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Chen B, Xu W, Pan R, Chen P. Design and characterization of a new peptide vector for short interfering RNA delivery. J Nanobiotechnology 2015; 13:39. [PMID: 26054932 PMCID: PMC4459685 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-015-0098-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 05/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA interference holds tremendous potential as one of the most powerful therapeutic strategies. However, the properties of short interfering RNA (siRNA), such as hydrophilicity, negative charge, and instability in serum have limited its applications; therefore, significant efforts have been undertaken to improve its cellular uptake. Cell penetrating peptides have been utilized to deliver various biologically active molecules, such as proteins, liposomes, nanoparticles, peptide nucleic acids, and recently small interfering RNAs. Here, we introduce a new cell penetrating peptide GL1(Ac-GLWRAWLWKAFLASNWRRLLRLLR-NH2) to improve the intracellular uptake of siRNA. This peptide consists of four tryptophan residues that facilitated its binding with the cell membrane, five arginine residues and one lysine residue which are positively charged at physiological pH, which induced the formation of peptide-siRNA complexes and enhanced the affinity of the peptide and cell membrane. Moreover, GL1 adopted helical secondary structure due to the altered distribution of polar and nonpolar residues in the sequence. In this study, we investigated the effect of peptide/siRNA molar ratio on the particle size, surface charge, secondary structure, and uptake efficiency. The results showed that GL1 formed stable complexes with siRNA mainly through electrostatic interaction and hydrophobic interaction, and the complexes displayed a spherical shape with the size of ~100 nm and positive surface charge. Utilizing the techniques of fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry, the intracellular localization of Cy3-labeled GAPDH siRNA was visualized and the cellular uptake was quantified. It is worth noting that in the serum free environment, compared to Lipofectamine 2000, GL1 achieved higher cellular uptake of siRNA (~95%); in the presence of serum, GL1 retained the same level of siRNA cellular uptake (~84%) as Lipofectamine 2000. In addition, the viability of cells treated by GL1 in all studied molar ratios was >85%, which was significantly higher than that treated by Lipofectamine 2000 (~70%). Taken together, the peptide GL1 demonstrated promise as a siRNA delivery system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoling Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Wen Xu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Ran Pan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - P Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
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Chen B, Pan R, Askhatova D, Chen P. Effective small interfering RNA delivery in vitro via a new stearylated cationic peptide. Int J Nanomedicine 2015; 10:3303-14. [PMID: 25999710 PMCID: PMC4427069 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s79306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
A crucial bottleneck in RNA interference-based gene therapy is the lack of safe and efficient delivery systems. Here, a novel small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery peptide, STR-HK, was constructed by conjugating a stearyl end to the N-terminus of the peptide sequence HHHPKPKRKV, where PKPKRKV is an altered sequence of the nucleus localization signal (PKKKRKV) and contributes to the cytosol localization of STR-HK–siRNA complexes. Histidine is a linker and plays an important role in disrupting the endosomal membrane via the proton sponge effect. As expected, STR-HK formed complexes with siRNA with a particle size of 80–160 nm in diameter and efficiently delivered Cy3-labeled glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase siRNA into PC-3 human prostate cancer cells. The transfection efficiency of STR-HK at molar ratio of 60/1 was comparable to that of Lipofectamine 2000, one of the most efficient commercially available transfection reagents. Furthermore, the STR-HK–siRNA complexes exhibited minimal cytotoxicity, which was significantly lower than that of Lipofectamine. Taken together, the strategy of conjugating the stearyl moiety with HHHPKPKRKV as a non-viral siRNA delivery system is advantageous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoling Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada ; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Ran Pan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada ; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Diana Askhatova
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - P Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada ; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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Upadhyay RK. Drug delivery systems, CNS protection, and the blood brain barrier. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:869269. [PMID: 25136634 PMCID: PMC4127280 DOI: 10.1155/2014/869269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 211] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2014] [Revised: 05/31/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Present review highlights various drug delivery systems used for delivery of pharmaceutical agents mainly antibiotics, antineoplastic agents, neuropeptides, and other therapeutic substances through the endothelial capillaries (BBB) for CNS therapeutics. In addition, the use of ultrasound in delivery of therapeutic agents/biomolecules such as proline rich peptides, prodrugs, radiopharmaceuticals, proteins, immunoglobulins, and chimeric peptides to the target sites in deep tissue locations inside tumor sites of brain has been explained. In addition, therapeutic applications of various types of nanoparticles such as chitosan based nanomers, dendrimers, carbon nanotubes, niosomes, beta cyclodextrin carriers, cholesterol mediated cationic solid lipid nanoparticles, colloidal drug carriers, liposomes, and micelles have been discussed with their recent advancements. Emphasis has been given on the need of physiological and therapeutic optimization of existing drug delivery methods and their carriers to deliver therapeutic amount of drug into the brain for treatment of various neurological diseases and disorders. Further, strong recommendations are being made to develop nanosized drug carriers/vehicles and noninvasive therapeutic alternatives of conventional methods for better therapeutics of CNS related diseases. Hence, there is an urgent need to design nontoxic biocompatible drugs and develop noninvasive delivery methods to check posttreatment clinical fatalities in neuropatients which occur due to existing highly toxic invasive drugs and treatment methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Kant Upadhyay
- Department of Zoology, DDU Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur 273009, India
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Ikemoto K, Sakata I, Sakai T. Collision of millimetre droplets induces DNA and protein transfection into cells. Sci Rep 2012; 2:289. [PMID: 22375250 PMCID: PMC3289038 DOI: 10.1038/srep00289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2011] [Accepted: 02/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonperturbing and simple transfection methods are important for modern techniques used in biotechnology. Recently, we reported that electrospraying can be applied to DNA transfection in cell lines, bacteria, and chicken embryos. However, the transfection efficiency was only about 2%. To improve the transfection rate, physical properties of the sprayed droplets were studied in different variations of the method. We describe a highly efficient technique (30-93%) for introduction of materials such as DNA and protein into living cells by electrospraying droplets of a high conductivity liquid onto cells incubated with the material for transfection. Electric conductivity has a sizable influence on the success of transfection. In contrast, molecular weight of the transfected material, types of ions in the electrospray solution, and the osmotic pressure do not influence transfection efficiency. The physical analysis revealed that collision of cells with millimetre-sized droplets activates intracellular uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuto Ikemoto
- Niigata Research Laboratory, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc., 182 Tayuuhama Shinwari, Kita-ku, Niigata, Japan.
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Viola JR, El-Andaloussi S, Oprea II, Smith CIE. Non-viral nanovectors for gene delivery: factors that govern successful therapeutics. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2010; 7:721-35. [DOI: 10.1517/17425241003716810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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