Integrated SPPS on continuous-flow radial microfluidic chip

Peptide-Mediated Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery: Developments and Strategies

Effective drug delivery is essential for cancer treatment. Drug delivery systems, which can be tailored to targeted transport and integrated tumor therapy, are vital in improving the efficiency of cancer treatment. Peptides play a significant role in various biological and physiological functions and offer high design flexibility, excellent biocompatibility, adjustable morphology, and biodegradability, making them promising candidates for drug delivery. This paper reviews peptide-mediated drug delivery systems, focusing on self-assembled peptides and peptide-drug conjugates. It discusses the mechanisms and structural control of self-assembled peptides, the varieties and roles of peptide-drug conjugates, and strategies to augment peptide stability. The review concludes by addressing challenges and future directions.

Evaluation of unexpected protecting group removal in solid-phase peptide synthesis - quantified using continuous flow methods

As peptides gained interest as new drugs in the past years, their synthetic routes had been the subject of review and improvement. Fmoc/tBu-based solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) is the most convenient technique, and the implementation in continuous flow has allowed for single-pass coupling and deprotection reactions. The focus of this research is to evaluate the relationship between undesired solvent-promoted reactions and final crude purity, by studying volume changes of a variable bed flow reactor through the synthesis. Based on the temperature, typical solvents for SPPS such as dimethylformamide (DMF) or N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) can cause unwanted Fmoc removal during wash steps. It was found that for every millilitre of DMF used at 80 °C, up to 1 μmol of Fmoc-protected peptide is deprotected, leading to additional impurities. This effect can, however, be minimised by adding additives such as HOBt; which reduces such unwanted deprotection to just 0.1 μmol/ml.

Automatic In Situ Synthesis System for Polypeptide Biochip Based on Microfluidic Mixer

Biochips have become a sophisticated analytical device in the fields of biochemical sensing and genetic analysis. However, the cumbersome preparation process and the high production cost limit the versatility of its application. Herein, we have developed an automated synthesis system for in situ preparation of biochip with peptide backbone based on the microfluidic mixer and micro reaction chamber. The microfluidic mixer was used as a key component to perform the real-time activation of the carboxylic groups, leading to an instant coupling reaction of monomers with high efficiency. The repeating synthesis procedure was realized without too much manual intervention with the help of flow control system based on programmable logical controller and LabVIEW. The real-time monitoring of synthesis process was realized using a low-cost solar cell coupled with simple ultraviolet absorption device. The photodeprotection experiment revealed that an exposure time of 4 min with 20 mW/cm² ultraviolet (UV) light at 365nm was sufficient for the complete removal of 2-(2-nitrophenyl) propyloxycarbonyl (NPPOC) groups from the synthetic sites in N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The practical capability performance of this synthesis system was further demonstrated by the synthesis of four cycles of aminocaproic acid, and the stepwise yield of coupling was measured to be about 96%, which was comparable with the result from literature, and indicated that this system may provide a new alternative for low-cost in situ synthesis of biochip.

Synthetic Peptide Libraries: From Random Mixtures to In Vivo Testing

Combinatorially generated molecular repertoires have been largely used to identify novel bioactive compounds. Ever more sophisticated technological solutions have been proposed to simplify and speed up such process, expanding the chemical diversity space and increasing the prospect to select new molecular entities with specific and potent activities against targets of therapeutic relevance. In this context, random mixtures of oligomeric peptides were originally used and since 25 years they represent a continuous source of bioactive molecules with potencies ranging from the sub-nM to microM concentration. Synthetic peptide libraries are still employed as starting "synthetic broths" of structurally and chemically diversified molecular fragments from which lead compounds can be extracted and further modified. Thousands of studies have been reported describing the application of combinatorial mixtures of synthetic peptides with different complexity and engrafted on diverse structural scaffolds for the identification of new compounds which have been further developed and also tested in in vivo models of relevant diseases. We briefly review some of the most used methodologies for library preparation and screening and the most recent case studies appeared in the literature where compounds have reached at least in vivo testing in animal or similar models. Recent technological advancements in biotechnology, engineering and computer science have suggested new options to facilitate the discovery of new bioactive peptides. In this instance, we anticipate here a new approach for the design of simple but focused tripeptide libraries against druggable cavities of therapeutic targets and its complementation with existing approaches.

The renascence of continuous-flow peptide synthesis - an abridged account of solid and solution-based approaches

Within a decade of Merrifield's seminal description of solid-phase peptide synthesis, the synergies between solid-phase approaches and flow synthesis were noted by a number of groups. However, despite the various advantages flow brings to peptide synthesis, throughout the 1990s and 2000s, interest in the technique was overshadowed by microwave assisted approaches. However, the current expansion of flow technologies has reinvigorated interest in both solid-phase and solution-phase continuous-flow approaches for assembling peptides. This perspective traces the introduction and evolution of continuous-flow solid-phase synthesis from a practical aspect with a particular focus on solid supports, acylation protocols, and racemisation suppression. Practical aspects of solution-phase continuous-flow peptide synthesis are also considered with an evaluation of microreactor systems, coupling protocols, and fragment-based approaches for assembly of extended peptide units.

Accelerated microfluidic native chemical ligation at difficult amino acids toward cyclic peptides

Cyclic peptide-based therapeutics have a promising growth forecast that justifies the development of microfluidic systems dedicated to their production, in phase with the actual transitioning toward continuous flow and microfluidic technologies for pharmaceutical production. The application of the most popular method for peptide cyclization in water, i.e., native chemical ligation, under microfluidic conditions is still unexplored. Herein, we report a general strategy for fast and efficient peptide cyclization using native chemical ligation under homogeneous microfluidic conditions. The strategy relies on a multistep sequence that concatenates the formation of highly reactive S-(2-((2-sulfanylethyl)amino)ethyl) peptidyl thioesters from stable peptide amide precursors with an intramolecular ligation step. With very fast ligation rates (<5 min), even for the most difficult junctions (including threonine, valine, isoleucine, or proline), this technology opens the door toward the scale-independent, expedient preparation of bioactive macrocyclic peptides.

Flow-based peptide synthesis is a well-established method, yet difficult to combine with native chemical ligation (NCL), the go-to method for peptide cyclization. Here, the authors developed a microfluidic procedure for peptide cyclization within minutes, using NCL and an SEA alkylthioester peptide.

High-Throughput Peptide Screening on a Bimodal Imprinting Chip Through MS-SPRi Integration

Screening of high affinity and high specificity peptide probes towards various targets is important in the biomedical field while traditional peptide screening procedure is manual and tedious. Herein, a bimodal imprinting microarray system to embrace the whole peptide screening process is presented. Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging (SPRi) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) are combined for both quantitative and qualitative identification of the peptide. The method provides a solution for high efficiency peptide screening.

HER2 Targeting Peptides Screening and Applications in Tumor Imaging and Drug Delivery

Herein, computational-aided one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) peptide library design combined with in situ single-bead sequencing microarray methods were successfully applied in screening peptides targeting at human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), a biomarker of human breast cancer. As a result, 72 novel peptides clustered into three sequence motifs which are PYL***NP, YYL***NP and PPL***NP were acquired. Particularly one of the peptides, P51, has nanomolar affinity and high specificity for HER2 in ex vivo and in vivo tests. Moreover, doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded liposome nanoparticles were modified with peptide P51 or P25 and demonstrated to improve the targeted delivery against HER2 positive cells. Our study provides an efficient peptide screening method with a combination of techniques and the novel screened peptides with a clear binding site on HER2 can be used as probes for tumor imaging and targeted drug delivery.

Efficient amide bond formation through a rapid and strong activation of carboxylic acids in a microflow reactor

The development of highly efficient amide bond forming methods which are devoid of side reactions, including epimerization, is important, and such a method is described herein and is based on the concept of rapid and strong activation of carboxylic acids. Various carboxylic acids are rapidly (0.5 s) converted into highly active species, derived from the inexpensive and less-toxic solid triphosgene, and then rapidly (4.3 s) reacted with various amines to afford the desired peptides in high yields (74%-quant.) without significant epimerization (≤3%). Our process can be carried out at ambient temperature, and only CO2 and HCl salts of diisopropylethyl amine are generated. In the long history of peptide synthesis, a significant number of active coupling reagents have been abandoned because the highly active electrophilic species generated are usually susceptible to side reactions such as epimerization. The concept presented herein should renew interest in the use of these reagents.

A continuous flow microfluidic-MS system for efficient OBOC screening

A microfluidic chip based method utilized for effective screening of high-throughput peptide libraries was achieved. 10⁵beads was processed within 4 hours and peptide ligands towardtarget protein AHA and APN were successfully discovered.

An automated Teflon microfluidic peptide synthesizer

We present a microfluidic synthesizer made entirely of Teflon material for solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Solvent-resistant perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) was used to construct chip-sized devices featuring multiple tri-layer pneumatic microvalves. Using these devices, model peptides were automatically synthesized and cleaved in situ in a continuous-flow manner. The total coupling and cleavage time was significantly reduced compared to conventional bulk reactors. The synthesis of a decapeptide, for instance, took less than 6 h using our device while it usually takes more than three days using conventional reactors.

COMU: scope and limitations of the latest innovation in peptide acyl transfer reagents

The methodology for peptide bond formation is undergoing a continuous evolution where the main actors are being renewed. In recent years, coupling reagents based on the Oxyma scaffold, such as the uronium salt COMU, has been a groundbreaking contribution to the field. The advantages of COMU over classic benzotriazole-based reagents (HATU, HBTU, HCTU, TBTU) were proven in terms of solubility and coupling efficiency in bulky junctions in our groups and others. However, some aspects of the use of COMU need to be revised and improved, such as the stability of commercial samples in organic solvents, which hampers the compatibility with long synthesis in automated synthesizers. In this review, an overview of the main features and suggestions to improve the use of COMU are presented, along with a discussion on the best conditions for its use in microwave-assisted peptide robots.

Facile (triazolyl)methylation of MACOS-derived benzofused sultams utilizing ROMP-derived OTP reagents

A combination of MACOS scale-out and ROMP-derived oligomeric triazole phosphates (OTP(n)) have been successfully utilized for the preparation of a 106-member library of triazole containing benzothiaoxazepine-1,1-dioxides. This report demonstrates the utilization of a suite of soluble OTP(n) reagents for facile (triazolyl)methylation of 10 MACOS-derived sultam scaffolds in purification-free process for parallel synthesis of small molecule collections for HTS.