Synthesis of poly(ethylene glycol)-based saquinavir prodrug conjugates and assessment of release and anti-HIV-1 bioactivity using a novel protease inhibition assay

A Water-Soluble Polymer-Lumefantrine Conjugate for the Intravenous Treatment of Severe Malaria

Uncomplicated malaria is effectively treated with oral artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Yet, there is an unmet clinical need for the intravenous treatment of the more fatal severe malaria. There is no combination intravenous therapy for uncomplicated due to the nonavailability of a water-soluble partner drug for the artemisinin, artesunate. The currently available treatment is a two-part regimen split into an intravenous artesunate followed by the conventional oral ACT . In a novel application of polymer therapeutics, the aqueous insoluble antimalarial lumefantrine is conjugated to a carrier polymer to create a new water-soluble chemical entity suitable for intravenous administration in a clinically relevant formulation . The conjugate is characterized by spectroscopic and analytical techniques, and the aqueous solubility of lumefantrine is determined to have increased by three orders of magnitude. Pharmacokinetic studies in mice indicate that there is a significant plasma release of lumefantrine and production its metabolite desbutyl-lumefantrine (area under the curve of metabolite is ≈10% that of the parent). In a Plasmodium falciparum malaria mouse model, parasitemia clearance is 50% higher than that of reference unconjugated lumefantrine. The polymer-lumefantrine shows potential for entering the clinic to meet the need for a one-course combination treatment for severe malaria.

Water-Soluble Carbon Monoxide-Releasing Molecules (CORMs)

Carbon monoxide-releasing molecules (CORMs) are promising candidates for producing carbon monoxide in the mammalian body for therapeutic purposes. At higher concentrations, CO has a harmful effect on the mammalian organism. However, lower doses at a controlled rate can provide cellular signaling for mandatory pharmacokinetic and pathological activities. To date, exploring the therapeutic implications of CO dose as a prodrug has attracted much attention due to its therapeutic significance. There are two different methods of CO insertion, i.e., indirect and direct exogenous insertion. Indirect exogenous insertion of CO suggests an advantage of reduced toxicity over direct exogenous insertion. For indirect exogenous insertion, researchers are facing the issue of tissue selectivity. To solve this issue, developers have considered the newly produced CORMs. Herein, metal carbonyl complexes (MCCs) are covalently linked with CO molecules to produce different CORMs such as CORM-1, CORM-2, and CORM-3, etc. All these CORMs required exogenous CO insertion to achieve the therapeutic targets at the optimized rate under peculiar conditions or/and triggering. Meanwhile, the metal residue was generated from i-CORMs, which can propagate toxicity. Herein, we explain CO administration, water-soluble CORMs, tissue accumulation, and cytotoxicity of depleted CORMs and the kinetic profile of CO release.

Lamivudine-conjugated and efavirenz-loaded G2 dendrimers: Novel anti-retroviral nano drug delivery systems

Infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐1 causes immunological disorders and death worldwide which needs to be further assisted by novel anti‐retroviral drug delivery systems. Consequently, finding newer anti‐retroviral pharmaceuticals by using biocompatible, biodegradable nanomaterials comprising a nanoparticle as core and a therapeutic agent is of high global interest. In this experiment, a second generation of a negatively charged nano‐biopolymer linear globular G2 dendrimer was carefully conjugated and loaded with well‐known anti‐HIV drugs lamivudine and efavirenz, respectively. They were characterised by a variety of analytical methods such as Zetasizer, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis and liquid chromatography‐mass spectroscopy. Additionally, conjugated lamivudine and loaded efazirenz with globular PEGylated G2 dendrimer were tested on an HEK293 T cell infected by single‐cycle replicable HIV‐1 virion and evaluated using XTT test and HIV‐1 P24 protein load. The results showed that lamivudine‐conjugated G2 significantly decreased retroviral activity without any cell toxicity. This effect was more or less observed by efavirenz‐loaded G2. These nano‐constructs are strongly suggested for further in vivo anti‐HIV assays.

Nanosystems Applied to HIV Infection: Prevention and Treatments

Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) are a global health concern worldwide as they cause acute diseases, infertility, and significant mortality. Among the bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens that can be sexually transmitted, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has caused one of the most important pandemic diseases, which is acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). 32.7 million people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic. Moreover, in 2019, 38 million people were living with HIV worldwide. The need to deal with this viral infection becomes more obvious, because it represents not only a problem for public health, but also a substantial economic problem. In this context, it is necessary to focus efforts on developing methods for prevention, detection and treatment of HIV infections that significantly reduce the number of newly infected people and provide a better quality of life for patients. For several decades, biomedical research has been developed allowing quick solutions through the contribution of effective tools. One of them is the use of polymers as vehicles, drug carrier agents, or as macromolecular prodrugs. Moreover, nanosystems (NSs) play an especially important role in the diagnosis, prevention, and therapy against HIV infection. The purpose of this work is to review recent research into diverse NSs as potential candidates for prevention and treatment of HIV infection. Firstly, this review highlights the advantages of using nanosized structures for these medical applications. Furthermore, we provide an overview of different types of NSs used for preventing or combating HIV infection. Then, we briefly evaluate the most recent developments associated with prevention and treatment alternatives. Additionally, the implications of using different NSs are also addressed.

Nanomedicines for Malaria Chemotherapy: Encapsulation vs. Polymer Therapeutics

Malaria is one of the oldest infectious diseases that afflict humans and its history extends back for millennia. It was once prevalent throughout the globe but today it is mainly endemic to tropical regions like sub-Saharan Africa and South-east Asia. Ironically, treatment for malaria has existed for centuries yet it still exerts an enormous death toll. This contradiction is attributed in part to the rapid development of resistance by the malaria parasite to chemotherapeutic drugs. In turn, resistance has been fuelled by poor patient compliance to the relatively toxic antimalarial drugs. While drug toxicity and poor pharmacological potentials have been addressed or ameliorated with various nanomedicine drug delivery systems in diseases like cancer, no clinically significant success story has been reported for malaria. There have been several reviews on the application of nanomedicine technologies, especially drug encapsulation, to malaria treatment. Here we extend the scope of the collation of the nanomedicine research literature to polymer therapeutics technology. We first discuss the history of the disease and how a flurry of scientific breakthroughs in the latter part of the nineteenth century provided scientific understanding of the disease. This is followed by a review of the disease biology and the major antimalarial chemotherapy. The achievements of nanomedicine in cancer and other infectious diseases are discussed to draw parallels with malaria. A review of the current state of the research into malaria nanomedicines, both encapsulation and polymer therapeutics polymer-drug conjugation technologies, is covered and we conclude with a consideration of the opportunities and challenges offered by both technologies.

Polymeric therapeutic delivery systems for the treatment of infectious diseases

Infectious diseases caused by germs, parasites, fungi, virus and bacteria are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Polymeric therapeutics are nanomedicines that offer several advantages making them useful for the treatment of infectious diseases such as targeted drug release mechanism, ability to maintain the drug concentration within a therapeutic window for a desired duration, biocompatibility with low immunogenicity and reduced drug toxicity resulting in enhanced therapeutic efficacy of the incorporated drug. Although polymeric therapeutics have been evaluated for the treatment of infectious diseases in vitro and in vivo with improved therapeutic efficacy, most treatments for infectious disease have not been evaluated using polymeric therapeutics. This review will focus on the applications of polymeric therapeutics for the treatment of infectious diseases (preclinical studies and clinical trials), with particular focus on parasitic and viral infections.

Design strategies in the prodrugs of HIV-1 protease inhibitors to improve the pharmaceutical properties

Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) is currently the most effective treatment for HIV-1 infection. HIV-1 protease inhibitors (PIs) are an important component of some regimens of cART. However, PIs are known for sub-optimal ADME properties, resulting in poor oral bioavailability. This often necessitates high drug doses, combination with pharmacokinetic enhancers and/or special formulations in order to effectively deliver PIs, which may lead to a high pill burden and reduced patient compliance. As a remedy, improving the ADME properties of existing drugs via prodrug and other approaches has been pursued in addition to the development of next generation PIs with improved pharmacokinetic, resistance and side effect profiles. Phosphate prodrugs have been explored to address the solubility-limiting absorption and high excipient load. Prodrug design to target carrier-mediated drug delivery has also been explored. Amino acid prodrugs have been shown to improve permeability by engaging active transport mechanisms, reduce efflux and mitigate first pass metabolism while acyl migration prodrugs have been shown to improve solubility. Prodrug design efforts have led to the identification of one marketed agent, fosamprenavir, and clinical studies with two other prodrugs. Several of the reported approaches lack detailed in vivo characterization and hence the potential preclinical or clinical benefits of these approaches are yet to be fully determined.

Soluble polymer conjugates for drug delivery

The use of water-soluble polymeric conjugates as drug carriers offers several possible advantages. These advantages include: (1) improved drug pharmacokinetics; (2) decreased toxicity to healthy organs; (3) possible facilitation of accumulation and preferential uptake by targeted cells; (4) programmed profile of drug release. In this review, we will consider the main types of useful polymeric conjugates and their role and effectiveness as carriers in drug delivery systems.:

Pharmaceutical and toxicological properties of engineered nanomaterials for drug delivery

Novel engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are being developed to enhance therapy. The physicochemical properties of ENMs can be manipulated to control/direct biodistribution and target delivery, but these alterations also have implications for toxicity. It is well known that size plays a significant role in determining ENM effects since simply nanosizing a safe bulk material can render it toxic. However, charge, shape, rigidity, and surface modifications also have a significant influence on the biodistribution and toxicity of nanoscale drug delivery systems (NDDSs). In this review, NDDSs are considered in terms of platform technologies, materials, and physical properties that impart their pharmaceutical and toxicological effects. Moving forward, the development of safe and effective nanomedicines requires standardized protocols for determining the physical characteristics of ENMs as well as assessing their potential long-term toxicity. When such protocols are established, the remarkable promise of nanomedicine to improve the diagnosis and treatment of human disease can be fulfilled.

Targeted lipid based drug conjugates: a novel strategy for drug delivery

A majority of studies involving prodrugs are directed to overcome low bioavailability of the parent drug. The aim of this study is to increase the bioavailability of acyclovir (ACV) by designing a novel prodrug delivery system which is more lipophilic, and at the same time site specific. In this study, a lipid raft has been conjugated to the parent drug molecule to impart lipophilicity. Simultaneously a targeting moiety that can be recognized by a specific transporter/receptor in the cell membrane has also been tethered to the other terminal of lipid raft. Targeted lipid prodrugs i.e., biotin-ricinoleicacid-acyclovir (B-R-ACV) and biotin-12hydroxystearicacid-acyclovir (B-12HS-ACV) were synthesized with ricinoleicacid and 12hydroxystearicacid as the lipophilic rafts and biotin as the targeting moiety. Biotin-ACV (B-ACV), ricinoleicacid-ACV (R-ACV) and 12hydroxystearicacid-ACV (12HS-ACV) were also synthesized to delineate the individual effects of the targeting and the lipid moieties. Cellular accumulation studies were performed in confluent MDCK-MDR1 and Caco-2 cells. The targeted lipid prodrugs B-R-ACV and B-12HS-ACV exhibited much higher cellular accumulation than B-ACV, R-ACV and 12HS-ACV in both cell lines. This result indicates that both the targeting and the lipid moiety act synergistically toward cellular uptake. The biotin conjugated prodrugs caused a decrease in the uptake of [(3)H] biotin suggesting the role of sodium dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) in uptake. The affinity of these targeted lipid prodrugs toward SMVT was studied in MDCK-MDR1 cells. Both the targeted lipid prodrugs B-R-ACV (20.25 ± 1.74 μM) and B-12HS-ACV (23.99 ± 3.20 μM) demonstrated higher affinity towards SMVT than B-ACV (30.90 ± 4.19 μM). Further, dose dependent studies revealed a concentration dependent inhibitory effect on [(3)H] biotin uptake in the presence of biotinylated prodrugs. Transepithelial transport studies showed lowering of [(3)H] biotin permeability in the presence of biotin and biotinylated prodrugs, further indicating a carrier mediated translocation by SMVT. Overall, results from these studies clearly suggest that these biotinylated lipid prodrugs of ACV possess enhanced affinity towards SMVT. These prodrugs appear to be potential candidates for the treatment of oral and ocular herpes virus infections, because of higher expression of SMVT on intestinal and corneal epithelial cells. In conclusion we hypothesize that our novel prodrug design strategy may help in higher absorption of hydrophilic parent drug. Moreover, this novel prodrug design can result in higher cell permeability of hydrophilic therapeutics such as genes, siRNA, antisense RNA, DNA, oligonucleotides, peptides and proteins.

Transporters, Trojan horses and therapeutics: suitability of bile acid and peptide transporters for drug delivery

Membrane transporters are major determinants for the pharmacokinetic, safety and efficacy behavior of drugs. Available technologies to study function and structure of transport proteins has strongly stimulated research in transporter biology and uncovered their importance for the drug discovery and development process, especially for drug absorption and disposition. Physiological transport systems are investigated as potential ferries to improve drug absorption and membrane permeation and to achieve organ-specific drug action. In particular, the bile acid transport systems in the liver and the small intestine and the oligopeptide transporters are of significant importance for molecular drug delivery.

Polymer–drug conjugates for novel molecular targets

Polymer therapeutics can be already considered as a promising field in the human healthcare context. The discovery of the enhanced permeability and retention effect by Maeda, together with the modular model for the polymer–drug conjugate proposed by Ringsdorf, directed the early steps of polymer therapeutics towards cancer therapy. Orthodox anticancer drugs were preferentially chosen in the development of the first conjugates. The fast evolution of polymer chemistry and bioconjugation techniques, and a deeper understanding of cell biology has opened up exciting new challenges and opportunities. Four main directions have to be considered to develop this ‘platform technology’ further: the control of the synthetic process, the exhaustive characterization of the conjugate architectures, the conquest of combination therapy and the disclosure of new therapeutic targets. We illustrate in this article the exciting approaches offered by polymer–drug conjugates beyond classical cancer therapy, focusing on new, more effective and selective targets in cancer and in their use as treatments for other major human diseases.

Surface modifications of nanocarriers for effective intracellular delivery of anti-HIV drugs

A variety of nanocarriers such as bioconjugates, dendrimers, liposomes, and nanoparticles have been widely evaluated as potential targeted drug delivery systems. Passive targeting of nanoscale carriers is based on a size-flow-filtration phenomenon that is usually limited to tumors, the reticular endothelial system, and possibly lymph nodes (LNs). In fact, targeting the delivery of drugs to pivotal physiological sites such as the lymph nodes has emerged as a promising strategy in treating HIV disease. Ligands for specific cell surface receptors can be displayed on nanocarriers in order to achieve active targeting. The approach has been extensively used preclinically in cancer where certain receptors are over-expressed at various stages of the disease. Unfortunately, markers of HIV infection are lacking and latently infected cells do not show any signs of infection on their surface. However, the disease naturally targets only a few cell types. The HIV receptor CD4, coreceptors (CCR5 and CXCR4), and some receptors relatively specific for macrophages provide potentially valuable surface targets for drug delivery to all susceptible cells in patients infected by HIV. This review focuses on nanoscale targeting with an emphasis on surface modifications of drug delivery nanocarriers for active targeting. A number of related issues, including HIV biology, targets, pharmacokinetics, and intracellular fate as well as literature-cited examples of emerging surface-modified targeted carrier systems are discussed.

Stimuli-responsive star poly(ethylene glycol) drug conjugates for improved intracellular delivery of the drug in neuroinflammation

N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a vital drug currently under clinical trials for the treatment of neuroinflammation in maternal-fetal applications. The free sulfhydryl groups in NAC lead to high plasma protein binding, resulting in low bioavailability. Preparation and activity of conjugates of NAC with thiol terminated multi-arm (6 and 8) poly(ethylene-glycol) (PEG) with disulfide linkages involving sulfhydryls of NAC are reported. Multiple copies (5 and 7) of NAC were conjugated on 6 and 8-arm-PEG respectively. Both the conjugates released 74% of NAC within 2h by thiol exchange reactions in the redox environment provided by glutathione (GSH) intracellularly (2-10mM). At physiological extracellular glutathione concentration (2 microM) both the conjugates were stable and did not release NAC. MTT assay showed comparable cell viability for unmodified PEGs and both the PEG-S-S-NAC conjugates. The conjugates were readily endocytosed by cells, as confirmed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Efficacy of 6 and 8-arm-PEG-S-S-NAC conjugates was evaluated on activated microglial cells (the target cells, in vivo) by monitoring cytokine release in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced inflammatory response in microglial cells using the reactive oxygen species (ROS), free radical nitrile (NO), anti-inflammatory activity and GSH depletion. The conjugates showed significant increase in antioxidant activity (more than a factor of 2) compared to free drug as seen from the inhibition of LPS induced ROS, NO, GSH and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) release in microglial cells.

FK506-binding protein (FKBP) partitions a modified HIV protease inhibitor into blood cells and prolongs its lifetime in vivo

HIV protease inhibitors are a key component of anti-retroviral therapy, but their susceptibility to cytochrome P(450) metabolism reduces their systemic availability and necessitates repetitive dosing. Importantly, failure to maintain adequate inhibitor levels is believed to provide an opportunity for resistance to emerge; thus, new strategies to prolong the lifetime of these drugs are needed. Toward this goal, numerous prodrug approaches have been developed, but these methods involve creating inactive precursors that require enzymatic processing. Using an alternative strategy inspired by the natural product FK506, we have synthetically modified an HIV protease inhibitor such that it acquires high affinity for the abundant, cytoplasmic chaperone, FK506-binding protein (FKBP). This modified protease inhibitor maintains activity against HIV-1 protease (IC(50) = 19 nM) and, additionally, it is partitioned into the cellular component of whole blood via binding to FKBP. Interestingly, redistribution into this protected niche reduces metabolism and improves its half-life in mice by almost 20-fold compared with the unmodified compound. Based on these findings, we propose that addition of FKBP-binding groups might partially overcome the poor pharmacokinetic properties of existing HIV protease inhibitors and, potentially, other drug classes.

Optimizing size and copy number for PEG-fMLF (N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine) nanocarrier uptake by macrophages

Curing HIV-1 infection has remained elusive because of low and fluctuating drug levels arising from poor absorption, the development of viral reservoirs and sanctuary sites, toxicity, and patient nonadherence. The present study addresses the issue of insufficient drug exposure in macrophages. Viral reservoir sites such as macrophages are believed to be responsible for the viral rebound effect observed upon the discontinuation of anti-HIV drug therapy. In our proposed model, a drug can be covalently attached to a nanocarrier in order to facilitate the delivery of therapeutic agents to the site(s) of infection. As an initial step, we propose the covalent attachment of several copies of N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLF), a known chemo-attractant for macrophages. In this article, one or more copies of fMLF were conjugated to multifunctional commercially available or novel, peptide-based PEG nanocarriers in which the structure was varied by appending PEGs with average molecular weights of 5, 20, and 40 kDa. U937 cell-specific binding and cellular uptake were analyzed. The results of uptake studies indicate that (i) uptake is energy dependent and mediated by a fMLF receptor, (ii) appending only 2 copies of the targeting ligand to the multifunctional nanocarrier appears sufficient for binding in vitro, and (iii) of the three configurations studied, the nanocarrier with a molecular weight of about 20 kDa, corresponding to a size of 20-60 nm, demonstrated the highest uptake. The results of the current studies demonstrate the feasibility of targeting macrophages and the suitability of using these synthetically versatile peptide--backbone PEG nanocarriers. The convenience, flexibility and possible limitations of this nanocarrier approach are discussed.

Synthesis and in vitro biological evaluation of valine-containing prodrugs derived from clinically used HIV-protease inhibitors

In an approach to improve the pharmacological properties and pharmacokinetic profiles of the current protease inhibitors (PIs) used in clinics, and consequently, their therapeutic potential, we performed the synthesis of PI-spacer-valine prodrugs (PI=saquinavir, nelfinavir and indinavir; spacer=-C(O)(CH(2))(5)NH-), and evaluated their in vitro stability with respect to hydrolysis, anti-HIV activity, cytotoxicity, and permeation through a monolayer of Caco-2 cells (used as a model of the intestinal barrier), as compared with their parent PI and first generation of valine-PIs (wherein valine was directly connected through its carboxyl to the PIs). The PI-spacer-valine conjugates were prepared in two steps, in good yields, by condensing an acid derivative of the appropriate protected valine-spacer moiety with the PI, followed by deprotection of the valine protecting group. With respect to hydrolysis, we found that the PI-spacer-valine prodrugs were chemically more stable than the first generation of PI-Val prodrugs. Their stabilities correlated with the low to very low in vitro anti-HIV activity measured for those prodrugs wherein the coupling of valine-spacer residue to the PIs was performed onto the peptidomimetic PI's hydroxyl. Prodrugs wherein the coupling of the valine-spacer residue was performed onto the non-peptidomimetic PI hydroxyl displayed a higher antiviral activity, indicating that these prodrugs are also to some extent anti-HIV drugs by themselves. While the direct conjugation of L-valine to the PIs constituted a most appealing alternative, which improved their absorptive diffusion across Caco-2 cell monolayers and reduced their recognition by efflux carriers, its conjugation to the PIs through the -C(O)(CH(2))(5)NH- spacer was found to inhibit their absorptive and secretory transepithelial transport. This was attributable to a drastic reduction of their passive permeation and/or active transport, indicating that the PI-spacer-valine conjugates are poor substrates of the aminoacid carrier system located at the brush border side of the Caco-2 cell monolayer.

Intracellular delivery of saquinavir in biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles for HIV/AIDS

PURPOSE

This study aims at developing poly(ethylene oxide)-modified poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PEO-PCL) nanoparticulate system as an intracellular delivery vehicle for saquinavir, an anti-HIV protease inhibitor.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Saquinavir-loaded PEO-PCL nanoparticles were prepared by a solvent displacement process. The formed nanoparticles were characterized for size, surface charge, and surface presence of PEO chains. Cellular uptake and distribution of the nanoparticle was examined in THP-1 human monocyte/macrophage (Mo/Mac) cell line. Intracellular saquinavir concentrations were measured as a function of dose and duration of incubation.

RESULTS

The PEO-PCL nanoparticles had a smooth surface and spherical shape and showed a relatively uniform size distribution with a mean particle diameter of approximately 200 nm. The surface presence of PEO chains was confirmed by an increase in the -C-O-(ether) signature of the C1s spectra in electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis. Rapid cellular uptake of rhodamine-123 encapsulated PEO-PCL nanoparticles was observed in THP-1 cells. Intracellular saquinavir concentrations when administered in the nanoparticle formulation were significantly higher than from aqueous solution.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that PEO-PCL nanoparticles provide a versatile platform for encapsulation of saquinavir and subsequent intracellular delivery in Mo/Mac cells.

Functional characterization of sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter in MDCK-MDR1 cells and its utilization as a target for drug delivery

The objective of this research is to characterize a sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter (SMVT) in MDCK-MDR1 cells (Madin-Darby canine kidney cells transfected with the human MDR1 gene) and to investigate the feasibility of utilizing the MDCK-MDR1 cell line as an in vitro model to study the permeability of biotin-conjugated prodrugs of anti-HIV protease inhibitors. Mechanism of [3H]biotin uptake and transport was delineated. Transepithelial permeability of the biotin-conjugated prodrug, i.e., biotin-saquinavir, was also studied. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out to confirm the existence of SMVT in MDCK-MDR1 cells. Biotin uptake was Na+, pH, and temperature dependent, but energy independent. Uptake of biotin was found to be saturable with a Km of 13.0 microM, Vmax 21.5 of pmol min-1 (mg of protein)-1, and Kd of 0.12 microL min-1 (mg of protein)-1. Both apical and basal uptake and transepithelial transport of [3H]biotin showed that SMVT localized predominantly on the apical membrane of MDCK-MDR1 cells. [3H]Biotin uptake was inhibited by excess unlabeled biotin and its structural analogues, i.e., desthiolbiotin and valeric acid, and other vitamins such as lipoic acid and pantothenic acid, but not by acetic acid, benzoic acid, biotin methyl ester, and biocytin. Biotin-saquinavir caused lowering of [3H]biotin uptake, which indicates that it is recognized by SMVT. Apical to basal transport of [3H]biotin was also significantly inhibited in the presence of excess biotin or biotin-saquinavir. Transepithelial transport studies of biotin-saquinavir in MDCK-MDR1, wild type MDCK, and Caco-2 cells revealed that permeability of biotin-saquinavir was similar in all three cell lines. A band of SMVT mRNA at 862 bp was identified by RT-PCR. A sodium-dependent multivitamin transporter, SMVT, responsible for biotin uptake and transport, was identified and functionally characterized in MDCK-MDR1 cells. Therefore, the MDCK-MDR1 cell line may be utilized as an in vitro model to study the permeability of biotin-conjugated prodrugs such as HIV protease inhibitors.

Novel multi-component nanopharmaceuticals derived from poly(ethylene) glycol, retro-inverso-Tat nonapeptide and saquinavir demonstrate combined anti-HIV effects

Background

Current anti-AIDS therapeutic agents and treatment regimens can provide a dramatically improved quality of life for HIV-positive people, many of whom have no detectable viral load for prolonged periods of time. Despite this, curing AIDS remains an elusive goal, partially due to the occurrence of drug resistance. Since the development of resistance is linked to, among other things, fluctuating drug levels, our long-term goal has been to develop nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems that can improve therapy by more precisely controlling drug concentrations in target cells. The theme of the current study is to investigate the value of combining AIDS drugs and modifiers of cellular uptake into macromolecular conjugates having novel pharmacological properties.

Results

Bioconjugates were prepared from different combinations of the approved drug, saquinavir, the antiviral agent, R.I.CK-Tat9, the polymeric carrier, poly(ethylene) glycol and the cell uptake enhancer, biotin. Anti-HIV activities were measured in MT-2 cells, an HTLV-1-transformed human lymphoid cell line, infected with HIV-1 strain Vbu 3, while parallel studies were performed in uninfected cells to determine cellular toxicity. For example, R.I.CK-Tat9 was 60 times more potent than L-Tat9 while the addition of biotin resulted in a prodrug that was 2850 times more potent than L-Tat9. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy studies suggest that variations in intracellular uptake and intracellular localization, as well as synergistic inhibitory effects of SQV and Tat peptides, contributed to the unexpected and substantial differences in antiviral activity.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that highly potent nanoscale multi-drug conjugates with low non-specific toxicity can be produced by combining moieties with anti-HIV agents for different targets onto macromolecules having improved delivery properties.

Peptide-enhanced cellular internalization of proteins in neuroscience

Over the last 15 years, many publications described the use of peptide sequences that have been dubbed cell penetrating peptides (CPP), Trojan Horse peptides, protein transduction domains, or membrane-translocating sequences. These mostly positively charged domains bring attached cargo across biological membranes. One of the reasons for the interest in CPP is their potential as delivery tools to enhance the pharmacodynamics of drugs otherwise poorly bioavailable. In particular, the neuroscientist aiming to deliver a protein or other compound into the brain for analytical or therapeutic reasons is faced with the challenge that few drugs cross the blood-brain barrier. CPP are valuable tools to overcome the plasma membrane or the blood-brain barrier in basic research, and in relevant models of neural disease, and will hopefully help to increase the precious few treatments or even cures for people with diseases of the brain and nervous system. Here, we review applications in neuroscience and recent insights into the mechanism of CPP-mediated trafficking.