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Doisy M, Vacca O, Saoudi A, Goyenvalle A. Levels of Exon-Skipping Are Not Artificially Overestimated Because of the Increased Affinity of Tricyclo-DNA-Modified Antisense Oligonucleotides to the Target DMD Exon. Nucleic Acid Ther 2024. [PMID: 39046946 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2024.0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) are very promising drugs for numerous diseases including neuromuscular disorders such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Several ASO drugs have already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for DMD and global efforts are still ongoing to improve further their potency, notably by developing new delivery systems or alternative chemistries. In this context, a recent study investigated the potential of different chemically modified ASO to induce exon-skipping in mouse models of DMD. Importantly, the authors reported a strong discrepancy between exon-skipping and protein restoration levels, which was mainly owing to the high affinity of locked nucleic acid (LNA) modifications to the target RNA, thereby interfering with the amplification of the unskipped product and resulting in artificial overamplification of the exon-skipped product. These findings urged us to verify whether a similar phenomenon could occur with tricyclo-DNA (tcDNA)-ASO that also display high-affinity properties to the target RNA. We thus ran a series of control experiments and demonstrate here that exon-skipping levels are not overestimated owing to an interference of tcDNA-ASO with the unskipped product in contrast to what was observed with LNA-containing ASO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Doisy
- UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, Université Paris-Saclay, Versailles, France
| | - Ophélie Vacca
- UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, Université Paris-Saclay, Versailles, France
| | - Amel Saoudi
- UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, Université Paris-Saclay, Versailles, France
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2
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Doisy M, Vacca O, Fergus C, Gileadi T, Verhaeg M, Saoudi A, Tensorer T, Garcia L, Kelly VP, Montanaro F, Morgan JE, van Putten M, Aartsma-Rus A, Vaillend C, Muntoni F, Goyenvalle A. Networking to Optimize Dmd exon 53 Skipping in the Brain of mdx52 Mouse Model. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3243. [PMID: 38137463 PMCID: PMC10741439 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11123243] [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: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is caused by mutations in the DMD gene that disrupt the open reading frame and thus prevent production of functional dystrophin proteins. Recent advances in DMD treatment, notably exon skipping and AAV gene therapy, have achieved some success aimed at alleviating the symptoms related to progressive muscle damage. However, they do not address the brain comorbidities associated with DMD, which remains a critical aspect of the disease. The mdx52 mouse model recapitulates one of the most frequent genetic pathogenic variants associated with brain involvement in DMD. Deletion of exon 52 impedes expression of two brain dystrophins, Dp427 and Dp140, expressed from distinct promoters. Interestingly, this mutation is eligible for exon skipping strategies aimed at excluding exon 51 or 53 from dystrophin mRNA. We previously showed that exon 51 skipping can restore partial expression of internally deleted yet functional Dp427 in the brain following intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of antisense oligonucleotides (ASO). This was associated with a partial improvement of anxiety traits, unconditioned fear response, and Pavlovian fear learning and memory in the mdx52 mouse model. In the present study, we investigated in the same mouse model the skipping of exon 53 in order to restore expression of both Dp427 and Dp140. However, in contrast to exon 51, we found that exon 53 skipping was particularly difficult in mdx52 mice and a combination of multiple ASOs had to be used simultaneously to reach substantial levels of exon 53 skipping, regardless of their chemistry (tcDNA, PMO, or 2'MOE). Following ICV injection of a combination of ASO sequences, we measured up to 25% of exon 53 skipping in the hippocampus of treated mdx52 mice, but this did not elicit significant protein restoration. These findings indicate that skipping mouse dystrophin exon 53 is challenging. As such, it has not yet been possible to answer the pertinent question whether rescuing both Dp427 and Dp140 in the brain is imperative to more optimal treatment of neurological aspects of dystrophinopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Doisy
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France; (M.D.); (O.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Ophélie Vacca
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France; (M.D.); (O.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Claire Fergus
- School of Biochemistry & Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin, Ireland; (C.F.)
| | - Talia Gileadi
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; (T.G.); (F.M.); (J.E.M.); (F.M.)
- National Institute for Health Research, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Minou Verhaeg
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; (M.V.); (M.v.P.); (A.A.-R.)
| | - Amel Saoudi
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France; (M.D.); (O.V.); (A.S.)
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France;
| | - Thomas Tensorer
- SQY Therapeutics-Synthena, UVSQ, 78180 Montigny le Bretonneux, France
| | - Luis Garcia
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France; (M.D.); (O.V.); (A.S.)
| | - Vincent P. Kelly
- School of Biochemistry & Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin, Ireland; (C.F.)
| | - Federica Montanaro
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; (T.G.); (F.M.); (J.E.M.); (F.M.)
- National Institute for Health Research, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Jennifer E. Morgan
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; (T.G.); (F.M.); (J.E.M.); (F.M.)
- National Institute for Health Research, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Maaike van Putten
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; (M.V.); (M.v.P.); (A.A.-R.)
| | - Annemieke Aartsma-Rus
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; (M.V.); (M.v.P.); (A.A.-R.)
| | - Cyrille Vaillend
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France;
| | - Francesco Muntoni
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; (T.G.); (F.M.); (J.E.M.); (F.M.)
- National Institute for Health Research, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health Biomedical Research Centre, University College London, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Aurélie Goyenvalle
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France; (M.D.); (O.V.); (A.S.)
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Bizot F, Tensorer T, Garcia L, Goyenvalle A. Impact of the Inhibition of Organic Anion Transporter on Tricyclo-DNA-Mediated Exon Skipping in the mdx Mouse Model. Nucleic Acid Ther 2023; 33:374-380. [PMID: 37967388 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2023.0046] [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: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense-mediated exon skipping is one of the most promising therapeutic strategies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and some antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs have already been approved by the U.S. FDA for DMD. The potential of this therapy is still limited by several challenges including the poor distribution of ASOs to target tissues. Indeed, most of them accumulate in the kidney and tend to be rapidly eliminated after systemic delivery. We hypothesized here that preventing renal clearance of ASO using organic anion transporter (OAT) inhibitor could increase the bioavailability of ASOs and thus their distribution to target tissues and ultimately their efficacy in muscles. Mdx mice were, therefore, treated with ASO with or without the OAT inhibitor named probenecid. Our findings indicate that OAT inhibition, or at least using probenecid, does not improve the therapeutic potential of ASO-mediated exon-skipping approaches for the treatment of DMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavien Bizot
- Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yveline, Inserm, END-ICAP, Université Paris-Saclay, Versailles, France
| | | | - Luis Garcia
- Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yveline, Inserm, END-ICAP, Université Paris-Saclay, Versailles, France
| | - Aurélie Goyenvalle
- Université de Versailles Saint Quentin en Yveline, Inserm, END-ICAP, Université Paris-Saclay, Versailles, France
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Lim C, Lee S, Shin Y, Cho S, Park C, Shin Y, Song EC, Kim WK, Ham C, Kim SB, Kwon YS, Oh KT. Development and application of novel peptide-formulated nanoparticles for treatment of atopic dermatitis. J Mater Chem B 2023; 11:10131-10146. [PMID: 37830254 DOI: 10.1039/d3tb01202f] [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: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that is characterized by skin inflammation, itching, and redness. Although various treatments can alleviate symptoms, they often come with side effects, highlighting the need for new treatments. Here, we discovered a new peptide-based therapy using the intra-dermal delivery technology (IDDT) platform developed by Remedi Co., Ltd (REMEDI). The platform screens and identifies peptides derived from proteins in the human body that possess cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) properties. We screened over 1000-peptides and identified several derived from the Speckled protein (SP) family that have excellent CPP properties and have anti-inflammatory effects. We assessed these peptides for their potential as a treatment for atopic dermatitis. Among them, the RMSP1 peptide showed the most potent anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathways while possessing CPP properties. To further improve efficacy and stability, we developed a palmitoylated version called Pal-RMSP1. Formulation studies using liposomes (Pal-RMSP1 LP) and micelles (Pal-RMSP1 DP) demonstrated improved anti-inflammatory effects in vitro and enhanced therapeutic effects in vivo. Our study indicates that nano-formulated Pal-RMSP1 could have the potential to become a new treatment option for atopic dermatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaemin Lim
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
- College of Pharmacy, CHA University, 335 Pangyo-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, 13488 Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
| | - Subin Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Global Innovative Drugs, The Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Yuseon Shin
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Global Innovative Drugs, The Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongmin Cho
- Remedi Co., Ltd. Research Center, Songdo 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Chanho Park
- Remedi Co., Ltd. Research Center, Songdo 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Yungyeong Shin
- Remedi Co., Ltd. Research Center, Songdo 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Ee Chan Song
- Remedi Co., Ltd. Research Center, Songdo 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Wan Ki Kim
- Remedi Co., Ltd. Research Center, Songdo 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Cheolmin Ham
- Rare Isotope Science Project, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34000, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Bum Kim
- College of Pharmacy, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Su Kwon
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Kyung Taek Oh
- College of Pharmacy, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Global Innovative Drugs, The Graduate School of Chung-Ang University, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
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Zharkov TD, Mironova EM, Markov OV, Zhukov SA, Khodyreva SN, Kupryushkin MS. Fork- and Comb-like Lipophilic Structures: Different Chemical Approaches to the Synthesis of Oligonucleotides with Multiple Dodecyl Residues. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14637. [PMID: 37834092 PMCID: PMC10572690 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Lipophilic oligonucleotide conjugates represent a powerful tool for nucleic acid cellular delivery, and many methods for their synthesis have been developed over the past few decades. In the present study, a number of chemical approaches for the synthesis of different fork- and comb-like dodecyl-containing oligonucleotide structures were performed, including use of non-nucleotide units and different types of phosphate modifications such as alkyl phosphoramidate, phosphoryl guanidine, and triazinyl phosphoramidate. The influence of the number of introduced lipophilic residues, their mutual arrangement, and the type of formed modification backbone on cell penetration was evaluated. The results obtained indicate great potential in the developed chemical approaches, not only for the synthesis of complex oligonucleotide structures but also for the fine-tuning of their properties.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Maxim S. Kupryushkin
- Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Siberian Branch of RAS, Lavrentiev Ave. 8, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia; (T.D.Z.); (E.M.M.); (O.V.M.); (S.A.Z.); (S.N.K.)
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6
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Saoudi A, Barberat S, le Coz O, Vacca O, Doisy Caquant M, Tensorer T, Sliwinski E, Garcia L, Muntoni F, Vaillend C, Goyenvalle A. Partial restoration of brain dystrophin by tricyclo-DNA antisense oligonucleotides alleviates emotional deficits in mdx52 mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY - NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 32:173-188. [PMID: 37078061 PMCID: PMC10106732 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
The mdx52 mouse model recapitulates a frequent mutation profile associated with brain involvement in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Deletion of exon 52 impedes expression of two dystrophins (Dp427, Dp140) expressed in brain, and is eligible for therapeutic exon-skipping strategies. We previously showed that mdx52 mice display enhanced anxiety and fearfulness, and impaired associative fear learning. In this study, we examined the reversibility of these phenotypes using exon 51 skipping to restore exclusively Dp427 expression in the brain of mdx52 mice. We first show that a single intracerebroventricular administration of tricyclo-DNA antisense oligonucleotides targeting exon 51 restores 5%-15% of dystrophin protein expression in the hippocampus, cerebellum, and cortex, at stable levels between 7 and 11 week after injection. Anxiety and unconditioned fear were significantly reduced in treated mdx52 mice and acquisition of fear conditioning appeared fully rescued, while fear memory tested 24 h later was only partially improved. Additional restoration of Dp427 in skeletal and cardiac muscles by systemic treatment did not further improve the unconditioned fear response, confirming the central origin of this phenotype. These findings indicate that some emotional and cognitive deficits associated with dystrophin deficiency may be reversible or at least improved by partial postnatal dystrophin rescue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amel Saoudi
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France
| | - Sacha Barberat
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Olivier le Coz
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Ophélie Vacca
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France
| | | | - Thomas Tensorer
- SQY Therapeutics – Synthena, UVSQ, 78180 Montigny le Bretonneux, France
| | - Eric Sliwinski
- SQY Therapeutics – Synthena, UVSQ, 78180 Montigny le Bretonneux, France
| | - Luis Garcia
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Francesco Muntoni
- The Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Developmental Neurosciences Research and Teaching Department, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, WC1N 1EH London, UK
| | - Cyrille Vaillend
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France
- Corresponding author Cyrille Vaillend, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France.
| | - Aurélie Goyenvalle
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France
- Corresponding author Aurélie Goyenvalle, Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France.
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Saoudi A, Fergus C, Gileadi T, Montanaro F, Morgan JE, Kelly VP, Tensorer T, Garcia L, Vaillend C, Muntoni F, Goyenvalle A. Investigating the Impact of Delivery Routes for Exon Skipping Therapies in the CNS of DMD Mouse Models. Cells 2023; 12:cells12060908. [PMID: 36980249 PMCID: PMC10047648 DOI: 10.3390/cells12060908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acid-based therapies have demonstrated great potential for the treatment of monogenetic diseases, including neurologic disorders. To date, regulatory approval has been received for a dozen antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs); however, these chemistries cannot readily cross the blood–brain barrier when administered systemically. Therefore, an investigation of their potential effects within the central nervous system (CNS) requires local delivery. Here, we studied the brain distribution and exon-skipping efficacy of two ASO chemistries, PMO and tcDNA, when delivered to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of mice carrying a deletion in exon 52 of the dystrophin gene, a model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Following intracerebroventricular (ICV) delivery (unilateral, bilateral, bolus vs. slow rate, repeated via cannula or very slow via osmotic pumps), ASO levels were quantified across brain regions and exon 51 skipping was evaluated, revealing that tcDNA treatment invariably generates comparable or more skipping relative to that with PMO, even when the PMO was administered at higher doses. We also performed intra-cisterna magna (ICM) delivery as an alternative route for CSF delivery and found a biased distribution of the ASOs towards posterior brain regions, including the cerebellum, hindbrain, and the cervical part of the spinal cord. Finally, we combined both ICV and ICM injection methods to assess the potential of an additive effect of this methodology in inducing efficient exon skipping across different brain regions. Our results provide useful insights into the local delivery and associated efficacy of ASOs in the CNS in mouse models of DMD. These findings pave the way for further ASO-based therapy application to the CNS for neurological disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amel Saoudi
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France
| | - Claire Fergus
- School of Biochemistry & Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Talia Gileadi
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Federica Montanaro
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Jennifer E. Morgan
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Vincent P. Kelly
- School of Biochemistry & Immunology, Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute, Trinity College Dublin, D02 R590 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Thomas Tensorer
- SQY Therapeutics-Synthena, UVSQ, 78180 Montigny le Bretonneux, France
| | - Luis Garcia
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France
| | - Cyrille Vaillend
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, 91400 Saclay, France
| | - Francesco Muntoni
- Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
- Correspondence: (F.M.); (A.G.)
| | - Aurélie Goyenvalle
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000 Versailles, France
- Correspondence: (F.M.); (A.G.)
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Doe E, Hayth HL, Brumett R, Khisamutdinov EF. Effective, Rapid, and Small-Scale Bioconjugation and Purification of "Clicked" Small-Molecule DNA Oligonucleotide for Nucleic Acid Nanoparticle Functionalization. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:4797. [PMID: 36902228 PMCID: PMC10003352 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acid-based therapeutics involves the conjugation of small molecule drugs to nucleic acid oligomers to surmount the challenge of solubility, and the inefficient delivery of these drug molecules into cells. "Click" chemistry has become popular conjugation approach due to its simplicity and high conjugation efficiency. However, the major drawback of the conjugation of oligonucleotides is the purification of the products, as traditionally used chromatography techniques are usually time-consuming and laborious, requiring copious quantities of materials. Herein, we introduce a simple and rapid purification methodology to separate the excess of unconjugated small molecules and toxic catalysts using a molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) centrifugation approach. As proof of concept, we deployed "click" chemistry to conjugate a Cy3-alkyne moiety to an azide-functionalized oligodeo-xynucleotide (ODN), as well as a coumarin azide to an alkyne-functionalized ODN. The calculated yields of the conjugated products were found to be 90.3 ± 0.4% and 86.0 ± 1.3% for the ODN-Cy3 and ODN-coumarin, respectively. Analysis of purified products by fluorescence spectroscopy and gel shift assays demonstrated a drastic amplitude of fluorescent intensity by multiple folds of the reporter molecules within DNA nanoparticles. This work is intended to demonstrate a small-scale, cost-effective, and robust approach to purifying ODN conjugates for nucleic acid nanotechnology applications.
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Tanaka Y, Tanioku Y, Nakayama T, Aso K, Yamaguchi T, Kamada H, Obika S. Synthesis of multivalent fatty acid-conjugated antisense oligonucleotides: Cell internalization, physical properties, and in vitro and in vivo activities. Bioorg Med Chem 2023; 81:117192. [PMID: 36780806 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2023.117192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Herein, we describe the design and synthesis of multi-conjugatable fatty acid monomer phosphoramidites and their conjugation to antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). Multivalent long-chain fatty acid conjugation improved the cellular uptake of ASOs but decreased in vitro activity due to alterations in physical properties and cellular localization. In addition, multivalently fatty acid-conjugated ASOs showed different organ specificity compared with that of unconjugated ASO in in vivo experiment. Although optimization of the linker structure between the fatty acid moiety and the ASO may be required, divalent long-chain fatty acid conjugation provides a new approach to increase endocytosis, thereby potentially improving the activity of therapeutic ASOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuya Tanaka
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yurika Tanioku
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Taisuke Nakayama
- National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8 Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan
| | - Kotomi Aso
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Takao Yamaguchi
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
| | - Haruhiko Kamada
- National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8 Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan
| | - Satoshi Obika
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, 7-6-8 Saito-Asagi, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0085, Japan; Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives (OTRI), Osaka University, 1-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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Oligonucleotide Enhancing Compound Increases Tricyclo-DNA Mediated Exon-Skipping Efficacy in the Mdx Mouse Model. Cells 2023; 12:cells12050702. [PMID: 36899837 PMCID: PMC10001065 DOI: 10.3390/cells12050702] [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: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Nucleic acid-based therapeutics hold great promise for the treatment of numerous diseases, including neuromuscular disorders, such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Some antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs have already been approved by the US FDA for DMD, but the potential of this therapy is still limited by several challenges, including the poor distribution of ASOs to target tissues, but also the entrapment of ASO in the endosomal compartment. Endosomal escape is a well recognized limitation that prevents ASO from reaching their target pre-mRNA in the nucleus. Small molecules named oligonucleotide-enhancing compounds (OEC) have been shown to release ASO from endosomal entrapment, thus increasing ASO nuclear concentration and ultimately correcting more pre-mRNA targets. In this study, we evaluated the impact of a therapy combining ASO and OEC on dystrophin restoration in mdx mice. Analysis of exon-skipping levels at different time points after the co-treatment revealed improved efficacy, particularly at early time points, reaching up to 4.4-fold increase at 72 h post treatment in the heart compared to treatment with ASO alone. Significantly higher levels of dystrophin restoration were detected two weeks after the end of the combined therapy, reaching up to 2.7-fold increase in the heart compared to mice treated with ASO alone. Moreover, we demonstrated a normalization of cardiac function in mdx mice after a 12-week-long treatment with the combined ASO + OEC therapy. Altogether, these findings indicate that compounds facilitating endosomal escape can significantly improve the therapeutic potential of exon-skipping approaches offering promising perspectives for the treatment of DMD.
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Goodnow RA. Reality check: lipid-oligonucleotide conjugates for therapeutic applications. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2023; 18:129-134. [PMID: 36546308 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2022.2157399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite much progress in the field of oligonucleotide therapeutics, delivery in general remains an important aspect for innovation. Various lipids and lipophilic small molecules have long been conjugated to many oligonucleotides in hopes of creating better, drug-like substances. A few conjugates are beginning to enter clinical development as the understanding grows of how such conjugations change the pharmacology of the conjugate relative to the unmodified oligonucleotide. The delivery of different forms of oligonucleotides, such as antisense oligonucleotides and siRNA, is often a challenging, limiting aspect to this form of therapeutics. AREAS COVERED Herein, the origins of covalent attachment of lipophilic moieties to oligonucleotides are described as well as listing a few of those lipids commonly used for lipidation. The author also describes the mechanism by which lipidation may enhance delivery and/or exposure of oligonucleotides in vitro and in vivo. EXPERT OPINION The covalent attachment of lipophilic moieties is one means to enhance the delivery and exposure of oligonucleotides. Such methods may also be applicable to other oligonucleotide-based modalities as long as the lipidation does not interfere with some key interaction. Lipidation may also be useful to modulate the cell type-specific delivery within tissues. As the understanding of the effects of such covalent modification grows, more lipidated oligos are soon likely to enter clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Goodnow
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts USA
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12
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Stoodley J, Vallejo-Bedia F, Seone-Miraz D, Debasa-Mouce M, Wood MJA, Varela MA. Application of Antisense Conjugates for the Treatment of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032697. [PMID: 36769018 PMCID: PMC9916419 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is one of the most common muscular dystrophies and can be potentially treated with antisense therapy decreasing mutant DMPK, targeting miRNAs or their binding sites or via a blocking mechanism for MBNL1 displacement from the repeats. Unconjugated antisense molecules are able to correct the disease phenotype in mouse models, but they show poor muscle penetration upon systemic delivery in DM1 patients. In order to overcome this challenge, research has focused on the improvement of the therapeutic window and biodistribution of antisense therapy using bioconjugation to lipids, cell penetrating peptides or antibodies. Antisense conjugates are able to induce the long-lasting correction of DM1 pathology at both molecular and functional levels and also efficiently penetrate hard-to-reach tissues such as cardiac muscle. Delivery to the CNS at clinically relevant levels remains challenging and the use of alternative administration routes may be necessary to ameliorate some of the symptoms experienced by DM1 patients. With several antisense therapies currently in clinical trials, the outlook for achieving a clinically approved treatment for patients has never looked more promising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Stoodley
- Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM), University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
| | - Francisco Vallejo-Bedia
- Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM), University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
| | - David Seone-Miraz
- Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM), University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
| | - Manuel Debasa-Mouce
- Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM), University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
| | - Matthew J A Wood
- Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM), University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
| | - Miguel A Varela
- Department of Paediatrics, Institute of Developmental and Regenerative Medicine (IDRM), University of Oxford, Roosevelt Dr, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, Oxford OX3 7TY, UK
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Fàbrega C, Aviñó A, Navarro N, Jorge AF, Grijalvo S, Eritja R. Lipid and Peptide-Oligonucleotide Conjugates for Therapeutic Purposes: From Simple Hybrids to Complex Multifunctional Assemblies. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020320. [PMID: 36839642 PMCID: PMC9959333 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense and small interfering RNA (siRNA) oligonucleotides have been recognized as powerful therapeutic compounds for targeting mRNAs and inducing their degradation. However, a major obstacle is that unmodified oligonucleotides are not readily taken up into tissues and are susceptible to degradation by nucleases. For these reasons, the design and preparation of modified DNA/RNA derivatives with better stability and an ability to be produced at large scale with enhanced uptake properties is of vital importance to improve current limitations. In the present study, we review the conjugation of oligonucleotides with lipids and peptides in order to produce oligonucleotide conjugates for therapeutics aiming to develop novel compounds with favorable pharmacokinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carme Fàbrega
- Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Aviñó
- Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natalia Navarro
- Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andreia F. Jorge
- Department of Chemistry, Coimbra Chemistry Centre (CQC), University of Coimbra, Rua Larga, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Santiago Grijalvo
- Networking Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Colloidal and Interfacial Chemistry Group, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ramon Eritja
- Nucleic Acids Chemistry Group, Institute for Advanced Chemistry of Catalonia (IQAC-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Networking Center on Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Jordi Girona 18-26, E-08034 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-934006145
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Dystrophin myonuclear domain restoration governs treatment efficacy in dystrophic muscle. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2206324120. [PMID: 36595689 PMCID: PMC9926233 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206324120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Dystrophin is essential for muscle health: its sarcolemmal absence causes the fatal, X-linked condition, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). However, its normal, spatial organization remains poorly understood, which hinders the interpretation of efficacy of its therapeutic restoration. Using female reporter mice heterozygous for fluorescently tagged dystrophin (DmdEGFP), we here reveal that dystrophin distribution is unexpectedly compartmentalized, being restricted to myonuclear-defined sarcolemmal territories extending ~80 µm, which we called "basal sarcolemmal dystrophin units (BSDUs)." These territories were further specialized at myotendinous junctions, where both Dmd transcripts and dystrophin protein were enriched. Genome-level correction in X-linked muscular dystrophy mice via CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing restored a mosaic of separated dystrophin domains, whereas transcript-level Dmd correction, following treatment with tricyclo-DNA antisense oligonucleotides, restored dystrophin initially at junctions before extending along the entire fiber-with levels ~2% sufficient to moderate the dystrophic process. We conclude that widespread restoration of fiber dystrophin is likely critical for therapeutic success in DMD, perhaps most importantly, at muscle-tendon junctions.
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Histone deacetylase inhibitors improve antisense-mediated exon-skipping efficacy in mdx mice. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 30:606-620. [PMID: 36514350 PMCID: PMC9722397 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Antisense-mediated exon skipping is one of the most promising therapeutic strategies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and some antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) drugs have already been approved by the US FDA despite their low efficacy. The potential of this therapy is still limited by several challenges, including the reduced expression of the dystrophin transcript and the strong 5'-3' imbalance in mutated transcripts. We therefore hypothesize that increasing histone acetylation using histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) could correct the transcript imbalance, offering more available pre-mRNA target and ultimately increasing dystrophin rescue. Here, we evaluated the impact of such a combined therapy on the Dmd transcript imbalance phenomenon and on dystrophin restoration levels in mdx mice. Analysis of the Dmd transcript levels at different exon-exon junctions revealed a tendency to correct the 5'-3' imbalance phenomenon following treatment with HDACi. Significantly higher levels of dystrophin restoration (up to 74% increase) were obtained with givinostat and valproic acid compared with mice treated with ASO alone. Additionally, we demonstrate an increase in H3K9 acetylation in human myocytes after treatment with valproic acid. These findings indicate that HDACi can improve the therapeutic potential of exon-skipping approaches, offering promising perspectives for the treatment of DMD.
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Zarrouki F, Relizani K, Bizot F, Tensorer T, Garcia L, Vaillend C, Goyenvalle A. Partial restoration of brain dystrophin and behavioral deficits by exon skipping in the muscular dystrophy X-linked (mdx) mouse. Ann Neurol 2022; 92:213-229. [PMID: 35587226 PMCID: PMC9544349 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Duchenne muscular dystrophy is associated with various degrees of cognitive impairment and behavioral disturbances. Emotional and memory deficits also constitute reliable outcome measures to assess efficacy of treatments in the mdx mouse lacking the muscle and neuronal full‐length dystrophins. The present study aimed to evaluate whether these deficits could be alleviated by the restoration of brain dystrophin. Methods We performed intracerebroventricular administration of a new potent tricyclo‐DNA antisense oligonucleotide (tcDNA‐ASO) containing a full phosphodiester backbone conjugated to a palmitic acid moiety (tcDNA‐ASO), designed to skip the mutated exon 23 of mdx mice. Results We first show that the tcDNA‐ASO rescues expression of brain dystrophin to 10–30% of wild‐type levels and significantly reduces the abnormal unconditioned fear responses in mdx mice in a dose‐dependent manner, 5 weeks post‐injection. Exon skipping efficiency, ASO biodistribution, protein restoration and effect on the fear response were optimal with a dose of 400 μg at 6–7 weeks post‐injection, with synaptic‐like expression in brain tissues such as the hippocampus and amygdala. Furthermore, this dose of tcDNA‐ASO restored long‐term memory retention of mdx mice in an object recognition task, but only had minor effects on fear conditioning. Interpretation These results suggest for the first time that postnatal re‐expression of brain dystrophin could reverse or at least alleviate some cognitive deficits associated with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. ANN NEUROL 2022;92:213–229
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Affiliation(s)
- Faouzi Zarrouki
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000, Versailles, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris Saclay, 91400, Saclay, France
| | - Karima Relizani
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000, Versailles, France.,SQY Therapeutics, UVSQ, 78180, Montigny le Bretonneux, France
| | - Flavien Bizot
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000, Versailles, France
| | - Thomas Tensorer
- SQY Therapeutics, UVSQ, 78180, Montigny le Bretonneux, France
| | - Luis Garcia
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000, Versailles, France.,LIA BAHN, centre scientifique de Monaco, 98000, Monaco
| | - Cyrille Vaillend
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris Saclay, 91400, Saclay, France
| | - Aurélie Goyenvalle
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, END-ICAP, 78000, Versailles, France.,LIA BAHN, centre scientifique de Monaco, 98000, Monaco
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17
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Antisense Oligonucleotides Conjugated with Lipophilic Compounds: Synthesis and In Vitro Evaluation of Exon Skipping in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23084270. [PMID: 35457088 PMCID: PMC9032562 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23084270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Our groups previously reported that conjugation at 3′-end with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) significantly enhanced in vitro exon skipping properties of ASO 51 oligonucleotide targeting the human DMD exon 51. In this study, we designed a series of lipophilic conjugates of ASO 51, to explore the influence of the lipophilic moiety on exon skipping efficiency. To this end, three bile acids and two fatty acids have been derivatized and/or modified and conjugated to ASO 51 by automatized solid phase synthesis. We measured the melting temperature (Tm) of lipophilic conjugates to evaluate their ability to form a stable duplex with the target RNA. The exon skipping efficiency has been evaluated in myogenic cell lines first in presence of a transfection agent, then in gymnotic conditions on a selection of conjugated ASO 51. In the case of 5′-UDC-ASO 51, we also evaluated the influence of PS content on exon skipping efficiency; we found that it performed better exon skipping with full PS linkages. The more efficient compounds in terms of exon skipping were found to be 5′-UDC- and 5′,3′-bis-UDC-ASO 51.
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Soukarieh O, Meguerditchian C, Proust C, Aïssi D, Eyries M, Goyenvalle A, Trégouët DA. Common and Rare 5′UTR Variants Altering Upstream Open Reading Frames in Cardiovascular Genomics. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:841032. [PMID: 35387445 PMCID: PMC8977850 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.841032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technologies are revolutionizing the research and molecular diagnosis landscape by allowing the exploration of millions of nucleotide sequences at an unprecedented scale. These technologies are of particular interest in the identification of genetic variations contributing to the risk of rare (Mendelian) and common (multifactorial) human diseases. So far, they have led to numerous successes in identifying rare disease-causing mutations in coding regions, but few in non-coding regions that include introns, untranslated (UTR), and intergenic regions. One class of neglected non-coding variations is that of 5′UTR variants that alter upstream open reading frames (upORFs) of the coding sequence (CDS) of a natural protein coding transcript. Following a brief summary of the molecular bases of the origin and functions of upORFs, we will first review known 5′UTR variations altering upORFs and causing rare cardiovascular disorders (CVDs). We will then investigate whether upORF-affecting single nucleotide polymorphisms could be good candidates for explaining association signals detected in the context of genome-wide association studies for common complex CVDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Soukarieh
- INSERM, Bordeaux Population Health, U1219, Molecular Epidemiology of Vascular and Brain Disorders, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- *Correspondence: Omar Soukarieh,
| | - Caroline Meguerditchian
- INSERM, Bordeaux Population Health, U1219, Molecular Epidemiology of Vascular and Brain Disorders, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Carole Proust
- INSERM, Bordeaux Population Health, U1219, Molecular Epidemiology of Vascular and Brain Disorders, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Dylan Aïssi
- INSERM, Bordeaux Population Health, U1219, Molecular Epidemiology of Vascular and Brain Disorders, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Mélanie Eyries
- Department of Genetics, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | | | - David-Alexandre Trégouët
- INSERM, Bordeaux Population Health, U1219, Molecular Epidemiology of Vascular and Brain Disorders, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
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