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Rosenke K, Leventhal S, Moulton HM, Hatlevig S, Hawman D, Feldmann H, Stein DA. Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cell cultures by peptide-conjugated morpholino oligomers. J Antimicrob Chemother 2021; 76:413-417. [PMID: 33164048 PMCID: PMC7717290 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkaa460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background As the causative agent of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 is a pathogen of immense importance to global public health. Development of innovative direct-acting antiviral agents is sorely needed to address this virus. Peptide-conjugated morpholino oligomers (PPMO) are antisense compounds composed of a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer covalently conjugated to a cell-penetrating peptide. PPMO require no delivery assistance to enter cells and are able to reduce expression of targeted RNA through sequence-specific steric blocking. Methods Five PPMO designed against sequences of genomic RNA in the SARS-CoV-2 5′-untranslated region and a negative control PPMO of random sequence were synthesized. Each PPMO was evaluated for its effect on the viability of uninfected cells and its inhibitory effect on the replication of SARS-CoV-2 in Vero-E6 cell cultures. Cell viability was evaluated with an ATP-based method using a 48 h PPMO treatment time. Viral growth was measured with quantitative RT–PCR and TCID50 infectivity assays from experiments where cells received a 5 h PPMO treatment time. Results PPMO designed to base-pair with sequence in the 5′ terminal region or the leader transcription regulatory sequence region of SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA were highly efficacious, reducing viral titres by up to 4–6 log10 in cell cultures at 48–72 h post-infection, in a non-toxic and dose-responsive manner. Conclusions The data indicate that PPMO have the ability to potently and specifically suppress SARS-CoV-2 growth and are promising candidates for further preclinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Rosenke
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Shanna Leventhal
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Hong M Moulton
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Susan Hatlevig
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - David Hawman
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Heinz Feldmann
- Laboratory of Virology, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - David A Stein
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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Varnamkhasti BS, Jafari S, Taghavi F, Alaei L, Izadi Z, Lotfabadi A, Dehghanian M, Jaymand M, Derakhshankhah H, Saboury AA. Cell-Penetrating Peptides: As a Promising Theranostics Strategy to Circumvent the Blood-Brain Barrier for CNS Diseases. Curr Drug Deliv 2020; 17:375-386. [DOI: 10.2174/1567201817666200415111755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The passage of therapeutic molecules across the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) is a profound challenge for the management of the Central Nervous System (CNS)-related diseases. The ineffectual nature of traditional treatments for CNS disorders led to the abundant endeavor of researchers for the design the effective approaches in order to bypass BBB during recent decades. Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) were found to be one of the promising strategies to manage CNS disorders. CPPs are short peptide sequences with translocation capacity across the biomembrane. With special regard to their two key advantages like superior permeability as well as low cytotoxicity, these peptide sequences represent an appropriate solution to promote therapeutic/theranostic delivery into the CNS. This scenario highlights CPPs with specific emphasis on their applicability as a novel theranostic delivery system into the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behrang Shiri Varnamkhasti
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical, Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Samira Jafari
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical, Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Taghavi
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Loghman Alaei
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical, Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Zhila Izadi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical, Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Alireza Lotfabadi
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical, Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Dehghanian
- Department of Biotechnology, Shahr-e Kord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahr-e Kord, Iran
| | - Mehdi Jaymand
- Nano Drug Delivery Research Center, Health Technology Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Hossein Derakhshankhah
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical, Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Ali Akbar Saboury
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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Durzyńska J, Przysiecka Ł, Nawrot R, Barylski J, Nowicki G, Warowicka A, Musidlak O, Goździcka-Józefiak A. Viral and Other Cell-Penetrating Peptides as Vectors of Therapeutic Agents in Medicine. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2015; 354:32-42. [DOI: 10.1124/jpet.115.223305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
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Järver P, O'Donovan L, Gait MJ. A chemical view of oligonucleotides for exon skipping and related drug applications. Nucleic Acid Ther 2013; 24:37-47. [PMID: 24171481 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2013.0454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Järver
- Medical Research Council , Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Coursindel T, Järver P, Gait MJ. Peptide-based in vivo delivery agents for oligonucleotides and siRNA. Nucleic Acid Ther 2012; 22:71-6. [PMID: 22409235 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2012.0341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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Abstract
The chemistry of the oligonucleotide backbone is crucial to obtaining high activity in vivo in exon skipping applications. Apart from the ability to bind strongly and sequence-specifically to pre-mRNA targets, the type of backbone also influences cell delivery, in vivo pharmacology, bio-distribution, toxicology, and ultimately the therapeutic use in humans. Reviewed here are classes of oligonucleotide commonly used for exon skipping applications, namely negatively charged backbones typified by RNA analogues having 2'-O-substitution and a phosphorothioate linkage and charge-neutral backbones such as PNA and PMO. Also discussed are peptide conjugates of PNA and PMO that enhance cellular and in vivo delivery and their potential for drug development. Finally, the prospects for development of other analogue types in exon skipping applications are outlined.
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Saleh AF, Arzumanov A, Abes R, Owen D, Lebleu B, Gait MJ. Synthesis and splice-redirecting activity of branched, arginine-rich peptide dendrimer conjugates of peptide nucleic acid oligonucleotides. Bioconjug Chem 2011; 21:1902-11. [PMID: 20879728 PMCID: PMC2963316 DOI: 10.1021/bc100275r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides have found excellent utility in cell and in vivo models for enhancement of delivery of attached charge-neutral PNA or PMO oligonucleotides. We report the synthesis of dendrimeric peptides containing 2- or 4-branched arms each having one or more R-Ahx-R motifs and their disulfide conjugation to a PNA705 splice-redirecting oligonucleotide. Conjugates were assayed in a HeLa pLuc705 cell assay for luciferase up-regulation and splicing redirection. Whereas 8-Arg branched peptide−PNA conjugates showed poor activity compared to a linear (R-Ahx-R)4−PNA conjugate, 2-branched and some 4-branched 12 and 16 Arg peptide−PNA conjugates showed activity similar to that of the corresponding linear peptide−PNA conjugates. Many of the 12- and 16-Arg conjugates retained significant activity in the presence of serum. Evidence showed that biological activity in HeLa pLuc705 cells of the PNA conjugates of branched and linear (R-Ahx-R) peptides is associated with an energy-dependent uptake pathway, predominantly clathrin-dependent, but also with some caveolae dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amer F Saleh
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Heitz F, Morris MC, Divita G. Twenty years of cell-penetrating peptides: from molecular mechanisms to therapeutics. Br J Pharmacol 2009; 157:195-206. [PMID: 19309362 PMCID: PMC2697800 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2009.00057.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 657] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent discovery of new potent therapeutic molecules that do not reach the clinic due to poor delivery and low bioavailability have made of delivery a key stone in therapeutic development. Several technologies have been designed to improve cellular uptake of therapeutic molecules, including cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). CPPs were first discovered based on the potency of several proteins to enter cells. Numerous CPPs have been described so far, which can be grouped into two major classes, the first requiring chemical linkage with the drug for cellular internalization and the second involving formation of stable, non-covalent complexes with drugs. Nowadays, CPPs constitute very promising tools for non-invasive cellular import of cargo and have been successfully applied for in vitro and in vivo delivery of therapeutic molecules varying from small chemical molecule, nucleic acids, proteins, peptides, liposomes and particles. This review will focus on the structure/function and cellular uptake mechanism of CPPs in the general context of drug delivery. We will also highlight the application of peptide carriers for the delivery of therapeutic molecules and provide an update of their clinical evaluation. This article is part of a themed section on Vector Design and Drug Delivery. For a list of all articles in this section see the end of this paper, or visit: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/121548564/issueyear?year=2009
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Heitz
- Centre de Recherches de Biochimie Macromoléculaire, UMR 5237, CNRS, UM-1, UM-2, CRBM-Department of Molecular Biophysics and Therapeutics, 1919 Route de Mende, Montpellier, France
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Ivanova GD, Arzumanov A, Abes R, Yin H, Wood MJA, Lebleu B, Gait MJ. Improved cell-penetrating peptide-PNA conjugates for splicing redirection in HeLa cells and exon skipping in mdx mouse muscle. Nucleic Acids Res 2008; 36:6418-28. [PMID: 18842625 PMCID: PMC2582604 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkn671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Steric blocking peptide nucleic acid (PNA) oligonucleotides have been used increasingly for redirecting RNA splicing particularly in therapeutic applications such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Covalent attachment of a cell-penetrating peptide helps to improve cell delivery of PNA. We have used a HeLa pLuc705 cell splicing redirection assay to develop a series of PNA internalization peptides (Pip) conjugated to an 18-mer PNA705 model oligonucleotide with higher activity compared to a PNA705 conjugate with a leading cell-penetrating peptide being developed for therapeutic use, (R-Ahx-R)4. We show that Pip–PNA705 conjugates are internalized in HeLa cells by an energy-dependent mechanism and that the predominant pathway of cell uptake of biologically active conjugate seems to be via clathrin-dependent endocytosis. In a mouse model of DMD, serum-stabilized Pip2a or Pip2b peptides conjugated to a 20-mer PNA (PNADMD) targeting the exon 23 mutation in the dystrophin gene showed strong exon-skipping activity in differentiated mdx mouse myotubes in culture in the absence of an added transfection agent at concentrations where naked PNADMD was inactive. Injection of Pip2a-PNADMD or Pip2b-PNADMD into the tibealis anterior muscles of mdx mice resulted in ∼3-fold higher numbers of dystrophin-positive fibres compared to naked PNADMD or (R-Ahx-R)4-PNADMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela D Ivanova
- Medical Research Council, Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Hills Road, Cambridge, UK
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Abstract
Morpholino oligonucleotides are stable, uncharged, water-soluble molecules that bind to complementary sequences of RNA, thereby inhibiting mRNA processing, read-through, and protein binding at those sites. Morpholinos are typically used to inhibit translation of mRNA, splicing of pre-mRNA, and maturation of miRNA, although they can also inhibit other interactions between biological macromolecules and RNA. Morpholinos are effective, specific, and lack non-antisense effects. They work in any cell that transcribes and translates RNA. However, unmodified Morpholinos do not pass well through plasma membranes and must therefore be delivered into the nuclear or cytosolic compartment to be effective. Morpholinos form stable base pairs with complementary nucleic acid sequences but apparently do not bind to proteins to a significant extent. They are not recognized by proteins and do not undergo protein-mediated catalysis; nor do they mediate RNA cleavage by RNase H or the RISC complex. This work focuses on techniques and background for using Morpholinos.
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