1
|
Zhang L, Yao L, Zhao F, Yu A, Zhou Y, Wen Q, Wang J, Zheng T, Chen P. Protein and Peptide-Based Nanotechnology for Enhancing Stability, Bioactivity, and Delivery of Anthocyanins. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2300473. [PMID: 37537383 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202300473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Anthocyanin, a unique natural polyphenol, is abundant in plants and widely utilized in biomedicine, cosmetics, and the food industry due to its excellent antioxidant, anticancer, antiaging, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the degradation of anthocyanin in an extreme environment, such as alkali pH, high temperatures, and metal ions, limits its physiochemical stabilities and bioavailabilities. Encapsulation and combining anthocyanin with biomaterials could efficiently stabilize anthocyanin for protection. Promisingly, natural or artificially designed proteins and peptides with favorable stabilities, excellent biocapacity, and wide sources are potential candidates to stabilize anthocyanin. This review focuses on recent progress, strategies, and perspectives on protein and peptide for anthocyanin functionalization and delivery, i.e., formulation technologies, physicochemical stability enhancement, cellular uptake, bioavailabilities, and biological activities development. Interestingly, due to the simplicity and diversity of peptide structure, the interaction mechanisms between peptide and anthocyanin could be illustrated. This work sheds light on the mechanism of protein/peptide-anthocyanin nanoparticle construction and expands on potential applications of anthocyanin in nutrition and biomedicine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L3G1, Canada
| | - Liang Yao
- College of Biotechnology, Sericultural Research Institute, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212018, China
| | - Feng Zhao
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L3G1, Canada
| | - Alice Yu
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Yueru Zhou
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L3G1, Canada
| | - Qingmei Wen
- Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Jun Wang
- College of Biotechnology, Sericultural Research Institute, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, 212018, China
| | - Tao Zheng
- Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Pu Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L3G1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Noble JE, Vila-Gómez P, Rey S, Dondi C, Briones A, Aggarwal P, Hoose A, Baran M, Ryadnov MG. Folding-Mediated DNA Delivery by α-Helical Amphipathic Peptides. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:2584-2595. [PMID: 37014978 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
The renaissance gene therapy experiences these days requires specialist biomaterials and a systemic understanding of major factors influencing their ability to deliver genetic material. Peptide transfection systems represent a major class of such biomaterials. Several peptidic reagents have been commercialized to date. However, a comparative assessment of peptide sequences alone without auxiliary support or excipients against a common determinant for their ability to complex and deliver DNA has been lacking. This study cross-compares commercial and experimental transfection reagents from the same family of helical amphiphiles. Factors defining the efficacy of DNA delivery including cell uptake and gene expression are assessed along with cytotoxicity and DNA complexation. The results show that despite differences in sequence composition, length, and origin, peptide reagents of the same structural family exhibit similar characteristics and limitations with common variability trends. The cross-comparison revealed that functional DNA delivery is independent of the peptide sequence used but is mediated by the ability of the reagents to co-fold with DNA. Peptide folding proved to be the common determinant for DNA complexation and delivery by peptidic transfection reagents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James E Noble
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
| | - Paula Vila-Gómez
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London W12 0TR, U.K
| | - Stephanie Rey
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
| | - Camilla Dondi
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
| | - Andrea Briones
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
| | - Purnank Aggarwal
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
| | - Alex Hoose
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
| | - Maryana Baran
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
| | - Maxim G Ryadnov
- National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington TW11 0LW, U.K
- Department of Physics, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, U.K
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Boisguérin P, Konate K, Josse E, Vivès E, Deshayes S. Peptide-Based Nanoparticles for Therapeutic Nucleic Acid Delivery. Biomedicines 2021; 9:583. [PMID: 34065544 PMCID: PMC8161338 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9050583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy offers the possibility to skip, repair, or silence faulty genes or to stimulate the immune system to fight against disease by delivering therapeutic nucleic acids (NAs) to a patient. Compared to other drugs or protein treatments, NA-based therapies have the advantage of being a more universal approach to designing therapies because of the versatility of NA design. NAs (siRNA, pDNA, or mRNA) have great potential for therapeutic applications for an immense number of indications. However, the delivery of these exogenous NAs is still challenging and requires a specific delivery system. In this context, beside other non-viral vectors, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) gain more and more interest as delivery systems by forming a variety of nanocomplexes depending on the formulation conditions and the properties of the used CPPs/NAs. In this review, we attempt to cover the most important biophysical and biological aspects of non-viral peptide-based nanoparticles (PBNs) for therapeutic nucleic acid formulations as a delivery system. The most relevant peptides or peptide families forming PBNs in the presence of NAs described since 2015 will be presented. All these PBNs able to deliver NAs in vitro and in vivo have common features, which are characterized by defined formulation conditions in order to obtain PBNs from 60 nm to 150 nm with a homogeneous dispersity (PdI lower than 0.3) and a positive charge between +10 mV and +40 mV.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Sébastien Deshayes
- PhyMedExp, University of Montpellier, INSERM U1046, CNRS UMR 9214, 34295 Montpellier, France; (P.B.); (K.K.); (E.J.); (E.V.)
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Chirality-Dependent Adsorption between Amphipathic Peptide and POPC Membrane. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20194760. [PMID: 31557910 PMCID: PMC6801444 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20194760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The interactions between chiral molecules and cell membranes have attracted more and more attention in recent decades, due to their importance in molecular science and medical applications. It is observed that some peptides composed of different chiral amino acids may have distinct interactions with a membrane. How does the membrane exhibit a selective behavior related to the chirality of the peptides? Microscopically, the interactions between the peptides and the membrane are poorly understood. In this work, we study the interactions between an amphipathic peptide (C6) and POPC membrane with simulations. The kinetics and thermodynamics of peptide enantiomers during the adsorption to the membrane are characterized with direct simulations and umbrella sampling. It is observed that there are slow kinetics for the peptide composed of D-type amino acids. Along the observed pathways, the free energy landscapes are determined with umbrella sampling techniques. A free-energy barrier for the peptide composed of D-amino acids is observed, which is consistent with the kinetic observations. The results indicate the concurrent adsorption and rotation of the peptide helix. The local interactions between the peptides and the membrane are examined in detail, including the contact interactions between the peptides and the membrane, and the distributions of the lipids around the peptide. There are observable differences of the local interactions for the cases related to different peptide enantiomers. These results further demonstrate the importance of the rotation of peptide helix during the adsorption. More interestingly, all these kinetic differences between peptide enantiomers can be explained based on the conformations of the residue Trp and interactions between Trp and lipid molecules. These results give us a molecular understanding of the mechanism of the chirality-dependent peptide-membrane interactions, and may provide clues to designing systems which are sensitive to the chirality of membranes.
Collapse
|
5
|
How to evaluate the cellular uptake of CPPs with fluorescence techniques: Dissecting methodological pitfalls associated to tryptophan-rich peptides. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2019; 1861:1533-1545. [PMID: 31283917 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2019.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) are broadly recognized as efficient non-viral vectors for the internalization of compounds such as peptides, oligonucleotides or proteins. Characterizing these carriers requires reliable methods to quantify their intracellular uptake. Flow cytometry on living cells is a method of choice but is not always applicable (e.g. big or polarized cells), so we decided to compare it to fluorescence spectroscopy on cell lysates. Surprisingly, for the internalization of a series of TAMRA-labeled conjugates formed of either cationic or amphipathic CPPs covalently coupled to a decamer peptide, we observed important differences in internalization levels between both methods. We partly explained these discrepancies by analyzing the effect of buffer conditions (pH, detergents) and peptide sequence/structure on TAMRA dye accessibility. Based on this analysis, we calculated a correction coefficient allowing a better coherence between both methods. However, an overestimated signal was still observable for both amphipathic peptides using the spectroscopic detection, which could be due to their localization at the cell membrane. Based on several in vitro experiments modeling events at the plasma membrane, we hypothesized that fluorescence of peptides entrapped in the membrane bilayer could be quenched by the tryptophan residues of close transmembrane proteins. During cell lysis, cell membranes are disintegrated liberating the entrapped peptides and restoring the fluorescence, explaining the divergences observed between flow cytometry and spectroscopy on lysates. Overall, our results highlighted major biases in the fluorescently-based quantification of internalized fluorescently-labeled CPP conjugates, which should be considered for accurate uptake quantification.
Collapse
|
6
|
Porosk L, Arukuusk P, Põhako K, Kurrikoff K, Kiisholts K, Padari K, Pooga M, Langel Ü. Enhancement of siRNA transfection by the optimization of fatty acid length and histidine content in the CPP. Biomater Sci 2019; 7:4363-4374. [DOI: 10.1039/c9bm00688e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Depending on the pH, polyhistidines in the CPP influence interactions in CPP/siRNA nanoparticles by switching from hydrophobic to charged.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ly Porosk
- Institute of Technology
- University of Tartu
- Tartu
- Estonia
| | | | - Kaisa Põhako
- Institute of Technology
- University of Tartu
- Tartu
- Estonia
| | | | | | - Kärt Padari
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology
- University of Tartu
- Tartu
- Estonia
| | - Margus Pooga
- Institute of Technology
- University of Tartu
- Tartu
- Estonia
| | - Ülo Langel
- Institute of Technology
- University of Tartu
- Tartu
- Estonia
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Peeler DJ, Thai SN, Cheng Y, Horner PJ, Sellers DL, Pun SH. pH-sensitive polymer micelles provide selective and potentiated lytic capacity to venom peptides for effective intracellular delivery. Biomaterials 2018; 192:235-244. [PMID: 30458359 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Endocytosed biomacromolecule delivery systems must escape the endosomal trafficking pathway in order for their cargo to exert effects in other cellular compartments. Although endosomal release is well-recognized as one of the greatest barriers to efficacy of biologic drugs with intracellular targets, most drug carriers have relied on cationic materials that passively induce endosomal swelling and membrane rupture with low efficiency. To address the endosome release challenge, our lab has developed a diblock copolymer system for nucleic acid delivery that selectively displays a potent membrane-lytic peptide (melittin) in response to the pH drop during the endosomal maturation. To further optimize this system, we evaluated a panel of peptides with reported lytic activity in comparison to melittin. Nineteen different lytic peptides were synthesized and their membrane-lytic properties at both neutral and acidic pH characterized using a red blood cell hemolysis assay. The top five performing peptides were then conjugated to our pH-sensitive diblock copolymer via disulfide linkers and used to deliver a variety of nucleic acids to cultured mammalian cells as well as in vivo to the mouse brain. We demonstrate that the sharp pH-transition of VIPER compensates for potential advantages from pH-sensitive peptides, such that polymer-peptide conjugates with poorly selective but highly lytic peptides achieve safe and effective transfection both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, peptides that require release from polymer backbones for lysis were less effective in the VIPER system, likely due to limited endosomal reducing power of target cells. Finally, we show that certain peptides are potentiated in lytic ability by polymer conjugation and that these peptide-polymer constructs are most effective in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David J Peeler
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Salina N Thai
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Yilong Cheng
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States
| | - Philip J Horner
- Center for Neuroregeneration and Department of Neurosurgery, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Drew L Sellers
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States.
| | - Suzie H Pun
- Department of Bioengineering and Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Chen B, Yoo K, Xu W, Pan R, Han XX, Chen P. Characterization and evaluation of a peptide-based siRNA delivery system in vitro. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2018; 7:507-515. [PMID: 28349343 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-017-0371-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Since its inception more than a decade ago, gene silencing mediated by double-stranded small interfering RNA (siRNA) has been widely investigated as a potential therapeutic approach for a variety of diseases. However, the use of siRNA is hampered by its rapid degradation and poor cellular uptake in vitro and in vivo. Recently, peptide-based carriers have been applied to siRNA delivery, as an alternative to the traditional delivery systems. Here, a histidine-containing amphipathic amino acid pairing peptide, C6M3, which can form complexes with siRNA, was used as a new siRNA delivery system. This peptide exhibited a high affinity for siRNA and ability to efficiently deliver siRNA into the cells. The interaction of C6M3 with siRNA was investigated to determine the loading capacity of C6M3 at different peptide/siRNA molar ratios. At C6M3/siRNA molar ratio of 10/1, siRNA molecules were entirely associated with C6M3 as indicated by a gel electrophoretic assay and further confirmed by zeta potential analysis. The particle size distribution of the C6M3-siRNA complexes was studied using dynamic light scattering, which showed an intensity-based size distribution peaked approximately at 100 nm in RNase-free water and 220 nm in the Opti-MEM medium. C6M3 adopted a helical secondary structure in RNase-free water and became more so after forming complexes with siRNA. The interaction of siRNA with C6M3 is an entropy-driven spontaneous process, as determined by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) study. The efficiency of cellular uptake of the siRNA complexes at different C6M3/siRNA molar ratios was evaluated, and the results showed that C6M3 promoted efficient cellular uptake of siRNA into cells. Furthermore, a significant level of GAPDH gene silencing efficiency (69%) was achieved in CHO-K1 cells, with minimal cytotoxicity.
Collapse
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, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Kimoon Yoo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, 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, 200 University Avenue West, 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, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Xiao Xia Han
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.,Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, 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, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Pärnaste L, Arukuusk P, Langel K, Tenson T, Langel Ü. The Formation of Nanoparticles between Small Interfering RNA and Amphipathic Cell-Penetrating Peptides. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2017. [PMID: 28624185 PMCID: PMC5363680 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2017.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are delivery vectors widely used to aid the transport of biologically active cargoes to intracellular targets. These cargoes include small interfering RNAs (siRNA) that are not naturally internalized by cells. Elucidating the complexities behind the formation of CPP and cargo complexes is crucial for understanding the processes related to their delivery. In this study, we used modified analogs of the CPP transportan10 and investigated the binding properties of these CPPs to siRNA, the formation parameters of the CPP/siRNA complexes, and their stabiliy to enzymatic degradation. We conclude that the pH dependent change of the net charge of the CPP may very well be the key factor leading to the high delivery efficiency and the optimal binding strength between CPPs to siRNAs, while the hydrophobicity, secondary structure of the CPP, and the positions of the positive charges are responsible for the stability of the CPP/siRNA particles. Also, CPPs with distinct hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions may assemble into nanoparticles that could be described as core-shell formulations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ly Pärnaste
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1-517, 50411 Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Piret Arukuusk
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1-517, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Kent Langel
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1-517, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Tanel Tenson
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1-517, 50411 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ülo Langel
- Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1-517, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; Department of Neurochemistry, Stockholm University, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Ahmed M. Peptides, polypeptides and peptide–polymer hybrids as nucleic acid carriers. Biomater Sci 2017; 5:2188-2211. [DOI: 10.1039/c7bm00584a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Peptide, polypeptide and polymer–peptide hybrid based nucleic acid therapeutics (NAT).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marya Ahmed
- Department of Chemistry & School of Sustainable Design and Engineering
- University of Prince Edward Island
- Charlottetown
- Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Guyader CPE, Lamarre B, De Santis E, Noble JE, Slater NK, Ryadnov MG. Autonomously folded α-helical lockers promote RNAi. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35012. [PMID: 27721465 PMCID: PMC5056365 DOI: 10.1038/srep35012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
RNAi is an indispensable research tool with a substantial therapeutic potential. However, the complete transition of the approach to an applied capability remains hampered due to poorly understood relationships between siRNA delivery and gene suppression. Here we propose that interfacial tertiary contacts between α-helices can regulate siRNA cytoplasmic delivery and RNAi. We introduce a rationale of helical amphipathic lockers that differentiates autonomously folded helices, which promote gene silencing, from helices folded with siRNA, which do not. Each of the helical designs can deliver siRNA into cells via energy-dependent endocytosis, while only autonomously folded helices with pre-locked hydrophobic interfaces were able to promote statistically appreciable gene silencing. We propose that it is the amphipathic locking of interfacing helices prior to binding to siRNA that enables RNAi. The rationale offers structurally balanced amphipathic scaffolds to advance the exploitation of functional RNAi.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian P. E. Guyader
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3RA, UK
- National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0WL, UK
| | - Baptiste Lamarre
- National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0WL, UK
| | | | - James E. Noble
- National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0WL, UK
| | - Nigel K. Slater
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3RA, UK
| | - Maxim G. Ryadnov
- National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0WL, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Physicochemical characterization of a navy bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) protein fraction produced using a solvent-free method. Food Chem 2016; 208:35-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2016.03.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 03/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
13
|
Lu S, Ding Y, Wu Y, Wang R, Pan R, Wan Z, Xu W, Zhang L, Yuan YF, Chen P. An amphipathic lytic peptide for enhanced and selective delivery of ellipticine. J Mater Chem B 2016; 4:4348-4355. [DOI: 10.1039/c6tb00529b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cationic lytic peptides (CLPs) have shown promise in treating bacterial infection and cancer via selective membrane disruption but are seldom studied for drug delivery potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
- University of Waterloo
- Waterloo
- Canada
| | - Yong Ding
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
- University of Waterloo
- Waterloo
- Canada
| | - Yan Wu
- Department of Pharmacy
- Shanghai 9th People's Hospital
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
- Shanghai
- China
| | - Rong Wang
- Department of Pharmacy
- Shanghai 9th People's Hospital
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
- Shanghai
- China
| | - Ran Pan
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
- University of Waterloo
- Waterloo
- Canada
| | - Zizhen Wan
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
- University of Waterloo
- Waterloo
- Canada
| | - Wen Xu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
- University of Waterloo
- Waterloo
- Canada
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
- University of Waterloo
- Waterloo
- Canada
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering
| | - Yong-fang Yuan
- Department of Pharmacy
- Shanghai 9th People's Hospital
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
- Shanghai
- China
| | - P. Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology
- University of Waterloo
- Waterloo
- Canada
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Liao W, Li W, Zhang T, Kirberger M, Liu J, Wang P, Chen W, Wang Y. Powering up the molecular therapy of RNA interference by novel nanoparticles. Biomater Sci 2016; 4:1051-61. [DOI: 10.1039/c6bm00204h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
With more suitable for disease treatment due to reduced cellular toxicity, higher loading capacity, and better biocompatibility, nanoparticle-based siRNA delivery systems have proved to be more potent, higher specific and less toxic than the traditional drug therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenzhen Liao
- Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition
- Jinan University
- Guangzhou
- China
- Department of Food Science and Technology
| | | | - Tiantian Zhang
- Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition
- Jinan University
- Guangzhou
- China
| | | | - Jun Liu
- Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences
- University of Saskatchewan
- Saskatoon
- Canada
| | - Pei Wang
- Center for Excellence in Post-Harvest Technologies
- North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
- North Carolina 28081
- USA
| | - Wei Chen
- Sun Yat-Sen University
- Guangzhou
- China
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Food Science and Engineering
- Jinan University
- Guangzhou
- China
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Paik SYR, Kim JS, Shin SJ, Ko S. Characterization, Quantification, and Determination of the Toxicity of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles to the Bone Marrow Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2015; 16:22243-57. [PMID: 26389886 PMCID: PMC4613306 DOI: 10.3390/ijms160922243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Revised: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) have been used to develop iron supplements for improving the bioavailability of iron in patients with iron deficiency, which is one of the most serious nutritional deficiencies in the world. Accurate information about the characteristics, concentration, and cytotoxicity of IONPs to the developmental and reproductive cells enables safe use of IONPs in the supplement industry. The objective of this study was to analyze the physicochemical properties and cytotoxicity of IONPs in bone marrow cells. We prepared three different types of iron samples (surface-modified iron oxide nanoparticles (SMNPs), IONPs, and iron citrate) and analyzed their physicochemical properties such as particle size distribution, zeta potential, and morphology. In addition, we examined the cytotoxicity of the IONPs in various kinds of bone marrow cells. We analyzed particle size distribution, zeta potential, iron levels, and subcellular localization of the iron samples in bone marrow cells. Our results showed that the iron samples were not cytotoxic to the bone marrow cells and did not affect the expression of cell surface markers and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced the secretion of cytokines by murine bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). Our results may be used to investigate the interactions between nanoparticles and cells and tissues and the developmental toxicity of nanoparticles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sae-Yeol-Rim Paik
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-747, Korea.
| | - Jong-Seok Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
| | - Sung Jae Shin
- Department of Microbiology and Institute for Immunology and Immunological Diseases, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 120-752, Korea.
| | - Sanghoon Ko
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Sejong University, 209 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-747, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Boisguérin P, Deshayes S, Gait MJ, O'Donovan L, Godfrey C, Betts CA, Wood MJA, Lebleu B. Delivery of therapeutic oligonucleotides with cell penetrating peptides. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2015; 87:52-67. [PMID: 25747758 PMCID: PMC7102600 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Oligonucleotide-based drugs have received considerable attention for their capacity to modulate gene expression very specifically and as a consequence they have found applications in the treatment of many human acquired or genetic diseases. Clinical translation has been often hampered by poor biodistribution, however. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) appear as a possibility to increase the cellular delivery of non-permeant biomolecules such as nucleic acids. This review focuses on CPP-delivery of several classes of oligonucleotides (ONs), namely antisense oligonucleotides, splice switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) and siRNAs. Two main strategies have been used to transport ONs with CPPs: covalent conjugation (which is more appropriate for charge-neutral ON analogues) and non-covalent complexation (which has been used for siRNA delivery essentially). Chemical synthesis, mechanisms of cellular internalization and various applications will be reviewed. A comprehensive coverage of the enormous amount of published data was not possible. Instead, emphasis has been put on strategies that have proven to be effective in animal models of important human diseases and on examples taken from the authors' own expertise.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prisca Boisguérin
- Centre de Recherche de Biochimie Macromoléculaire, UMR 5237 CNRS, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France.
| | - Sébastien Deshayes
- Centre de Recherche de Biochimie Macromoléculaire, UMR 5237 CNRS, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Michael J Gait
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Liz O'Donovan
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
| | - Caroline Godfrey
- University of Oxford, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Corinne A Betts
- University of Oxford, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Matthew J A Wood
- University of Oxford, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Bernard Lebleu
- UMR 5235 CNRS, Université Montpellier 2, Place Eugene Bataillon, Montpellier 34095, France
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
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.
Collapse
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.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
New Techniques to Assess In Vitro Release of siRNA from Nanoscale Polyplexes. Pharm Res 2014; 32:1957-74. [DOI: 10.1007/s11095-014-1589-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
|
20
|
Xu W, Pan R, Zhao D, Chu D, Wu Y, Wang R, Chen B, Ding Y, Sadatmousavi P, Yuan Y, Chen P. Design and evaluation of endosomolytic biocompatible peptides as carriers for siRNA delivery. Mol Pharm 2014; 12:56-65. [PMID: 25378277 DOI: 10.1021/mp500429u] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Gene therapy using RNA interference (RNAi) technology has been explored to treat cancers, by regulating the expression of oncogene. However, even though small interfering RNA (siRNA), which triggers RNAi, may have great therapeutic potential, efforts at using them in vivo have been hampered by the difficulty of effective and safe delivery into cells of interest. In this study, to develop a safe and efficient carrier for in vitro and in vivo siRNA delivery, we designed a peptide library. These peptides are improved variants of a known peptide based siRNA carrier C6. All the modifications improved the transfection efficiency of C6 to some degree. After completing prescreening for activity, several promising candidates were used for further evaluation. Selected peptides C6M3 and C6M6 could form stable complexes with siRNA. These complexes could be greatly uptaken by cells and showed a punctate perinuclear distribution. Moreover, peptide/siRNA complexes achieved high transfection efficiency in vitro without inducing substantial cytotoxicity. We have validated the therapeutic potential of this strategy for cancer treatment by targeting Bcl-2 gene in mouse tumor models, and demonstrated that tumor growth was inhibited. In order to address possible immune side effects of these peptide carriers, biocompatibility study in terms of complement activation and cytokine activation assay were carried out, whereas none of the peptides induced such effects. In conclusion, these results support the potential of these peptides as therapeutic siRNA carrier.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen Xu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo , 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Gao H, Liu J, Song N. [Application of target peptide in siRNA delivery
for the research of lung cancer therapy]. ZHONGGUO FEI AI ZA ZHI = CHINESE JOURNAL OF LUNG CANCER 2014; 17:674-8. [PMID: 25248709 PMCID: PMC6000512 DOI: 10.3779/j.issn.1009-3419.2014.09.06] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
肺癌被认为是全球发病率最高的一种恶性肿瘤,其对化疗药物不敏感且易产生耐药性,因此增强肺癌药物治疗效果是近年来研究的热点。siRNA是一种小RNA分子,可以沉默与之互补的目标mRNA,是一种基因治疗手段。靶向肽是一类小分子多肽,它可以与siRNA联合使用,利用其与肿瘤表面物质特异性结合发挥靶向作用。联合靶向肽的特异性和siRNA的治疗作用,增加siRNA在靶点位置的聚集,增强沉默效果,可以提高肺癌对药物的敏感性并降低耐药作用,进而增强肺癌治疗效果,为肺癌的靶向治疗提供新的方向和策略。本文将对靶向肽在递送siRNA进行肺癌治疗研究中的应用作一简要综述。
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Honglin Gao
- Department of Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine,
Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- Department of Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine,
Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin 300192, China
| | - Naling Song
- Department of Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine,
Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tianjin 300192, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Xu W, Jafari M, Yuan F, Pan R, Chen B, Ding Y, Sheinin T, Chu D, Lu S, Yuan Y, Chen P. In vitro and in vivo therapeutic siRNA delivery induced by a tryptophan-rich endosomolytic peptide. J Mater Chem B 2014; 2:6010-6019. [PMID: 32261853 DOI: 10.1039/c4tb00629a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
At the forefront of medicine, gene therapy provides an effective way to treat a range of diseases by regulating defective genes at the root of the disease. Short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) hold great promise as therapeutic agents in this domain; however, intracellular delivery remains a major obstacle to clinical applications of therapeutic siRNAs. Here we report a peptide designed to mediate siRNA delivery. This peptide, C6M1, is rationally designed to promote the endosomal escape ability of an existing peptide sequence. Formed C6M1-siRNA nanoscale complexes are able to deliver siRNA into cells and induce specific gene knockdown with low toxicity. The increased membrane disruption ability under acidic conditions of the peptide with tryptophan residue substitution may contribute to the enhanced gene silence efficacy. Intratumoral injection of the complexes results in a marked reduction of tumor growth through downregulation of antiapoptotic Bcl-2 protein in mice. In addition, the C6M1-siRNA complex was proven safe at transfection concentration by cytotoxicity assay. These results demonstrate that the C6M1-siRNA complex is a potent system for efficient gene delivery in vitro and in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wen Xu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Jafari M, Xu W, Pan R, Sweeting CM, Karunaratne DN, Chen P. Serum stability and physicochemical characterization of a novel amphipathic peptide C6M1 for siRNA delivery. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97797. [PMID: 24831131 PMCID: PMC4022676 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The efficient delivery of nucleic acids as therapeutic agents is a major challenge in gene therapy. Peptides have recently emerged as a novel carrier for delivery of drugs and genes. C6M1 is a designed amphipathic peptide with the ability to form stable complexes with short interfering RNA (siRNA). The peptide showed a combination of random coil and helical structure in water but mainly adopted a helical conformation in the presence of anions or siRNA. Revealed by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and microscopy techniques, the interaction of C6M1 and siRNA in water and HEPES led to complexes of ∼70 and ∼155 nm in size, respectively, but showed aggregates as large as ∼500 nm in PBS. The time-dependent aggregation of the complex in PBS was studied by DLS and fluorescence spectroscopy. At molar ratio of 15∶1, C6M1 was able to completely encapsulate siRNA; however, higher molar ratios were required to obtain stable complexes. Naked siRNA was completely degraded in 4 h in the solution of 50% serum; however C6M1 protected siRNA against serum RNase over the period of 24 h. Western blotting experiment showed ∼72% decrease in GAPDH protein level of the cells treated with C6M1-siRNA complexes while no significant knockdown was observed for the cells treated with naked siRNA.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mousa Jafari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wen Xu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ran Pan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chad M Sweeting
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Desiree Nedra Karunaratne
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Department of Chemistry, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Pu Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Naahidi S, Jafari M, Logan M, Edalat F, Khademhosseini A, Dixon B, Chen P. Immuno- and hemocompatibility of amino acid pairing peptides for potential use in anticancer drug delivery. J BIOACT COMPAT POL 2014. [DOI: 10.1177/0883911514528144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Amino acid pairing peptide-based nanoparticles were recently introduced as promising carriers for hydrophobic anticancer drugs. The AC8 peptide, n-FEFQFNFK-c, is based on the amino acid pairing (AAP) design with 8 amino acids and hence the designated name AAP8. The nanoparticles (NPs) AAP8 have modified either on the C-terminal or on both terminal, by conjugation with diethylene glycol (DEG) . Here, the in vitro biocompatibilities of the NPs and their modified versions were compared and the potential of these NPs as carriers for the hydrophobic anticancer drug pirarubicin was determined as well as the peptide-drug co-assembly complexes. The toxicity of the NPs, DEGylated NPs, and blended mixtures with pirarubicin, was tested against the human adenocarcinoma lung cancer cell line, A549. The amino-end DEGylated NP, (NP-I), had superior biocompatibility over the non-modified NPs or double DEGylated NPs (NP-II). NP-I had very low hemolytic activity (1%) while NP and NP-II had marginal (8%) and acceptable (5%) hemolytic activity, respectively. All three types of NPs did not activate the complement system via the classical and alternative pathways nor did they activate the anaphylotoxin C3a. However, NP-II and its drug complex effectively activate the complement terminal attack complex. The lectin pathway was not activated by NP-I and NP-II, but was to a small extent by the non-modified NPs, with no lectin activation when complexed with drug. These results indicate NP-I is the most promising peptide for use as a drug delivery system, highlighting the importance of proper modification in peptides for drug delivery systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheva Naahidi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, USA
| | - Mousa Jafari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Megan Logan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Faramarz Edalat
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA
| | - Ali Khademhosseini
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, USA
| | - Brian Dixon
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pu Chen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
- Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Jafari M, Karunaratne DN, Sweeting CM, Chen P. Modification of a designed amphipathic cell-penetrating peptide and its effect on solubility, secondary structure, and uptake efficiency. Biochemistry 2013; 52:3428-35. [PMID: 23614788 DOI: 10.1021/bi4001326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The development of safe and efficient nonviral gene delivery carriers has received a great deal of attention in the past decade. A class of amphipathic peptides has shown to be able to cross cell membranes and deliver cargo to the intracellular environment. Here, we introduce an 18-mer amphipathic peptide, C6M1, as a modified version of peptide C6 for short interfering RNA (siRNA) delivery. The importance of tryptophan residues and the effect of peptide sequence modification on its solubility, secondary structure, cytotoxicity, and uptake efficiency were investigated. The solubility of C6M1 in aqueous solutions was greatly enhanced compared to that of C6, confirmed by surface tension and anilinonaphthalene-8-sulfonic acid fluorescence measurements. C6M1 had a random/helical structure in water with the ability to attain a helical conformation in the presence of anionic components or membrane-mimicking environments. The modification significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of the peptide, making it a safer carrier for siRNA delivery. C6M1 was also found ∼90% more efficient than C6 in delivering Cy3-labeled siRNA in Chinese hamster ovary cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mousa Jafari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, and ‡Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo , Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|