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Li J, Zhang Y, Yang YG, Sun T. Advancing mRNA Therapeutics: The Role and Future of Nanoparticle Delivery Systems. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:3743-3763. [PMID: 38953708 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c00276] [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] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored the critical role of mRNA-based vaccines as powerful, adaptable, readily manufacturable, and safe methodologies for prophylaxis. mRNA-based treatments are emerging as a hopeful avenue for a plethora of conditions, encompassing infectious diseases, cancer, autoimmune diseases, genetic diseases, and rare disorders. Nonetheless, the in vivo delivery of mRNA faces challenges due to its instability, suboptimal delivery, and potential for triggering undesired immune reactions. In this context, the development of effective drug delivery systems, particularly nanoparticles (NPs), is paramount. Tailored with biophysical and chemical properties and susceptible to surface customization, these NPs have demonstrated enhanced mRNA delivery in vivo and led to the approval of several NPs-based formulations for clinical use. Despite these advancements, the necessity for developing a refined, targeted NP delivery system remains imperative. This review comprehensively surveys the biological, translational, and clinical progress in NPs-mediated mRNA therapeutics for both the prevention and treatment of diverse diseases. By addressing critical factors for enhancing existing methodologies, it aims to inform the future development of precise and efficacious mRNA-based therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxuan Li
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
- National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Yuning Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
- National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Yong-Guang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
- National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
- International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
| | - Tianmeng Sun
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Transplantation of Ministry of Education, Institute of Immunology, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
- National-local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
- International Center of Future Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
- State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin 130021, China
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Dongrui Z, Miyamoto M, Yokoo H, Demizu Y. Innovative peptide architectures: advancements in foldamers and stapled peptides for drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:699-723. [PMID: 38753534 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2350568] [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: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Peptide foldamers play a critical role in pharmaceutical research and biomedical applications. This review highlights recent (post-2020) advancements in novel foldamers, synthetic techniques, and their applications in pharmaceutical research. AREAS COVERED The authors summarize the structures and applications of peptide foldamers such as α, β, γ-peptides, hydrocarbon-stapled peptides, urea-type foldamers, sulfonic-γ-amino acid foldamers, aromatic foldamers, and peptoids, which tackle the challenges of traditional peptide drugs. Regarding antimicrobial use, foldamers have shown progress in their potential against drug-resistant bacteria. In drug development, peptide foldamers have been used as drug delivery systems (DDS) and protein-protein interaction (PPI) inhibitors. EXPERT OPINION These structures exhibit resistance to enzymatic degradation, are promising for therapeutic delivery, and disrupt crucial PPIs associated with diseases such as cancer with specificity, versatility, and stability, which are useful therapeutic properties. However, the complexity and cost of their synthesis, along with the necessity for thorough safety and efficacy assessments, necessitate extensive research and cross-sector collaboration. Advances in synthesis methods, computational modeling, and targeted delivery systems are essential for fully realizing the therapeutic potential of foldamers and integrating them into mainstream medical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhou Dongrui
- Division of Organic Chemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Japan
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Maho Miyamoto
- Division of Organic Chemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Japan
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Hidetomo Yokoo
- Division of Organic Chemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Japan
| | - Yosuke Demizu
- Division of Organic Chemistry, National Institute of Health Sciences, Kawasaki, Japan
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Division of Pharmaceutical Science of Okayama University, Kita, Japan
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Wang Q, Bu C, Dai Q, Chen J, Zhang R, Zheng X, Ren H, Xin X, Li X. Recent Progress in Nucleic Acid Pulmonary Delivery toward Overcoming Physiological Barriers and Improving Transfection Efficiency. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2309748. [PMID: 38460157 PMCID: PMC11095210 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202309748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Pulmonary delivery of therapeutic agents has been considered the desirable administration route for local lung disease treatment. As the latest generation of therapeutic agents, nucleic acid has been gradually developed as gene therapy for local diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and lung fibrosis. The features of nucleic acid, specific physiological structure, and pathophysiological barriers of the respiratory tract have strongly affected the delivery efficiency and pulmonary bioavailability of nucleic acid, directly related to the treatment outcomes. The development of pharmaceutics and material science provides the potential for highly effective pulmonary medicine delivery. In this review, the key factors and barriers are first introduced that affect the pulmonary delivery and bioavailability of nucleic acids. The advanced inhaled materials for nucleic acid delivery are further summarized. The recent progress of platform designs for improving the pulmonary delivery efficiency of nucleic acids and their therapeutic outcomes have been systematically analyzed, with the application and the perspectives of advanced vectors for pulmonary gene delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyue Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical ScienceNanjing Tech UniversityNanjing211816China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparation and ExcipientsNanjing210009China
| | - Chaozhi Bu
- Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care HospitalAffiliated Women's Hospital of Jiangnan UniversityWuxi214002China
| | - Qihao Dai
- School of Pharmaceutical ScienceNanjing Tech UniversityNanjing211816China
| | - Jinhua Chen
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparation and ExcipientsNanjing210009China
- Center for Research Development and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Excipients and Generic Drugs, Department of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Ruitao Zhang
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Preparation and ExcipientsNanjing210009China
- Center for Research Development and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Excipients and Generic Drugs, Department of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Xiaomin Zheng
- Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care HospitalAffiliated Women's Hospital of Jiangnan UniversityWuxi214002China
| | - Hao Ren
- School of Pharmaceutical ScienceNanjing Tech UniversityNanjing211816China
| | - Xiaofei Xin
- Center for Research Development and Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Excipients and Generic Drugs, Department of PharmaceuticsChina Pharmaceutical UniversityNanjing210009China
| | - Xueming Li
- School of Pharmaceutical ScienceNanjing Tech UniversityNanjing211816China
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Klipp A, Burger M, Leroux JC. Get out or die trying: Peptide- and protein-based endosomal escape of RNA therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 200:115047. [PMID: 37536508 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.115047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
RNA therapeutics offer great potential to transform the biomedical landscape, encompassing the treatment of hereditary conditions and the development of better vaccines. However, the delivery of RNAs into the cell is hampered, among others, by poor endosomal escape. This major hurdle is often tackled using special lipids, polymers, or protein-based delivery vectors. In this review, we will focus on the most prominent peptide- and protein-based endosomal escape strategies with focus on RNA drugs. We discuss cell penetrating peptides, which are still incorporated into novel transfection systems today to promote endosomal escape. However, direct evidence for enhanced endosomal escape by the action of such peptides is missing and their transfection efficiency, even in permissive cell culture conditions, is rather low. Endosomal escape by the help of pore forming proteins or phospholipases, on the other hand, allowed to generate more efficient transfection systems. These are, however, often hampered by considerable toxicity and immunogenicity. We conclude that the perfect enhancer of endosomal escape has yet to be devised. To increase the chances of success, any new transfection system should be tested under relevant conditions and guided by assays that allow direct quantification of endosomal escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Klipp
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Michael Burger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Jean-Christophe Leroux
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland.
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Uchida S, Lau CYJ, Oba M, Miyata K. Polyplex designs for improving the stability and safety of RNA therapeutics. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2023; 199:114972. [PMID: 37364611 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2023.114972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Nanoparticle-based delivery systems have contributed to the recent clinical success of RNA therapeutics, including siRNA and mRNA. RNA delivery using polymers has several distinct properties, such as enabling RNA delivery into extra-hepatic organs, modulation of immune responses to RNA, and regulation of intracellular RNA release. However, delivery systems should overcome safety and stability issues to achieve widespread therapeutic applications. Safety concerns include direct damage to cellular components, innate and adaptive immune responses, complement activation, and interaction with surrounding molecules and cells in the blood circulation. The stability of the delivery systems should balance extracellular RNA protection and controlled intracellular RNA release, which requires optimization for each RNA species. Further, polymer designs for improving safety and stability often conflict with each other. This review covers advances in polymer-based approaches to address these issues over several years, focusing on biological understanding and design concepts for delivery systems rather than material chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Uchida
- Department of Advanced Nanomedical Engineering, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan; Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 1-5 Shimogamohangi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-0823, Japan; Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan.
| | - Chun Yin Jerry Lau
- Department of Materials Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Makoto Oba
- Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 1-5 Shimogamohangi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-0823, Japan
| | - Kanjiro Miyata
- Department of Materials Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan; Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
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Oba M, Nakajima S, Misao K, Yokoo H, Tanaka M. Effect of helicity and hydrophobicity on cell-penetrating ability of arginine-rich peptides. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 91:117409. [PMID: 37441862 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Arginine (Arg)-rich peptides are one of the typical cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), which can deliver membrane-impermeable compounds into intracellular compartments. Guanidino groups in Arg-rich peptides are critical for their high cell-penetrating ability, although it remains unclear whether peptide secondary structures contribute to this ability. In the current study, we designed four Arg-rich peptides containing α,α-disubstituted α-amino acids (dAAs), which prefer to adopt a helical structure. The four dAA-containing peptides adopted slightly different peptide secondary structures, from a random structure to a helical structure, with different hydrophobicities. In these peptides, dipropylglycine-containing peptide exhibited the highest helicity and hydrophobicity, and showed the best cell-penetrating ability. These findings suggested that the helicity and hydrophobicity of Arg-rich peptides contributes to their high cell-penetrating ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Oba
- Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 1-5 Shimogamohangi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0823, Japan.
| | - Shun Nakajima
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Kurumi Misao
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
| | - Hidetomo Yokoo
- Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 1-5 Shimogamohangi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0823, Japan
| | - Masakazu Tanaka
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-14 Bunkyo-machi, Nagasaki 852-8521, Japan
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Development of delivery carriers for plasmid DNA by conjugation of a helical template to oligoarginine. Bioorg Med Chem 2022; 72:116997. [PMID: 36088811 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2022.116997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Arginine (Arg)-rich peptides can penetrate the cell membrane and deliver nucleic acid-based therapeutics into cells. In this study, a helical template designed with a repeating sequence composed of two l-leucines (l-Leu) and a 2-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) (l-Leu-l-Leu-Aib) was conjugated to nona-arginine on either the C- or N- terminus, designated as Block 1 and Block 2. Each terminal modification induced helical structure formation and improved the physicochemical properties of peptide/plasmid DNA (pDNA) complexes, resulting in efficient intracellular pDNA delivery. The introduction of a helical template may be effective for the endosomal escape of pDNA and pDNA release from complexes in cells. These results emphasized the potency of a helical template for the development of novel cell-penetrating peptides for pDNA delivery.
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Helical Foldamers and Stapled Peptides as New Modalities in Drug Discovery: Modulators of Protein-Protein Interactions. Processes (Basel) 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/pr10050924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A “foldamer” is an artificial oligomeric molecule with a regular secondary or tertiary structure consisting of various building blocks. A “stapled peptide” is a peptide with stabilized secondary structures, in particular, helical structures by intramolecular covalent side-chain cross-linking. Helical foldamers and stapled peptides are potential drug candidates that can target protein-protein interactions because they enable multipoint molecular recognition, which is difficult to achieve with low-molecular-weight compounds. This mini-review describes a variety of peptide-based foldamers and stapled peptides with a view to their applications in drug discovery, including our recent progress.
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Uchida S. Delivery Systems of Plasmid DNA and Messenger RNA for Advanced Therapies. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14040810. [PMID: 35456642 PMCID: PMC9029576 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14040810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The vast potential of non-viral delivery systems of messenger RNA (mRNA) and plasmid DNA (pDNA) has been demonstrated in the vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) [...]
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Uchida
- Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 606-0823, Japan;
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion, Kawasaki 210-0821, Japan
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Dirisala A, Uchida S, Li J, Van Guyse JFR, Hayashi K, Vummaleti SVC, Kaur S, Mochida Y, Fukushima S, Kataoka K. Effective mRNA Protection by Poly(l-ornithine) Synergizes with Endosomal Escape Functionality of a Charge-Conversion Polymer toward Maximizing mRNA Introduction Efficiency. Macromol Rapid Commun 2022; 43:e2100754. [PMID: 35286740 DOI: 10.1002/marc.202100754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
For efficient delivery of messenger (m)RNA, delivery carriers need two major functions: protecting mRNA from nucleases and translocating mRNA from endolysosomes to the cytoplasm. Herein, these two complementary functionalities are integrated into a single polyplex by fine-tuning the catiomer chemical structure and incorporating the endosomal escape modality. The effect of the methylene spacer length on the catiomer side chain is evaluated by comparing poly(l-lysine) (PLL) with a tetramethylene spacer and poly(L-ornithine) (PLO) with a trimethylene spacer. Noteworthily, the nuclease stability of the mRNA/catiomer polyplexes is largely affected by the difference in one methylene group, with PLO/mRNA polyplex showing enhanced stability compared to PLL/mRNA polyplex. To introduce the endosomal escape function, the PLO/mRNA polyplex is wrapped with a charge-conversion polymer (CCP), which is negatively charged at extracellular pH but turns positive at endosomal acidic pH to disrupt the endosomal membrane. Compared to the parent PLO/mRNA polyplex, CCP facilitated the endosomal escape of the polyplex in cultured cells to improve the protein expression efficiency from mRNA by approximately 80-fold. Collectively, this system synergizes the protective effect of PLO against nucleases and the endosomal escape capability of CCP in mRNA delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjaneyulu Dirisala
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan
| | - Satoshi Uchida
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan.,Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, 1-5 Shimogamohangi-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-0823, Japan
| | - Junjie Li
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan
| | - Joachim F R Van Guyse
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan
| | - Kotaro Hayashi
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan
| | - Sai V C Vummaleti
- Institute of High Performance Computing Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 1 Fusionopolis Way, 16-6 Connexis, 138632, Singapore
| | - Sarandeep Kaur
- Institute of Bioanalytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Mineralogy, Universität Leipzig, Johannisallee 29, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Yuki Mochida
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan
| | - Shigeto Fukushima
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan
| | - Kazunori Kataoka
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Promotion, 3-25-14 Tonomachi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, 210-0821, Japan
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Yokoo H, Oba M, Uchida S. Cell-Penetrating Peptides: Emerging Tools for mRNA Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2021; 14:pharmaceutics14010078. [PMID: 35056974 PMCID: PMC8781296 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14010078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were previously shown to have great potential for preventive vaccination against infectious diseases and therapeutic applications in the treatment of cancers and genetic diseases. Delivery systems for mRNAs, including lipid- and polymer-based carriers, are being developed for improving mRNA bioavailability. Among these systems, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) of 4–40 amino acids have emerged as powerful tools for mRNA delivery, which were originally developed to deliver membrane-impermeable drugs, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids to cells and tissues. Various functionalities can be integrated into CPPs by tuning the composition and sequence of natural and non-natural amino acids for mRNA delivery. With the employment of CPPs, improved endosomal escape efficiencies, selective targeting of dendritic cells (DCs), modulation of endosomal pathways for efficient antigen presentation by DCs, and effective mRNA delivery to the lungs by dry powder inhalation have been reported; additionally, they have been found to prolong protein expression by intracellular stabilization of mRNA. This review highlights the distinctive features of CPP-based mRNA delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidetomo Yokoo
- Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 606-0823, Japan;
| | - Makoto Oba
- Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 606-0823, Japan;
- Correspondence: (M.O.); (S.U.); Tel.: +81-75-703-4937 (M.O.); +81-75-703-4938 (S.U.)
| | - Satoshi Uchida
- Medical Chemistry, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 606-0823, Japan;
- Innovation Center of NanoMedicine (iCONM), Kawasaki Institute of Industrial Promotion, Kawasaki 210-0821, Japan
- Correspondence: (M.O.); (S.U.); Tel.: +81-75-703-4937 (M.O.); +81-75-703-4938 (S.U.)
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