticancer drugs into the brain. Among various forms of NPs, liposomal temozolomide (TMZ) is the drug-of-choice for the treatment and management of brain tumours, but its therapeutic benefit is suboptimal. Although many possible reasons may account for the compromised therapeutic efficacy, the inefficient tumour penetration of liposomal TMZ can be a vital obstacle. Recently, the protein corona, i.e., the layer of plasma proteins that surround NPs after exposure to human plasma, has emerged as an endogenous trigger that mostly controls their anticancer efficacy. Exposition of particular biomolecules from the corona referred to as protein corona fingerprints (PCFs) may facilitate interactions with specific receptors of target cells, thus, promoting efficient internalization. In this work, we have synthesized a set of four TMZ-encapsulating nanomedicines made of four cationic liposome (CL) formulations with systematic changes in lipid composition and physical−chemical properties. We have demonstrated that precoating liposomal TMZ with a protein corona made of human plasma proteins can increase drug penetration in a 3D brain cancer model derived from U87 human glioblastoma multiforme cell line leading to marked inhibition of tumour growth. On the other side, by fine-tuning corona composition we have also provided experimental evidence of a non-unique effect of the corona on the tumour growth for all the complexes investigated, thus, clarifying that certain PCFs (i.e., APO-B and APO-E) enable favoured interactions with specific receptors of brain cancer cells. Reported results open new perspectives into the development of corona-coated liposomal drugs with enhanced tumour penetration and antitumour efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giordano Perini
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (V.P.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Francesca Giulimondi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.G.); (L.D.); (D.P.)
| | - Valentina Palmieri
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (V.P.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
- Istituto dei Sistemi Complessi, CNR, Via dei Taurini 19, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Augello
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
| | - Luca Digiacomo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.G.); (L.D.); (D.P.)
| | - Erica Quagliarini
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.G.); (L.D.); (D.P.)
| | - Massimiliano Papi
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo Francesco Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy; (G.P.); (V.P.)
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCSS, 00168 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence: (M.P.); (G.C.)
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy; (F.G.); (L.D.); (D.P.)
- Correspondence: (M.P.); (G.C.)
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13
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Liu C, Zhang L, Zhu W, Guo R, Sun H, Chen X, Deng N. Barriers and Strategies of Cationic Liposomes for Cancer Gene Therapy. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020; 18:751-764. [PMID: 32913882 PMCID: PMC7452052 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cationic liposomes (CLs) have been regarded as the most promising gene delivery vectors for decades with the advantages of excellent biodegradability, biocompatibility, and high nucleic acid encapsulation efficiency. However, the clinical use of CLs in cancer gene therapy is limited because of many uncertain factors in vivo. Extracellular barriers such as opsonization, rapid clearance by the reticuloendothelial system and poor tumor penetration, and intracellular barriers, including endosomal/lysosomal entrapped network and restricted diffusion to the nucleus, make CLs not the ideal vector for transferring extrinsic genes in the body. However, the obstacles in achieving productive therapeutic effects of nucleic acids can be addressed by tailoring the properties of CLs, which are influenced by lipid compositions and surface modification. This review focuses on the physiological barriers of CLs against cancer gene therapy and the effects of lipid compositions on governing transfection efficiency, and it briefly discusses the impacts of particle size, membrane charge density, and surface modification on the fate of CLs in vivo, which may provide guidance for their preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Liu
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for Antibody Drug and Immunoassay, Department of Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Ligang Zhang
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for Antibody Drug and Immunoassay, Department of Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Wenhui Zhu
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for Antibody Drug and Immunoassay, Department of Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Raoqing Guo
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for Antibody Drug and Immunoassay, Department of Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Huamin Sun
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for Antibody Drug and Immunoassay, Department of Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Xi Chen
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for Antibody Drug and Immunoassay, Department of Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Ning Deng
- Guangdong Province Engineering Research Center for Antibody Drug and Immunoassay, Department of Biology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
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14
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Quagliarini E, Di Santo R, Palchetti S, Ferri G, Cardarelli F, Pozzi D, Caracciolo G. Effect of Protein Corona on The Transfection Efficiency of Lipid-Coated Graphene Oxide-Based Cell Transfection Reagents. Pharmaceutics 2020; 12:E113. [PMID: 32019150 PMCID: PMC7076454 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics12020113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Coating graphene oxide nanoflakes with cationic lipids leads to highly homogeneous nanoparticles (GOCL NPs) with optimised physicochemical properties for gene delivery applications. In view of in vivo applications, here we use dynamic light scattering, micro-electrophoresis and one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to explore the bionano interactions between GOCL/DNA complexes (hereafter referred to as "grapholipoplexes") and human plasma. When exposed to increasing protein concentrations, grapholipoplexes get covered by a protein corona that evolves with protein concentration, leading to biocoronated complexes with modified physicochemical properties. Here, we show that the formation of a protein corona dramatically changes the interactions of grapholipoplexes with four cancer cell lines: two breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB and MCF-7 cells), a malignant glioma cell line (U-87 MG) and an epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (CACO-2). Luciferase assay clearly indicates a monotonous reduction of the transfection efficiency of biocoronated grapholipoplexes as a function of protein concentration. Finally, we report evidence that a protein corona formed at high protein concentrations (as those present in in vivo studies) promotes a higher capture of biocoronated grapholipoplexes within degradative intracellular compartments (e.g., lysosomes), with respect to their pristine counterparts. On the other hand, coronas formed at low protein concentrations (human plasma = 2.5%) lead to high transfection efficiency with no appreciable cytotoxicity. We conclude with a critical assessment of relevant perspectives for the development of novel biocoronated gene delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Quagliarini
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy;
| | - Riccardo Di Santo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy; (R.D.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Sara Palchetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy; (R.D.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Gianmarco Ferri
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy; (G.F.); (F.C.)
| | - Francesco Cardarelli
- Laboratorio NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy; (G.F.); (F.C.)
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy; (R.D.S.); (S.P.)
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy; (R.D.S.); (S.P.)
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15
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A mechanistic explanation of the inhibitory role of the protein corona on liposomal gene expression. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1862:183159. [PMID: 31857070 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.183159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The past three decades have witnessed fast advances in the use of cationic liposome-DNA complexes (lipoplexes) for gene delivery applications. However, no lipoplex formulation has reached into the clinical practice so far. The primary drawback limiting clinical use of lipoplexes is the lack of mechanistic understanding of their low transfection efficiency (TE) in vivo. In physiological environments, lipoplexes are coated by a protein corona (PC) that mediates the interactions with the cell machinery. Here we show that the formation of PC can change the interactions of multicomponent (MC) lipoplexes with our cell model (i.e., HeLa). At the highest lipoplex concentration, the formation of PC can reduce the TE of MC lipoplexes from 60% to <5%. Combining dynamic light scattering and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), we clarify that the formation of PC modifies physical-chemical properties of MC lipoplexes so as to affect their TE. Moreover, we examined single transfection barriers by a combination of fluorescence-activated cell sorting, single-cell real-time fluorescence confocal microscopy, and synchrotron SAXS. We demonstrate that PC formation has the ability to modify the relative contribution of caveolae-mediated endocytosis and macropinocytosis in lipoplexes uptake, in favor of the latter, increasing accumulation of PC-decorated lipoplexes into degradative lysosomal compartments. Finally, we report evidences that PC reduces the structural stability of lipoplexes against solubilization by cellular lipids, likely favoring premature DNA release and cytosolic digestion by DNAase. These combined effects revealed here offer a comprehensive mechanistic explanation on the reason behind reduction in gene expression of MC lipoplexes.
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16
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Loria R, Giliberti C, Bedini A, Palomba R, Caracciolo G, Ceci P, Falvo E, Marconi R, Falcioni R, Bossi G, Strigari L. Very low intensity ultrasounds as a new strategy to improve selective delivery of nanoparticles-complexes in cancer cells. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2019; 38:1. [PMID: 30606223 PMCID: PMC6318873 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-018-1018-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background The possibility to combine Low Intensity UltraSound (LIUS) and Nanoparticles (NP) could represent a promising strategy for drugs delivery in tumors difficult to treat overcoming resistance to therapies. On one side the NP can carry drugs that specifically target the tumors on the other the LIUS can facilitate and direct the delivery to the tumor cells. In this study, we investigated whether Very Low Intensity UltraSound (VLIUS), at intensities lower than 120 mW/cm2, might constitute a novel strategy to improve delivery to tumor cells. Thus, in order to verify the efficacy of this novel modality in terms of increase selective uptake in tumoral cells and translate speedily in clinical practice, we investigated VLIUS in three different in vitro experimental tumor models and normal cells adopting three different therapeutic strategies. Methods VLIUS at different intensities and exposure time were applied to tumor and normal cells to evaluate the efficiency in uptake of labeled human ferritin (HFt)-based NP, the delivery of NP complexed Firefly luciferase reported gene (lipoplex-LUC), and the tumor-killing of chemotherapeutic agent. Results Specifically, we found that specific VLIUS intensity (120 mW/cm2) increases tumor cell uptake of HFt-based NPs at specific concentration (0.5 mg/ml). Similarly, VLIUS treatments increase significantly tumor cells delivery of lipoplex-LUC cargos. Furthermore, of interest, VLIUS increases tumor killing of chemotherapy drug trabectedin in a time dependent fashion. Noteworthy, VLIUS treatments are well tolerated in normal cells with not significant effects on cell survival, NPs delivery and drug-induced toxicity, suggesting a tumor specific fashion. Conclusions Our data shed novel lights on the potential application of VLIUS for the design and development of novel therapeutic strategies aiming to efficiently deliver NP loaded cargos or anticancer drugs into more aggressive and unresponsive tumors niche. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-018-1018-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Loria
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Area of Translational Research, IRCCS - Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Giliberti
- Dipartimento Innovazioni Tecnologiche e Sicurezza degli Impianti, Prodotti e Insediamenti Antropici (DIT), INAIL, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelico Bedini
- Dipartimento Innovazioni Tecnologiche e Sicurezza degli Impianti, Prodotti e Insediamenti Antropici (DIT), INAIL, Rome, Italy
| | - Raffaele Palomba
- Dipartimento Innovazioni Tecnologiche e Sicurezza degli Impianti, Prodotti e Insediamenti Antropici (DIT), INAIL, Rome, Italy
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Pierpaolo Ceci
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, CNR, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Raffaella Marconi
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Expert Systems, IRCCS - Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Rita Falcioni
- Department of Research, Advanced Diagnostics and Technological Innovation, Area of Translational Research, IRCCS - Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Bossi
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Expert Systems, IRCCS - Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
| | - Lidia Strigari
- Laboratory of Medical Physics and Expert Systems, IRCCS - Regina Elena National Cancer Institute, Rome, Italy.
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17
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Arcella A, Palchetti S, Digiacomo L, Pozzi D, Capriotti AL, Frati L, Oliva MA, Tsaouli G, Rota R, Screpanti I, Mahmoudi M, Caracciolo G. Brain Targeting by Liposome-Biomolecular Corona Boosts Anticancer Efficacy of Temozolomide in Glioblastoma Cells. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:3166-3174. [PMID: 30015470 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.8b00339] [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: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Temozolomide (TMZ) is the current first-line chemotherapy for treatment of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). However, similar to other brain therapeutic compounds, access of TMZ to brain tumors is impaired by the blood-brain barrier (BBB) leading to poor response for GBM patients. To overcome this major hurdle, we have synthesized a set of TMZ-encapsulating nanomedicines made of four cationic liposome (CL) formulations with systematic changes in lipid composition and physical-chemical properties. The targeting nature of this nanomedicine is provided by the recruitment of proteins, with natural targeting capacity, in the biomolecular corona (BC) layer that forms around CLs after exposure to human plasma (HP). TMZ-loaded CL-BC complexes were thoroughly characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), electrophoretic light scattering (ELS), and nanoliquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (nano-LC MS/MS). BCs were found to be enriched of typical BC fingerprints (BCFs) (e.g., Apolipoproteins, Vitronectin, and vitamin K-dependent protein), which have a substantial capacity in binding to receptors that are overexpressed at the BBB (e.g., scavenger receptor class B, type I and low-density lipoprotein receptor). We found that the CL formulation exhibiting the highest levels of targeting BCFs had larger uptake in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) that are commonly used as an in vitro model of the BBB. This formulation could also deliver TMZ to the human glioblastoma U-87 MG cell line and thus substantially enhance their antitumor efficacy compared to corona free CLs. Thus, we propose that the BC-based nanomedicines may pave a more effective way for efficient treatment of GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonietta Arcella
- Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, Via dell’Elettronica 86077 Pozzilli (IS), Italy
| | - Sara Palchetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Digiacomo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Laura Capriotti
- Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Frati
- Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, Via dell’Elettronica 86077 Pozzilli (IS), Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Oliva
- Istituto Neurologico Mediterraneo Neuromed, Via dell’Elettronica 86077 Pozzilli (IS), Italy
| | - Georgia Tsaouli
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Rota
- Department of Oncohematology, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesu’, Viale San Paolo 15, 00146 Rome, Italy
| | - Isabella Screpanti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Morteza Mahmoudi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161 Rome, Italy
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18
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Caracciolo G, Palchetti S, Digiacomo L, Chiozzi RZZ, Capriotti AL, Amenitsch H, Tentori PM, Palmieri V, Papi M, Cardarelli F, Pozzi D, Laganà A. Human Biomolecular Corona of Liposomal Doxorubicin: The Overlooked Factor in Anticancer Drug Delivery. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:22951-22962. [PMID: 29905462 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b04962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
More than 20 years after its approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), liposomal doxorubicin (DOX) is still the drug of choice for the treatment of breast cancer and other conditions such as ovarian cancer and multiple myeloma. Yet, despite the efforts, liposomal DOX did not satisfy expectations at the clinical level. When liposomal drugs enter a physiological environment, their surface gets coated by a dynamic biomolecular corona (BC). The BC changes liposome's synthetic identity, providing it with a new one, referred to as "biological identity" (size, aggregation state, and BC composition). Today, the concept is emerging that specific BCs may determine either success (e.g., stealth effect and accumulation at the target site) or failure (e.g., rapid blood clearance and off-target interactions) of liposomal drugs. To get a comprehensive investigation of liposome synthetic identity, biological identity, and cellular response as a function of human plasma (HP) concentration, here we used a straightforward combination of quantitative analytical and imaging tools, including dynamic light scattering, microelectrophoresis, synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (nano-LC-MS/MS), confocal microscopy, flow cytometry, and cell viability assays. Doxoves was selected as a reference. Following exposure to HP, Doxoves was surrounded by a complex BC that changed liposome's synthetic identity. Observations made with nano-LC-MS/MS revealed that the BC of Doxoves did not evolve as a function of HP concentration and was poorly enriched of typical "opsonins" (complement proteins, immunoglobulins, etc.). This provides a possible explanation for the prolonged blood circulation of liposomal DOX. On the other hand, flow cytometry showed that protein binding reduced the internalization of DOX in MCF7 and MDA-MB-435S human breast carcinoma. Combining FLIM and TEM experiments, we clarified that reduction in DOX intracellular content was likely due to the frequent rupture of the liposome membrane and consequent leakage of the cargo. In light of reported results, we are prompted to speculate that a detailed understanding of BC formation, composition, and effects on liposome stability and uptake is an indispensable task of future research in the field, especially along the way to clinical translation of liposomal drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Heinz Amenitsch
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry , Graz University of Technology , Graz 8010 , Austria
| | - Paolo Maria Tentori
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia , Pisa 56127 , Italy
- NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore , Pisa 56127 , Italy
| | - Valentina Palmieri
- Istituto di Fisica , Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , Rome 00168 , Italy
| | - Massimiliano Papi
- Istituto di Fisica , Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore , Rome 00168 , Italy
| | - Francesco Cardarelli
- NEST-Scuola Normale Superiore, Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR (CNR-NANO) , Pisa 56126 , Italy
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19
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Digiacomo L, Palchetti S, Pozzi D, Amici A, Caracciolo G, Marchini C. Cationic lipid/DNA complexes manufactured by microfluidics and bulk self-assembly exhibit different transfection behavior. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2018; 503:508-512. [PMID: 29733845 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Recent advances in biochemical and biophysical research have been achieved through the employment of microfluidic devices. Microfluidic mixing of therapeutic agents with biomaterials yields systems with finely tuned physical-chemical properties for applications in drug and gene delivery. Here, we investigate the role of preparation technology (microfluidic mixing vs. bulk self-assembly) on the transfection efficiency (TE) and cytotoxicity of multicomponent cationic liposome/DNA complexes (lipoplexes) in live Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cells. Decoupling TE and cytotoxicity allowed us to combine them in a unique coherent vision. While bulk self-assembly produces highly efficient and highly toxic MC lipoplexes, microfluidics manufacture leads to less efficient, but less cytotoxic complexes. This discrepancy is ascribed to two main factors controlling lipid-mediated cell transfection, i.e. the lipoplex concentration at the cell surface and the lipoplex arrangement at the nanoscale. Further research is required to optimize microfluidic manufacturing of lipoplexes to obtain highly efficient and not cytotoxic gene delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Digiacomo
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy; Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Palchetti
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Augusto Amici
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Rome, Italy.
| | - Cristina Marchini
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032, Camerino, MC, Italy
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Palchetti S, Pozzi D, Marchini C, Amici A, Andreani C, Bartolacci C, Digiacomo L, Gambini V, Cardarelli F, Di Rienzo C, Peruzzi G, Amenitsch H, Palermo R, Screpanti I, Caracciolo G. Manipulation of lipoplex concentration at the cell surface boosts transfection efficiency in hard-to-transfect cells. NANOMEDICINE-NANOTECHNOLOGY BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2017; 13:681-691. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2016.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2016] [Revised: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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21
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Barrán-Berdón AL, Martínez-Negro M, García-Río L, Domènech Ò, Tros de Ilarduya C, Aicart E, Junquera E. A biophysical study of gene nanocarriers formed by anionic/zwitterionic mixed lipids and pillar[5]arene polycationic macrocycles. J Mater Chem B 2017; 5:3122-3131. [DOI: 10.1039/c6tb02939f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A multivalent cationic macrocycle is used as a mediator between plasmid DNAs and anionic lipids (ALs) to build an efficient and safe gene nanocarrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana L. Barrán-Berdón
- Grupo de Química Coloidal y Supramolecular
- Departamento de Química Física I
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid
- 28040 Madrid
| | - María Martínez-Negro
- Grupo de Química Coloidal y Supramolecular
- Departamento de Química Física I
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid
- 28040 Madrid
| | - Luis García-Río
- Departamento de Química Física
- Centro de Investigación en Química Biológica y Materiales Moleculares
- Universidad de Santiago de Compostela
- 15782 Santiago de Compostela
- Spain
| | - Òscar Domènech
- Departamento de Fisicoquímica
- Facultat de Farmàcia
- Universitat de Barcelona
- 08028 Barcelona
- Spain
| | - Conchita Tros de Ilarduya
- Departamento de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica
- Facultad de Farmacia
- Universidad de Navarra
- IdiSNA
- Navarra Institute for Health Research
| | - Emilio Aicart
- Grupo de Química Coloidal y Supramolecular
- Departamento de Química Física I
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid
- 28040 Madrid
| | - Elena Junquera
- Grupo de Química Coloidal y Supramolecular
- Departamento de Química Física I
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid
- 28040 Madrid
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22
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Liu X, Tan X, Rao R, Ren Y, Li Y, Yang X, Liu W. Self-Assembled PAEEP-PLLA Micelles with Varied Hydrophilic Block Lengths for Tumor Cell Targeting. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:23450-23462. [PMID: 27552479 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b06346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The properties of hydrophilic shell in micelles significantly affect the interaction between micelles and cells. Compared with frequently used polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the hydrophilic block, polyphosphoesters (PPEs) are superior in functionality, biocompatibility, and degradability. A series of amphiphilic poly(aminoethyl ethylene phosphate)/poly(l-lactide acid) (PAEEP-PLLA) copolymers were synthesized with hydrophilic PAEEP with different chain lengths. The corresponding self-assembled micelles were used for doxorubicin (Dox) entrapment. The length of hydrophilic PAEEP block on the shell affected the structure of micelles. PAEEPm-PLLA168 (m = 130 or 37) polymers formed vesicles, while PAEEPm-PLLA168 (m = 15 or 9) formed large compound micelles (LCMs), suggesting a difference in tumor cell uptake and intracellular trafficking. PAEEP15-PLLA168 polymer showed superiority on cellular uptake amount, intracellular drug release, and cell apoptosis. Lipid rafts and macropinocytosis are the leading endocytic pathways of PAEEP-PLLA micelles. The shape coupling between micelles and cell membrane facilitated cell surface features such as flattened protrusions (membrane protein) and inward-pointing hollows as well as efficient endocytosis. These results suggested that PAEEP-PLLA self-assembled block copolymer micelles may be an excellent drug delivery system for tumor treatment and that the hydrophilic chain length could regulate drug targeting to tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Yinghuan Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Capital Medical University , Beijing 100069, PR China
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23
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Li Y, Gao L, Tan X, Li F, Zhao M, Peng S. Lipid rafts-mediated endocytosis and physiology-based cell membrane traffic models of doxorubicin liposomes. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2016; 1858:1801-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2016.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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24
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Barrán-Berdón AL, Yélamos B, García-Río L, Domènech Ò, Aicart E, Junquera E. Polycationic Macrocyclic Scaffolds as Potential Non-Viral Vectors of DNA: A Multidisciplinary Study. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2015; 7:14404-14414. [PMID: 26067709 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b03231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The potential of lipoplexes constituted by the DNA pEGFP-C3 (encoding green fluorescent protein), polycationic calixarene-based macrocyclic vector (CxCL) with a lipidic matrix (herein named TMAC4), and zwitterionic lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) as nontoxic DNA vectors has been analyzed from both biophysical and biochemical perspectives. For that purpose, several experimental methods, such as zeta potential (PALS methodology), agarose gel electrophoresis, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), transmission electronic cryo-microscopy (cryo-TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), fluorescence microscopy, and cytotoxicity assays have been used. The electrochemical study shows that TMAC4 has 100% of its nominal charge available, whereas pDNA presents an effective negative charge that is only 10% that of its nominal one. PALS studies indicate the presence of three populations of nanoaggregates in TMAC4/DOPE lipid mixtures, with sizes of approximately 100, 17, and 6 nm, compatible with liposomes, oblate micelles, and spherical micelles, respectively, the first two also being detected by cryo-TEM. However, in the presence of pDNA, this mixture is organized in Lα multilamellar structures at all compositions. In fact, cryo-TEM micrographs show two types of multilamellar aggregation patterns: cluster-type at low and moderate CxCL molar fractions in the TMAC4/DOPE lipid mixture (α = 0.2 and 0.5), and fingerprint-type (FP), which are only present at low CxCL molar fraction (α = 0.2). This structural scenario has also been observed in SAXS diffractograms, including the coexistence of two different phases when DOPE dominates in the mixture. AFM experiments at α = 0.2 provide evidence that pDNA makes the lipid bilayer more deformable, thus promoting a potential enhancement in the capability of penetrating the cells. In fact, the best transfection perfomances of these TMAC4/DOPE-pDNA lipoplexes have been obtained at low CxCL molar fractions (α = 0.2) and a moderate-to-high effective charge ratio (ρeff = 20). Presumably, the coexistence of two lamellar phases is responsible for the better TE performance at low α.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luis García-Río
- ⊥Departamento de Química Física, Centro de Investigación en Química Biológica y Materiales Moleculares, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Òscar Domènech
- §Departamento de Fisicoquímica, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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25
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Ojeda E, Puras G, Agirre M, Zárate J, Grijalvo S, Pons R, Eritja R, Martinez-Navarrete G, Soto-Sanchez C, Fernández E, Pedraz JL. Niosomes based on synthetic cationic lipids for gene delivery: the influence of polar head-groups on the transfection efficiency in HEK-293, ARPE-19 and MSC-D1 cells. Org Biomol Chem 2014; 13:1068-81. [PMID: 25412820 DOI: 10.1039/c4ob02087a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We designed niosomes based on three lipids that differed only in the polar-head group to analyze their influence on the transfection efficiency. These lipids were characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering before being incorporated into the niosomes which were characterized in terms of pKa, size, zeta potential, morphology and physical stability. Nioplexes were obtained upon the addition of a plasmid. Different ratios (w/w) were selected to analyze the influence of this parameter on size, charge and the ability to condense, release and protect the DNA. In vitro transfection experiments were performed in HEK-293, ARPE-19 and MSC-D1 cells. Our results show that the chemical composition of the cationic head-group clearly affects the physicochemical parameters of the niosomes and especially the transfection efficiency. Only niosomes based on cationic lipids with a dimethyl amino head group (lipid 3) showed a transfection capacity when compared with their counterparts amino (lipid 1) and tripeptide head-groups (lipid 2). Regarding cell viability, we clearly observed that nioplexes based on the cationic lipid 3 had a more deleterious effect than their counterparts, especially in ARPE-19 cells at 20/1 and 30/1 ratios. Similar studies could be extended to other series of cationic lipids in order to progress in the research on safe and efficient non-viral vectors for gene delivery purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Ojeda
- NanoBioCel Group, University of Basque Country, Vitoria, Spain.
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26
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Luque-Caballero G, Martín-Molina A, Sánchez-Treviño AY, Rodríguez-Valverde MA, Cabrerizo-Vílchez MA, Maldonado-Valderrama J. Using AFM to probe the complexation of DNA with anionic lipids mediated by Ca(2+): the role of surface pressure. SOFT MATTER 2014; 10:2805-2815. [PMID: 24668321 DOI: 10.1039/c3sm52428k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Complexation of DNA with lipids is currently being developed as an alternative to classical vectors based on viruses. Most of the research to date focuses on cationic lipids owing to their spontaneous complexation with DNA. Nonetheless, recent investigations have revealed that cationic lipids induce a large number of adverse effects on DNA delivery. Precisely, the lower cytotoxicity of anionic lipids accounts for their use as a promising alternative. However, the complexation of DNA with anionic lipids (mediated by cations) is still in early stages and is not yet well understood. In order to explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the complexation of anionic lipids and DNA we proposed a combined methodology based on the surface pressure-area isotherms, Gibbs elasticity and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). These techniques allow elucidation of the role of the surface pressure in the complexation and visualization of the interfacial aggregates for the first time. We demonstrate that the DNA complexes with negatively charged model monolayers (DPPC/DPPS 4 : 1) only in the presence of Ca(2+), but is expelled at very high surface pressures. Also, according to the Gibbs elasticity plot, the complexation of lipids and DNA implies a whole fluidisation of the monolayer and a completely different phase transition map in the presence of DNA and Ca(2+). AFM imaging allows identification for the first time of specific morphologies associated with different packing densities. At low surface coverage, a branched net like structure is observed whereas at high surface pressure fibers formed of interfacial aggregates appear. In summary, Ca(2+) mediates the interaction between DNA and negatively charged lipids and also the conformation of the ternary system depends on the surface pressure. Such observations are important new generic features of the interaction between DNA and anionic lipids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Luque-Caballero
- Department of Applied Physics, University of Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva sn, 18071, Granada, Spain.
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27
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Pozzi D, Marchini C, Cardarelli F, Salomone F, Coppola S, Montani M, Zabaleta ME, Digman MA, Gratton E, Colapicchioni V, Caracciolo G. Mechanistic evaluation of the transfection barriers involved in lipid-mediated gene delivery: interplay between nanostructure and composition. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2013; 1838:957-67. [PMID: 24296066 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2013.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2013] [Revised: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 11/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Here we present a quantitative mechanism-based investigation aimed at comparing the cell uptake, intracellular trafficking, endosomal escape and final fate of lipoplexes and lipid-protamine/deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) (LPD) nanoparticles (NPs) in living Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. As a model, two lipid formulations were used for comparison. The first formulation is made of the cationic lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) and the zwitterionic lipid dioleoylphosphocholine (DOPC), while the second mixture is made of the cationic 3β-[N-(N,N-dimethylaminoethane)-carbamoyl] cholesterol (DC-Chol) and the zwitterionic helper lipid dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE). Our findings indicate that lipoplexes are efficiently taken up through fluid-phase macropinocytosis, while a less efficient uptake of LPD NPs occurs through a combination of both macropinocytosis and clathrin-dependent pathways. Inside the cell, both lipoplexes and LPD NPs are actively transported towards the cell nucleus, as quantitatively addressed by spatio-temporal image correlation spectroscopy (STICS). For each lipid formulation, LPD NPs escape from endosomes more efficiently than lipoplexes. When cells were treated with DOTAP-DOPC-containing systems the majority of the DNA was trapped in the lysosome compartment, suggesting that extensive lysosomal degradation was the rate-limiting factors in DOTAP-DOPC-mediated transfection. On the other side, escape from endosomes is large for DC-Chol-DOPE-containing systems most likely due to DOPE and cholesterol-like molecules, which are able to destabilize the endosomal membrane. The lipid-dependent and structure-dependent enhancement of transfection activity suggests that DNA is delivered to the nucleus synergistically: the process requires both the membrane-fusogenic activity of the nanocarrier envelope and the employment of lipid species with intrinsic endosomal rupture ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena, 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - C Marchini
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - F Cardarelli
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - F Salomone
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation @NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy; NEST, Scuola Normale Superiore and Istituto Nanoscienze-CNR, Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - S Coppola
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena, 324, 00161 Rome, Italy; Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Via A. Borelli, 50, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - M Montani
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - M Elexpuru Zabaleta
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - M A Digman
- Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 3120 Natural Sciences 2, Irvine, CA 92697-2715, USA
| | - E Gratton
- Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 3120 Natural Sciences 2, Irvine, CA 92697-2715, USA
| | - V Colapicchioni
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena, 324, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - G Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena, 324, 00161 Rome, Italy.
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28
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Pozzi D, Marchini C, Cardarelli F, Rossetta A, Colapicchioni V, Amici A, Montani M, Motta S, Brocca P, Cantù L, Caracciolo G. Mechanistic understanding of gene delivery mediated by highly efficient multicomponent envelope-type nanoparticle systems. Mol Pharm 2013; 10:4654-65. [PMID: 24188138 DOI: 10.1021/mp400470p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
We packaged condensed DNA/protamine particles in multicomponent envelope-type nanoparticle systems (MENS) combining different molar fractions of the cationic lipids 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP) and 3β-[N-(N,N-dimethylaminoethane)-carbamoyl] cholesterol (DC-Chol) and the zwitterionic lipids dioleoylphosphocholine (DOPC) and dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE). Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and microelectrophoresis allowed us to identify the cationic lipid/DNA charge ratio at which MENS are small sized and positively charged, while synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that MENS are well-shaped DNA/protamine particles covered by a lipid monobilayer. Transfection efficiency (TE) experiments indicate that a nanoparticle formulation, termed MENS-3, was not cytotoxic and highly efficient to transfect Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. To rationalize TE, we performed a quantitative investigation of cell uptake, intracellular trafficking, endosomal escape, and final fate by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM). We found that fluid-phase macropinocytosis is the only endocytosis pathway used by MENS-3. Once taken up by the cell, complexes that are actively transported by microtubules frequently fuse with lysosomes, while purely diffusing systems do not. Indeed, spatiotemporal image correlation spectroscopy (STICS) clarified that MENS-3 mostly exploit diffusion to move in the cytosol of CHO cells, thus explaining the high TE levels observed. Also, MENS-3 exhibited a marked endosomal rupture ability resulting in extraordinary DNA release. The lipid-dependent and structure-dependent TE boost suggests that efficient transfection requires both the membrane-fusogenic activity of the nanocarrier envelope and the employment of lipid species with intrinsic endosomal rupture ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, "Sapienza" University of Rome , Viale Regina Elena 291, 00161, Rome, Italy
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29
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Misra SK, Muñoz-Úbeda M, Datta S, Barrán-Berdón AL, Aicart-Ramos C, Castro-Hartmann P, Kondaiah P, Junquera E, Bhattacharya S, Aicart E. Effects of a delocalizable cation on the headgroup of gemini lipids on the lipoplex-type nanoaggregates directly formed from plasmid DNA. Biomacromolecules 2013; 14:3951-63. [PMID: 24083552 DOI: 10.1021/bm401079h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Lipoplex-type nanoaggregates prepared from pEGFP-C3 plasmid DNA (pDNA) and mixed liposomes, with a gemini cationic lipid (CL) [1,2-bis(hexadecyl imidazolium) alkanes], referred as (C16Im)2Cn (where Cn is the alkane spacer length, n = 2, 3, 5, or 12, between the imidazolium heads) and DOPE zwitterionic lipid, have been analyzed by zeta potential, gel electrophoresis, SAXS, cryo-TEM, fluorescence anisotropy, transfection efficiency, fluorescence confocal microscopy, and cell viability/cytotoxicity experiments to establish a structure-biological activity relationship. The study, carried out at several mixed liposome compositions, α, and effective charge ratios, ρeff, of the lipoplex, demonstrates that the transfection of pDNA using CLs initially requires the determination of the effective charge of both. The electrochemical study confirms that CLs with a delocalizable positive charge in their headgroups yield an effective positive charge that is 90% of their expected nominal one, while pDNA is compacted yielding an effective negative charge which is only 10-25% than that of the linear DNA. SAXS diffractograms show that lipoplexes formed by CLs with shorter spacer (n = 2, 3, or 5) present three lamellar structures, two of them in coexistence, while those formed by CL with longest spacer (n = 12) present two additional inverted hexagonal structures. Cryo-TEM micrographs show nanoaggregates with two multilamellar structures, a cluster-type (at low α value) and a fingerprint-type, that coexist with the cluster-type at moderate α composition. The optimized transfection efficiency (TE) of pDNA, in HEK293T, HeLa, and H1299 cells was higher using lipoplexes containing gemini CLs with shorter spacers at low α value. Each lipid formulation did not show any significant levels of toxicity, the reported lipoplexes being adequate DNA vectors for gene therapy and considerably better than both Lipofectamine 2000 and CLs of the 1,2-bis(hexadecyl ammnoniun) alkane series, recently reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santosh K Misra
- Departments of ‡Organic Chemistry and ⊥Molecular Reproduction Development and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science , 560012 Bangalore, India
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30
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Cationic liposome/DNA complexes: from structure to interactions with cellular membranes. EUROPEAN BIOPHYSICS JOURNAL: EBJ 2012; 41:815-29. [DOI: 10.1007/s00249-012-0830-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Revised: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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31
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Davila-Ibanez AB, Salgueirino V, Martinez-Zorzano V, Mariño-Fernández R, García-Lorenzo A, Maceira-Campos M, Muñoz-Ubeda M, Junquera E, Aicart E, Rivas J, Rodriguez-Berrocal FJ, Legido JL. Magnetic silica nanoparticle cellular uptake and cytotoxicity regulated by electrostatic polyelectrolytes-DNA loading at their surface. ACS NANO 2012; 6:747-759. [PMID: 22148578 DOI: 10.1021/nn204231g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Magnetic silica nanoparticles show great promise for drug delivery. The major advantages correspond to their magnetic nature and ease of biofunctionalization, which favors their ability to interact with cells and tissues. We have prepared magnetic silica nanoparticles with DNA fragments attached on their previously polyelectrolyte-primed surface. The remarkable feature of these materials is the compromise between the positive charges of the polyelectrolytes and the negative charges of the DNA. This dual-agent formulation dramatically changes the overall cytotoxicity and chemical degradation of the nanoparticles, revealing the key role that surface functionalization plays in regulating the mechanisms involved.
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32
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Cardarelli F, Pozzi D, Bifone A, Marchini C, Caracciolo G. Cholesterol-Dependent Macropinocytosis and Endosomal Escape Control the Transfection Efficiency of Lipoplexes in CHO Living Cells. Mol Pharm 2012; 9:334-40. [DOI: 10.1021/mp200374e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Cardarelli
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation
@NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia,
Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale
Regina Elena, 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Bifone
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation
@NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia,
Piazza San Silvestro 12, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Cristina Marchini
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano,
62032 Camerino (MC), Italy
| | - Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale
Regina Elena, 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
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33
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Caracciolo G, Pozzi D, Capriotti AL, Cavaliere C, Foglia P, Amenitsch H, Laganà A. Evolution of the protein corona of lipid gene vectors as a function of plasma concentration. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2011; 27:15048-53. [PMID: 22043822 DOI: 10.1021/la202912f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The concept that the effective unit of interest in the cell-nanomaterial interaction is the particle and its corona of associated proteins is emerging. Here we investigate the compositional evolution of the protein corona of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium propane (DOTAP) cationic liposomes (CLs) and DOTAP/DNA lipoplexes over a wide range of plasma concentrations (2.5-80%). The composition of the hard corona of lipoplexes is quite stable, but that of CLs does evolve considerably. We show that the protein corona of CLs is made of both low-affinity and competitive-binding proteins whose relative abundance changes with the plasma concentration. This result may have deep biological implications for the application of lipid-based gene vectors both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy.
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Zhang J, Fan H, Levorse DA, Crocker LS. Interaction of cholesterol-conjugated ionizable amino lipids with biomembranes: lipid polymorphism, structure-activity relationship, and implications for siRNA delivery. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2011; 27:9473-9483. [PMID: 21648950 DOI: 10.1021/la201464k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Delivery of siRNA is a major obstacle to the advancement of RNAi as a novel therapeutic modality. Lipid nanoparticles (LNP) consisting of ionizable amino lipids are being developed as an important delivery platform for siRNAs, and significant efforts are being made to understand the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of the lipids. This article uses a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to evaluate the interaction between cholesterol-conjugated ionizable amino lipids and biomembranes, focusing on an important area of lipid SAR--the ability of lipids to destabilize membrane bilayer structures and facilitate endosomal escape. In this study, cholesterol-conjugated amino lipids were found to be effective in increasing the order of biomembranes and also highly effective in inducing phase changes in biological membranes in vitro (i.e., the lamellar to inverted hexagonal phase transition). The phase transition temperatures, determined using SAXS and DSC, serve as an indicator for ranking the potency of lipids to destabilize endosomal membranes. It was found that the bilayer disruption ability of amino lipids depends strongly on the amino lipid concentration in membranes. Amino lipids with systematic variations in headgroups, the extent of ionization, tail length, the degree of unsaturation, and tail asymmetry were evaluated for their bilayer disruption ability to establish SAR. Overall, it was found that the impact of these lipid structure changes on their bilayer disruption ability agrees well with the results from a conceptual molecular "shape" analysis. Implications of the findings from this study for siRNA delivery are discussed. The methods reported here can be used to support the SAR screening of cationic lipids for siRNA delivery, and the information revealed through the study of the interaction between cationic lipids and biomembranes will contribute significantly to the design of more efficient siRNA delivery vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingtao Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co., Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, USA.
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Marchini C, Pozzi D, Montani M, Alfonsi C, Amici A, De Sanctis SC, Digman MA, Sanchez S, Gratton E, Amenitsch H, Fabbretti A, Gualerzi CO, Caracciolo G. Role of temperature-independent lipoplex-cell membrane interactions in the efficiency boost of multicomponent lipoplexes. Cancer Gene Ther 2011; 18:543-52. [PMID: 21394110 PMCID: PMC3940159 DOI: 10.1038/cgt.2011.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2010] [Revised: 09/14/2010] [Accepted: 11/26/2010] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Multicomponent lipoplexes have recently emerged as especially promising transfection candidates, as they are from 10 to 100 times more efficient than binary complexes usually employed for gene delivery purposes. Previously, we investigated a number of chemical-physical properties of DNA-lipid complexes that were proposed to affect transfection efficiency (TE) of lipoplexes, such as nanoscale structure, size, surface potential, DNA-protection ability and DNA release from complexes upon interaction with cellular lipids. Although some minor differences between multicomponent and binary lipoplexes were found, they did not correlate clearly with efficiency. Instead, here we show that a marked difference between the cell internalization mechanism of binary and multicomponent lipoplexes does exist. Multicomponent lipoplexes significantly transfect cells at 4 °C, when endocytosis does not take place suggesting that they can enter cells via a temperature-independent mechanism. Confocal fluorescence microscopy experiments showed the existence of a correlation between endosomal escape and TE. Multicomponent lipoplexes exhibited a distinctive ability of endosomal escape and release DNA into the nucleus, whereas, poorly efficient binary lipoplexes exhibited minor, if any, endosomal rupture ability and remained confined in perinuclear late endosomes. Stopped-flow mixing measurements showed that the fusion rates of multicomponent cationic liposomes with anionic vesicles, used as model systems of cell membranes, were definitely shorter than those of binary liposomes. As either lipoplex uptake and endosomal escape involve fusion between lipoplex and cellular membranes, we suggest that a mechanism of lipoplex-cellular membrane interaction, driven by lipid mixing between cationic and anionic cellular lipids, does explain the TE boost of multicomponent lipoplexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Marchini
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - D Pozzi
- First Faculty of Medicine, Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - M Montani
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - C Alfonsi
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - A Amici
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - S Candeloro De Sanctis
- First Faculty of Medicine, Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - MA Digman
- Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - S Sanchez
- Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - E Gratton
- Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - H Amenitsch
- Institute of Biophysics and Nanosystems Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | - A Fabbretti
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - CO Gualerzi
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy
| | - G Caracciolo
- First Faculty of Medicine, Department of Chemistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Caracciolo G, Pozzi D, Capriotti AL, Marianecci C, Carafa M, Marchini C, Montani M, Amici A, Amenitsch H, Digman MA, Gratton E, Sanchez SS, Laganà A. Factors Determining the Superior Performance of Lipid/DNA/Protammine Nanoparticles over Lipoplexes. J Med Chem 2011; 54:4160-71. [DOI: 10.1021/jm200237p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Caracciolo
- Department of Molecular Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena, 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Pozzi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena, 324, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Laura Capriotti
- Department of Chemistry, “Sapienza” University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Carlotta Marianecci
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Sapienza” University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Carafa
- Department of Drug Chemistry and Technologies, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Sapienza” University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Marchini
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy
| | - Maura Montani
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy
| | - Augusto Amici
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy
| | - Heinz Amenitsch
- Institute of Biophysics and Nanosystems Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Schmiedelstrasse 6, A-8042 Graz, Austria
| | - Michelle A. Digman
- Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 3120 Natural Sciences 2, Irvine, California 92697-2715, United States
| | - Enrico Gratton
- Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 3120 Natural Sciences 2, Irvine, California 92697-2715, United States
| | - Susana S. Sanchez
- Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 3120 Natural Sciences 2, Irvine, California 92697-2715, United States
- Microscopy and Dynamic Imaging Unit, Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares, Fundación CNIC-Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Aldo Laganà
- Department of Chemistry, “Sapienza” University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Rome, Italy
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Lundberg D, Faneca H, Morán MDC, Pedroso De Lima MC, Miguel MDG, Lindman B. Inclusion of a single-tail amino acid-based amphiphile in a lipoplex formulation: effects on transfection efficiency and physicochemical properties. Mol Membr Biol 2011; 28:42-53. [PMID: 21219253 DOI: 10.3109/09687688.2010.508879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Effects of the addition of a cationic amino acid-based synthetic amphiphile, arginine N-lauroyl amide dihydrochloride (ALA), to a lipid-based transfection formulation have been investigated. It is shown that the inclusion of ALA results in a substantial enhancement of the transfection capability of lipoplexes prepared with liposomes of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-ethylphosphocholine and cholesterol, which themselves mediate highly efficient transfection. A possible explanation for the increased biological activity is that ALA adsorbed to the surface of the DNA-lipid complexes is involved in triggering internalization. However, in order to identify possible additional factors underlying the enhanced transfection efficiency, the physical properties of formulations with and without ALA were characterized using cryo-transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and an ethidium bromide intercalation assay. ALA seems to have limited influence on the initial internal structure of the complexes and the protection of DNA, but its presence is found to decrease the average effective size of the dispersed particles; this change in size may be important in improving the biological activity. Furthermore, ALA can act to influence the transfection efficiency of the formulation by promoting the release of DNA following internalization in the transfected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Lundberg
- Division of Chemistry, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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Muñoz-Úbeda M, Rodríguez-Pulido A, Nogales A, Martín-Molina A, Aicart E, Junquera E. Effect of Lipid Composition on the Structure and Theoretical Phase Diagrams of DC-Chol/DOPE-DNA Lipoplexes. Biomacromolecules 2010; 11:3332-40. [DOI: 10.1021/bm1008124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Muñoz-Úbeda
- Grupo de Química Coloidal y Supramolecular, Departamento de Química Física I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain, Department of Polymer Chemistry, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG Netherlands, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain, and Grupo de Física de Fluidos y Biocoloides, Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de
| | - Alberto Rodríguez-Pulido
- Grupo de Química Coloidal y Supramolecular, Departamento de Química Física I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain, Department of Polymer Chemistry, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG Netherlands, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain, and Grupo de Física de Fluidos y Biocoloides, Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de
| | - Aurora Nogales
- Grupo de Química Coloidal y Supramolecular, Departamento de Química Física I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain, Department of Polymer Chemistry, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG Netherlands, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain, and Grupo de Física de Fluidos y Biocoloides, Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de
| | - Alberto Martín-Molina
- Grupo de Química Coloidal y Supramolecular, Departamento de Química Física I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain, Department of Polymer Chemistry, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG Netherlands, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain, and Grupo de Física de Fluidos y Biocoloides, Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de
| | - Emilio Aicart
- Grupo de Química Coloidal y Supramolecular, Departamento de Química Física I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain, Department of Polymer Chemistry, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG Netherlands, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain, and Grupo de Física de Fluidos y Biocoloides, Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de
| | - Elena Junquera
- Grupo de Química Coloidal y Supramolecular, Departamento de Química Física I, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain, Department of Polymer Chemistry, Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, Groningen, 9747 AG Netherlands, Instituto de Estructura de la Materia, CSIC, Serrano 121, 28006 Madrid, Spain, and Grupo de Física de Fluidos y Biocoloides, Departamento de Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de
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Marchini C, Pozzi D, Montani M, Alfonsi C, Amici A, Amenitsch H, Candeloro De Sanctis S, Caracciolo G. Tailoring lipoplex composition to the lipid composition of plasma membrane: a Trojan horse for cell entry? LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2010; 26:13867-13873. [PMID: 20669909 DOI: 10.1021/la1023899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The first interaction between lipoplexes and cells is charge-mediated and not specific. Endocytosis is considered to be the main pathway for lipoplex entry. Upon interaction between lipoplexes and the plasma membrane, intermixing between lipoplex and membrane lipids is necessary for efficient endocytosis. Here we study the mechanism of the different endocytic pathways in lipid-mediated gene delivery. We show that DC-Chol-DOPE/DNA lipoplexes preferentially use a raft-mediated endocytosis, while DOTAP-DOPC/DNA systems are mainly internalized by not specific fluid phase macropinocitosys. On the other hand, most efficient multicomponent lipoplexes, incorporating different lipid species in their lipid bilayer, can use multiple endocytic pathways to enter cells. Our data demonstrate that efficiency of endocytosis is regulated by shape coupling between lipoplex and membrane lipids. We suggest that such a shape-dependent coupling regulates efficient formation of endocytic vesicles thus determining the success of internalization. Our results suggest that tailoring the lipoplex lipid composition to the patchwork-like plasma membrane profile could be a successful machinery of coordinating the endocytic pathway activities and the subsequent intracellular processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Marchini
- Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, University of Camerino, Via Gentile III da Varano, 62032 Camerino (MC), Italy
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