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Wilson JJ, Bennie L, Eguaogie O, Elkashif A, Conlon PF, Jena L, McErlean E, Buckley N, Englert K, Dunne NJ, Tucker JHR, Vyle JS, McCarthy HO. Synthesis and characterisation of a nucleotide based pro-drug formulated with a peptide into a nano-chemotherapy for colorectal cancer. J Control Release 2024; 369:63-74. [PMID: 38513729 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.03.036] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Recent studies in colorectal cancer patients (CRC) have shown that increased resistance to thymidylate synthase (TS) inhibitors such as 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), reduce the efficacy of standard of care (SoC) treatment regimens. The nucleotide pool cleanser dUTPase is highly expressed in CRC and is an attractive target for potentiating anticancer activity of chemotherapy. The purpose of the current work was to investigate the activity of P1, P4-di(2',5'-dideoxy-5'-selenouridinyl)-tetraphosphate (P4-SedU2), a selenium-modified symmetrically capped dinucleoside with prodrug capabilities that is specifically activated by dUTPase. Using mechanochemistry, P4-SedU2 and the corresponding selenothymidine analogue P4-SeT2 were prepared with a yield of 19% and 30% respectively. The phosphate functionality facilitated complexation with the amphipathic cell-penetrating peptide RALA to produce nanoparticles (NPs). These NPs were designed to deliver P4-SedU2 intracellularly and thereby maximise in vivo activity. The NPs demonstrated effective anti-cancer activity and selectivity in the HCT116 CRC cell line, a cell line that overexpresses dUTPase; compared to HT29 CRC cells and NCTC-929 fibroblast cells which have reduced levels of dUTPase expression. In vivo studies in BALB/c SCID mice revealed no significant toxicity with respect to weight or organ histology. Pharmacokinetic analysis of blood serum showed that RALA facilitates effective delivery and rapid internalisation into surrounding tissues with NPs eliciting lower plasma Cmax than the equivalent injection of free P4-SedU2, translating the in vitro findings. Tumour growth delay studies have demonstrated significant inhibition of growth dynamics with the tumour doubling time extended by >2weeks. These studies demonstrate the functionality and action of a new pro-drug nucleotide for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan J Wilson
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biological Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7LB, UK; School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, UK
| | - Lindsey Bennie
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biological Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7LB, UK
| | - Olga Eguaogie
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, UK
| | - Ahmed Elkashif
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biological Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7LB, UK
| | - Patrick F Conlon
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, UK
| | - Lynn Jena
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biological Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7LB, UK
| | - Emma McErlean
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biological Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7LB, UK
| | - Niamh Buckley
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biological Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7LB, UK
| | - Klaudia Englert
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Nicholas J Dunne
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Dublin City University, Centre for Medical Engineering Research, Dublin City University, Ireland
| | - James H R Tucker
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Joseph S Vyle
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Queen's University Belfast, David Keir Building, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AG, UK
| | - Helen O McCarthy
- School of Pharmacy, Queen's University Belfast, Medical Biological Centre, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7LB, UK; School of Chemical Sciences, Dublin City University, Collins Avenue, Dublin 9, Ireland.
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Shi Y, Zhen X, Zhang Y, Li Y, Koo S, Saiding Q, Kong N, Liu G, Chen W, Tao W. Chemically Modified Platforms for Better RNA Therapeutics. Chem Rev 2024; 124:929-1033. [PMID: 38284616 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00611] [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: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
RNA-based therapies have catalyzed a revolutionary transformation in the biomedical landscape, offering unprecedented potential in disease prevention and treatment. However, despite their remarkable achievements, these therapies encounter substantial challenges including low stability, susceptibility to degradation by nucleases, and a prominent negative charge, thereby hindering further development. Chemically modified platforms have emerged as a strategic innovation, focusing on precise alterations either on the RNA moieties or their associated delivery vectors. This comprehensive review delves into these platforms, underscoring their significance in augmenting the performance and translational prospects of RNA-based therapeutics. It encompasses an in-depth analysis of various chemically modified delivery platforms that have been instrumental in propelling RNA therapeutics toward clinical utility. Moreover, the review scrutinizes the rationale behind diverse chemical modification techniques aiming at optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of RNA molecules, thereby facilitating robust disease management. Recent empirical studies corroborating the efficacy enhancement of RNA therapeutics through chemical modifications are highlighted. Conclusively, we offer profound insights into the transformative impact of chemical modifications on RNA drugs and delineates prospective trajectories for their future development and clinical integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yesi Shi
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xueyan Zhen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yiming Zhang
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Yongjiang Li
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Seyoung Koo
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Qimanguli Saiding
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Na Kong
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Gang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vaccines for Infectious Diseases, Xiang An Biomedicine Laboratory, National Innovation Platform for Industry-Education Integration in Vaccine Research, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Wei Chen
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Wei Tao
- Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Anesthesiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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Kawamoto Y, Wu Y, Takahashi Y, Takakura Y. Development of nucleic acid medicines based on chemical technology. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 199:114872. [PMID: 37244354 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Oligonucleotide-based therapeutics have attracted attention as an emerging modality that includes the modulation of genes and their binding proteins related to diseases, allowing us to take action on previously undruggable targets. Since the late 2010s, the number of oligonucleotide medicines approved for clinical uses has dramatically increased. Various chemistry-based technologies have been developed to improve the therapeutic properties of oligonucleotides, such as chemical modification, conjugation, and nanoparticle formation, which can increase nuclease resistance, enhance affinity and selectivity to target sites, suppress off-target effects, and improve pharmacokinetic properties. Similar strategies employing modified nucleobases and lipid nanoparticles have been used for developing coronavirus disease 2019 mRNA vaccines. In this review, we provide an overview of the development of chemistry-based technologies aimed at using nucleic acids for developing therapeutics over the past several decades, with a specific emphasis on the structural design and functionality of chemical modification strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Kawamoto
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
| | - You Wu
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yuki Takahashi
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yoshinobu Takakura
- Department of Biopharmaceutics and Drug Metabolism, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
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Figazzolo C, Ma Y, Tucker JHR, Hollenstein M. Ferrocene as a potential electrochemical reporting surrogate of abasic sites in DNA. Org Biomol Chem 2022; 20:8125-8135. [DOI: 10.1039/d2ob01540d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
We have evaluated the possibility of replacing abasic sites with ferrocene for enzymatic synthesis of canonical and modified DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Figazzolo
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids, CNRS UMR3523, 28, rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France
- Learning Planet Institute, 8, rue Charles V, 75004 Paris, France
| | - Yifeng Ma
- School of Chemistry, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | | | - Marcel Hollenstein
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids, CNRS UMR3523, 28, rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France
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Clavé G, Reverte M, Vasseur JJ, Smietana M. Modified internucleoside linkages for nuclease-resistant oligonucleotides. RSC Chem Biol 2021; 2:94-150. [PMID: 34458777 PMCID: PMC8341215 DOI: 10.1039/d0cb00136h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past few years, several drugs derived from nucleic acids have been approved for commercialization and many more are in clinical trials. The sensitivity of these molecules to nuclease digestion in vivo implies the need to exploit resistant non-natural nucleotides. Among all the possible modifications, the one concerning the internucleoside linkage is of particular interest. Indeed minor changes to the natural phosphodiester may result in major modifications of the physico-chemical properties of nucleic acids. As this linkage is a key element of nucleic acids' chemical structures, its alteration can strongly modulate the plasma stability, binding properties, solubility, cell penetration and ultimately biological activity of nucleic acids. Over the past few decades, many research groups have provided knowledge about non-natural internucleoside linkage properties and participated in building biologically active nucleic acid derivatives. The recent renewing interest in nucleic acids as drugs, demonstrated by the emergence of new antisense, siRNA, aptamer and cyclic dinucleotide molecules, justifies the review of all these studies in order to provide new perspectives in this field. Thus, in this review we aim at providing the reader insights into modified internucleoside linkages that have been described over the years whose impact on annealing properties and resistance to nucleases have been evaluated in order to assess their potential for biological applications. The syntheses of modified nucleotides as well as the protocols developed for their incorporation within oligonucleotides are described. Given the intended biological applications, the modifications described in the literature that have not been tested for their resistance to nucleases are not reported.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maeva Reverte
- IBMM, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, ENSCM Montpellier France
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McKenzie LK, El-Khoury R, Thorpe JD, Damha MJ, Hollenstein M. Recent progress in non-native nucleic acid modifications. Chem Soc Rev 2021; 50:5126-5164. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cs01430c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
While Nature harnesses RNA and DNA to store, read and write genetic information, the inherent programmability, synthetic accessibility and wide functionality of these nucleic acids make them attractive tools for use in a vast array of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke K. McKenzie
- Institut Pasteur
- Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry
- Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids
- CNRS UMR3523
- 75724 Paris Cedex 15
| | | | | | | | - Marcel Hollenstein
- Institut Pasteur
- Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry
- Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids
- CNRS UMR3523
- 75724 Paris Cedex 15
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Silva MS, Alves D, Hartwig D, Jacob RG, Perin G, Lenardão EJ. Selenium‐NMR Spectroscopy in Organic Synthesis: From Structural Characterization Toward New Investigations. ASIAN J ORG CHEM 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ajoc.202000582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Márcio S. Silva
- LASOL – CCQFA Universidade Federal de Pelotas – UFPel – P.O. Box 354 – 96010-900 Pelotas, RS Brazil
| | - Diego Alves
- LASOL – CCQFA Universidade Federal de Pelotas – UFPel – P.O. Box 354 – 96010-900 Pelotas, RS Brazil
| | - Daniela Hartwig
- LASOL – CCQFA Universidade Federal de Pelotas – UFPel – P.O. Box 354 – 96010-900 Pelotas, RS Brazil
| | - Raquel G. Jacob
- LASOL – CCQFA Universidade Federal de Pelotas – UFPel – P.O. Box 354 – 96010-900 Pelotas, RS Brazil
| | - Gelson Perin
- LASOL – CCQFA Universidade Federal de Pelotas – UFPel – P.O. Box 354 – 96010-900 Pelotas, RS Brazil
| | - Eder J. Lenardão
- LASOL – CCQFA Universidade Federal de Pelotas – UFPel – P.O. Box 354 – 96010-900 Pelotas, RS Brazil
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Sharma KD, Kathuria P, Wetmore SD, Sharma P. Can modified DNA base pairs with chalcogen bonding expand the genetic alphabet? A combined quantum chemical and molecular dynamics simulation study. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:23754-23765. [PMID: 33063082 DOI: 10.1039/d0cp04921b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
A comprehensive (DFT and MD) computational study is presented with the goal to design and analyze model chalcogen-bonded modified nucleobase pairs that replace one (i.e., AXY:T, G:CXY, GXY:C) or two (GXY:CX'Y', X/X' = S, Se and Y/Y' = F, Cl, Br) Watson-Crick (WC) hydrogen bonds of the canonical A:T or G:C pair with chalcogen bond(s). DFT calculations on 18 base pair combinations that replace one WC hydrogen bond with a chalcogen bond reveal that the bases favorably interact in the gas phase (binding strengths up to -140 kJ mol-1) and water (up to -85 kJ mol-1). Although the remaining hydrogen bond(s) exhibits similar characteristics to those in the canonical base pairs, the structural features of the (Y-XO) chalcogen bond(s) change significantly with the identity of X and Y. The 36 doubly-substituted (GXY:CX'Y') base pairs have structural deviations from canonical G:C similar to those of the singly-substituted modifications (G:CXY or GXY:C). Furthermore, despite the replacement of two strong hydrogen bonds with chalcogen bonds, some GXY:CX'Y' pairs possess comparable binding energies (up to -132 kJ mol-1 in the gas phase and up to -92 kJ mol-1 in water) to the most stable G:CXY or GXY:C pairs, as well as canonical G:C. More importantly, G:C-modified pairs containing X = Se (high polarizability) and Y = F (high electronegativity) are the most stable, with comparable or slightly larger (by up to 13 kJ mol-1) binding energies than G:C. Further characterization of the chalcogen bonding in all modified base pairs (AIM, NBO and NCI analyses) reveals that the differences in the binding energies of modified base pairs are mainly dictated by the differences in the strengths of their chalcogen bonds. Finally, MD simulations on DNA oligonucleotides containing the most stable chalcogen-bonded base pair from each of the four classifications (AXY:T, G:CXY, GXY:C and GXY:CX'Y') reveal that the singly-modified G:C pairs best retain the local helical structure and pairing stability to a greater extent than the modified A:T pair. Overall, our study identifies two (G:CSeF and GSeF:C) promising pairs that retain chalcogen bonding in DNA and should be synthesized and further explored in terms of their potential to expand the genetic alphabet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karan Deep Sharma
- Computational Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India. and Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Preetleen Kathuria
- Computational Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India.
| | - Stacey D Wetmore
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4, Canada.
| | - Purshotam Sharma
- Computational Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and Centre for Advanced Studies in Chemistry, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India.
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Sweet Selenium: Synthesis and Properties of Selenium-Containing Sugars and Derivatives. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2020; 13:ph13090211. [PMID: 32859124 PMCID: PMC7558951 DOI: 10.3390/ph13090211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decades, organoselenium compounds gained interest due to their important biological features. However, the lack of solubility, which characterizes most of them, makes their actual clinical exploitability a hard to reach goal. Selenosugars, with their intrinsic polarity, do not suffer from this issue and as a result, they can be conceived as a useful alternative. The aim of this review is to provide basic knowledge of the synthetic aspects of selenosugars, selenonium salts, selenoglycosides, and selenonucleotides. Their biological properties will be briefly detailed. Of course, it will not be a comprehensive dissertation but an analysis of what the authors think is the cream of the crop of this interesting research topic.
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