Synthesis of PAMAM Dendrimer Derivatives with Enhanced Buffering Capacity and Remarkable Gene Transfection Efficiency

Treating critical bone defects by using core-shell biological scaffold to regulate Fibrosis-Osteogenic homeostasis

Critical bone defects pose a significant challenge in the realm of bone defect repair. During the repair process, bone formation is crucial, as the occurrence of invasive tissue growth into the defect, known as fibrosis, is also a possibility. Excessive fibrosis can lead to a "filling effect," wherein fibrous tissue occupies the bone defect area, thereby impeding the bone formation and repair processes. Hence, regulating the dynamic balance between fibrosis and osteogenesis is pivotal to effectively treat critical bone defects. To mitigate the rapid fibrosis rate at the bone defect site, which may result in repair failure, we have devised and fabricated a biomimetic core-shell scaffold-PCL-FAPI/GelMA/HAMA-GBA@plasmid-knockdown SHN-3 (PCL-FAPI/GH-GBA@pk SHN-3)-aimed at modulating fibrosis and vascularization processes within the new callus. The outer "shell" structure of the scaffold employs polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun nanofibers loaded with fibroblast activating protein inhibitor (FAPI). Utilizing hydrophobic PCL electrospun fibers effectively impedes the growth of exogenous fibrous tissue, while releasing FAPI to inhibit the growth of endogenous fibroblasts. The inner layer "nucleus" structure comprises GelMA/HAMA hydrogel-supported plasmid/polyamideamine (GBA@plasmid-knockdown SHN-3), which enhances the secretion of Slit3 protein and promotes the formation of Type H blood vessels by silencing the SHN-3 gene in osteoblasts. The biomimetic "core-shell" scaffold PCL-FAPI/GH-GBA@pkSHN-3 serves to prevent excessive fibrosis of the callus and foster the formation of Type H blood vessels within the new callus, effectively averting bone nonunion and expediting the repair process of critical bone defects.

Fine-Tuned "Click" Functionalization of PAMAM Dendrimers with a Linear Fluorinated Guanidino Linker: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications

This study presents the synthesis, characterization, and application of multifunctional PAMAM G2 and G4 dendrimers decorated with a linear fluorinated guanidino linker designed to improve gene delivery efficiency while minimizing cytotoxicity. For the first time, we were able to fine-tune the degree of grafting (DG) during the functionalization process through efficient "click" Michael addition, achieving the synthesis of a collection of six PAMAM conjugates that showed a significant enhancement in transfection efficiency (TE), surpassing the performance of traditional nonviral vectors. The incorporation of fluorinated moieties not only facilitated better deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) condensation and TE but also introduced potential applications in 19F magnetic resonance imaging thanks to the sharp and intense fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance signals and favorable relaxation parameters. The new dendrimer conjugates demonstrated a promising balance between low cytotoxicity and high TE, with the low-generation PAMAM G2 with lower DG being the best-performing conjugate, making them strong candidates for further development in gene therapy. These findings highlight the potential of these multifunctional PAMAM dendrimers as efficient, nontoxic, and trackable gene delivery vectors.

Electrochemical behaviour of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers at micropipette-based liquid/liquid micro-interfaces

Dendrimers are macromolecules with well-defined three-dimensional structures, sizes and surface charges. In this work, four generations of poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers were investigated at the micro-interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (μITIES) to understand their electrochemical responses as simple models of ionised macromolecules. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) across a range of aqueous phase pH revealed that all four generations (G0-G3) presented diffusion-controlled ion-transfer from aqueous to organic phase, while the reverse transfers from organic to aqueous phase varied with both pH and the dendrimer generation. The larger dendrimers (G2 and G3) show an adsorption behaviour at pH ≤ 3.5, but show a diffusional response at pH ≥ 6. On the other hand, the smaller dendrimers (G0 and G1) always show a diffusional response and are not impacted by the pH. This indicates that more highly charged dendrimers condense at the interface. The reverse scan of CVs showed that an increased applied potential was required to remove (desorb) these polycations from the interfaces in comparison to smaller, less charged species. Diffusion coefficients (D) were estimated, showing a decrease with increasing generation. Limits of detection for these dendrimers by CV at the μITIES were 0.4, 0.2, 0.7 and 0.5 μM for G0 to G3, respectively, while differential pulse voltammetry lowered the LODs (0.07, 0.05, 0.09 and 0.08 μM, respectively). These study shows that the μITIES provides a simple way to detect and evaluate the electrochemical behaviour of ionised macromolecules, providing a simple illustration of detection mechanism with diffusion or adsorption processes.

SAXS, DLS, and MD studies of the Rg/Rh ratio for swollen and collapsed dendrimers

The radius of gyration, Rg, and the hydrodynamic radius, Rh, are the main experimental parameters that characterize the size of linear and branched macromolecules. In the case of dendrimers in solution, the ratio Rg/Rh, depending on the global conformation, varies from 1 (for a Gaussian soft sphere) to 3/5 (for a hard sphere). However, for high-generation dendrimers, this ratio may be less than the limiting value for a hard sphere. To understand the reasons of the low Rg/Rh value (<0.77), we have studied the second-generation peptide dendrimer containing pH-sensitive histidine amino acid residues (Lys-2His dendrimer) using small-angle x-ray (SAXS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments, as well as molecular dynamics simulations. The Lys-2His dendrimer takes a swollen conformation at pH = 2 and a collapsed 1 at pH = 7. Our results show that the Rg/Rh ratio for the considered dendrimer decreases from ≈3/5 at pH = 2 to 0.5 at pH = 7. We have found that the very low Rg/Rh value is due to (1) the formation of a dense impenetrable core (i.e., the transformation of the dendrimer from a Gaussian soft sphere into a sphere with a dense core) and (2) the presence of a larger number of solvent molecules in the dendrimer corona than in a typical macromolecule. In addition, in this work, we have directly confirmed in the experiments for the first time, the collapse of the Lys-2His dendrimer with increasing pH.

Small Peptide-Based Nanodelivery Systems for Cancer Therapy and Diagnosis

Developing nano-biomaterials with tunable topology, size, and surface characteristics has shown tremendously favorable benefits in various biologic and clinical applications. Among various nano-biomaterials, peptide-based drug delivery systems offer multiple merits over other synthetic systems due to their enhanced bio- and cytocompatibility and desirable biochemical and biophysical properties. Currently, around 100 peptide-based drugs are clinically available for numerous therapeutic purposes. In conjugation with chemotherapeutic moieties, peptides demonstrate a remarkable ability to reduce nonspecific drug effects by improving drug targetability at cancer sites. This review encompasses a wide-ranging role played by different peptide-based nanostructures in cancer theranostics. Section 1 introduces the rising concern about cancer as a disease and further describes peptide-based nanomaterials as biomedical agents to tackle the ailment. The subsequent section explores the mechanistic pathways behind the self-assembly of peptides to form hierarchically distinct assemblies. The crux of our review lies in an exhaustive exploration of the applications of various types of peptide-based nanostructures in cancer therapy and diagnosis. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Peptide-based drug delivery systems possess superior biocompatibility, biochemical, and biophysical properties compared to other synthetic alternatives. The development of these nano-biomaterials with customizable topology, size, and surface characteristics have shown promising outcomes in biomedical contexts. Peptides in conjunction with chemotherapeutic agents exhibit the ability to enhance drug targetability at cancer sites, reducing nonspecific drug effects. This comprehensive review emphasizes the pivotal role of diverse peptide-based nanostructures as cancer theranostics, elucidating their potential in revolutionizing cancer therapy and diagnosis.

Advancing nucleic acid delivery through cationic polymer design: non-cationic building blocks from the toolbox

The rational integration of non-cationic building blocks into cationic polymers can be devised to enhance the performance of the resulting gene delivery vectors, improving cell targeting behavior, uptake, endosomal escape, toxicity, and transfection efficiency.

Second-Generation Polyamidoamine Dendrimer Conjugated with Oligopeptides Can Enhance Plasmid DNA Delivery In Vitro

Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers have attracted considerable attention in the field of gene therapy due to their flexibility in introducing different functional moieties and reduced toxicity at low generations. However, their transfection efficiency remains a limitation. Therefore, an essential approach for improving their transfection efficiency as gene carriers involves modifying the structure of PAMAM by conjugating functional groups around their surface. In this study, we successfully conjugated an RRHRH oligopeptide to the surface of PAMAM generation 2 (PAMAM G2) to create RRHRH-PAMAM G2. This construction aims to condense plasmid DNA (pDNA) and facilitate its penetration into cell membranes, leading to its promising potential for gene therapy. RRHRH-PAMAM G2/pDNA complexes were smaller than 100 nm and positively charged. Nano-polyplexes can enter the cell and show a high transfection efficiency after 24 h of transfection. The RRHRH-PAMAM G2 was non-toxic to HeLa, NIH3T3, A549, and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. These results strongly suggest that RRHRH-PAMAM G2 holds promise as a gene carrier for gene therapy owing to its biocompatibility and ability to deliver genes to the cell.

Therapeutic Oligonucleotides: An Outlook on Chemical Strategies to Improve Endosomal Trafficking

The potential of oligonucleotide therapeutics is undeniable as more than 15 drugs have been approved to treat various diseases in the liver, central nervous system (CNS), and muscles. However, achieving effective delivery of oligonucleotide therapeutics to specific tissues still remains a major challenge, limiting their widespread use. Chemical modifications play a crucial role to overcome biological barriers to enable efficient oligonucleotide delivery to the tissues/cells of interest. They provide oligonucleotide metabolic stability and confer favourable pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties. This review focuses on the various chemical approaches implicated in mitigating the delivery problem of oligonucleotides and their limitations. It highlights the importance of linkers in designing oligonucleotide conjugates and discusses their potential role in escaping the endosomal barrier, a bottleneck in the development of oligonucleotide therapeutics.

Dendrimer-based magneto-plasmonic nanosorbents for water quality monitoring using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

In this work, we report the synthesis of magneto-plasmonic dendrimer-based nanosorbents containing Au nanostars and we demonstrate that they can be used as versatile optical sensors for the detection of pesticides in spiked water samples. The magnetic hybrid nanoparticles were obtained by conjugating silica-functionalized G5-NH₂ PAMAM dendrimers to silica-coated magnetite cores. The resulting magnetic-PAMAM conjugates were then used to reduce and sequester Au seeds for the subsequent in situ growth of Au nanostars. The dendrimer-based magneto-plasmonic substrates containing the Au anisotropic nanophases were then investigated regarding their ability to monitor water quality through surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy. As a proof-of-concept, the ensuing multifunctional materials were investigated as SERS probing systems to detect dithiocarbamate pesticides (ziram and thiram) dissolved in water samples. It was observed that the magneto-plasmonic hybrid materials enhance the Raman signal of these pesticides under variable operational conditions, suggesting the versatility of these systems for water quality monitoring. Moreover, a detailed analysis of the SERS data was accomplished to predict the adsorption profile of the dithiocarbamate pesticides to the Au surface.

Surface Engineered Dendrimers: A Potential Nanocarrier for the Effective Management of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Gliomas are the most prevailing intracranial tumors, which account for approximately 36% of the primary brain tumors of glial cells. Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) possesses a higher degree of malignancy among different gliomas. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the brain against infections and toxic substances by preventing foreign molecules or unwanted cells from entering the brain parenchyma. Nano-carriers such as liposomes, nanoparticles, dendrimers, etc. boost the brain permeability of various anticancer drugs or other drugs. The favorable properties like small size, better solubility, and the modifiable surface of dendrimers have proven their broad applicability in the better management of GBM. However, in vitro and in vivo toxicities caused by dendrimers have been a significant concern. The presence of multiple functionalities on the surface of dendrimers enables the grafting of target ligand and/or therapeutic moieties. Surface engineering improves certain properties like targeting efficiency, pharmacokinetic profile, therapeutic effect, and toxicity reduction. This review will be focused on the role of different surface-modified dendrimers in the effective management of GBM.

Cross-Disciplinary Application for Qualitative Magnesium Corrosion Assays

At the moment, unserviceable magnesium implants make a good case in point for further responsible study in this field. Whether we are willing to admit it or not, existing methods for corrosion monitoring are exposed to susceptibility and instability. Interdisciplinary theories and the existing corrosion experiments were combined based on their various merits for developing an accurate and precise corroding experiment for Mg/Mg alloys. We used the water-soluble tetrazolium-8 (WST-8) reagent to further complete the immersion experiment. The color change of the solution reflects the rationale of corrosion, followed by monitoring the degree of corrosion. The feasibility of this idea will be demonstrated.

Preparation and characterization of polyamidoamine dendrimers conjugated with cholesteryl-dipeptide as gene carriers in HeLa cells

Improving the transfection efficiency of non-viral carriers by using cationic polymers is a useful approach to addressing several challenges in gene therapy, such as cellular uptake, endosomal escape, and toxicity. Among the various cationic polymers, polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers have been widely utilized because of the abundance of terminal functional groups, thereby enabling further functionalization and enhancing DNA condensation and internalization into cells. The combination of various functional groups is required for these PAMAM dendrimer derivatives to function appropriately for gene delivery. Herein, we synthesized PAMAM G2-HRChol by conjugating dipeptide (histidine-arginine) and cholesterol at different ratios (6% or 23%) on the surface of PAMAM dendrimer generation 2 (PAMAM G2). Both PAMAM G2-HRChol 6% and PAMAM G2-HRChol 23% have buffering capacity, leading to improved endosomal escape after entering the cells. PAMAM G2-HRChol 6% and PAMAM G2-HRChol 23% dendrimers were condensed with pDNA to form nano-polyplexes at a weight ratio of 4 (polymer/pDNA). Polyplexes are positively charged, which facilitates cellular uptake. The transfection efficiency of PAMAM G2-HRChol 6% and PAMAM G2-HRChol 23% dendrimers was similar to that of PEI 25 kDa under optimum conditions, and the cytotoxicity was much lower than that of PEI 25 kDa in HeLa cells. In addition, after apoptin gene transfection was performed, cell death ratios of 34.47% and 22.47% were observed for PAMAM G2-HRChol 6% and PAMAM G2-HRChol 23%, respectively. The results show that a suitable amount of cholesterol can improve gene transfection efficiency, and the PAMAM G2-HRChol 6% dendrimer could be a potential gene carrier in HeLa cells.

Enzyme-Responsive Amphiphilic Peptide Nanoparticles for Biocompatible and Efficient Drug Delivery

Self-assembled peptide nanostructures recently have gained much attention as drug delivery systems. As biomolecules, peptides have enhanced biocompatibility and biodegradability compared to polymer-based carriers. We introduce a peptide nanoparticle system containing arginine, histidine, and an enzyme-responsive core of repeating GLFG oligopeptides. GLFG oligopeptides exhibit specific sensitivity towards the enzyme cathepsin B that helps effective controlled release of cargo molecules in the cytoplasm. Arginine can induce cell penetration, and histidine facilitates lysosomal escape by its buffering capacity. Herein, we propose an enzyme-responsive amphiphilic peptide delivery system (Arg-His-(Gly-Phe-Lue-Gly)₃, RH-(GFLG)₃). The self-assembled RH-(GFLG)₃ globular nanoparticle structure exhibited a positive charge and formulation stability for 35 days. Nile Red-tagged RH-(GFLG)₃ nanoparticles showed good cellular uptake compared to the non-enzyme-responsive control groups with d-form peptides (LD (^LRH-^D(GFLG)₃), DL (^DRH-L(GFLG)₃), and DD (^DRH-^D(GFLG)₃). The RH-(GFLG)₃ nanoparticles showed negligible cytotoxicity in HeLa cells and human RBCs. To determine the drug delivery efficacy, we introduced the anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox) in the RH-(GFLG)₃ nanoparticle system. LL-Dox exhibited formulation stability, maintaining the physical properties of the nanostructure, as well as a robust anticancer effect in HeLa cells compared to DD-Dox. These results indicate that the enzyme-sensitive RH-(GFLG)₃ peptide nanoparticles are promising candidates as drug delivery carriers for biomedical applications.

Systematic Investigation of Biocompatible Cationic Polymeric Nucleic Acid Carriers for Immunotherapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third-largest cause of cancer death worldwide, while immunotherapy is rapidly being developed to fight HCC with great potential. Nucleic acid drugs are the most important modulators in HCC immunotherapy. To boost the efficacy of therapeutics and amplify the efficiency of genetic materials, biocompatible polymers are commonly used. However, under the strong need of a summary for current developments of biocompatible polymeric nucleic acid carriers for immunotherapy of HCC, there is rare review article specific to this topic to our best knowledge. In this article, we will discuss the current progress of immunotherapy for HCC, biocompatible cationic polymers (BCPs) as nucleic acid carriers used (or potential) to fight HCC, the roles of biocompatible polymeric carriers for nucleic acid delivery, and nucleic acid delivery by biocompatible polymers for immunotherapy. At the end, we will conclude the review and discuss future perspectives. This article discusses biocompatible polymeric nucleic acid carriers for immunotherapy of HCC from multidiscipline perspectives and provides a new insight in this domain. We believe this review will be interesting to polymer chemists, pharmacists, clinic doctors, and PhD students in related disciplines.

NCs-Delivered Pesticides: A Promising Candidate in Smart Agriculture

Pesticides have been used extensively in the field of plant protection to maximize crop yields. However, the long-term, unmanaged application of pesticides has posed severe challenges such as pesticide resistance, environmental contamination, risk in human health, soil degradation, and other important global issues. Recently, the combination of nanotechnology with plant protection strategies has offered new perspectives to mitigate these global issues, which has promoted a rapid development of NCs-based pesticides. Unlike certain conventional pesticides that have been applied inefficiently and lacked targeted control, pesticides delivered by nanocarriers (NCs) have optimized formulations, controlled release rate, and minimized or site-specific application. They are receiving increasing attention and are considered as an important part in sustainable and smart agriculture. This review discussed the limitation of traditional pesticides or conventional application mode, focused on the sustainable features of NCs-based pesticides such as improved formulation, enhanced stability under harsh condition, and controlled release/degradation. The perspectives of NCs-based pesticides and their risk assessment were also suggested in this view for a better use of NCs-based pesticides to facilitate sustainable, smart agriculture in the future.

Fate of Antibody-Targeted Ultrasmall Gold Nanoparticles in Cancer Cells after Receptor-Mediated Uptake

Nanoparticles with ultrasmall sizes (less than 10 nm) offer many advantages in biomedical applications compared to their bigger counterparts, including better intratumoral distribution, improved pharmacokinetics (PK), and efficient body clearance. When functionalized with a biocompatible coating and a target-specific antibody, ultrasmall nanoparticles represent an attractive clinical translation platform. Although there is a tremendous body of work dedicated to PK and the biological effects of various nanoparticles, little is known about the fate of different components of functionalized nanoparticles in a biological environment such as in live cells. Here, we used luminescence properties of 5 nm gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) to study the intracellular trafficking and fate of the AuNPs functionalized with an organic layer consisting of a polyethylene glycol (PEG) coating and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeting antibody. We showed that intracellular uptake of the targeted 5 nm AuNPs results in a strong two-photon luminescence (TPL) that is characterized by broad emission and very short lifetimes compared to the fluorescence of the nanoparticle-conjugated fluorophore-tagged antibody, thereby allowing selective imaging of these components using TPL and two-photon excited fluorescence lifetime microscopy (2P-FLIM). Our results indicate that the nanoparticle's coating is detached from the particle's surface inside cells, leading to formation of nanoparticle clusters with a strong TPL. Furthermore, we observed an optically resolved spatial separation of the gold core and the antibody coating of the particles inside cells. We used data from two-photon microscopy, 2P-FLIM, electron microscopy, and in vitro assays to propose a model of interactions of functionalized 5 nm AuNPs with live cells.

Understanding the Pharmaceutical Aspects of Dendrimers for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs

Dendrimers are emerging class of nanoparticles used in targeted drug delivery systems. These are radially symmetric molecules with well-defined, homogeneous, and monodisperse structures. Due to the nano size, they can easily cross the biological membrane and increase bioavailability. The surface functionalization facilitates targeting of the particular site of action, assists the high drug loading and improves the therapeutic efficiency of the drug. These properties make dendrimers advantageous over conventional drug delivery systems. This article explains the features of dendrimers along with their method of synthesis, such as divergent growth method, convergent growth method, double exponential and mixed method, hyper-core and branched method. Dendrimers are effectively used in anticancer delivery and can be targeted at the site of tumor either by active or passive targeting. There are three mechanisms by which drugs interact with dendrimers, and they are physical encapsulation, electrostatic interaction, chemical conjugation of drug molecules. Drug releases from dendrimer either by in vivo cleavage of the covalent bond between drugdendrimer complexes or by physical changes or stimulus like pH, temperature, etc.

A dendrimer-functionalized turn-on fluorescence probe based on enzyme-activated debonding feature of azobenzene linkage

The hypoxic feature of tumors has led to researchers developing hypoxia-activated prodrugs and probes that leverage oxidoreductases overexpressed in tumor tissues.

Applications and Limitations of Dendrimers in Biomedicine

Biomedicine represents one of the main study areas for dendrimers, which have proven to be valuable both in diagnostics and therapy, due to their capacity for improving solubility, absorption, bioavailability and targeted distribution. Molecular cytotoxicity constitutes a limiting characteristic, especially for cationic and higher-generation dendrimers. Antineoplastic research of dendrimers has been widely developed, and several types of poly(amidoamine) and poly(propylene imine) dendrimer complexes with doxorubicin, paclitaxel, imatinib, sunitinib, cisplatin, melphalan and methotrexate have shown an improvement in comparison with the drug molecule alone. The anti-inflammatory therapy focused on dendrimer complexes of ibuprofen, indomethacin, piroxicam, ketoprofen and diflunisal. In the context of the development of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, dendrimer complexes of fluoroquinolones, macrolides, beta-lactamines and aminoglycosides have shown promising effects. Regarding antiviral therapy, studies have been performed to develop dendrimer conjugates with tenofovir, maraviroc, zidovudine, oseltamivir and acyclovir, among others. Furthermore, cardiovascular therapy has strongly addressed dendrimers. Employed in imaging diagnostics, dendrimers reduce the dosage required to obtain images, thus improving the efficiency of radioisotopes. Dendrimers are macromolecular structures with multiple advantages that can suffer modifications depending on the chemical nature of the drug that has to be transported. The results obtained so far encourage the pursuit of new studies.

The Multifaceted Histidine-Based Carriers for Nucleic Acid Delivery: Advances and Challenges

Histidines incorporated into carriers of nucleic acids may enhance the extracellular stability of the nanoparticle, yet aid in the intracellular disruption of the nanoparticle, enabling the release of the nucleic acid. Moreover, protonation of histidines in the endosomes may result in endosomal swelling with subsequent lysis. These properties of histidine are based on its five-member imidazole ring in which the two nitrogen atoms may form hydrogen bonds or act as a base in acidic environments. A wide variety of carriers have integrated histidines or histidine-rich domains, which include peptides, polyethylenimine, polysaccharides, platform delivery systems, viral phages, mesoporous silica particles, and liposomes. Histidine-rich carriers have played key roles in our understanding of the stability of nanocarriers and the escape of the nucleic acids from endosomes. These carriers show great promise and offer marked potential in delivering plasmids, siRNA, and mRNA to their intracellular targets.

Polyplexes for gene and nucleic acid delivery: Progress and bottlenecks

Gene and nucleic acid delivery constitute a huge biological challenge and several attempts have been made by research laboratories to address this issue. Cationic polymers and cationic lipids (positively charged carriers) can be utilized for the transport of these biomolecules. Polyplexes (PPs) are interpolyelectrolyte complexes which are spontaneously formed through the electrostatic condensation between nucleic acid and a cationic polymer. PPs are capable of high-density payload condensation leading to cell internalization and subsequent protection from enzymatic degradation. Most cationic polymers can cross extracellular barriers, but it is more challenging to overcome intracellular barriers (efficient disassembly and endosomal escape). In this review, the use of PPs for gene and nucleic acid delivery is discussed.

Transferrin Conjugated pH- and Redox-Responsive Poly(Amidoamine) Dendrimer Conjugate as an Efficient Drug Delivery Carrier for Cancer Therapy

Introduction

A multifunctional redox- and pH-responsive polymeric drug delivery system is designed and investigated for targeted anticancer drug delivery to liver cancer.

Methods

The nanocarrier (His-PAMAM-ss-PEG-Tf, HP-ss-PEG-Tf) is constructed based on generation 4 polyamidoamine dendrimer (G4 PAMAM). Optimized amount of histidine (His) residues is grafted on the surface of PAMAM to obtain enhanced pH-sensitivity and proton-buffering capacity. Disulfide bonds (ss) are introduced between PAMAM and PEG to reach accelerated intracellular drug release. Transferrin (Tf) was applied to achieve active tumor targeting. Doxorubicin (DOX) is loaded in the hydrophobic cavity of the nanocarrier to exert its anti-tumor effect.

Results

The results obtained from in vitro and in vivo evaluation indicate that HP-ss-PEG-Tf/DOX complex has pH and redox dual-sensitive properties, and exhibit higher cellular uptake and cytotoxicity than the other control groups. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy display internalization of HP-ss-PEG-Tf/DOX via clathrin mediated endocytosis and effective endosomal escape in HepG2 cancer cells. Additionally, cyanine 7 labeled HP-ss-PEG-Tf conjugate could quickly accumulate in the HepG2 tumor. Remarkably, HP-ss-PEG-Tf/DOX present superior anticancer activity, enhanced apoptotic activity and lower heart and kidney toxicity in vivo.

Discussion

Thus, HP-ss-PEG-Tf is proved to be a promising candidate for effective targeting delivery of DOX into the tumor.

Interactions between PAMAM dendrimers and DOPC lipid multilayers: Membrane thinning and structural disorder

BACKGROUND

Understanding the structure of hybrid nanoparticle-lipid multilayers is of fundamental importance to their bioanalytical applications and nanotoxicity, where nanoparticle-membrane interactions play an important role. Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are branched polymeric nanoparticles with potential biomedical applications due to precise tunability of their physicochemical properties. Here, the effect of PAMAM dendrimers (2.9-4.5 nm) with either a hydrophilic amine (NH₂) or a hydrophobic C₁₂ chain surface termination on the 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC) multilayers has been studied for the first time.

METHODS

DOPC multilayers were created by the liposome-rupture method via drop-casting dendrimer-liposome dispersions with the dendrimers added at different concentrations and at three different stages. The multilayer structure was evaluated via the analysis of the synchrotron X-ray reflectivity (XRR) curves, obtaining the bilayer d-spacing, the coherence length from the Scherrer (L_s) analysis of the Bragg peaks, and the paracrystalline disorder parameter (g).

RESULTS

Dendrimer addition led to lipid bilayer thinning and more disordered multilayer structures. Larger hydrophobic dendrimers caused greater structural disruption to the multilayers compared to the smaller dendrimers. The smallest, positively charged dendrimers at their highest concentration caused the most pronounced bilayer thinning. The dendrimer-liposome mixing method also affected the multilayer structure due to different dendrimer aggregation involved.

CONCLUSIONS

These results show the complexity of the effect of dendrimer physicochemical properties and the addition method of dendrimers on the structure of mixed dendrimer-DOPC multilayers.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

These insights are useful for fundamental understanding of nanotoxicity and future biomedical application of nanocomposite multilayer materials in which nanoparticles are added for enhanced properties and functionality.

miRNA transfection via poly(amidoamine)-based delivery vector prevents hypoxia/reperfusion-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis

Aim: Myocardial infarction is a tissue injury that leads to apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. This can be prevented by using miRNAs, but its delivery to cardiomyocytes is a major hurdle. We aimed to deliver miRNAs using poly(amidoamine)-histidine (PAMAM-His) nanocarriers to prevent apoptosis. Materials & methods: The PAMAM-His nanoparticles were synthesized and assessed for their transfection efficiency of miRNAs to prevent apoptosis in hypoxia/reperfusion-induced H9c2 as well as primary cultured cardiomyocytes. Results & conclusion: miRNAs-nanoparticle complexes exerted a significant antiapoptotic effect on the H9c2 and primary rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Enhanced expression of antiapoptotic genes and decreased expression of proapoptotic genes were observed. PAMAM-His nanoparticles effectively delivered miRNAs to the cardiomyocytes and prevented the hypoxia/reperfusion-induced apoptosis critical in myocardial infarctions.

Non-viral transfection vectors: are hybrid materials the way forward?

Transfection is a process by which oligonucleotides (DNA or RNA) are delivered into living cells. This allows the synthesis of target proteins as well as their inhibition (gene silencing). However, oligonucleotides cannot cross the plasma membrane by themselves; therefore, efficient carriers are needed for successful gene delivery. Recombinant viruses are among the earliest described vectors. Unfortunately, they have severe drawbacks such as toxicity and immunogenicity. In this regard, the development of non-viral transfection vectors has attracted increasing interests, and has become an important field of research. In the first part of this review we start with a tutorial introduction into the biological backgrounds of gene transfection followed by the classical non-viral vectors (cationic organic carriers and inorganic nanoparticles). In the second part we highlight selected recent reports, which demonstrate that hybrid vectors that combine key features of classical carriers are a remarkable strategy to address the current challenges in gene delivery.

Stable Deuterium Labeling of Histidine-Rich Lysine-Based Dendrimers

Peptide dendrimers, due to their biocompatibility and low toxicity, are highly promising candidates as nanocarriers for drugs and genes. The development of this kind of delivery system requires reliable monitoring of their metabolic and biological pathways. In this respect, hydrogen isotope labeling has tremendous importance, being a safe tool for detection of the labeled nanocarriers. In this work, we have synthesized new histidine-rich lysine-based dendrimers (Lys-2His dendrimer) with two linear histidine (His) residues in every inner segment. The presence of His residues has enabled us to perform controlled deuteration of Lys-2His dendrimers. The high deuteration degree (around 70%) does not practically change after redissolving the samples in H2O and heating them at 40 °C, which indicates the isotopic label stability.

Shedding light on gene therapy: Carbon dots for the minimally invasive image-guided delivery of plasmids and noncoding RNAs - A review

Recently, carbon dots (CDs) have attracted great attention due to their superior properties, such as biocompatibility, fluorescence, high quantum yield, and uniform distribution. These characteristics make CDs interesting for bioimaging, therapeutic delivery, optogenetics, and theranostics. Photoluminescence (PL) properties enable CDs to act as imaging-trackable gene nanocarriers, while cationic CDs with high transfection efficiency have been applied for plasmid DNA and siRNA delivery. In this review, we have highlighted the precursors, structure and properties of positively charged CDs to demonstrate the various applications of these materials for nucleic acid delivery. Additionally, the potential of CDs as trackable gene delivery systems has been discussed. Although there are several reports on cellular and animal approaches to investigating the potential clinical applications of these nanomaterials, further systematic multidisciplinary approaches are required to examine the pharmacokinetic and biodistribution patterns of CDs for potential clinical applications.

Phenylboronic acid-functionalized polyamidoamine-mediated miR-34a delivery for the treatment of gastric cancer

In the present research, a tumor-targeted gene carrier, PPP, was constructed through the modification of phenylboronic acid onto the surface of a polyamidoamine dendrimer, and then miR-34a delivery was employed as a model to evaluate its anti-tumor efficacy.

PAMAM dendrimer - cell membrane interactions

PAMAM dendrimers have been conjectured for a wide range of biomedical applications due to their tuneable physicochemical properties. However, their application has been hindered by uncertainties in their cytotoxicity, which is influenced by dendrimer generation (i.e. size and surface group density), surface chemistry, and dosage, as well as cell specificity. In this review, biomedical applications of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers and some related cytotoxicity studies are first outlined. Alongside these in vitro experiments, lipid membranes such as supported lipid bilayers (SLBs), liposomes, and Langmuir monolayers have been used as cell membrane models to study PAMAM dendrimer-membrane interactions. Related experimental and theoretical studies are summarized, and the physical insights from these studies are discussed to shed light on the fundamental understanding of PAMAM dendrimer-cell membrane interactions. We conclude with a summary of some questions that call for further investigations.

Electrostatically assembled dendrimer complex with a high-affinity protein binder for targeted gene delivery

Although a variety of non-viral gene delivery systems have been developed, they still suffer from low efficiency and specificity. Herein, we present the assembly of a dendrimer complex comprising a DNA cargo and a targeting moiety as a new format for targeted gene delivery. A PAMAM dendrimer modified with histidine and arginine (HR-dendrimer) was used to enhance the endosomal escape and transfection efficiency. An EGFR-specific repebody, composed of leucine-rich repeat (LRR) modules, was employed as a targeting moiety. A polyanionic peptide was genetically fused to the repebody, followed by incubation with an HR-dendrimer and a DNA cargo to assemble the dendrimer complex through an electrostatic interaction. The resulting dendrimer complex was shown to deliver a DNA cargo with high efficiency in a receptor-specific manner. An analysis using a confocal microscope confirmed the internalization of the dendrimer complex and subsequent dissociation of a DNA cargo from the complex. The present approach can be broadly used in a targeted gene delivery in many areas.

The great escape: how cationic polyplexes overcome the endosomal barrier

Endo-lysosomal escape strategies of cationic polymer-mediated gene delivery at a glance.

Triptorelin Tethered Multifunctional PAMAM-Histidine-PEG Nanoconstructs Enable Specific Targeting and Efficient Gene Silencing in LHRH Overexpressing Cancer Cells

Cancer treatment using siRNA based therapies pose various limitations such as off-target effects and degradation due to lack of specific delivery in desired cells. The aim of the present study was to develop multifunctional targeted nanoconstructs, which can efficiently and precisely deliver siRNA and silence the desired gene of interest in various LHRH overexpressing cancer cells. Herein, we report the development of triblock, PAMAM-histidine-PEG dendritic nanoconstructs functionalized with triptorelin (an LHRH analog) for targeted siRNA delivery to LHRH overexpressing breast (MCF-7) and prostate (LNCaP) cancer cells. The nanoconstructs were characterized using ¹H NMR and DLS and displayed a very low cationic charge to avoid off-target interactions. The developed nanoconstructs showed negligible cytotoxicity and hemolytic activity with efficient siRNA loading, excellent serum stability, and strongly protected siRNA from degradation. Further, confocal microscopy results confirmed extremely significant (p < 0.001) higher cellular uptake of cy5.5 conjugated targeted nanoparticles (NPs) in both cancer cell lines than nontargeted NPs. Also, targeted NPs specifically delivered cy3-tagged siRNA to MCF-7 cells. Co-localization studies in MCF-7 and LNCaP cells further established that targeted NPs traveled through the endolysosomal pathway and escaped endosomes within 6 h of incubation. Gene silencing studies in luciferase expressing MCF-7 and LNCaP cell lines demonstrated that the targeted NPs exhibited extremely significant (p < 0.001) silencing of luciferase gene. Additionally, receptor blockade studies further confirmed the specificity of targeted NPs and suggested that targeted NPs entered cancer cells via LHRH receptor mediated endocytosis, which was evident through insignificant gene silencing in receptor blocked cells. Thus, the results indicated that PAMAM-histidine-PEG-triptorelin could be a promising approach for siRNA delivery, gene silencing, and tumor therapy in all LHRH overexpressing cancer cells.

Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) Dendrimers Modified with Cathepsin-B Cleavable Oligopeptides for Enhanced Gene Delivery

Because of the complex mechanisms mediating cancer onset, prognosis, and metastatic behavior, different therapeutic approaches targeting these mechanisms have been investigated. Recent advancements in nanocarrier-based drug and gene delivery methods have encouraged scientific groups to investigate various novel therapeutic techniques. In this study, a poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) polymer-based gene carrier containing the cathepsin B-enzyme sensitive sequence (glycine-phenylalanine-leucine-glycine, GFLG) was evaluated to determine transfection efficiency. Following the GFLG sequence, the surface of PAMAM generation 4 (G4) was conjugated with histidine (H) and arginine (R) for improved endosomal escape and cellular uptake, respectively. The successful synthesis of G4-GLFG-H-R was confirmed by ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The polyplex composed of G4-GLFG-H-R and pDNA was simulated by the enzyme cathepsin B and induced endosomal escape of pDNA, which was confirmed by gel electrophoresis. Compared with the G4 control, enzyme-sensitive G4-GLFG-H-R showed higher transfection efficiency and lower cytotoxicity in HeLa cells. These results demonstrated that G4-GLFG-H-R may be a highly potent and efficient carrier for gene therapy applications.

Apoptin Gene Delivery by the Functionalized Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) Dendrimer Modified with Ornithine Induces Cell Death of HepG2 Cells

The use of tumor-specific therapeutic agents is a promising option for efficient and safe nonviral gene transfer in gene therapy. In this study, we describe the efficacy of polyamidoamine (PAMAM)-based nonviral gene delivery carriers, namely, an ornithine conjugated PAMAM (PAMAM-O) dendrimer in delivering apoptin, a tumor-specific killer gene, into human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2 cells) and dermal fibroblasts. We analyzed the transfection efficiency by the luciferase assay and assessed cell viability in both cell types. The transfection efficiency of the PAMAM-O dendrimer was found to be higher than that of the PAMAM dendrimer. Moreover, the cytotoxicity of the PAMAM-O dendrimer was very low. We treated both cell types with a polyplex of PAMAM-O dendrimer with apoptin, and analyzed its cellular uptake and localization by confocal microscopy. Cell cycle distribution, tetramethylrhodamine, ethyl ester (TMRE) analysis, and transmission electron microscopy imaging showed that apoptin induced cell death in HepG2 cells. We therefore demonstrated that a PAMAM-O/apoptin polyplex can be used as an effective therapeutic strategy in cancer owing to its effectiveness as a suitable nonviral gene vector for gene therapy.

Apoptin Gene Delivery by the Functionalized Polyamidoamine Dendrimer Derivatives Induces Cell Death of U87-MG Glioblastoma Cells

Malignant glioma is the most common and aggressive form of primary brain tumor in adults. In this study, we describe the efficacy of nonviral gene delivery carriers, histidine- and arginine- or histidine- and lysine-grafted polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers (PAMAM-H-R and PAMAM-H-K), in delivering a therapeutic and a tumor-selective killer gene, apoptin, using human glioma cells (U87-MG) and newborn human dermal fibroblast cells. We analyzed transfection efficiency using luciferase and a plasmid DNA encoding for enhanced green fluorescent protein and assessed cell viability in both cells. The results show that transfection efficiency of PAMAM-H-R and PAMAM-H-K was greatly increased compared with that of native PAMAM. Moreover, among PAMAM derivatives, cytotoxicity of PAMAM-H-K was very low. We treated both cells with complexes of PAMAM-H-R or PAMAM-H-K and apoptin and analyzed their cellular uptake by flow cytometry and localization by confocal microscopy. Furthermore, cell cycle distribution, caspase 3 activity assay, and JC-1 analysis showed cell death induced by apoptin in U87-MG cells. The present study demonstrates that a PAMAM-H-R/apoptin complex is an effective gene carrier system in glioma cell culture.

Nucleobase-modified polyamidoamine-mediated miR-23b delivery to inhibit the proliferation and migration of lung cancer

The nucleobase analogue 2-amino-6-chloropurine was modified on the surface of polyamidoamine (PAMAM) to construct a derivative AP-PAMAM, and then it was used as a gene carrier for miR-23b delivery to achieve the anti-tumor effects.

Doxorubicin Delivery Using pH and Redox Dual-Responsive Hollow Nanocapsules with a Cationic Electrostatic Barrier

For the delivery of doxorubicin (DOX), pH and redox dual responsive hollow nanocapsules were prepared through the stabilization of polymer vesicles, which spontaneously formed from polyamidoamine dendron-poly(l-lysine) (PAMAM dendron-PLL), by the introduction of disulfide (SS) bonds between PLLs. The SS-bonded nanocapsules exhibited a very slow release of DOX under an extracellular environment because the cationic PLL membrane acted as an electrostatic barrier against the protonated DOX molecules. However, increasing the glutathione concentration to the intracellular level facilitated the immediate release of DOX through the collapse of nanocapsules by the spontaneous cleavage of SS bonds. SS-bonded nanocapsules also escaped from the endosome by the buffering effect of PAMAM dendrons, and DOX delivery into the cytoplasm was achieved. Furthermore, DOX molecules delivered by SS-bonded nanocapsules exhibited an effective in vitro anticancer effect to HeLa cells.

Dipeptide-functionalized polyamidoamine dendrimer-mediated apoptin gene delivery facilitates apoptosis of human primary glioma cells

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is the most frequent and aggressive form of brain tumors in adults. However, the development of more efficient and safe nonviral vector gene therapy represents a promising therapeutic approach, using a tumor-specific killer gene, named apoptin. In this study, we describe the efficacy of non-viral gene delivery vectors, the amino acid-conjugated PAMAM derivatives (PAMAM-H-R and PAMAM-H-K) in delivering a therapeutic gene, displaying affinity toward human primary glioma cells (GBL-14 cells) and dermal fibroblasts. We analyzed transfection efficiency, using luciferase (Luci) and a pDNA encoding for enhanced fluorescent protein (EGFP), and cytotoxicity in both cells. The results show that transfection efficiency of PAMAM-H-R improved compared to native PAMAM dendrimer, but cytotoxicity of PAMAM-H-R and PAMAM-H-K were very low. We treated both cells with a polyplex formation of PAMAM-H-R or PAMAM-H-K/apoptin, and analyzed their cellular uptake and localization by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy. Furthermore, we analyzed the endosomal escape effect using TEM images, and found that PAMAM-H-R showed very fast escape from endosome to the cytosol. Caspase 3 activity assay, cell cycle distribution, and JC-1 analysis showed apoptosis induced by apoptin in GBL-14 cells. This indicates that PAMAM-H-R can be a potential nonviral vector gene delivery carrier for brain tumor therapy. The present study demonstrates that PAMAM-H-R/apoptin gene polyplex can be used as an effective therapeutic candidate for GBM due to its selective induction of apoptosis in primary glioma cells as a potential nonviral gene delivery carrier for brain tumor therapy.