1
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Wang Y, Zou R, Zhou Y, Zheng Y, Peng C, Liu Y, Tan H, Fu Q, Ding M. Unraveling mechanisms of protein encapsulation and release in coacervates via molecular dynamics and machine learning. Chem Sci 2024; 15:13442-13451. [PMID: 39183928 PMCID: PMC11339950 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc03061c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Coacervates play a pivotal role in protein-based drug delivery research, yet their drug encapsulation and release mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we utilized the Martini model to investigate bovine serum albumin (BSA) protein encapsulation and release within polylysine/polyglutamate (PLys/PGlu) coacervates. Our findings emphasize the importance of ingredient addition sequence in coacervate formation and encapsulation rates, attributed to preference contact between oppositely charged proteins and poly(amino acid)s. Notably, coacervates composed of β-sheet poly(amino acid)s demonstrate greater BSA encapsulation efficiency due to their reduced entropy and flexibility. Furthermore, we examined the pH responsiveness of coacervates, shedding light on the dissolution process driven by Coulomb forces. By leveraging machine learning algorithms to analyze simulation results, our research advances the understanding of coacervate-based drug delivery systems, with the ultimate goal of optimizing therapeutic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Wang
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Rongrong Zou
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Yeqiang Zhou
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Yi Zheng
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Chuan Peng
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Hong Tan
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Qiang Fu
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065 China
| | - Mingming Ding
- College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University Chengdu 610065 China
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2
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Kawaguchi Y, Futaki S. Finding ways into the cytosol: Peptide-mediated approaches for delivering proteins into cells. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2024; 81:102482. [PMID: 38905721 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2024.102482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
The delivery of functional proteins, including antibodies, into cells opens up many opportunities to regulate cellular events, with significant implications for studies in chemical biology and therapeutics. The inside of cells is isolated from the outside by the cell membrane. The hydrophilic nature of proteins prevents direct permeation of proteins through the cell membrane by passive diffusion. Therefore, delivery routes using endocytic uptake followed by endosomal escape have been explored. Alternatively, delivery concepts using transient permeabilization of cell membranes or effective promotion of endocytic uptake and endosomal escape using modified membrane-lytic peptides have been reported in recent years. Non-canonical protein delivery concepts, such as the use of liquid droplets or coacervates, have also been proposed. This review highlights some of the topics in peptide-mediated intracellular protein delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshimasa Kawaguchi
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Shiroh Futaki
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.
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3
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Behzadipour Y, Hemmati S. Covalent conjugation and non-covalent complexation strategies for intracellular delivery of proteins using cell-penetrating peptides. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 176:116910. [PMID: 38852512 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic proteins provided new opportunities for patients and high sales volumes. However, they are formulated for extracellular targets. The lipophilic barrier of the plasma membrane renders the vast array of intracellular targets out of reach. Peptide-based delivery systems, namely cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), have few safety concerns, and low immunogenicity, with control over administered doses. This study investigates CPP-based protein delivery systems by classifying them into CPP-protein "covalent conjugation" and CPP: protein "non-covalent complexation" categories. Covalent conjugates ensure the proximity of the CPP to the cargo, which can improve cellular uptake and endosomal escape. We will discuss various aspects of covalent conjugates through non-cleavable (stable) or cleavable bonds. Non-cleavable CPP-protein conjugates are produced by recombinant DNA technology to express the complete fusion protein in a host cell or by chemical ligation of CPP and protein, which ensures stability during the delivery process. CPP-protein cleavable bonds are classified into pH-sensitive and redox-sensitive bonds, enzyme-cleavable bonds, and physical stimuli cleavable linkers (light radiation, ultrasonic waves, and thermo-responsive). We have highlighted the key characteristics of non-covalent complexes through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions to preserve the conformational integrity of the CPP and cargo. CPP-mediated protein delivery by non-covalent complexation, such as zippers, CPP adaptor methods, and avidin-biotin technology, are featured. Conclusively, non-covalent complexation methods are appropriate when a high number of CPP or protein samples are to be screened. In contrast, when the high biological activity of the protein is critical in the intracellular compartment, conjugation protocols are preferred.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasaman Behzadipour
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran; Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Shiva Hemmati
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran; Biotechnology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran.
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4
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Malikidogo KP, Charnay T, Ndiaye D, Choi JH, Bridou L, Chartier B, Erbek S, Micouin G, Banyasz A, Maury O, Martel-Frachet V, Grichine A, Sénèque O. Efficient cytosolic delivery of luminescent lanthanide bioprobes in live cells for two-photon microscopy. Chem Sci 2024; 15:9694-9702. [PMID: 38939128 PMCID: PMC11206396 DOI: 10.1039/d4sc00896k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Lanthanide(iii) (Ln3+) complexes have desirable photophysical properties for optical bioimaging. However, despite their advantages over organic dyes, their use for microscopy imaging is limited by the high-energy UV excitation they require and their poor ability to cross the cell membrane and reach the cytosol. Here we describe a novel family of lanthanide-based luminescent probes, termed dTAT[Ln·L], based on (i) a DOTA-like chelator with a picolinate moiety, (ii) a two-photon absorbing antenna to shift the excitation to the near infrared and (ii) a dimeric TAT cell-penetrating peptide for cytosolic delivery. Several Tb3+ and Eu3+ probes were prepared and characterized. Two-photon microscopy of live cells was attempted using a commercial microscope with the three probes showing the highest quantum yields (>0.15). A diffuse Ln3+ emission was detected in most cells, which is characteristic of cytosolic delivery of the Ln3+ complex. The cytotoxicity of these three probes was evaluated and the IC50 ranged from 7 μM to >50 μM. The addition of a single positive or negative charge to the antenna of the most cytotoxic compound was sufficient to lower significantly or suppress its toxicity under the conditions used for two-photon microscopy. Therefore, the design reported here provides excellent lanthanide-based probes for two-photon microscopy of living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyangwi P Malikidogo
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM (UMR 5250) F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Thibault Charnay
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, DCM (UMR 5250) F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Daouda Ndiaye
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Ji-Hyung Choi
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Lucile Bridou
- Univ. Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5182, Laboratoire de Chimie Lyon F-69342 France
| | - Baptiste Chartier
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Sule Erbek
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences F-38000 Grenoble France
- EPHE, PSL Research University 4-14 rue Ferrus 75014 Paris France
| | - Guillaume Micouin
- Univ. Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5182, Laboratoire de Chimie Lyon F-69342 France
| | - Akos Banyasz
- Univ. Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5182, Laboratoire de Chimie Lyon F-69342 France
| | - Olivier Maury
- Univ. Lyon, ENS de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5182, Laboratoire de Chimie Lyon F-69342 France
| | - Véronique Martel-Frachet
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences F-38000 Grenoble France
- EPHE, PSL Research University 4-14 rue Ferrus 75014 Paris France
| | - Alexei Grichine
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INSERM U1209, CNRS UMR 5309, Institute for Advanced Biosciences F-38000 Grenoble France
| | - Olivier Sénèque
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IRIG, LCBM (UMR 5249) F-38000 Grenoble France
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5
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Falanga A, Bellavita R, Braccia S, Galdiero S. Hydrophobicity: The door to drug delivery. J Pept Sci 2024; 30:e3558. [PMID: 38115215 DOI: 10.1002/psc.3558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The engineering of intracellular delivery systems with the goal of achieving personalized medicine has been encouraged by advances in nanomaterial science as well as a greater understanding of diseases and of the biochemical pathways implicated in many disorders. The development of vectors able to transport the drug to a target location and release it only on demand is undoubtedly the primary issue. From a molecular perspective, the topography of drug carrier surfaces is directly related to the design of an effective drug carrier because it provides a physical hint to modifying its interactions with biological systems. For instance, the initial ratio of hydrophilic to hydrophobic surfaces and the changes brought about by external factors enable the release or encapsulation of a therapeutic molecule and the ability of the nanosystem to cross biological barriers and reach its target without causing systemic toxicity. The first step in creating new materials with enhanced functionality is to comprehend and characterize the interplay between hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules at the molecular level. Therefore, the focus of this review is on the function of hydrophobicity, which is essential for matching the complexity of biological environments with the intended functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annarita Falanga
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
- CiRPEB, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Rosa Bellavita
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Caserta, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Simone Braccia
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Stefania Galdiero
- CiRPEB, Research Centre on Bioactive Peptides "Carlo Pedone", University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
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6
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Kawaguchi Y, Kawamura Y, Hirose H, Kiyokawa M, Hirate M, Hirata T, Higuchi Y, Futaki S. E3MPH16: An efficient endosomolytic peptide for intracellular protein delivery. J Control Release 2024; 367:877-891. [PMID: 38301930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
To facilitate the introduction of proteins, such as antibodies, into cells, a variety of delivery peptides have been engineered. These peptides are typically highly cationic and somewhat hydrophobic, enabling cytosolic protein delivery at the cost of causing cell damage by rupturing membranes. This balance between delivery effectiveness and cytotoxicity presents obstacles for their real-world use. To tackle this problem, we designed a new endosome-disruptive cytosolic delivery peptide, E3MPH16, inspired by mastoparan X (MP). E3MPH16 was engineered to incorporate three Glu (E3) and 16 His (H16) residues at the N- and C-termini of MP, respectively. The negative charges of E3 substantially mitigate the cell-surface damage induced by MP. The H16 segment is known to enhance cell-surface adsorption and endocytic uptake of the associated molecules. With these modifications, E3MPH16 was successfully trapped within endosomes. The acidification of endosomes is expected to protonate the side chains of E3 and H16, enabling E3MPH16 to rupture endosomal membranes. As a result, nearly 100% of cells achieved cytosolic delivery of a model biomacromolecule, Alexa Fluor 488-labeled dextran (10 kDa), via endosomal escape by co-incubation with E3MPH16. The delivery process also suggested the involvement of macropinocytosis and caveolae-mediated endocytosis. With the assistance of E3MPH16, Cre recombinase and anti-Ras-IgG delivered into HEK293 cells and HT1080 cells enabled gene recombination and inhibited cell proliferation, respectively. The potential for in vivo application of this intracellular delivery method was further validated by topically injecting the green fluorescent protein fused with a nuclear localization signal (NLS-GFP) along with E3MPH16 into Colon-26 tumor xenografts in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshimasa Kawaguchi
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.
| | - Yuki Kawamura
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Hisaaki Hirose
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Megumi Kiyokawa
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Momo Hirate
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hirata
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yuriko Higuchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Shiroh Futaki
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan.
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7
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Charousova M, Kudlickova Peskova M, Takacsova P, Kapolkova K, Haddad Y, Bilek J, Sivak L, Bartejs T, Heger Z, Pekarik V. Engineered human H-chain ferritin with reversed charge of the internal cavity exhibits RNA-mediated spongelike effect for loading RNA/DNA-binding molecules. Biomater Sci 2024; 12:1249-1262. [PMID: 38247338 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm01257c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Ferritins are globular proteins with an internal cavity that enables the encapsulation of a plethora of low-mass compounds. Unfortunately, the overall negative surface charge of ferritin's internal cavity hampers efficient loading of negatively charged molecules. Therefore, we produced a genetically engineered human H-chain ferritin containing a cationic RKRK domain, reversing the natural net charge of the cavity to positive, thus allowing for efficient encapsulation of negatively charged siRNA. Due to the reversed, positive charge mediated by RKRK domains, the recombinant ferritin produced in E. coli inherently carries a load of bacterial RNA inside its cavity, turning the protein into an effective sponge possessing high affinity for DNA/RNA-binding substances that can be loaded with markedly higher efficiency compared to the wildtype protein. Using doxorubicin as payload, we show that due to its loading through the RNA sponge, doxorubicin is released in a sustained manner, with a cytotoxicity profile similar to the free drug. In summary, this is the first report demonstrating a ferritin/nucleic acid hybrid delivery vehicle with a broad spectrum of properties exploitable in various fields of biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marketa Charousova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Marie Kudlickova Peskova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno CZ-625 00, Czechia.
| | - Paulina Takacsova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Katerina Kapolkova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Yazan Haddad
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Jan Bilek
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Ladislav Sivak
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Tomas Bartejs
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno CZ-625 00, Czechia.
| | - Zbynek Heger
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
| | - Vladimir Pekarik
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 1, Brno CZ-613 00, Czechia.
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 5, Brno CZ-625 00, Czechia.
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8
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Wu J, Roesger S, Jones N, Hu CMJ, Li SD. Cell-penetrating peptides for transmucosal delivery of proteins. J Control Release 2024; 366:864-878. [PMID: 38272399 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Enabling non-invasive delivery of proteins across the mucosal barriers promises improved patient compliance and therapeutic efficacies. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are emerging as a promising and versatile tool to enhance protein and peptide permeation across various mucosal barriers. This review examines the structural and physicochemical attributes of the nasal, buccal, sublingual, and oral mucosa that hamper macromolecular delivery. Recent development of CPPs for overcoming those mucosal barriers for protein delivery is summarized and analyzed. Perspectives regarding current challenges and future research directions towards improving non-invasive transmucosal delivery of macromolecules for ultimate clinical translation are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiamin Wu
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sophie Roesger
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Natalie Jones
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Che-Ming J Hu
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Shyh-Dar Li
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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9
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Dixon JE, Wellington V, Elnima A, Eltaher HM. Effects of Microenvironment and Dosing on Efficiency of Enhanced Cell Penetrating Peptide Nonviral Gene Delivery. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:5014-5023. [PMID: 38313497 PMCID: PMC10831962 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Transfection, defined as functional delivery of cell-internalized nucleic acids, is dependent on many factors linked to formulation, vector, cell type, and microenvironmental culture conditions. We previously developed a technology termed glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-binding enhanced transduction (GET) to efficiently deliver a variety of cargoes intracellularly, using GAG-binding peptides and cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) in the form of nanoparticles, using conventional cell culture. Herein, we demonstrate that the most simple GET transfection formulation (employing the FLR peptide) is relatively poor at transfecting cells at increasingly lower dosages. However, with an endosomally escaping version (FLR:FLH peptide formulations) we demonstrate more effective transfection of cells with lower quantities of plasmid (p)DNA in vitro. We assessed the ability of single and serial delivery of our formulations to readily transfect cells and determined that temperature, pH, and atmospheric pressure can significantly affect transfected cell number and expression levels. Cytocompatible temperatures that maintain high cell metabolism (20-37 °C) were the optimal for transfection. Interestingly, serial delivery can maintain and enhance expression without viability being compromised, and alkaline pH conditions can aid overall efficiencies. Positive atmospheric pressures can also improve the transgene expression levels generated by GET transfection on a single-cell level. Novel nanotechnologies and gene therapeutics such as GET could be transformative for future regenerative medicine strategies. It will be important to understand how such approaches can be optimized at the formulation and application levels in order to achieve efficacy that will be competitive with viral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- James E. Dixon
- Regenerative
Medicine and Cellular Therapies Division, The University of Nottingham
Biodiscovery Institute (BDI), School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
- NIHR
Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, University
of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
| | - Vanessa Wellington
- Regenerative
Medicine and Cellular Therapies Division, The University of Nottingham
Biodiscovery Institute (BDI), School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
| | - Alaa Elnima
- Regenerative
Medicine and Cellular Therapies Division, The University of Nottingham
Biodiscovery Institute (BDI), School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
| | - Hoda M. Eltaher
- Regenerative
Medicine and Cellular Therapies Division, The University of Nottingham
Biodiscovery Institute (BDI), School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K.
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10
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Diaz J, Pellois JP. Deciphering variations in the endocytic uptake of a cell-penetrating peptide: the crucial role of cell culture protocols. Cytotechnology 2023; 75:473-490. [PMID: 37841959 PMCID: PMC10575844 DOI: 10.1007/s10616-023-00591-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Delivery tools, including cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), are often inefficient due to a combination of poor endocytosis and endosomal escape. Aspects that impact the delivery of CPPs are typically characterized using tissue culture models. One problem of using cell culture is that cell culture protocols have the potential to contribute to endosomal uptake and endosomal release of CPPs. Hence, a systematic study to identify which aspects of cell culturing techniques impact the endocytic uptake of a typical CPP, the TMR-TAT peptide (peptide sequence derived from HIV1-TAT with the N-terminus labeled with tetramethylrhodamine), was conducted. Aspects of cell culturing protocols previously found to generally modulate endocytosis, such as cell density, washing steps, and cell aging, did not affect TMR-TAT endocytosis. In contrast, cell dissociation methods, media, temperature, serum starvation, and media composition all contributed to changes in uptake. To establish a range of endocytosis achievable by different cell culture protocols, TMR-TAT uptake was compared among protocols. These protocols led to changes in uptake of more than 13-fold, indicating that differences in cell culturing techniques have a cumulative effect on CPP uptake. Taken together this study highlights how different protocols can influence the amount of endocytic uptake of TMR-TAT. Additionally, parameters that can be exploited to improve CPP accumulation in endosomes were identified. The protocols identified herein have the potential to be paired with other delivery enhancing strategies to improve overall delivery efficiency of CPPs. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10616-023-00591-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Diaz
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, Room 430, 300 Olsen Blvd, College Station, TX 77843-2128 USA
| | - Jean-Philippe Pellois
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, Room 430, 300 Olsen Blvd, College Station, TX 77843-2128 USA
- Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 USA
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11
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Zheng Q, Sheng J, Liu J, Chen X, Wang M. Histidine-Rich Protein Accelerates the Biomineralization of Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks for In Vivo Protein Delivery. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:5132-5141. [PMID: 37859395 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Biomineralization of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provides a powerful approach for intracellular protein delivery, enabling the study of biological function and therapeutic potential of proteins. However, the potency of this approach is largely challenged by the low efficiency of current strategies for interfacing proteins with MOFs for biomineralization and intracellular delivery. Here, we report a versatile and convenient biomineralization strategy for the rapid encapsulation and enhanced delivery of proteins using MOFs, accelerated by histidine-rich proteins. We demonstrate that the histidine-rich green fluorescent protein (H39GFP) can accelerate the biomineralization of MOFs by promoting the coordination between proteins and metal ions, leading to enhanced protein delivery efficiency up to 15-fold. Moreover, we show that the delivery of H39GFP-fused cytotoxic ribonuclease and bacterial-derived RAS protease can effectively inhibit tumor cell growth. The strategy of promoting the biomineralization of MOFs via histidine-rich proteins for enhanced intracellular delivery could be expanded to other biomacromolecules, advancing their therapeutic potential and the biomedical scope of MOFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qizhen Zheng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, CAS Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jinhan Sheng
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, CAS Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ji Liu
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, CAS Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Xianghan Chen
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, CAS Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ming Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Science, CAS Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Living Biosystems, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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12
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Arafiles JV, Franke J, Franz L, Gómez-González J, Kemnitz-Hassanin K, Hackenberger CPR. Cell-Surface-Retained Peptide Additives for the Cytosolic Delivery of Functional Proteins. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145. [PMID: 37906525 PMCID: PMC10655119 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c05365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
The delivery of functional proteins remains a major challenge in advancing biological and pharmaceutical sciences. Herein, we describe a powerful, simple, and highly effective strategy for the intracellular delivery of functional cargoes. Previously, we demonstrated that cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) additives equipped with electrophilic thiol-reactive moieties temporarily attach to the cellular membrane, thereby facilitating the cellular uptake of protein- and antibody-CPP cargoes through direct membrane transduction at low concentrations. Now, we hypothesize that CPP-additives with an increased retention on the cellular membrane will further enhance intracellular uptake. We discovered that adding a small hydrophobic peptide sequence to an arginine-rich electrophilic CPP-additive further improved the uptake of protein-CPP conjugates, whereas larger hydrophobic anchors showed increased cytotoxicity. Cell viability and membrane integrity measurements, structure-activity relationship studies, and quantitative evaluation of protein-CPP uptake revealed important design principles for cell-surface-retained CPP-additives. These investigations allowed us to identify a nontoxic, thiol-reactive CPP-additive containing the hydrophobic ILFF sequence, which can deliver fluorescent model proteins at low micromolar concentrations. This hydrophobic CPP-additive allowed the addition of protein cargoes for intracellular delivery after initial additive incubation. Time-lapse fluorescence microscopy and membrane tension analysis of cells treated with fluorescent ILFF-CPP-additives supported the claim of increased cell surface retention and suggested that the protein-CPP cargoes enter the cell through a mechanism involving lowered cell membrane tension. Finally, we demonstrated that our newly engineered hydrophobic CPP-additive enabled the uptake of a functional macrocyclic peptidic MDM2-inhibitor and a recombinant genome editing protein. This indicates that the developed hydrophobic CPP-additive holds promise as a tool to enhance the intracellular delivery of peptide and protein cargoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Vincent
V. Arafiles
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut
für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Jonathan Franke
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut
für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
- Institut
für Chemie, Humboldt Universität
zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str.
2, Berlin 12489, Germany
| | - Luise Franz
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut
für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
- Institute
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität
Berlin, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Jacobo Gómez-González
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut
für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Kristin Kemnitz-Hassanin
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut
für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Christian P. R. Hackenberger
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut
für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
- Institut
für Chemie, Humboldt Universität
zu Berlin, Brook-Taylor-Str.
2, Berlin 12489, Germany
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13
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Diaz J, Pietsch M, Davila M, Jaimes G, Hudson A, Pellois JP. Elucidating the Impact of Payload Conjugation on the Cell-Penetrating Efficiency of the Endosomal Escape Peptide dfTAT: Implications for Future Designs for CPP-Based Delivery Systems. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:1861-1872. [PMID: 37774419 PMCID: PMC10644971 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are promising tools for the intracellular delivery of various biological payloads. However, the impact of payload conjugation on the cell-penetrating activity of CPPs is poorly understood. This study focused on dfTAT, a modified version of the HIV-TAT peptide with enhanced endosomal escape activity, to explore how different payloads affect its cell-penetrating activity. We systematically examined dfTAT conjugated with the SnoopTag/SnoopCatcher pair and found that while smaller payloads such as short peptides do not significantly impair dfTAT's cell delivery activity, larger payloads markedly reduce both its endocytic uptake and endosomal escape efficiency. Our results highlight the role of the payload size and bulk in limiting CPP-mediated delivery. While further research is needed to understand the molecular underpinnings of these effects, our findings pave the way for developing more effective CPP-based delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Diaz
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Miles Pietsch
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Marissa Davila
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Gerardo Jaimes
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Alexis Hudson
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
| | - Jean-Philippe Pellois
- Department
of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M
University, College
Station, Texas 77843, United States
- Department
of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States
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14
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Zhao Y, Jiang H, Yu J, Wang L, Du J. Engineered Histidine-Rich Peptides Enhance Endosomal Escape for Antibody-Targeted Intracellular Delivery of Functional Proteins. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2023; 62:e202304692. [PMID: 37283024 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202304692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Currently, the clinical application of protein/peptide therapeutics is mainly limited to the modulation of diseases in extracellular spaces. Intracellular targets are hardly accessed, owing largely to the endosomal entrapment of internalized proteins/peptides. Here, we report a strategy to design and construct peptides that enable endosome-to-cytosol delivery based on an extension of the "histidine switch" principle. By substituting the Arg/Lys residues in cationic cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) with histidine, we obtained peptides with pH-dependent membrane-perturbation activity. These peptides do not randomly penetrate cells like CPPs, but imitate the endosomal escape of CPPs following cellular uptake. Working with one such 16-residue peptide (hsLMWP) with high endosomal escape capacity, we engineered modular fusion proteins and achieved antibody-targeted delivery of diverse protein cargoes-including the pro-apoptotic protein BID (BH3-interacting domain death agonist) and Cre recombinase-into the cytosol of multiple cancer cell types. After extensive in vitro testing, an in vivo analysis with xenograft mice ultimately demonstrated that a trastuzumab-hsLMWP-BID fusion conferred strong anti-tumor efficacy without apparent side effects. Notably, our fusion protein features a modular design, allowing flexible applications for any antibody/cargo combination of choice. Therefore, the potential applications extend throughout life science and biomedicine, including gene editing, cancer treatment, and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute Biological Sciences (PTN) Joint Graduate Program, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Haolin Jiang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies (AAIS), Peking University-Tsinghua University-National Institute Biological Sciences (PTN) Joint Graduate Program, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jiazhen Yu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Luyao Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Juanjuan Du
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, MOE Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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15
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Yin H, Fu XY, Gao HY, Ma YN, Yao JF, Du SS, Qi YK, Wang KW. Design, synthesis and anticancer evaluation of novel oncolytic peptide-chlorambucil conjugates. Bioorg Chem 2023; 138:106674. [PMID: 37331169 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2023.106674] [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: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen mustards (NMs) are an important class of chemotherapeutic drugs and have been widely employed for the treatment of various cancers. However, due to the high reactivity of nitrogen mustard, most NMs react with proteins and phospholipids within the cell membrane. Therefore, only a very small fraction of NMs can reach the reach nucleus, alkylating and cross-linking DNA. To efficiently penetrate the cell membrane barrier, the hybridization of NMs with a membranolytic agent may be an effective strategy. Herein, the chlorambucil (CLB, a kind of NM) hybrids were first designed by conjugation with membranolytic peptide LTX-315. However, although LTX-315 could help large amounts of CLB penetrate the cytomembrane and enter the cytoplasm, CLB still did not readily reach the nucleus. Our previous work demonstrated that the hybrid peptide NTP-385 obtained by covalent conjugation of rhodamine B with LTX-315 could accumulate in the nucleus. Hence, the NTP-385-CLB conjugate, named FXY-3, was then designed and systematically evaluated both in vitro and in vivo. FXY-3 displayed prominent localization in the cancer cell nucleus and induced severe DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) to trigger cell apoptosis. Especially, compared with CLB and LTX-315, FXY-3 exhibited significantly increased in vitro cytotoxicity against a panel of cancer cell lines. Moreover, FXY-3 showed superior in vivo anticancer efficiency in the mouse cancer model. Collectively, this study established an effective strategy to increase the anticancer activity and the nuclear accumulation of NMs, which will provide a valuable reference for future nucleus-targeting modification of nitrogen mustards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Yin
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; Institute of Innovative Drugs, Qingdao University, #38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Xing-Yan Fu
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Han-Yu Gao
- School of Stomatology, Jining Medical University, #133 Hehua Road, Jining 272067, China
| | - Yan-Nan Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Jing-Fang Yao
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China
| | - Shan-Shan Du
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; College of Chemical Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China
| | - Yun-Kun Qi
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; Institute of Innovative Drugs, Qingdao University, #38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, China.
| | - Ke-Wei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Qingdao University Medical College, Qingdao University, #1 Ningde Road, Qingdao 266073, China; Institute of Innovative Drugs, Qingdao University, #38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, China
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16
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Gori A, Lodigiani G, Colombarolli SG, Bergamaschi G, Vitali A. Cell Penetrating Peptides: Classification, Mechanisms, Methods of Study, and Applications. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202300236. [PMID: 37389978 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202300236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) encompass a class of peptides that possess the remarkable ability to cross cell membranes and deliver various types of cargoes, including drugs, nucleic acids, and proteins, into cells. For this reason, CPPs are largely investigated in drug delivery applications in the context of many diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and genetic disorders. While sharing this functionality and some common structural features, such as a high content of positively charged amino acids, CPPs represent an extremely diverse group of elements, which can differentiate under many aspects. In this review, we summarize the most common characteristics of CPPs, introduce their main distinctive features, mechanistic aspects that drive their function, and outline the most widely used techniques for their structural and functional studies. We highlight current gaps and future perspectives in this field, which have the potential to significantly impact the future field of drug delivery and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Gori
- SCITEC - Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta", National Research Council of Italy, Via Mario Bianco 9, 20131, Milano, Italy
| | - Giulia Lodigiani
- SCITEC - Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta", National Research Council of Italy, Via Mario Bianco 9, 20131, Milano, Italy
| | - Stella G Colombarolli
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta", National Research Council of Italy, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168, Roma, Italy
| | - Greta Bergamaschi
- SCITEC - Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta", National Research Council of Italy, Via Mario Bianco 9, 20131, Milano, Italy
| | - Alberto Vitali
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta", National Research Council of Italy, L.go F. Vito 1, 00168, Roma, Italy
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17
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Tang JH, Shu QY, Guo YY, Zhu H, Li YM. Cell-Permeable Ubiquitin and Histone Tools for Studying Post-translational Modifications. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300169. [PMID: 37060212 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) regulate nearly all biological processes in eukaryotic cells, and synthetic PTM protein tools are widely used to detect the activity of the related enzymes and identify the interacting proteins in cell lysates. Recently, the study of these enzymes and the interacting proteome has been accomplished in live cells using cell-permeable PTM protein tools. In this concept, we will introduce cell penetrating techniques, the syntheses of cell-permeable PTM protein tools, and offer some future perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Hui Tang
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Qing-Yao Shu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Yan-Yan Guo
- Department of Chemistry, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Huixia Zhu
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Yi-Ming Li
- School of Food and Biological Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
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18
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Ghorai SM, Deep A, Magoo D, Gupta C, Gupta N. Cell-Penetrating and Targeted Peptides Delivery Systems as Potential Pharmaceutical Carriers for Enhanced Delivery across the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB). Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1999. [PMID: 37514185 PMCID: PMC10384895 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15071999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Among the challenges to the 21st-century health care industry, one that demands special mention is the transport of drugs/active pharmaceutical agents across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The epithelial-like tight junctions within the brain capillary endothelium hinder the uptake of most pharmaceutical agents. With an aim to understand more deeply the intricacies of cell-penetrating and targeted peptides as a powerful tool for desirable biological activity, we provide a critical review of both CPP and homing/targeted peptides as intracellular drug delivery agents, especially across the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Two main peptides have been discussed to understand intracellular drug delivery; first is the cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) for the targeted delivery of compounds of interest (primarily peptides and nucleic acids) and second is the family of homing peptides, which specifically targets cells/tissues based on their overexpression of tumour-specific markers and are thus at the heart of cancer research. These small, amphipathic molecules demonstrate specific physical and chemical modifications aimed at increased ease of cellular internalisation. Because only a limited number of drug molecules can bypass the blood-brain barrier by free diffusion, it is essential to explore all aspects of CPPs that can be exploited for crossing this barrier. Considering siRNAs that can be designed against any target RNA, marking such molecules with high therapeutic potential, we present a synopsis of the studies on synthetic siRNA-based therapeutics using CPPs and homing peptides drugs that can emerge as potential drug-delivery systems as an upcoming requirement in the world of pharma- and nutraceuticals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soma Mondal Ghorai
- Department of Zoology, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Auroni Deep
- Department of Zoology, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Devanshi Magoo
- Department of Chemistry, Hindu College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Chetna Gupta
- Department of Chemistry, Hansraj College, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007, India
| | - Nikesh Gupta
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, WI 53705, USA
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19
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Zakany F, Mándity IM, Varga Z, Panyi G, Nagy P, Kovacs T. Effect of the Lipid Landscape on the Efficacy of Cell-Penetrating Peptides. Cells 2023; 12:1700. [PMID: 37443733 PMCID: PMC10340183 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Every cell biological textbook teaches us that the main role of the plasma membrane is to separate cells from their neighborhood to allow for a controlled composition of the intracellular space. The mostly hydrophobic nature of the cell membrane presents an impenetrable barrier for most hydrophilic molecules larger than 1 kDa. On the other hand, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are capable of traversing this barrier without compromising membrane integrity, and they can do so on their own or coupled to cargos. Coupling biologically and medically relevant cargos to CPPs holds great promise of delivering membrane-impermeable drugs into cells. If the cargo is able to interact with certain cell types, uptake of the CPP-drug complex can be tailored to be cell-type-specific. Besides outlining the major membrane penetration pathways of CPPs, this review is aimed at deciphering how properties of the membrane influence the uptake mechanisms of CPPs. By summarizing an extensive body of experimental evidence, we argue that a more ordered, less flexible membrane structure, often present in the very diseases planned to be treated with CPPs, decreases their cellular uptake. These correlations are not only relevant for understanding the cellular biology of CPPs, but also for rationally improving their value in translational or clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florina Zakany
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (F.Z.); (Z.V.); (G.P.)
| | - István M. Mándity
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary;
- TTK Lendület Artificial Transporter Research Group, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Varga
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (F.Z.); (Z.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Gyorgy Panyi
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (F.Z.); (Z.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Peter Nagy
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (F.Z.); (Z.V.); (G.P.)
| | - Tamas Kovacs
- Department of Biophysics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, 4032 Debrecen, Hungary; (F.Z.); (Z.V.); (G.P.)
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20
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He X, Xiong S, Sun Y, Zhong M, Xiao N, Zhou Z, Wang T, Tang Y, Xie J. Recent Progress of Rational Modified Nanocarriers for Cytosolic Protein Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1610. [PMID: 37376059 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15061610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic proteins garnered significant attention in the field of disease treatment. In comparison to small molecule drugs, protein therapies offer distinct advantages, including high potency, specificity, low toxicity, and reduced carcinogenicity, even at minimal concentrations. However, the full potential of protein therapy is limited by inherent challenges such as large molecular size, delicate tertiary structure, and poor membrane penetration, resulting in inefficient intracellular delivery into target cells. To address these challenges and enhance the clinical applications of protein therapies, various protein-loaded nanocarriers with tailored modifications were developed, including liposomes, exosomes, polymeric nanoparticles, and nanomotors. Despite these advancements, many of these strategies encounter significant issues such as entrapment within endosomes, leading to low therapeutic efficiency. In this review, we extensively discussed diverse strategies for the rational design of nanocarriers, aiming to overcome these limitations. Additionally, we presented a forward-looking viewpoint on the innovative generation of delivery systems specifically tailored for protein-based therapies. Our intention was to offer theoretical and technical support for the development and enhancement of nanocarriers capable of facilitating cytosolic protein delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao He
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
- Center for Cell and Gene Circuit Design, CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Department of Geriatrics, The Shenzhen Hospital of Peking University, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Su Xiong
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
| | - Yansun Sun
- Department of Geriatrics, The Shenzhen Hospital of Peking University, Shenzhen 518036, China
| | - Min Zhong
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
| | - Nianting Xiao
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
| | - Ziwei Zhou
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
| | - Yaqin Tang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
| | - Jing Xie
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054, China
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21
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Nakazato Y, Otaki JM. Protein Delivery to Insect Epithelial Cells In Vivo: Potential Application to Functional Molecular Analysis of Proteins in Butterfly Wing Development. BIOTECH 2023; 12:biotech12020028. [PMID: 37092472 PMCID: PMC10123617 DOI: 10.3390/biotech12020028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Protein delivery to cells in vivo has great potential for the functional analysis of proteins in nonmodel organisms. In this study, using the butterfly wing system, we investigated a method of protein delivery to insect epithelial cells that allows for easy access, treatment, and observation in real time in vivo. Topical and systemic applications (called the sandwich and injection methods, respectively) were tested. In both methods, green/orange fluorescent proteins (GFP/OFP) were naturally incorporated into intracellular vesicles and occasionally into the cytosol from the apical surface without any delivery reagent. However, the antibodies were not delivered by the sandwich method at all, and were delivered only into vesicles by the injection method. A membrane-lytic peptide, L17E, appeared to slightly improve the delivery of GFP/OFP and antibodies. A novel peptide reagent, ProteoCarry, successfully promoted the delivery of both GFP/OFP and antibodies into the cytosol via both the sandwich and injection methods. These protein delivery results will provide opportunities for the functional molecular analysis of proteins in butterfly wing development, and may offer a new way to deliver proteins into target cells in vivo in nonmodel organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugo Nakazato
- The BCPH Unit of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
| | - Joji M Otaki
- The BCPH Unit of Molecular Physiology, Department of Chemistry, Biology and Marine Science, Faculty of Science, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0213, Japan
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22
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Uddin N, Binzel DW, Shu D, Fu TM, Guo P. Targeted delivery of RNAi to cancer cells using RNA-ligand displaying exosome. Acta Pharm Sin B 2023; 13:1383-1399. [PMID: 37139430 PMCID: PMC10149909 DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Exosome is an excellent vesicle for in vivo delivery of therapeutics, including RNAi and chemical drugs. The extremely high efficiency in cancer regression can partly be attributed to its fusion mechanism in delivering therapeutics to cytosol without endosome trapping. However, being composed of a lipid-bilayer membrane without specific recognition capacity for aimed-cells, the entry into nonspecific cells can lead to potential side-effects and toxicity. Applying engineering approaches for targeting-capacity to deliver therapeutics to specific cells is desirable. Techniques with chemical modification in vitro and genetic engineering in cells have been reported to decorate exosomes with targeting ligands. RNA nanoparticles have been used to harbor tumor-specific ligands displayed on exosome surface. The negative charge reduces nonspecific binding to vital cells with negatively charged lipid-membrane due to the electrostatic repulsion, thus lowering the side-effect and toxicity. In this review, we focus on the uniqueness of RNA nanoparticles for exosome surface display of chemical ligands, small peptides or RNA aptamers, for specific cancer targeting to deliver anticancer therapeutics, highlighting recent advances in targeted delivery of siRNA and miRNA that overcomes the previous RNAi delivery roadblocks. Proper understanding of exosome engineering with RNA nanotechnology promises efficient therapies for a wide range of cancer subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasir Uddin
- Center for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- James Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Daniel W. Binzel
- Center for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- James Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Dan Shu
- Center for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- James Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Tian-Min Fu
- Department of Biological Chemistry & Pharmacology, College of Medicine, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Peixuan Guo
- Center for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- James Comprehensive Cancer Center, College of Medicine, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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23
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Son H, Shin J, Park J. Recent progress in nanomedicine-mediated cytosolic delivery. RSC Adv 2023; 13:9788-9799. [PMID: 36998521 PMCID: PMC10043881 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra07111h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytosolic delivery of bioactive agents has exhibited great potential to cure undruggable targets and diseases. Because biological cell membranes are a natural barrier for living cells, efficient delivery methods are required to transfer bioactive and therapeutic agents into the cytosol. Various strategies that do not require cell invasive and harmful processes, such as endosomal escape, cell-penetrating peptides, stimuli-sensitive delivery, and fusogenic liposomes, have been developed for cytosolic delivery. Nanoparticles can easily display functionalization ligands on their surfaces, enabling many bio-applications for cytosolic delivery of various cargo, including genes, proteins, and small-molecule drugs. Cytosolic delivery uses nanoparticle-based delivery systems to avoid degradation of proteins and keep the functionality of other bioactive molecules, and functionalization of nanoparticle-based delivery vehicles imparts a specific targeting ability. With these advantages, nanomedicines have been used for organelle-specific tagging, vaccine delivery for enhanced immunotherapy, and intracellular delivery of proteins and genes. Optimization of the size, surface charges, specific targeting ability, and composition of nanoparticles is needed for various cargos and target cells. Toxicity issues with the nanoparticle material must be managed to enable clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hangyu Son
- Department of Medical Life Sciences, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu Seoul 06591 Republic of Korea
| | - Jeongsu Shin
- Department of Medical Life Sciences, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu Seoul 06591 Republic of Korea
| | - Joonhyuck Park
- Department of Medical Life Sciences, Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea 222 Banpo-daero, Seocho-gu Seoul 06591 Republic of Korea
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24
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Serulla M, Anees P, Hallaj A, Trofimenko E, Kalia T, Krishnan Y, Widmann C. Plasma membrane depolarization reveals endosomal escape incapacity of cell-penetrating peptides. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2023; 184:116-124. [PMID: 36709921 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2023.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short (<30 amino acids), generally cationic, peptides that deliver diverse cargos into cells. CPPs access the cytosol either by direct translocation through the plasma membrane or via endocytosis followed by endosomal escape. Both direct translocation and endosomal escape can occur simultaneously, making it non-trivial to specifically study endosomal escape alone. Here we depolarize the plasma membrane and showed that it inhibits the direct translocation of several CPPs but does not affect their uptake into endosomes. Despite good endocytic uptake many CPPs previously considered to access the cytosol via endosomal escape, failed to access the cytosol once direct translocation was abrogated. Even CPPs designed for enhanced endosomal escape actually showed negligible endosomal escape into the cytosol. Our data reveal that cytosolic localization of CPPs occurs mainly by direct translocation across the plasma membrane. Cell depolarization represents a simple manipulation to stringently test the endosomal escape capacity of CPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Serulla
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Palapuravan Anees
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Grossman Institute of Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Ali Hallaj
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Evgeniya Trofimenko
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tara Kalia
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Yamuna Krishnan
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Grossman Institute of Neuroscience, Quantitative Biology and Human Behavior, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Christian Widmann
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Lausanne, 1005 Lausanne, Switzerland.
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25
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Voltà-Durán E, Parladé E, Serna N, Villaverde A, Vazquez E, Unzueta U. Endosomal escape for cell-targeted proteins. Going out after going in. Biotechnol Adv 2023; 63:108103. [PMID: 36702197 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2023.108103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Protein-based nanocarriers are versatile and biocompatible drug delivery systems. They are of particular interest in nanomedicine as they can recruit multiple functions in a single modular polypeptide. Many cell-targeting peptides or protein domains can promote cell uptake when included in these nanoparticles through receptor-mediated endocytosis. In that way, targeting drugs to specific cell receptors allows a selective intracellular delivery process, avoiding potential side effects of the payload. However, once internalized, the endo-lysosomal route taken by the engulfed material usually results in full degradation, preventing their adequate subcellular localization, bioavailability and subsequent therapeutic effect. Thus, entrapment into endo-lysosomes is a main bottleneck in the efficacy of protein-drug nanomedicines. Promoting endosomal escape and preventing lysosomal degradation would make this therapeutic approach clinically plausible. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms intended to evade lysosomal degradation of proteins, with the most relevant examples and associated strategies, and the methods available to measure that effect. In addition, based on the increasing catalogue of peptide domains tailored to face this challenge as components of protein nanocarriers, we emphasize how their particular mechanisms of action can potentially alter the functionality of accompanying protein materials, especially in terms of targeting and specificity in the delivery process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Voltà-Durán
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Eloi Parladé
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Naroa Serna
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Antonio Villaverde
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
| | - Esther Vazquez
- Institut de Biotecnologia i de Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
| | - Ugutz Unzueta
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Departament de Genètica i de Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain; Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), 08041 Barcelona, Spain; Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, 08916 Badalona, Spain.
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26
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Soprano E, Polo E, Pelaz B, del Pino P. Biomimetic cell-derived nanocarriers in cancer research. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:538. [PMID: 36544135 PMCID: PMC9771790 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01748-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanoparticles have now long demonstrated capabilities that make them attractive to use in biology and medicine. Some of them, such as lipid nanoparticles (SARS-CoV-2 vaccines) or metallic nanoparticles (contrast agents) are already approved for their use in the clinic. However, considering the constantly growing body of different formulations and the huge research around nanomaterials the number of candidates reaching clinical trials or being commercialized is minimal. The reasons behind being related to the "synthetic" and "foreign" character of their surface. Typically, nanomaterials aiming to develop a function or deliver a cargo locally, fail by showing strong off-target accumulation and generation of adverse responses, which is connected to their strong recognition by immune phagocytes primarily. Therefore, rendering in negligible numbers of nanoparticles developing their intended function. While a wide range of coatings has been applied to avoid certain interactions with the surrounding milieu, the issues remained. Taking advantage of the natural cell membranes, in an approach that resembles a cell transfer, the use of cell-derived surfaces has risen as an alternative to artificial coatings or encapsulation methods. Biomimetic technologies are based on the use of isolated natural components to provide autologous properties to the nanoparticle or cargo being encapsulated, thus, improving their therapeutic behavior. The main goal is to replicate the (bio)-physical properties and functionalities of the source cell and tissue, not only providing a stealthy character to the core but also taking advantage of homotypic properties, that could prove relevant for targeted strategies. Such biomimetic formulations have the potential to overcome the main issues of approaches to provide specific features and identities synthetically. In this review, we provide insight into the challenges of nano-biointerfaces for drug delivery; and the main applications of biomimetic materials derived from specific cell types, focusing on the unique strengths of the fabrication of novel nanotherapeutics in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Soprano
- grid.11794.3a0000000109410645Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ester Polo
- grid.11794.3a0000000109410645Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Beatriz Pelaz
- grid.11794.3a0000000109410645Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Pablo del Pino
- grid.11794.3a0000000109410645Centro Singular de Investigación en Química Biolóxica e Materiais Moleculares (CiQUS), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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27
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Eltaher HM, Blokpoel Ferreras LA, Jalal AR, Dixon JE. Direct contact-mediated non-viral gene therapy using thermo-sensitive hydrogel-coated dressings. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2022; 143:213177. [PMID: 36371970 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2022.213177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Nanotechnologies are being increasingly applied as systems for peptide and nucleic acid macromolecule drug delivery. However systemic targeting of these, or efficient topical and localized delivery remains an issue. A controlled release system that can be patterned and locally administered such as topically to accessible tissue (skin, eye, intestine) would therefore be transformative in realizing the potential of such strategies. We previously developed a technology termed GAG-binding enhanced transduction (GET) to efficiently deliver a variety of cargoes intracellularly, using GAG-binding peptides to mediate cell targeting, and cell penetrating peptides (CPPs) to promote uptake. Herein we demonstrate that the GET transfection system can be used with the moisturizing thermo-reversible hydrogel Pluronic-F127 (PF127) and methyl cellulose (MC) to mediate site specific and effective intracellular transduction and gene delivery through GET nanoparticles (NPs). We investigated hydrogel formulation and the temperature dependence of delivery, optimizing the delivery system. GET-NPs retain their activity to enhance gene transfer within our formulations, with uptake transferred to cells in direct contact with the therapy-laden hydrogel. By using Azowipe™ material in a bandage approach, we were able to show for the first-time localized gene transfer in vitro on cell monolayers. The ability to simply control localization of gene delivery on millimetre scales using contact-mediated transfer from moisture-providing thermo-reversible hydrogels will facilitate new drug delivery methods. Importantly our technology to site-specifically deliver the activity of novel nanotechnologies and gene therapeutics could be transformative for future regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoda M Eltaher
- Division of Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Therapies, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG7 2RD, UK; Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt, 21521
| | - Lia A Blokpoel Ferreras
- Division of Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Therapies, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Aveen R Jalal
- Division of Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Therapies, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - James E Dixon
- Division of Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Therapies, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG7 2RD, UK.
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28
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Reigado GR, Adriani PP, Dos Santos JF, Freitas BL, Fernandes MTP, Chambergo Alcalde FS, Leo P, Nunes VA. Delivery of superoxide dismutase by TAT and abalone peptides for the protection of skin cells against oxidative stress. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2022; 69:2673-2685. [PMID: 35092091 DOI: 10.1002/bab.2314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Trichoderma reesei superoxide dismutase (TrSOD) is a well-characterized enzyme being stable between 30 and 90°C for 1 h with activity at pH between 2.6 and 9.0. This work aimed to clone, express, purify, and evaluate the protective effect antioxidant of this enzyme on skin cells when fused to transactivator of transcription (TAT) protein transduction domain of HIV-1 and abalone (Ab) peptides to allow cell penetration. TrSOD, TAT-TrSOD-Yfp (fused to yellow fluorescent protein), and Ab-TrSOD were expressed in E. coli and purified as soluble proteins. The cytotoxicity of the enzymes, at the concentrations of 1, 3, and 6 μmol/L, was evaluated for a period of 24 and 48 h of incubation, with no cytotoxic effect on 3T3 fibroblasts. The 3T3 cells were exposed to the oxidant agent tert-butyl hydroperoxide and evaluated for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, in the presence or not of the recombinant enzymes. TAT-TrSOD-Yfp was able to decrease the generation of ROS by 15% when used in the concentrations of 3 and 6 μmol/L in comparison to the control, but there was no difference in relation to the effect of TrSOD. Ab-TrSOD, when compared to TrSOD, promoted a decrease in the formation of ROS of 19% and 14% at the concentrations of 1 and 6 μmol/L, respectively, indicating that this recombinant form was more effective in reducing oxidative stress compared to SOD without the cell-penetrating peptide (CPP). Together, these results indicate that the fusion of SOD with these CPP increased the antioxidant capacity of fibroblasts, identified by the reduction in the generation of ROS. In addition, such molecules, in the concentrations initially used, were not toxic to the cells, opening perspectives for the development of products for antioxidant protection of the skin that may have therapeutic and cosmetic application.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Patricia Leo
- Institute of Technological Research, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Viviane Abreu Nunes
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Sao Paulo (USP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
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29
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Nakamura M, Fujiwara K, Doi N. Cytoplasmic delivery of siRNA using human-derived membrane penetration-enhancing peptide. J Nanobiotechnology 2022; 20:458. [PMID: 36303212 PMCID: PMC9615171 DOI: 10.1186/s12951-022-01667-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although protein-based methods using cell-penetrating peptides such as TAT have been expected to provide an alternative approach to siRNA delivery, the low efficiency of endosomal escape of siRNA/protein complexes taken up into cells by endocytosis remains a problem. Here, to overcome this problem, we adopted the membrane penetration-enhancing peptide S19 from human syncytin 1 previously identified in our laboratory. RESULTS We prepared fusion proteins in which the S19 and TAT peptides were fused to the viral RNA-binding domains (RBDs) as carrier proteins, added the RBD-S19-TAT/siRNA complex to human cultured cells, and investigated the cytoplasmic delivery of the complex and the knockdown efficiency of target genes. We found that the intracellular uptake of the RBD-S19-TAT/siRNA complex was increased compared to that of the RBD-TAT/siRNA complex, and the expression level of the target mRNA was decreased. Because siRNA must dissociate from RBD and bind to Argonaute 2 (Ago2) to form the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) after the protein/siRNA complex is delivered into the cytoplasm, a dilemma arises: stronger binding between RBD and siRNA increases intracellular uptake but makes RISC formation more difficult. Thus, we next prepared fusion proteins in which the S19 and TAT peptides were fused with Ago2 instead of RBD and found that the efficiencies of siRNA delivery and knockdown obtained using TAT-S19-Ago2 were higher than those using TAT-Ago2. In addition, we found that the smallest RISC delivery induced faster knockdown than traditional siRNA lipofection, probably due to the decreased time required for RISC formation in the cytoplasm. CONCLUSION These results indicated that S19 and TAT-fused siRNA-binding proteins, especially Ago2, should be useful for the rapid and efficient delivery of siRNA without the addition of any endosome-disrupting agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Momoko Nakamura
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Nobuhide Doi
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan.
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30
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Allen JK, Sutherland TC, Prater AR, Geoffroy CG, Pellois JP. In vivo peptide-based delivery of a gene-modifying enzyme into cells of the central nervous system. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo2954. [PMID: 36170360 PMCID: PMC9519033 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo2954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
We report on the successful delivery of the Cre recombinase enzyme in the neural cells of mice in vivo by simple coinjection with peptides derived from HIV-TAT. Cre delivery activates the expression of a reporter gene in both neurons and astrocytes of the cortex without tissue damage and with a transduction efficiency that parallels or exceeds that of a commonly used adeno-associated virus. Our data indicate that the delivery peptides mediate efficient endosomal leakage and cytosolic escape in cells that have endocytosed Cre. The peptides, therefore, act in trans and do not require conjugation to the payload, greatly simplifying sample preparation. Moreover, the delivery peptides are exclusively composed of natural amino acids and are consequently readily degradable and processed by cells. We envision that this approach will be beneficial to applications that require the transient introduction of proteins into cells in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason K. Allen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Theresa C. Sutherland
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
| | - Austin R. Prater
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Cédric G. Geoffroy
- Department of Neuroscience and Experimental Therapeutics, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Bryan, TX 77807, USA
| | - Jean-Philippe Pellois
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, and Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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31
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Hydrophobicity is a key determinant in the activity of arginine-rich cell penetrating peptides. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15981. [PMID: 36156072 PMCID: PMC9510126 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20425-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
To deliver useful biological payloads into the cytosolic space of cells, cell-penetrating peptides have to cross biological membranes. The molecular features that control or enhance this activity remain unclear. Herein, a dimeric template of the arginine-rich HIV TAT CPP was used to establish the effect of incorporating groups and residues of various chemical structures and properties. A positive correlation is established between the relative hydrophobicity of these additional moieties and the ability of the CPP conjugates to deliver a peptidic probe into live cells. CPP conjugates with low hydrophobicity lead to no detectable delivery activity, while CPPs containing groups of increasing hydrophobicity achieve intracellular delivery at low micromolar concentrations. Notably, the chemical structures of the hydrophobic groups do not appear to play a role in overall cell penetration activity. The cell penetration activity detected is consistent with endosomal escape. Leakage assays with lipid bilayer of endosomal membrane composition also establish a positive correlation between hydrophobicity and membrane permeation. Overall, these results indicate that the presence of a relatively hydrophobic moiety, regardless of structure, is required in a CPP structure to enhance its cell penetration. It also indicates that simple modifications, including fluorophores used for cell imaging or small payloads, modulate the activity of CPPs and that a given CPP-conjugate may be unique in its membrane permeation properties.
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32
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Efficient spatially targeted gene editing using a near-infrared activatable protein-conjugated nanoparticle for brain applications. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4135. [PMID: 35840564 PMCID: PMC9287341 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31791-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial control of gene expression is critical to modulate cellular functions and deconstruct the function of individual genes in biological processes. Light-responsive gene-editing formulations have been recently developed; however, they have shown limited applicability in vivo due to poor tissue penetration, limited cellular transfection and the difficulty in evaluating the activity of the edited cells. Here, we report a formulation composed of upconversion nanoparticles conjugated with Cre recombinase enzyme through a photocleavable linker, and a lysosomotropic agent that facilitates endolysosomal escape. This formulation allows in vitro spatial control in gene editing after activation with near-infrared light. We further demonstrate the potential of this formulation in vivo through three different paradigms: (i) gene editing in neurogenic niches, (ii) gene editing in the ventral tegmental area to facilitate monitoring of edited cells by precise optogenetic control of reward and reinforcement, and (iii) gene editing in a localized brain region via a noninvasive administration route (i.e., intranasal). Spatial control of gene expression allows precise control over biological processes. Here, the authors develop an efficient light-responsive formulation based on upconversion nanoparticles, and demonstrate on-demand genetic manipulation in deep brain tissue.
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33
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Zhou M, Zou X, Cheng K, Zhong S, Su Y, Wu T, Tao Y, Cong L, Yan B, Jiang Y. The role of cell-penetrating peptides in potential anti-cancer therapy. Clin Transl Med 2022; 12:e822. [PMID: 35593206 PMCID: PMC9121317 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the complex physiological structure, microenvironment and multiple physiological barriers, traditional anti-cancer drugs are severely restricted from reaching the tumour site. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are typically made up of 5-30 amino acids, and can be utilised as molecular transporters to facilitate the passage of therapeutic drugs across physiological barriers. Up to now, CPPs have widely been used in many anti-cancer treatment strategies, serving as an excellent potential choice for oncology treatment. However, their drawbacks, such as the lack of cell specificity, short duration of action, poor stability in vivo, compatibility problems (i.e. immunogenicity), poor therapeutic efficacy and formation of unwanted metabolites, have limited their further application in cancer treatment. The cellular uptake mechanisms of CPPs involve mainly endocytosis and direct penetration, but still remain highly controversial in academia. The CPPs-based drug delivery strategy could be improved by clever design or chemical modifications to develop the next-generation CPPs with enhanced cell penetration capability, stability and selectivity. In addition, some recent advances in targeted cell penetration that involve CPPs provide some new ideas to optimise CPPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiling Zhou
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xi Zou
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Kexin Cheng
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Suye Zhong
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yangzhou Su
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Tao Wu
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yongguang Tao
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion, Ministry of Education, Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, School of Basic Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Li Cong
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Bin Yan
- Department of Pathology, The Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yiqun Jiang
- The Key Laboratory of Model Animal and Stem Cell Biology in Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,School of Medicine, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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In Situ Electroporation on PERFECT Filter for High-Efficiency and High-Viability Tumor Cell Labeling. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13050672. [PMID: 35630139 PMCID: PMC9146625 DOI: 10.3390/mi13050672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Labeling-assisted visualization is a powerful strategy to track circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for mechanism study (e.g., tumor metastasis). Due to the rarity of CTCs in the whole blood, efficient simultaneous enrichment and labeling of CTCs are needed. Hereby, novel in situ electroporation on a previously-developed micropore-arrayed filter (PERFECT filter) is proposed. Benefiting from the ultra-small-thickness and high-porosity of the filter plus high precision pore diameter, target rare tumor cells were enriched with less damage and uniform size distribution, contributing to enhanced molecular delivery efficiency and cell viability in the downstream electroporation. Various biomolecules (e.g., small molecule dyes, plasmids, and functional proteins) were used to verify this in situ electroporation system. High labeling efficiency (74.08 ± 2.94%) and high viability (81.15 ± 3.04%, verified via live/dead staining) were achieved by optimizing the parameters of electric field strength and pulse number, ensuring the labeled tumor cells can be used for further culture and down-stream analysis. In addition, high specificity (99.03 ± 1.67%) probing of tumor cells was further achieved by introducing fluorescent dye-conjugated antibodies into target cells. The whole procedure, including cell separation and electroporation, can be finished quickly (<10 min). The proposed in situ electroporation on the PERFECT filter system has great potential to track CTCs for tumor metastasis studies.
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Szabó I, Yousef M, Soltész D, Bató C, Mező G, Bánóczi Z. Redesigning of Cell-Penetrating Peptides to Improve Their Efficacy as a Drug Delivery System. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14050907. [PMID: 35631493 PMCID: PMC9146218 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14050907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) are promising tools for the transport of a broad range of compounds into cells. Since the discovery of the first members of this peptide family, many other peptides have been identified; nowadays, dozens of these peptides are known. These peptides sometimes have very different chemical–physical properties, but they have similar drawbacks; e.g., non-specific internalization, fast elimination from the body, intracellular/vesicular entrapment. Although our knowledge regarding the mechanism and structure–activity relationship of internalization is growing, the prediction and design of the cell-penetrating properties are challenging. In this review, we focus on the different modifications of well-known CPPs to avoid their drawbacks, as well as how these modifications may increase their internalization and/or change the mechanism of penetration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ildikó Szabó
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary;
- Correspondence: (I.S.); (Z.B.)
| | - Mo’ath Yousef
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (M.Y.); (D.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Dóra Soltész
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (M.Y.); (D.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Csaba Bató
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (M.Y.); (D.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Gábor Mező
- MTA-ELTE Research Group of Peptide Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary;
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (M.Y.); (D.S.); (C.B.)
| | - Zoltán Bánóczi
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary; (M.Y.); (D.S.); (C.B.)
- Correspondence: (I.S.); (Z.B.)
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Abstract
AbstractBiophysical studies have a very high impact on the understanding of internalization, molecular mechanisms, interactions, and localization of CPPs and CPP/cargo conjugates in live cells or in vivo. Biophysical studies are often first carried out in test-tube set-ups or in vitro, leading to the complicated in vivo systems. This review describes recent studies of CPP internalization, mechanisms, and localization. The multiple methods in these studies reveal different novel and important aspects and define the rules for CPP mechanisms, hopefully leading to their improved applicability to novel and safe therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matjaž Zorko
- University of Ljubljana, Medical Faculty, Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Vrazov trg 2, 1000Ljubljana, Slovenia,
| | - Ülo Langel
- University of Stockholm, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Svante Arrhenius väg 16, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden, , and Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu, Estonia, 50411
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37
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Buyanova M, Sahni A, Yang R, Sarkar A, Salim H, Pei D. Discovery of a Cyclic Cell-Penetrating Peptide with Improved Endosomal Escape and Cytosolic Delivery Efficiency. Mol Pharm 2022; 19:1378-1388. [PMID: 35405068 PMCID: PMC9175492 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.1c00924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cyclic cell-penetrating peptide 12 (CPP12) is highly efficient for the cytosolic delivery of a variety of cargo molecules into mammalian cells in vitro and in vivo. However, its cytosolic entry efficiency is substantially reduced at lower concentrations or in the presence of serum proteins. In this study, CPP12 analogs were prepared by replacing its hydrophobic residues with amino acids of varying hydrophobicity and evaluated for cellular entry. Substitution of l-3-benzothienylalanine (Bta) for l-2-naphthylalanine (Nal) resulted in CPP12-2, which exhibits up to 3.8-fold higher cytosolic entry efficiency than CPP12, especially at low CPP concentrations; thanks to improved endosomal escape efficiency. CPP12-2 is well suited for the cytosolic delivery of highly potent cargos to achieve biological activity at low concentrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Buyanova
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 100 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Ashweta Sahni
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 100 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Rui Yang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 100 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Amar Sarkar
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 100 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Heba Salim
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 100 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Dehua Pei
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 100 West 18th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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38
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Using ELP Repeats as a Scaffold for De Novo Construction of Gadolinium-Binding Domains within Multifunctional Recombinant Proteins for Targeted Delivery of Gadolinium to Tumour Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063297. [PMID: 35328725 PMCID: PMC8949254 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Three artificial proteins that bind the gadolinium ion (Gd3+) with tumour-specific ligands were de novo engineered and tested as candidate drugs for binary radiotherapy (BRT) and contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Gd3+-binding modules were derived from calmodulin. They were joined with elastin-like polypeptide (ELP) repeats from human elastin to form the four-centre Gd3+-binding domain (4MBS-domain) that further was combined with F3 peptide (a ligand of nucleolin, a tumour marker) to form the F3-W4 block. The F3-W4 block was taken alone (E2-13W4 protein), as two repeats (E1-W8) and as three repeats (E1-W12). Each protein was supplemented with three copies of the RGD motif (a ligand of integrin αvβ3) and green fluorescent protein (GFP). In contrast to Magnevist (a Gd-containing contrast agent), the proteins exhibited three to four times higher accumulation in U87MG glioma and A375 melanoma cell lines than in normal fibroblasts. The proteins remained for >24 h in tumours induced by Ca755 adenocarcinoma in C57BL/6 mice. They exhibited stability towards blood proteases and only accumulated in the liver and kidney. The technological advantages of using the engineered proteins as a basis for developing efficient and non-toxic agents for early diagnosis of tumours by MRI as well as part of BRT were demonstrated.
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Tietz O, Cortezon-Tamarit F, Chalk R, Able S, Vallis KA. Tricyclic cell-penetrating peptides for efficient delivery of functional antibodies into cancer cells. Nat Chem 2022; 14:284-293. [PMID: 35145246 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00866-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The intracellular environment hosts a large number of cancer- and other disease-relevant human proteins. Targeting these with internalized antibodies would allow therapeutic modulation of hitherto undruggable pathways, such as those mediated by protein-protein interactions. However, one of the major obstacles in intracellular targeting is the entrapment of biomacromolecules in the endosome. Here we report an approach to delivering antibodies and antibody fragments into the cytosol and nucleus of cells using trimeric cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). Four trimers, based on linear and cyclic sequences of the archetypal CPP Tat, are significantly more potent than monomers and can be tuned to function by direct interaction with the plasma membrane or escape from vesicle-like bodies. These studies identify a tricyclic Tat construct that enables intracellular delivery of functional immunoglobulin-G antibodies and Fab fragments that bind intracellular targets in the cytosol and nuclei of live cells at effective concentrations as low as 1 μM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ole Tietz
- Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Rod Chalk
- Centre for Medicines Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Sarah Able
- Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Katherine A Vallis
- Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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40
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Abstract
Biomolecules such as peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids generally cannot cross a cell membrane by passive diffusion. Nevertheless, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), bacterial protein toxins, certain eukaryotic proteins, viruses, and many synthetic drug delivery vehicles have been shown to enter the cytosol of eukaryotic cells with varying efficiencies. They generally enter the cell by one or more of the endocytic mechanisms and are initially localized inside the endosomes. But how they cross the endosomal membrane to reach the cytosol (i.e., endosomal escape) has been a mystery for decades, and this knowledge gap has been a major bottleneck for the development of efficient drug delivery systems. In addition, many bacterial and eukaryotic proteins are transported across the plasma membrane in their native states into the periplasmic/extracellular space through the twin-arginine translocation (TAT) and unconventional protein secretion (UPS) systems, respectively. Again, the mechanisms underpinning these protein export systems remain unclear.In this Account, I introduce a previously unrecognized, fundamental membrane translocation mechanism which we have termed the vesicle budding-and-collapse (VBC) mechanism. Through VBC, biomolecules of diverse sizes and physicochemical properties autonomously translocate across cell membranes topologically (i.e., from one side to the other side of the membrane) but not physically (i.e., without going through the membrane). We have demonstrated that CPPs and bacterial protein toxins escape the endosome by the VBC mechanism in giant unilamellar vesicles as well as live mammalian cells. This advance resulted from studies in which we labeled the biomolecules with a pH-sensitive, red-colored dye (pHAb) and phosphatidylserine with a pH-insensitive green dye (TopFluor) and monitored the intracellular trafficking of the biomolecules in real time by confocal microscopy. In addition, by enlarging the endosomes with a kinase inhibitor, we were able to visualize the structural changes of the endosomes (i.e., endosomal escape intermediates) as they went through the VBC process. I postulate that bacterial/viral/eukaryotic proteins, nonenveloped viruses, and synthetic drug delivery vehicles (e.g., polyplexes, lipoplexes, and lipid nanoparticles) may also escape the endosome by inducing VBC. Furthermore, I propose that VBC may be the mechanism that drives the bacterial TAT and eukaryotic UPS systems. Our findings fill a long-standing gap in cell biology and provide guiding principles for designing more efficient drug delivery vehicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dehua Pei
- Corresponding Author: To whom correspondence should be addressed: Dehua Pei. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and Ohio State Biochemistry Program, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States; (+1-614-688-4068, )
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41
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Suzuki M, Iwaki K, Kikuchi M, Fujiwara K, Doi N. Characterization of the membrane penetration-enhancing peptide S19 derived from human syncytin-1 for the intracellular delivery of TAT-fused proteins. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 586:63-67. [PMID: 34826702 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.11.065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Although cell-penetrating peptides such as the HIV-derived TAT peptide have been used as tools for the intracellular delivery of therapeutic peptides and proteins, a problem persists: the endosomal escape efficiency is low. Previously, we found that the fusogenic peptide S19, derived from the human protein syncytin-1, enhance the endosomal escape efficiency of proteins that incorporated by endocytosis via TAT. In this study, we first performed Ala-scanning mutagenesis of S19, and found that all Ile, Val, Leu and Phe with high β-sheet forming propensities in S19 are important for the intracellular uptake of S19-TAT-fused proteins. In a secondary structure analysis of the mutated S19-TAT peptides in the presence of liposomes mimicking late endosomes (LEs), the CD spectra of V3A and I4A mutants with low uptake activity showed the appearance of an α-helix structure, whereas the mutant G5A retained both the uptake activity and the β-structure. In addition, we investigated the appropriate linking position and order of the S19 and TAT peptides to a cargo protein including an apoptosis-induced peptide and found that both the previous C-terminal S19-TAT tag and the N-terminal TAT-S19 tag promote the cytoplasmic delivery of the fusion protein. These results and previous results suggest that the interaction of TAT with the LE membrane causes a structural change in S19 from a random coil to a β-strand and that the subsequent parallel β-sheet formation between two S19 peptides may promote adjacent TAT dimerization, resulting in endosomal escape from the LE membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayuko Suzuki
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kouta Iwaki
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Moeki Kikuchi
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan
| | - Nobuhide Doi
- Department of Biosciences and Informatics, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Yokohama, 223-8522, Japan.
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Mollé LM, Smyth CH, Yuen D, Johnston APR. Nanoparticles for vaccine and gene therapy: Overcoming the barriers to nucleic acid delivery. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 14:e1809. [PMID: 36416028 PMCID: PMC9786906 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Nucleic acid therapeutics can be used to control virtually every aspect of cell behavior and therefore have significant potential to treat genetic disorders, infectious diseases, and cancer. However, while clinically approved to treat a small number of diseases, the full potential of nucleic acid therapeutics is hampered by inefficient delivery. Nucleic acids are large, highly charged biomolecules that are sensitive to degradation and so the approaches to deliver these molecules differ significantly from traditional small molecule drugs. Current studies suggest less than 1% of the injected nucleic acid dose is delivered to the target cell in an active form. This inefficient delivery increases costs and limits their use to applications where a small amount of nucleic acid is sufficient. In this review, we focus on two of the major barriers to efficient nucleic acid delivery: (1) delivery to the target cell and (2) transport to the subcellular compartment where the nucleic acids are therapeutically active. We explore how nanoparticles can be modified with targeting ligands to increase accumulation in specific cells, and how the composition of the nanoparticle can be engineered to manipulate or disrupt cellular membranes and facilitate delivery to the optimal subcellular compartments. Finally, we highlight how with intelligent material design, nanoparticle delivery systems have been developed to deliver nucleic acids that silence aberrant genes, correct genetic mutations, and act as both therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Cells at the Nanoscale Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Lipid-Based Structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M. Mollé
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash UniversityParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Cameron H. Smyth
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash UniversityParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Daniel Yuen
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash UniversityParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Angus P. R. Johnston
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical SciencesMonash UniversityParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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43
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He W, Evans AC, Hynes WF, Coleman MA, Robertson C. Nanolipoprotein-Mediated Her2 Protein Transfection Induces Malignant Transformation in Human Breast Acinar Cultures. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:29416-29423. [PMID: 34778614 PMCID: PMC8581977 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c03086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Her2 overexpression is associated with an aggressive form of breast cancer and malignant transformation. We demonstrate in this work that nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) synthesized in a cell-free manner can be used to transfer Her2 protein into the membrane of nonmalignant cells in 3D culture in a nontoxic and facile manner. With NLP-mediated Her2 protein delivery, we observed an increased probability of nonmalignant cells forming apolar nongrowth-arrested tumor-like structures. The NLP delivery system alone or Her2-NLPs plus the Her2 inhibitor trastuzumab showed no effect on the acinar organization rate, indicating that Her2 signaling is key to this process. Transcriptomics revealed essentially no effect of empty NLPs compared to untreated cells, whereas Her2-NLPs versus either untreated or empty-NLP-treated cells revealed upregulation of several factors associated with breast cancer. Pathway analysis also suggested that known nodes downstream of Her2 were activated in response to Her2-NLP treatment. This demonstrates that Her2 protein delivery with NLPs is sufficient for the malignant transformation of nonmalignant cells. Thus, this system offers a new model for studying cell surface receptor signaling without genomic modification or transformation techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei He
- Physical
and Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Angela C. Evans
- Radiation
Oncology, University of California Davis
School of Medicine, 4501
X Street, Sacramento, California 95817, United States
| | - William F. Hynes
- Materials
Engineering Division, Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
| | - Matthew A. Coleman
- Physical
and Life Sciences Division, Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
- Radiation
Oncology, University of California Davis
School of Medicine, 4501
X Street, Sacramento, California 95817, United States
| | - Claire Robertson
- Materials
Engineering Division, Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, California 94550, United States
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44
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Chen X, Liu H, Li A, Ji S, Fei H. Hydrophobicity-tuned anion responsiveness underlies endosomolytic cargo delivery mediated by amphipathic vehicle peptides. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101364. [PMID: 34736897 PMCID: PMC8639468 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Peptide conformation can change subject to environment cues. This concept also applies to many cationic amphipathic peptides (CAPs) known to have cell membrane lytic or penetrative activities. Well-conditioned CAPs can match the properties of the target membrane to support their intended biological functions, e.g., intracellular cargo delivery; however, the intricacy in such conditioning surpasses our current understanding. Here we focused on hydrophobicity, a key biophysical property that dictates the membrane activity of CAPs, and applied a structure–function strategy to evolve a template peptide for endosomolytic cargo delivery. The template was subjected to iterative adjustment to balance hydrophobicity between its N-terminal linear and C-terminal helical domains. We demonstrate that the obtained peptide, LP6, could dramatically promote cargo cell entry and facilitate cytosolic delivery of biomacromolecules such as FITC-dextran, saporin, and human IgG. Among the evolved peptide series, LP6 has low cytotoxicity and moderate hydrophobicity, exhibits maximum change in helical conformation in response to negatively charged phospholipids, and also shows an apparent aggregational behavior in response to sialic acid enrichment. These attributes of LP6 collectively indicate that its anion-responsive conformational change is a critical underlining of its endosomolytic cargo delivery capability. Our results also suggest that modulation of hydrophobicity serves as a key to the precise tuning of CAP's membrane activity for future biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Hanjie Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Ang Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Shuangshuang Ji
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Hao Fei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China; School of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
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45
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Iwata T, Hirose H, Sakamoto K, Hirai Y, Arafiles JVV, Akishiba M, Imanishi M, Futaki S. Liquid Droplet Formation and Facile Cytosolic Translocation of IgG in the Presence of Attenuated Cationic Amphiphilic Lytic Peptides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202105527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Iwata
- Institute for Chemical Research Kyoto University, Uji Kyoto 611-0011 Japan
| | - Hisaaki Hirose
- Institute for Chemical Research Kyoto University, Uji Kyoto 611-0011 Japan
| | - Kentarou Sakamoto
- Institute for Chemical Research Kyoto University, Uji Kyoto 611-0011 Japan
| | - Yusuke Hirai
- Institute for Chemical Research Kyoto University, Uji Kyoto 611-0011 Japan
| | | | - Misao Akishiba
- Institute for Chemical Research Kyoto University, Uji Kyoto 611-0011 Japan
| | - Miki Imanishi
- Institute for Chemical Research Kyoto University, Uji Kyoto 611-0011 Japan
| | - Shiroh Futaki
- Institute for Chemical Research Kyoto University, Uji Kyoto 611-0011 Japan
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46
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Hausig F, Sobotta FH, Richter F, Harz DO, Traeger A, Brendel JC. Correlation between Protonation of Tailor-Made Polypiperazines and Endosomal Escape for Cytosolic Protein Delivery. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:35233-35247. [PMID: 34283557 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c00829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Responsive polymers, which become protonated at decreasing pH, are considered a milestone in the development of synthetic cell entry vectors. Exact correlations between their properties and their ability to escape the endosome, however, often remain elusive due to hydrophobic interactions or limitations in the design of water-soluble materials with suitable basicity. Here, we present a series of well-defined, hydrophilic polypiperazines, where systematic variation of the amino moiety facilitates an unprecedented fine-tuning of the basicity or pKa value within the physiologically relevant range (pH 6-7.4). Coincubation of HEK 293T cells with various probes, including small fluorophores or functioning proteins, revealed a rapid increase of endosomal release for polymers with pKa values above 6.5 or 7 in serum-free or serum-containing media, respectively. Similarly, cytotoxic effects became severe at increased pKa values (>7). Although the window for effective transport appears narrow, the discovered correlations offer a principal guideline for the design of effective polymers for endosomal escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Hausig
- Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstrasse 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Fabian H Sobotta
- Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstrasse 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Friederike Richter
- Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstrasse 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Dominic O Harz
- Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstrasse 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Anja Traeger
- Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstrasse 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Johannes C Brendel
- Laboratory of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry (IOMC), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Humboldtstrasse 10, 07743 Jena, Germany
- Jena Center for Soft Matter (JCSM), Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 7, 07743 Jena, Germany
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47
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Iwata T, Hirose H, Sakamoto K, Hirai Y, Arafiles JVV, Akishiba M, Imanishi M, Futaki S. Liquid Droplet Formation and Facile Cytosolic Translocation of IgG in the Presence of Attenuated Cationic Amphiphilic Lytic Peptides. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:19804-19812. [PMID: 34114295 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202105527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Fc region binding peptide conjugated with attenuated cationic amphiphilic lytic peptide L17E trimer [FcB(L17E)3 ] was designed for immunoglobulin G (IgG) delivery into cells. Particle-like liquid droplets were generated by mixing Alexa Fluor 488 labeled IgG (Alexa488-IgG) with FcB(L17E)3 . Droplet contact with the cellular membrane led to spontaneous influx and distribution of Alexa488-IgG throughout cells in serum containing medium. Involvement of cellular machinery accompanied by actin polymerization and membrane ruffling was suggested for the translocation. Alexa488-IgG negative charges were crucial in liquid droplet formation with positively charged FcB(L17E)3 . Binding of IgG to FcB(L17E)3 may not be necessary. Successful intracellular delivery of Alexa Fluor 594-labeled anti-nuclear pore complex antibody and anti-mCherry-nanobody tagged with supernegatively charged green fluorescence protein allowed binding to cellular targets in the presence of FcB(L17E)3 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Iwata
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Hisaaki Hirose
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Kentarou Sakamoto
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Yusuke Hirai
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | | | - Misao Akishiba
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Miki Imanishi
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
| | - Shiroh Futaki
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan
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48
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Kumar S, Li A, Thadhani NN, Prausnitz MR. Optimization of intracellular macromolecule delivery by nanoparticle-mediated photoporation. NANOMEDICINE-NANOTECHNOLOGY BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2021; 37:102431. [PMID: 34175453 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2021.102431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Nanoparticle-mediated photoporation is a novel delivery platform for intracellular molecule delivery. We studied the dependence of macromolecular delivery on molecular weight and sought to enhance delivery efficiency. DU145 prostate cancer cells were exposed to pulsed laser beam in the presence of carbon-black nanoparticles. Intracellular uptake of molecules decreased with increasing molecular weight. Attributing this dependence to molecular diffusivity, we hypothesized that macromolecular delivery efficiency could be enhanced by increasing either laser fluence or laser exposure duration at low fluence. We observed increased percentages of macromolecule uptake by cells in both cases. However, trade-off between cell uptake and viability loss was most favorable at low laser fluence (25-29 mJ/cm2) and longer exposure durations (4-5 min). We conclude that long exposure at low laser fluence optimizes intracellular macromolecule delivery by nanoparticle-mediated photoporation, which may be explained by longer time for macromolecules to diffuse into cells, during and between laser pulses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simple Kumar
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Andrew Li
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Naresh N Thadhani
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mark R Prausnitz
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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49
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Schneider AFL, Kithil M, Cardoso MC, Lehmann M, Hackenberger CPR. Cellular uptake of large biomolecules enabled by cell-surface-reactive cell-penetrating peptide additives. Nat Chem 2021; 13:530-539. [PMID: 33859390 DOI: 10.1038/s41557-021-00661-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Enabling the cellular delivery and cytosolic bioavailability of functional proteins constitutes a major challenge for the life sciences. Here we demonstrate that thiol-reactive arginine-rich peptide additives can enhance the cellular uptake of protein-CPP conjugates in a non-endocytic mode, even at low micromolar concentration. We show that such thiol- or HaloTag-reactive additives can result in covalently anchored CPPs on the cell surface, which are highly effective at co-delivering protein cargoes. Taking advantage of the thiol reactivity of our most effective CPP additive, we show that Cys-containing proteins can be readily delivered into the cytosol by simple co-addition of a slight excess of this CPP. Furthermore, we demonstrate the application of our 'CPP-additive technique' in the delivery of functional enzymes, nanobodies and full-length immunoglobulin-G antibodies. This new cellular uptake protocol greatly simplifies both the accessibility and efficiency of protein and antibody delivery, with minimal chemical or genetic engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anselm F L Schneider
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany.,Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marina Kithil
- Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | | | - Martin Lehmann
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian P R Hackenberger
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany. .,Department of Chemistry, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
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50
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Sakamoto K, Michibata J, Hirai Y, Ide A, Ikitoh A, Takatani-Nakase T, Futaki S. Potentiating the Membrane Interaction of an Attenuated Cationic Amphiphilic Lytic Peptide for Intracellular Protein Delivery by Anchoring with Pyrene Moiety. Bioconjug Chem 2021; 32:950-957. [PMID: 33861579 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.1c00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
We previously reported an approach for intracellular protein delivery by attenuating membrane-lytic activity of cationic amphiphilic peptides on cell surfaces. HAad is one such peptides that cytosolically delivers proteins of interest, including antibodies, by stimulating their endosomal escape. Additionally, HAad elicits ruffling of cell membrane, accompanied by transient membrane permeabilization, allowing for the efficient cytosolic translocation of proteins. In this study, we prepared a conjugate of HAad with pyrenebutyric acid as a membrane-anchoring unit (pBu-HAad). pBu-HAad demonstrated protein delivery into cells with only 1/20 concentration of HAad. However, the conjugates with cholesteryl hemisuccinate and aliphatic fatty acids (C = 3, 6, and 10) did not yield such marked effects. The results of time-course and inhibitor studies suggest that the membrane anchoring of HAad by a pyrene moiety leads to enhanced peptide-membrane interaction and to loosen lipid packing, thus facilitating cytosolic translocation through membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentarou Sakamoto
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Junya Michibata
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Yusuke Hirai
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | - Akiko Ide
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Asuka Ikitoh
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
| | | | - Shiroh Futaki
- Institute for Chemical Research, Kyoto University, Uji, Kyoto 611-0011, Japan
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