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Kato M, Abdollahi M, Omori K, Malek V, Lanting L, Kandeel F, Rawson J, Tsark W, Zhang L, Wang M, Tunduguru R, Natarajan R. Lowering an ER stress-regulated long noncoding RNA protects mice from diabetes and isolated pancreatic islets from cell death. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102252. [PMID: 39071954 PMCID: PMC11278341 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
We investigated the role of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-regulated long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) lncMGC in pancreatic islets and the pathology of type 1 diabetes (T1D), as well as the potential of lncMGC-based therapeutics. In vivo, blood glucose levels (BGLs) and HbA1c were significantly lower in lncMGC-knockout (KO)-streptozotocin (STZ)-treated diabetic mice compared to wild-type STZ. Antisense oligonucleotides (GapmeR) targeting lncMGC significantly attenuated insulitis and BGLs in T1D NOD mice compared to GapmeR-negative control (NC). GapmeR-injected T1D Akita mice showed significantly lower BGLs compared to Akita-NC mice. hlncMGC-GapmeR lowered BGLs in partially humanized lncMGC (hlncMGC)-STZ mice compared to NC-injected mice. CHOP (ER stress regulating transcription factor) and lncMGC were upregulated in islets from diabetic mice but not in lncMGC-KO and GapmeR-injected diabetic mice, suggesting ER stress involvement. In vitro, hlncMGC-GapmeR increased the viability of isolated islets from human donors and hlncMGC mice and protected them from cytokine-induced apoptosis. Anti-ER stress and anti-apoptotic genes were upregulated, but pro-apoptotic genes were down-regulated in lncMGC KO mice islets and GapmeR-treated human islets. Taken together, these results show that a GapmeR-targeting lncMGC is effective in ameliorating diabetes in mice and also preserves human and mouse islet viability, implicating clinical translation potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuo Kato
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Maryam Abdollahi
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Keiko Omori
- Department of Translational Research & Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Vajir Malek
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Linda Lanting
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Fouad Kandeel
- Department of Translational Research & Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Jeffrey Rawson
- Department of Translational Research & Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Walter Tsark
- Transgenic Mouse Facility, Center for Comparative Medicine, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Lingxiao Zhang
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Mei Wang
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ragadeepthi Tunduguru
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Rama Natarajan
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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Lu T, Zhang C, Li Z, Wei Y, Sadewasser A, Yan Y, Sun L, Li J, Wen Y, Lai S, Chen C, Zhong H, Jiménez MR, Klar R, Schell M, Raith S, Michel S, Ke B, Zheng H, Jaschinski F, Zhang N, Xiao H, Bachert C, Wen W. Human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-specific antisense oligonucleotides reduce infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2024:S0091-6749(24)00631-6. [PMID: 38909634 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2024.06.007] [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: 10/22/2023] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Spike protein mutation severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to decreased protective effect of various vaccines and mAbs, suggesting that blocking SARS-CoV-2 infection by targeting host factors would make the therapy more resilient against virus mutations. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the host receptor of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, as well as many other coronaviruses. Downregulation of ACE2 expression in the respiratory tract may prevent viral infection. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) can be rationally designed on the basis of sequence data, require no delivery system, and can be administered locally. OBJECTIVE We sought to design ASOs that can block SARS-CoV-2 by downregulating ACE2 in human airway. METHODS ACE2-targeting ASOs were designed using a bioinformatic method and screened in cell lines. Human primary nasal epithelial cells cultured at the air-liquid interface and humanized ACE2 mice were used to detect the ACE2 reduction levels and the safety of ASOs. ASO-pretreated nasal epithelial cells and mice were infected and then used to detect the viral infection levels. RESULTS ASOs reduced ACE2 expression on mRNA and protein level in cell lines and in human nasal epithelial cells. Furthermore, they efficiently suppressed virus replication of 3 different SARS-CoV-2 variants in human nasal epithelial cells. In vivo, ASOs also downregulated human ACE2 in humanized ACE2 mice and thereby reduced viral load, histopathologic changes in lungs, and increased survival of mice. CONCLUSIONS ACE2-targeting ASOs can effectively block SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our study provides a new approach for blocking SARS-CoV-2 and other ACE2-targeting virus in high-risk populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Lu
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Chengcheng Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhengqi Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi Wei
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | | | - Yan Yan
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Lin Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangxi Hospital Division of The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Nanning, China
| | - Yihui Wen
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shimin Lai
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Changhui Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Hua Zhong
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Advanced Medical Technology Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | | | - Richard Klar
- Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Monika Schell
- Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Stefanie Raith
- Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Sven Michel
- Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Bixia Ke
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Huanying Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | | | - Nan Zhang
- Upper Airways Research Laboratory, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Haipeng Xiao
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Claus Bachert
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Münster, Münster, Germany; Upper Airways Research Laboratory, Department of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Weiping Wen
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Otorhinolaryngology Institute of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; Department of Otolaryngology, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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3
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Roesmann F, Müller L, Klaassen K, Heß S, Widera M. Interferon-Regulated Expression of Cellular Splicing Factors Modulates Multiple Levels of HIV-1 Gene Expression and Replication. Viruses 2024; 16:938. [PMID: 38932230 PMCID: PMC11209495 DOI: 10.3390/v16060938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Type I interferons (IFN-Is) are pivotal in innate immunity against human immunodeficiency virus I (HIV-1) by eliciting the expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), which encompass potent host restriction factors. While ISGs restrict the viral replication within the host cell by targeting various stages of the viral life cycle, the lesser-known IFN-repressed genes (IRepGs), including RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), affect the viral replication by altering the expression of the host dependency factors that are essential for efficient HIV-1 gene expression. Both the host restriction and dependency factors determine the viral replication efficiency; however, the understanding of the IRepGs implicated in HIV-1 infection remains greatly limited at present. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current understanding regarding the impact of the RNA-binding protein families, specifically the two families of splicing-associated proteins SRSF and hnRNP, on HIV-1 gene expression and viral replication. Since the recent findings show specifically that SRSF1 and hnRNP A0 are regulated by IFN-I in various cell lines and primary cells, including intestinal lamina propria mononuclear cells (LPMCs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), we particularly discuss their role in the context of the innate immunity affecting HIV-1 replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Roesmann
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Lisa Müller
- Institute of Virology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Katleen Klaassen
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Stefanie Heß
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Marek Widera
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 40, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Ferguson CM, Godinho BMDC, Echeverria D, Hassler M, Vangjeli L, Sousa J, McHugh N, Alterman J, Hariharan V, Krishnamurthy P, Watts J, Rogaev E, Khvorova A. A combinatorial approach for achieving CNS-selective RNAi. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:5273-5284. [PMID: 38348876 PMCID: PMC11109952 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is an endogenous process that can be harnessed using chemically modified small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to potently modulate gene expression in many tissues. The route of administration and chemical architecture are the primary drivers of oligonucleotide tissue distribution, including siRNAs. Independently of the nature and type, oligonucleotides are eliminated from the body through clearance tissues, where their unintended accumulation may result in undesired gene modulation. Divalent siRNAs (di-siRNAs) administered into the CSF induce robust gene silencing throughout the central nervous system (CNS). Upon clearance from the CSF, they are mainly filtered by the kidneys and liver, with the most functionally significant accumulation occurring in the liver. siRNA- and miRNA-induced silencing can be blocked through substrate inhibition using single-stranded, stabilized oligonucleotides called antagomirs or anti-siRNAs. Using APOE as a model target, we show that undesired di-siRNA-induced silencing in the liver can be mitigated through administration of liver targeting GalNAc-conjugated anti-siRNAs, without impacting CNS activity. Blocking unwanted hepatic APOE silencing achieves fully CNS-selective silencing, essential for potential clinical translation. While we focus on CNS/liver selectivity, coadministration of differentially targeting siRNA and anti-siRNAs can be adapted as a strategy to achieve tissue selectivity in different organ combinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal M Ferguson
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Bruno M D C Godinho
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Dimas Echeverria
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Matthew Hassler
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Lorenc Vangjeli
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Jacquelyn Sousa
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Nicholas McHugh
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Julia Alterman
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Vignesh Hariharan
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | | | - Jonathan Watts
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Eveny Rogaev
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
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5
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Hanswillemenke A, Hofacker DT, Sorgenfrei M, Fruhner C, Franz-Wachtel M, Schwarzer D, Maček B, Stafforst T. Profiling the interactome of oligonucleotide drugs by proximity biotinylation. Nat Chem Biol 2024; 20:555-565. [PMID: 38233583 PMCID: PMC11062921 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-023-01530-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Drug-ID is a novel method applying proximity biotinylation to identify drug-protein interactions inside living cells. The covalent conjugation of a drug with a biotin ligase enables targeted biotinylation and identification of the drug-bound proteome. We established Drug-ID for two small-molecule drugs, JQ1 and SAHA, and applied it for RNaseH-recruiting antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). Drug-ID profiles the drug-protein interactome de novo under native conditions, directly inside living cells and at pharmacologically effective drug concentrations. It requires minimal amounts of cell material and might even become applicable in vivo. We studied the dose-dependent aggregation of ASOs and the effect of different wing chemistries (locked nucleic acid, 2'-methoxyethyl and 2'-Fluoro) and ASO lengths on the interactome. Finally, we demonstrate the detection of stress-induced, intracellular interactome changes (actinomycin D treatment) with an in situ variant of the approach, which uses a recombinant biotin ligase and does not require genetic manipulation of the target cell.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michèle Sorgenfrei
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Carolin Fruhner
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mirita Franz-Wachtel
- Interfaculty Institute of Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dirk Schwarzer
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Boris Maček
- Interfaculty Institute of Cell Biology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thorsten Stafforst
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Gene and RNA Therapy Center (GRTC), Faculty of Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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6
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Castellano M, Blanco V, Calzi ML, Costa B, Witwer K, Hill M, Cayota A, Segovia M, Tosar JP. Ribonuclease activity undermines immune sensing of naked extracellular RNA. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.23.590771. [PMID: 38712104 PMCID: PMC11071435 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.23.590771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The plasma membrane and the membrane of endosomal vesicles are considered physical barriers preventing extracellular RNA uptake. While naked RNA can be spontaneously internalized by certain cells types, functional delivery of naked RNA into the cytosol has been rarely observed. Here we show that extracellular ribonucleases, mainly derived from cell culture supplements, have so far hindered the study of extracellular RNA functionality. In the presence of active ribonuclease inhibitors (RI), naked bacterial RNA is pro-inflammatory when spiked in the media of dendritic cells and macrophages. In murine cells, this response mainly depends on the action of endosomal Toll-like receptors. However, we also show that naked RNA can perform endosomal escape and engage with cytosolic RNA sensors and ribosomes. For example, naked mRNAs encoding reporter proteins can be spontaneously internalized and translated by a variety of cell types, in an RI-dependent manner. In vivo, RI co-injection enhances the activation induced by naked extracellular RNA on splenic lymphocytes and myeloid-derived leukocytes. Furthermore, naked extracellular RNA is inherently pro-inflammatory in ribonuclease-poor compartments such as the peritoneal cavity. Overall, these results demonstrate that naked RNA is bioactive and does not need encapsulation inside synthetic or biological lipid vesicles for functional uptake, making a case for nonvesicular extracellular RNA-mediated intercellular communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Castellano
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay
- Immunoregulation and Inflammation Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Valentina Blanco
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Marco Li Calzi
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Bruno Costa
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay
- Analytical Biochemistry Unit, School of Science, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Kenneth Witwer
- Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- EV Core Facility “EXCEL”, Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- The Richman Family Precision Medicine Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marcelo Hill
- Immunoregulation and Inflammation Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay
- Academic Unit of Immunobiology, School of Medicine, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Alfonso Cayota
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay
- Hospital de Clínicas, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Mercedes Segovia
- Immunoregulation and Inflammation Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay
- Academic Unit of Immunobiology, School of Medicine, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
| | - Juan Pablo Tosar
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Montevideo, Uruguay
- Analytical Biochemistry Unit, School of Science, Universidad de la República, Uruguay
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7
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Nappi F. Non-Coding RNA-Targeted Therapy: A State-of-the-Art Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3630. [PMID: 38612441 PMCID: PMC11011542 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073630] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as drug targets is being researched due to their discovery and their role in disease. Targeting ncRNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), is an attractive approach for treating various diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. This seminar discusses the current status of ncRNAs as therapeutic targets in different pathological conditions. Regarding miRNA-based drugs, this approach has made significant progress in preclinical and clinical testing for cardiovascular diseases, where the limitations of conventional pharmacotherapy are evident. The challenges of miRNA-based drugs, including specificity, delivery, and tolerability, will be discussed. New approaches to improve their success will be explored. Furthermore, it extensively discusses the potential development of targeted therapies for cardiovascular disease. Finally, this document reports on the recent advances in identifying and characterizing microRNAs, manipulating them, and translating them into clinical applications. It also addresses the challenges and perspectives towards clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Nappi
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Centre Cardiologique du Nord, 93200 Saint-Denis, France
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8
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Elkhashab M, Dilek Y, Foss M, Creemers LB, Howard KA. A Modular Albumin-Oligonucleotide Biomolecular Assembly for Delivery of Antisense Therapeutics. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:491-500. [PMID: 38214218 PMCID: PMC10848253 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.3c00561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Antisense nucleic acid drugs are susceptible to nuclease degradation, rapid renal clearance, and short circulatory half-life. In this work, we introduce a modular-based recombinant human albumin-oligonucleotide (rHA-cODN) biomolecular assembly that allows incorporation of a chemically stabilized therapeutic gapmer antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) and FcRn-driven endothelial cellular recycling. A phosphodiester ODN linker (cODN) was conjugated to recombinant human albumin (rHA) using maleimide chemistry, after which a complementary gapmer ASO, targeting ADAMTS5 involved in osteoarthritis pathogenesis, was annealed. The rHA-cODN/ASO biomolecular assembly production, fluorescence labeling, and purity were confirmed using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. ASO release was triggered by DNase-mediated degradation of the linker strand, reaching 40% in serum after 72 h, with complete release observed following 30 min of incubation with DNase. Cellular internalization and trafficking of the biomolecular assembly using confocal microscopy in C28/I2 cells showed higher uptake and endosomal localization by increasing incubation time from 4 to 24 h. FcRn-mediated cellular recycling of the assembly was demonstrated in FcRn-expressing human microvascular endothelial cells. ADAMTS5 in vitro silencing efficiency reached 40%, which was comparable to free gapmer after 72 h incubation with human osteoarthritis patients' chondrocytes. This work introduces a versatile biomolecular modular-based "Plug-and-Play" platform potentially applicable for albumin-mediated half-life extension for a range of different types of ODN therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Elkhashab
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Yeter Dilek
- Department
of Orthopedics, University Medical Center
Utrecht, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Morten Foss
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus
C, Denmark
| | - Laura B. Creemers
- Department
of Orthopedics, University Medical Center
Utrecht, 3584 CT Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Kenneth A. Howard
- Interdisciplinary
Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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9
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Smidt JM, Lykke L, Stidsen CE, Pristovšek N, Gothelf K. Synthesis of peptide-siRNA conjugates via internal sulfonylphosphoramidate modifications and evaluation of their in vitro activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:49-58. [PMID: 37971296 PMCID: PMC10783514 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad1015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Conjugates of therapeutic oligonucleotides (ONs) including peptide conjugates, provide a potential solution to the major challenge of specific tissue delivery faced by this class of drugs. Conjugations are often positioned terminal at the ONs, although internal placement of other chemical modifications are known to be of critical importance. The introduction of internal conjugation handles in chemically modified ONs require highly specialized and expensive nucleoside phosphoramidites. Here, we present a method for synthesizing a library of peptide-siRNA conjugates by conjugation at internal phosphorous positions via sulfonylphosphoramidate modifications incorporated into the sense strand. The sulfonylphosphoramidate modification offers benefits as it can be directly incorporated into chemically modified ONs by simply changing the oxidation step during synthesis, and furthermore holds the potential to create multifunctionalized therapeutic ONs. We have developed a workflow using a novel pH-controlled amine-to-amine linker that yields peptide-siRNA conjugates linked via amide bonds, and we have synthesized conjugates between GLP1 peptides and a HPRT1 siRNA as a model system. The in vitro activity of the conjugates was tested by GLP1R activity and knockdown of the HPRT1 gene. We found that conjugation near the 3'-end is more favorable than certain central internal positions and different internal conjugation strategies were compared.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Melgaard Smidt
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lennart Lykke
- Research Chemistry, Novo Nordisk A/S, Novo Nordisk Park, 2760 Måløv, Denmark
| | - Carsten Enggaard Stidsen
- Centre for Functional Assays and Screening, Novo Nordisk A/S, Novo Nordisk Park, 2760 Måløv, Denmark
| | - Nuša Pristovšek
- Centre for Functional Assays and Screening, Novo Nordisk A/S, Novo Nordisk Park, 2760 Måløv, Denmark
| | - Kurt V Gothelf
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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10
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Unger L, Ghila L, Chera S. Targeted Gene Silencing by Using GapmeRs in Differentiating Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSC) Toward Pancreatic Progenitors. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2736:23-38. [PMID: 37615889 DOI: 10.1007/7651_2023_498] [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: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells as a source for generating pancreatic islet endocrine cells represent a great research tool for deciphering the molecular mechanisms of lineage commitment, a layered multi-step process. Additionally, targeted gene silencing by using GapmeRs, short antisense oligonucleotides, proved instrumental in studying the role of different developmental genes. Here we describe our approach to induce mTOR silencing by using specific GapmeRs during the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells toward pancreatic progenitors. We will describe our current differentiation protocol, the transfection procedure, and the quality control steps required for a successful experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Unger
- Mohn Research Center for Diabetes Precision Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Luiza Ghila
- Mohn Research Center for Diabetes Precision Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Simona Chera
- Mohn Research Center for Diabetes Precision Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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11
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Pfeiffer LS, Stafforst T. Precision RNA base editing with engineered and endogenous effectors. Nat Biotechnol 2023; 41:1526-1542. [PMID: 37735261 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01927-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
RNA base editing refers to the rewriting of genetic information within an intact RNA molecule and serves various functions, such as evasion of the endogenous immune system and regulation of protein function. To achieve this, certain enzymes have been discovered in human cells that catalyze the conversion of one nucleobase into another. This natural process could be exploited to manipulate and recode any base in a target transcript. In contrast to DNA base editing, analogous changes introduced in RNA are not permanent or inheritable but rather allow reversible and doseable effects that appeal to various therapeutic applications. The current practice of RNA base editing involves the deamination of adenosines and cytidines, which are converted to inosines and uridines, respectively. In this Review, we summarize current site-directed RNA base-editing strategies and highlight recent achievements to improve editing efficiency, precision, codon-targeting scope and in vivo delivery into disease-relevant tissues. Besides engineered editing effectors, we focus on strategies to harness endogenous adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR) enzymes and discuss limitations and future perspectives to apply the tools in basic research and as a therapeutic modality. We expect the field to realize the first RNA base-editing drug soon, likely on a well-defined genetic disease. However, the long-term challenge will be to carve out the sweet spot of the technology where its unique ability is exploited to modulate signaling cues, metabolism or other clinically relevant processes in a safe and doseable manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S Pfeiffer
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thorsten Stafforst
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- Gene and RNA Therapy Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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12
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Hill AC, Becker JP, Slominski D, Halloy F, Søndergaard C, Ravn J, Hall J. Peptide Conjugates of a 2'- O-Methoxyethyl Phosphorothioate Splice-Switching Oligonucleotide Show Increased Entrapment in Endosomes. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:40463-40481. [PMID: 37929104 PMCID: PMC10620785 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are short, single-stranded nucleic acid molecules that alter gene expression. However, their transport into appropriate cellular compartments is a limiting factor in their potency. Here, we synthesized splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) previously developed to treat the rare disease erythropoietic protoporphyria. Using chemical ligation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (CL-qPCR), we quantified the SSOs in cells and subcellular compartments following free uptake. To drive nuclear localization, we covalently conjugated nuclear localization signal (NLS) peptides to a lead 2'-O-methoxyethyl phosphorothioate SSO using thiol-maleimide chemistry. The conjugates and parent SSO displayed similar RNA target-binding affinities. CL-qPCR quantification of the conjugates in cells and subcellular compartments following free uptake revealed one conjugate with better nuclear accumulation relative to the parent SSO. However, compared to the parent SSO, which altered the splicing of the target pre-mRNA, the conjugates were inactive at splice correction under free uptake conditions in vitro. Splice-switching activity could be conferred on the conjugates by delivering them into cells via cationic lipid-mediated transfection or by treating the cells into which the conjugates had been freely taken up with chloroquine, an endosome-disrupting agent. Our results identify the major barrier to the activity of the peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates as endosomal entrapment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa C. Hill
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
(ETH Zürich), Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - J. Philipp Becker
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
(ETH Zürich), Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - Daria Slominski
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
(ETH Zürich), Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | - François Halloy
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
(ETH Zürich), Zürich 8093, Switzerland
| | | | - Jacob Ravn
- Roche
Innovation Center Copenhagen (RICC), Hørsholm 2970, Denmark
| | - Jonathan Hall
- Institute
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
(ETH Zürich), Zürich 8093, Switzerland
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13
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Ng M, Verboon L, Issa H, Bhayadia R, Vermunt MW, Winkler R, Schüler L, Alejo O, Schuschel K, Regenyi E, Borchert D, Heuser M, Reinhardt D, Yaspo ML, Heckl D, Klusmann JH. Myeloid leukemia vulnerabilities embedded in long noncoding RNA locus MYNRL15. iScience 2023; 26:107844. [PMID: 37766974 PMCID: PMC10520325 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The noncoding genome presents a largely untapped source of new biological insights, including thousands of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) loci. While lncRNA dysregulation has been reported in myeloid malignancies, their functional relevance remains to be systematically interrogated. We performed CRISPRi screens of lncRNA signatures from normal and malignant hematopoietic cells and identified MYNRL15 as a myeloid leukemia dependency. Functional dissection suggests an RNA-independent mechanism mediated by two regulatory elements embedded in the locus. Genetic perturbation of these elements triggered a long-range chromatin interaction and downregulation of leukemia dependency genes near the gained interaction sites, as well as overall suppression of cancer dependency pathways. Thus, this study describes a new noncoding myeloid leukemia vulnerability and mechanistic concept for myeloid leukemia. Importantly, MYNRL15 perturbation caused strong and selective impairment of leukemia cells of various genetic backgrounds over normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in vitro, and depletion of patient-derived xenografts in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Ng
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Lonneke Verboon
- Department of Pediatrics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hasan Issa
- Department of Pediatrics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Raj Bhayadia
- Department of Pediatrics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marit Willemijn Vermunt
- Department of Pediatrics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Robert Winkler
- Department of Pediatrics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Leah Schüler
- Department of Pediatrics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Oriol Alejo
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Konstantin Schuschel
- Department of Pediatrics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Eniko Regenyi
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
- Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dorit Borchert
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Michael Heuser
- Department of Hematology, Hemostasis, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Dirk Reinhardt
- Clinic for Pediatrics III, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Marie-Laure Yaspo
- Department of Vertebrate Genomics, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Dirk Heckl
- Institute for Experimental Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
| | - Jan-Henning Klusmann
- Department of Pediatrics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- Frankfurt Cancer Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60323 Frankfurt (Main), Germany
- German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Frankfurt/Mainz and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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14
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Mangla P, Vicentini Q, Biscans A. Therapeutic Oligonucleotides: An Outlook on Chemical Strategies to Improve Endosomal Trafficking. Cells 2023; 12:2253. [PMID: 37759475 PMCID: PMC10527716 DOI: 10.3390/cells12182253] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The potential of oligonucleotide therapeutics is undeniable as more than 15 drugs have been approved to treat various diseases in the liver, central nervous system (CNS), and muscles. However, achieving effective delivery of oligonucleotide therapeutics to specific tissues still remains a major challenge, limiting their widespread use. Chemical modifications play a crucial role to overcome biological barriers to enable efficient oligonucleotide delivery to the tissues/cells of interest. They provide oligonucleotide metabolic stability and confer favourable pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties. This review focuses on the various chemical approaches implicated in mitigating the delivery problem of oligonucleotides and their limitations. It highlights the importance of linkers in designing oligonucleotide conjugates and discusses their potential role in escaping the endosomal barrier, a bottleneck in the development of oligonucleotide therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Mangla
- Oligonucleotide Discovery, Discovery Sciences Research and Development, AstraZeneca, 431 38 Gothenburg, Sweden; (P.M.); (Q.V.)
| | - Quentin Vicentini
- Oligonucleotide Discovery, Discovery Sciences Research and Development, AstraZeneca, 431 38 Gothenburg, Sweden; (P.M.); (Q.V.)
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Centre, Karolinska Institute, 141 57 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annabelle Biscans
- Oligonucleotide Discovery, Discovery Sciences Research and Development, AstraZeneca, 431 38 Gothenburg, Sweden; (P.M.); (Q.V.)
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15
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Dewaele S, Delhaye L, De Paepe B, Bogaert B, Martinez R, Anckaert J, Yigit N, Nuytens J, Van Coster R, Eyckerman S, Raemdonck K, Mestdagh P. mTOR Inhibition Enhances Delivery and Activity of Antisense Oligonucleotides in Uveal Melanoma Cells. Nucleic Acid Ther 2023; 33:248-264. [PMID: 37389884 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2023.0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults. Owing to a lack of effective treatments, patients with metastatic disease have a median survival time of 6-12 months. We recently demonstrated that the Survival Associated Mitochondrial Melanoma Specific Oncogenic Non-coding RNA (SAMMSON) is essential for UM cell survival and that antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-mediated silencing of SAMMSON impaired cell viability and tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. By screening a library of 2911 clinical stage compounds, we identified the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor GDC-0349 to synergize with SAMMSON inhibition in UM. Mechanistic studies revealed that mTOR inhibition enhanced uptake and reduced lysosomal accumulation of lipid complexed SAMMSON ASOs, improving SAMMSON knockdown and further decreasing UM cell viability. We found mTOR inhibition to also enhance target knockdown in other cancer cell lines as well as normal cells when combined with lipid nanoparticle complexed or encapsulated ASOs or small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Our results are relevant to nucleic acid treatment in general and highlight the potential of mTOR inhibition to enhance ASO and siRNA-mediated target knockdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanna Dewaele
- OncoRNALab, Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Louis Delhaye
- OncoRNALab, Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB-Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Boel De Paepe
- Division of Pediatric Neurology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Bram Bogaert
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory for General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ramiro Martinez
- OncoRNALab, Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jasper Anckaert
- OncoRNALab, Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nurten Yigit
- OncoRNALab, Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Justine Nuytens
- OncoRNALab, Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rudy Van Coster
- Division of Pediatric Neurology and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sven Eyckerman
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB-Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Koen Raemdonck
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Laboratory for General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Mestdagh
- OncoRNALab, Center for Medical Genetics (CMGG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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16
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Batistatou N, Kritzer JA. Investigation of Sequence-Penetration Relationships of Antisense Oligonucleotides. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300009. [PMID: 36791388 PMCID: PMC10305730 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
A major limitation for the development of more effective oligonucleotide therapeutics has been a lack of understanding of their penetration into the cytosol. While prior work has shown how backbone modifications affect cytosolic penetration, it is unclear how cytosolic penetration is affected by other features including base composition, base sequence, length, and degree of secondary structure. We have applied the chloroalkane penetration assay, which exclusively reports on material that reaches the cytosol, to investigate the effects of these characteristics on the cytosolic uptake of druglike oligonucleotides. We found that base composition and base sequence had moderate effects, while length did not correlate directly with the degree of cytosolic penetration. Investigating further, we found that the degree of secondary structure had the largest and most predictable correlations with cytosolic penetration. These methods and observations add a layer of design for maximizing the efficacy of new oligonucleotide therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nefeli Batistatou
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
| | - Joshua A. Kritzer
- Department of Chemistry, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, United States
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17
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Anwar S, Mir F, Yokota T. Enhancing the Effectiveness of Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Using Cell-Penetrating Peptide Conjugation, Chemical Modification, and Carrier-Based Delivery Strategies. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15041130. [PMID: 37111616 PMCID: PMC10140998 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15041130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Oligonucleotide-based therapies are a promising approach for treating a wide range of hard-to-treat diseases, particularly genetic and rare diseases. These therapies involve the use of short synthetic sequences of DNA or RNA that can modulate gene expression or inhibit proteins through various mechanisms. Despite the potential of these therapies, a significant barrier to their widespread use is the difficulty in ensuring their uptake by target cells/tissues. Strategies to overcome this challenge include cell-penetrating peptide conjugation, chemical modification, nanoparticle formulation, and the use of endogenous vesicles, spherical nucleic acids, and smart material-based delivery vehicles. This article provides an overview of these strategies and their potential for the efficient delivery of oligonucleotide drugs, as well as the safety and toxicity considerations, regulatory requirements, and challenges in translating these therapies from the laboratory to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeed Anwar
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Farin Mir
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
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18
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Hall J. Future directions for medicinal chemistry in the field of oligonucleotide therapeutics. RNA (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2023; 29:423-433. [PMID: 36693762 PMCID: PMC10019366 DOI: 10.1261/rna.079511.122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
In the last decade, the field of oligonucleotide therapeutics has matured, with the regulatory approval of several single-stranded and double-stranded RNA drugs. In this Perspective, I discuss enabling developments and likely future directions in the field from the perspective of oligonucleotide chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Hall
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
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19
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Dindot SV, Christian S, Murphy WJ, Berent A, Panagoulias J, Schlafer A, Ballard J, Radeva K, Robinson R, Myers L, Jepp T, Shaheen H, Hillman P, Konganti K, Hillhouse A, Bredemeyer KR, Black L, Douville J. An ASO therapy for Angelman syndrome that targets an evolutionarily conserved region at the start of the UBE3A-AS transcript. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eabf4077. [PMID: 36947593 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abf4077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Angelman syndrome is a devastating neurogenetic disorder for which there is currently no effective treatment. It is caused by mutations or epimutations affecting the expression or function of the maternally inherited allele of the ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A (UBE3A) gene. The paternal UBE3A allele is imprinted in neurons of the central nervous system (CNS) by the UBE3A antisense (UBE3A-AS) transcript, which represents the distal end of the small nucleolar host gene 14 (SNHG14) transcription unit. Reactivating the expression of the paternal UBE3A allele in the CNS has long been pursued as a therapeutic option for Angelman syndrome. Here, we described the development of an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) therapy for Angelman syndrome that targets an evolutionarily conserved region demarcating the start of the UBE3A-AS transcript. We designed and chemically optimized gapmer ASOs targeting specific sequences at the start of the human UBE3A-AS transcript. We showed that ASOs targeting this region precisely and efficiently repress the transcription of UBE3A-AS, reactivating the expression of the paternal UBE3A allele in neurotypical and Angelman syndrome induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons. We further showed that human-targeted ASOs administered to the CNS of cynomolgus macaques by lumbar intrathecal injection repress UBE3A-AS and reactivate the expression of the paternal UBE3A allele throughout the CNS. These findings support the advancement of this investigational molecular therapy for Angelman syndrome into clinical development (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04259281).
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott V Dindot
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- GeneTx Biotherapeutics LLC, Sarasota, FL 34233, USA
- Research Department, Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical, Novato, CA 94949, USA
| | - Sarah Christian
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | | | | | - Annalise Schlafer
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Johnathan Ballard
- Texas A&M Institute for Genomic Medicine (TIGM), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Kamelia Radeva
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Ruth Robinson
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Luke Myers
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Thomas Jepp
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Hillary Shaheen
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Paul Hillman
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Kranti Konganti
- Texas A&M University Institute for Genome Sciences and Society (TIGSS), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Andrew Hillhouse
- Texas A&M University Institute for Genome Sciences and Society (TIGSS), Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Kevin R Bredemeyer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | | | - Julie Douville
- Charles River Laboratories, Montreal, Senneville, Quebec H9X 1C1, Canada
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20
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Caglayan S, Hansen JB, Snir O. Optimized workflow to modify microRNA expression in primary human intravascular cells. BMC Immunol 2023; 24:5. [PMID: 36792999 PMCID: PMC9933393 DOI: 10.1186/s12865-023-00540-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A comprehensive dissection of the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in gene regulation and subsequent cell functions requires a specific and efficient knockdown or overexpression of the miRNA of interest; these are achieved by transfecting the cell of interest with a miRNA inhibitor or a miRNA mimic, respectively. Inhibitors and mimics of miRNAs with a unique chemistry and/or structural modifications are available commercially and require different transfection conditions. Here, we aimed to investigate how various conditions affect the transfection efficacy of two miRNAs with high and low endogenous expression, miR-15a-5p and miR-20b-5p respectively, in human primary cells. RESULTS MiRNA inhibitors and mimics from two commonly used commercial vendors were employed, i.e., mirVana (Thermo Fisher Scientific) and locked nucleic acid (LNA) miRNA (Qiagen). We systematically examined and optimized the transfection conditions of such miRNA inhibitors and mimics to primary endothelial cells and monocytes using either a lipid-based carrier (lipofectamine) for delivery or an unassisted uptake. Transfection of LNA inhibitors with either phosphodiester (PE)- or phosphorothioate (PS)-modified nucleotide bonds, delivered using a lipid-based carrier, efficiently downregulated the expression levels of miR-15a-5p already 24 h following transfection. MirVana miR-15a-5p inhibitor displayed a less efficient inhibitory effect, which was not improved 48 h following a single transfection or two consecutive transfections. Interestingly, LNA-PS miR-15a-5p inhibitor efficiently reduced the levels of miR-15a-5p when delivered without a lipid-based carrier in both ECs and monocytes. When using a carrier, mirVana and LNA miR-15a-5p and miR-20b-5p mimics showed similar efficiency 48 h following transfection to ECs and monocytes. None of the miRNA mimics effectively induced overexpression of the respective miRNA when given to primary cells without a carrier. CONCLUSION LNA miRNA inhibitors efficiently downregulated the cellular expression of miRNA, such as miR-15a-5p. Furthermore, our findings suggest that LNA-PS miRNA inhibitors can be delivered in the absence of a lipid-based carrier, whereas miRNA mimics need the aid of a lipid-based carrier to achieve sufficient cellular uptake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Safak Caglayan
- Thrombosis Research Center (TREC), Institute of Clinical Medicine, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
| | - John-Bjarne Hansen
- grid.10919.300000000122595234Thrombosis Research Center (TREC), Institute of Clinical Medicine, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway ,grid.412244.50000 0004 4689 5540Division of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Omri Snir
- grid.10919.300000000122595234Thrombosis Research Center (TREC), Institute of Clinical Medicine, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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21
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Kamali MJ, Salehi M, Fatemi S, Moradi F, Khoshghiafeh A, Ahmadifard M. Locked nucleic acid (LNA): A modern approach to cancer diagnosis and treatment. Exp Cell Res 2023; 423:113442. [PMID: 36521777 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2022.113442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is responsible for about one in six deaths in the world. Conventional cancer treatments like chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery are associated with drug poisoning and poor prognosis. Thanks to advances in RNA delivery and target selection, new cancer medicines are now conceivable to improve the quality of life and extend the lives of cancer patients. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and siRNAs are the most important tools in RNA therapies. Locked Nucleic Acids (LNAs) are one of the newest RNA analogs, exhibiting more affinity to binding, sequence specificity, thermal stability, and nuclease resistance due to their unique properties. Assays using LNA are also used in molecular diagnostic methods and provide accurate and rapid mutation detection that improves specificity and sensitivity. This study aims to review the special properties of LNA oligonucleotides that make them safe and effective antisense drugs for cancer treatment by controlling gene expression. Following that, we go over all of the molecular detection methods and cancer treatment antisense tactics that are possible with LNA technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Javad Kamali
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mohammad Salehi
- School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Somayeh Fatemi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Fereshteh Moradi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Azin Khoshghiafeh
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Mohamadreza Ahmadifard
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.
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22
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Goossens R, Verwey N, Ariyurek Y, Schnell F, Aartsma-Rus A. DMD antisense oligonucleotide mediated exon skipping efficiency correlates with flanking intron retention time and target position within the exon. RNA Biol 2023; 20:693-702. [PMID: 37667454 PMCID: PMC10481881 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2023.2254041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the DMD gene are causative for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Antisense oligonucleotide (AON) mediated exon skipping to restore disrupted dystrophin reading frame is a therapeutic approach that allows production of a shorter but functional protein. As DMD causing mutations can affect most of the 79 exons encoding dystrophin, a wide variety of AONs are needed to treat the patient population. Design of AONs is largely guided by trial-and-error, and it is yet unclear what defines the skippability of an exon. Here, we use a library of phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMOs) AONs of similar physical properties to test the skippability of a large number of DMD exons. The DMD transcript is non-sequentially spliced, meaning that certain introns are retained longer in the transcript than downstream introns. We tested whether the relative intron retention time has a significant effect on AON efficiency, and found that targeting an out-of-frame exon flanked at its 5'-end by an intron that is retained in the transcript longer ('slow' intron) leads to overall higher exon skipping efficiency than when the 5'-end flanking intron is 'fast'. Regardless of splicing speed of flanking introns, we find that positioning an AON closer to the 5'-end of the target exon leads to higher exon skipping efficiency opposed to targeting an exons 3'-end. The data enclosed herein can be of use to guide future target selection and preferential AON binding sites for both DMD and other disease amenable by exon skipping therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Remko Goossens
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Nisha Verwey
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Yavuz Ariyurek
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Genome Technology Center, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Annemieke Aartsma-Rus
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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23
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Abdollahi M, Kato M, Lanting L, Tunduguru R, Wang M, Wang Y, Fueger PT, Wang Q, Huang W, Natarajan R. miR-379 mediates insulin resistance and obesity through impaired angiogenesis and adipogenesis regulated by ER stress. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2022; 30:115-130. [PMID: 36250205 PMCID: PMC9535382 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2022.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the role of microRNA (miR-379) in the pathogenesis of obesity, adipose tissue dysfunction, and insulin resistance (IR). We used miR-379 knockout (miR-379KO) mice to test whether loss of miR-379 affects high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and IR via dysregulation of key miR-379 targets in adipose tissue. Increases in body weight, hyperinsulinemia, and IR in wild-type (WT)-HFD mice were significantly attenuated in miR-379KO-HFD mice with some sex differences. Relative to control chow-fed mice, in WT-HFD mice, expression of miR-379 and C/EBP homologous protein (Chop) (pro-endoplasmic reticulum [ER] stress) and inflammation in perigonadal white adipose tissue (gWAT) were increased, whereas adipogenic genes and miR-379 target genes (Vegfb and Edem3) were decreased. These changes, as well as key parameters of brown adipose tissue dysfunction (including mitochondrial defects), were significantly attenuated in miR-379KO-HFD mice. WAT from obese human subjects with and without type 2 diabetes showed increased miR-379 and decreased miR-379 target genes. In cultured 3T3L1 pre-adipocytes, miR-379 inhibitors increased miR-379 targets and adipogenic genes. These data suggest that miR-379 plays an important role in HFD-induced obesity through increased adipose inflammation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and ER stress as well as impaired adipogenesis and angiogenesis. miR-379 inhibitors may be developed as novel therapies for obesity and associated complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Abdollahi
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Corresponding author Maryam Abdollahi, Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
| | - Mitsuo Kato
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Linda Lanting
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Ragadeepthi Tunduguru
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Mei Wang
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Yangmeng Wang
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Patrick T. Fueger
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Comprehensive Metabolic Phenotyping Core, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Qiong Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Wendong Huang
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Rama Natarajan
- Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA
- Corresponding author Rama Natarajan, Department of Diabetes Complications and Metabolism, Arthur Riggs Diabetes and Metabolism Research Institute, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Road, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
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24
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Alonso-Villa E, Bonet F, Hernandez-Torres F, Campuzano Ó, Sarquella-Brugada G, Quezada-Feijoo M, Ramos M, Mangas A, Toro R. The Role of MicroRNAs in Dilated Cardiomyopathy: New Insights for an Old Entity. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113573. [PMID: 36362356 PMCID: PMC9659086 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a clinical diagnosis characterized by left ventricular or biventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction. In most cases, DCM is progressive, leading to heart failure (HF) and death. This cardiomyopathy has been considered a common and final phenotype of several entities. DCM occurs when cellular pathways fail to maintain the pumping function. The etiology of this disease encompasses several factors, such as ischemia, infection, autoimmunity, drugs or genetic susceptibility. Although the prognosis has improved in the last few years due to red flag clinical follow-up, early familial diagnosis and ongoing optimization of treatment, due to its heterogeneity, there are no targeted therapies available for DCM based on each etiology. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of DCM will provide novel therapeutic strategies against this cardiac disease and their different triggers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small noncoding RNAs that play key roles in post-transcriptional gene silencing by targeting mRNAs for translational repression or, to a lesser extent, degradation. A growing number of studies have demonstrated critical functions of miRNAs in cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including DCM, by regulating mechanisms that contribute to the progression of the disease. Herein, we summarize the role of miRNAs in inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, autophagy, cardiomyocyte apoptosis and fibrosis, exclusively in the context of DCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Alonso-Villa
- Research Unit, Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Puerta del Mar University Hospital, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
- Medicine Department, School of Medicine, University of Cadiz, 11002 Cádiz, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.A.-V.); (R.T.)
| | - Fernando Bonet
- Research Unit, Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Puerta del Mar University Hospital, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
- Medicine Department, School of Medicine, University of Cadiz, 11002 Cádiz, Spain
| | - Francisco Hernandez-Torres
- Medina Foundation, Technology Park of Health Sciences, 18016 Granada, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology III and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
| | - Óscar Campuzano
- Cardiology Service, Hospital Josep Trueta, University of Girona, 17007 Girona, Spain
- Cardiovascular Genetics Center, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Girona (IdIBGi), 17190 Salt, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Georgia Sarquella-Brugada
- Medical Science Department, School of Medicine, University of Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain
- Arrhythmias Unit, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, University of Barcelona, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maribel Quezada-Feijoo
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, 28003 Madrid, Spain
- Medicine School, Alfonso X el Sabio University, 28007 Madrid, Spain
| | - Mónica Ramos
- Cardiology Department, Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, 28003 Madrid, Spain
- Medicine School, Alfonso X el Sabio University, 28007 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alipio Mangas
- Research Unit, Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Puerta del Mar University Hospital, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
- Medicine Department, School of Medicine, University of Cadiz, 11002 Cádiz, Spain
- Internal Medicine Department, Puerta del Mar University Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Cadiz, 11009 Cadiz, Spain
| | - Rocío Toro
- Research Unit, Biomedical Research and Innovation Institute of Cadiz (INiBICA), Puerta del Mar University Hospital, 11009 Cádiz, Spain
- Medicine Department, School of Medicine, University of Cadiz, 11002 Cádiz, Spain
- Correspondence: (E.A.-V.); (R.T.)
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25
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Distress-Mediated Remodeling of Cardiac Connexin-43 in a Novel Cell Model for Arrhythmogenic Heart Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231710174. [PMID: 36077591 PMCID: PMC9456330 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231710174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Gap junctions and their expression pattern are essential to robust function of intercellular communication and electrical propagation in cardiomyocytes. In healthy myocytes, the main cardiac gap junction protein connexin-43 (Cx43) is located at the intercalated disc providing a clear direction of signal spreading across the cardiac tissue. Dislocation of Cx43 to lateral membranes has been detected in numerous cardiac diseases leading to slowed conduction and high propensity for the development of arrhythmias. At the cellular level, arrhythmogenic diseases are associated with elevated levels of oxidative distress and gap junction remodeling affecting especially the amount and sarcolemmal distribution of Cx43 expression. So far, a mechanistic link between sustained oxidative distress and altered Cx43 expression has not yet been identified. Here, we propose a novel cell model based on murine induced-pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes to investigate subcellular signaling pathways linking cardiomyocyte distress with gap junction remodeling. We tested the new hypothesis that chronic distress, induced by rapid pacing, leads to increased reactive oxygen species, which promotes expression of a micro-RNA, miR-1, specific for the control of Cx43. Our data demonstrate that Cx43 expression is highly sensitive to oxidative distress, leading to reduced expression. This effect can be efficiently prevented by the glutathione peroxidase mimetic ebselen. Moreover, Cx43 expression is tightly regulated by miR-1, which is activated by tachypacing-induced oxidative distress. In light of the high arrhythmogenic potential of altered Cx43 expression, we propose miR-1 as a novel target for pharmacological interventions to prevent the maladaptive remodeling processes during chronic distress in the heart.
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26
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Kandasamy P, McClorey G, Shimizu M, Kothari N, Alam R, Iwamoto N, Kumarasamy J, Bommineni GR, Bezigian A, Chivatakarn O, Butler DC, Byrne M, Chwalenia K, Davies KE, Desai J, Shelke JD, Durbin AF, Ellerington R, Edwards B, Godfrey J, Hoss A, Liu F, Longo K, Lu G, Marappan S, Oieni J, Paik IH, Estabrook EP, Shivalila C, Tischbein M, Kawamoto T, Rinaldi C, Rajão-Saraiva J, Tripathi S, Yang H, Yin Y, Zhao X, Zhou C, Zhang J, Apponi L, Wood MJ, Vargeese C. Control of backbone chemistry and chirality boost oligonucleotide splice switching activity. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:5443-5466. [PMID: 35061895 PMCID: PMC9178015 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Although recent regulatory approval of splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) for the treatment of neuromuscular disease such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy has been an advance for the splice-switching field, current SSO chemistries have shown limited clinical benefit due to poor pharmacology. To overcome limitations of existing technologies, we engineered chimeric stereopure oligonucleotides with phosphorothioate (PS) and phosphoryl guanidine-containing (PN) backbones. We demonstrate that these chimeric stereopure oligonucleotides have markedly improved pharmacology and efficacy compared with PS-modified oligonucleotides, preventing premature death and improving median survival from 49 days to at least 280 days in a dystrophic mouse model with an aggressive phenotype. These data demonstrate that chemical optimization alone can profoundly impact oligonucleotide pharmacology and highlight the potential for continued innovation around the oligonucleotide backbone. More specifically, we conclude that chimeric stereopure oligonucleotides are a promising splice-switching modality with potential for the treatment of neuromuscular and other genetic diseases impacting difficult to reach tissues such as the skeletal muscle and heart.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Graham McClorey
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Katarzyna Chwalenia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Kay E Davies
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | | | | | | | - Ruth Ellerington
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Ben Edwards
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | | | | | | | - Kenneth Longo
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 9DU, UK
| | | | | | - Jacopo Oieni
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Carlo Rinaldi
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 9DU, UK
| | - Joana Rajão-Saraiva
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
| | | | | | - Yuan Yin
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Cong Zhou
- Wave Life Sciences, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Matthew J A Wood
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
- MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 9DU, UK
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27
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Pulido-Quetglas C, Johnson R. Designing libraries for pooled CRISPR functional screens of long noncoding RNAs. Mamm Genome 2022; 33:312-327. [PMID: 34533605 PMCID: PMC9114037 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-021-09918-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Human and other genomes encode tens of thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), the vast majority of which remain uncharacterised. High-throughput functional screening methods, notably those based on pooled CRISPR-Cas perturbations, promise to unlock the biological significance and biomedical potential of lncRNAs. Such screens are based on libraries of single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) whose design is critical for success. Few off-the-shelf libraries are presently available, and lncRNAs tend to have cell-type-specific expression profiles, meaning that library design remains in the hands of researchers. Here we introduce the topic of pooled CRISPR screens for lncRNAs and guide readers through the three key steps of library design: accurate annotation of transcript structures, curation of optimal candidate sets, and design of sgRNAs. This review is a starting point and reference for researchers seeking to design custom CRISPR screening libraries for lncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Pulido-Quetglas
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School of Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rory Johnson
- Department of Medical Oncology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
- Department for BioMedical Research, University of Bern, 3008, Bern, Switzerland.
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
- Conway Institute for Biomolecular and Biomedical Research, University College Dublin, Dublin, D04 V1W8, Ireland.
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28
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Fernández-Delgado M, Sendra L, Herrero MJ, Olivera-Pasquini GG, Batista-Duharte A, Aliño SF. Study of Oligonucleotides Access and Distribution in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5839. [PMID: 35628649 PMCID: PMC9143973 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic oligonucleotides have achieved great clinical interest since their approval as drug agents by regulatory agencies but their access and distribution in blood cells are not completely known. We evaluated by flow cytometry the ability of short fluorescent scramble oligonucleotides (ON*) to access human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) after incubating with ON* during 1 h and 7 days of culture follow-up 'in vitro'. Blood samples were treated with chemically modified oligonucleotides (phosphorothioate backbone and 2' O-Me ends) to resist nuclease digestion under culture conditions. The ON* internalization was determined after discarding the membrane-associated fluorescence by trypan blue quenching. Whereas the oligonucleotide accessed neutrophils and monocytes rapidly, achieving their maximum in 1 h and 24 h, respectively, lymphocytes required 7 days to achieve the maximum (80% of cells) transfection. The ON*ability to access lymphocyte types (T, B, and NK) and T cell subtypes (CD4+, CD8+, and CD4-CD8-) were similar, with T cells being more accessible. Regulatory CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were classified in low and high Foxp3 expressers, whose expression proved not to alter the ON* internalization during the first hour, achieving 53% of CD4+Foxp3+ and 40% of CD8+Foxp3+ cells. Our results contribute to understanding and improving the management of therapeutic ONs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Fernández-Delgado
- Service of Hematology and Hemotherapy, Hospital General Universitario de Castellón, 12004 Castelló de la Plana, Spain;
| | - Luis Sendra
- Farmacogenetics and Gene Therapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Av. Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (M.J.H.); (G.G.O.-P.); (S.F.A.)
- Gene Therapy and Pharmacogenomics Group, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Av. Blasco Ibáñez 15, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - María José Herrero
- Farmacogenetics and Gene Therapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Av. Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (M.J.H.); (G.G.O.-P.); (S.F.A.)
- Gene Therapy and Pharmacogenomics Group, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Av. Blasco Ibáñez 15, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Gladys G. Olivera-Pasquini
- Farmacogenetics and Gene Therapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Av. Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (M.J.H.); (G.G.O.-P.); (S.F.A.)
| | - Alexander Batista-Duharte
- GC01 Immunology and Allergy Group, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Av. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain;
- Laboratório de Imunología Clínica, Dpto Analises Clinicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Rod. Araraquara-Jaú—Km 1, Campus Ville, 14800 Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Salvador F. Aliño
- Farmacogenetics and Gene Therapy Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Av. Fernando Abril Martorell, 106, 46026 Valencia, Spain; (M.J.H.); (G.G.O.-P.); (S.F.A.)
- Gene Therapy and Pharmacogenomics Group, Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Av. Blasco Ibáñez 15, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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29
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Wang F, Liu LS, Li P, Lau CH, Leung HM, Chin YR, Tin C, Lo PK. Cellular uptake, tissue penetration, biodistribution, and biosafety of threose nucleic acids: Assessing in vitro and in vivo delivery. Mater Today Bio 2022; 15:100299. [PMID: 35637854 PMCID: PMC9142632 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2022.100299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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30
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Luna Velez MV, Paulino da Silva Filho O, Verhaegh GW, van Hooij O, El Boujnouni N, Brock R, Schalken JA. Delivery of antisense oligonucleotides for splice-correction of androgen receptor pre-mRNA in castration-resistant prostate cancer models using cell-penetrating peptides. Prostate 2022; 82:657-665. [PMID: 35098567 PMCID: PMC9303360 DOI: 10.1002/pros.24309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are a promising approach for delivering antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) as they form nanosized complexes through noncovalent interactions that show efficient cellular uptake. Previously, we have designed an AON system to correct splicing of the androgen receptor (AR) pre-mRNA, thereby preventing the generation of the splice variant AR-V7 mRNA. AON-mediated knockdown of AR-V7 resulted in inhibition of androgen-independent cell proliferation. In this study, we evaluated the CPP-mediated delivery of this AON into castration-resistant prostate cancer cell line models 22Rv1, DuCaP (dura mater cancer of the prostate), and VCaP (vertebral cancer of the prostate). METHODS Nanoparticles (polyplexes) of AONs and CPPs were formed through rapid mixing. The impact of the peptide carrier, the formulation parameters, and cell incubation conditions on cellular uptake of fluorescently labeled AONs were assessed through flow cytometry. The cytotoxic activity of these formulations was measured using the CellTiter-Glo cell viability assay. The effectivity of CPP-mediated delivery of the splice-correcting AON-intronic splicing enhancer (ISE) targeting the ISE in the castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC)-derived 22Rv1, DuCaP, and VCaP cells was determined by measuring levels of AR-V7 mRNA normalized to those of the human heterochromatin protein 1 binding protein 3 (HP1BP3). Western blot analysis was used to confirm AR-V7 downregulation at a protein level. The cellular distribution of fluorescently labeled AON delivered by a CPP or a transfection reagent was determined through confocal laser scanning microscopy. RESULTS The amphipathic and stearylated CPP PepFect 14 (PF14) showed higher uptake efficiency than arginine-rich CPPs. Through adjustment of formulation parameters, concentration and incubation time, an optimal balance between carrier-associated toxicity and delivery efficiency was found with a formulation consisting of an amino/phosphate ratio of 3, 0.35 μM AON concentration and 30 min incubation time of the cells with polyplexes. Cellular delivery of AON-ISE directed against AR pre-mRNA achieved significant downregulation of AR-V7 by 50%, 37%, and 59% for 22Rv1, DuCaP, and VCaP cells, respectively, and reduced androgen-independent cell proliferation of DuCaP and VCaP cells. CONCLUSIONS This proof-of-principle study constitutes the basis for further development of CPP-mediated delivery of AONs for targeted therapy in prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria V. Luna Velez
- Department of Urology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenthe Netherlands
| | - Omar Paulino da Silva Filho
- Department of Biochemistry, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenthe Netherlands
- CAPES FoundationMinistry of Education of BrazilBrasíliaBrazil
| | - Gerald W. Verhaegh
- Department of Urology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenthe Netherlands
| | - Onno van Hooij
- Department of Urology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenthe Netherlands
| | - Najoua El Boujnouni
- Department of Biochemistry, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenthe Netherlands
| | - Roland Brock
- Department of Biochemistry, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenthe Netherlands
- Department of Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Medical SciencesArabian Gulf UniversityKingdom of Bahrain
| | - Jack A. Schalken
- Department of Urology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life SciencesRadboud University Medical CenterNijmegenthe Netherlands
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31
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Thompson ER, Sewpaul A, Figuereido R, Bates L, Tingle SJ, Ferdinand JR, Situmorang GR, Ladak SS, Connelly CM, Hosgood SA, Nicholson ML, Clatworthy MR, Ali S, Wilson CH, Sheerin NS. MicroRNA antagonist therapy during normothermic machine perfusion of donor kidneys. Am J Transplant 2022; 22:1088-1100. [PMID: 34932895 DOI: 10.1111/ajt.16929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) is a novel clinical approach to overcome the limitations of traditional hypothermic organ preservation. NMP can be used to assess and recondition organs prior to transplant and is the subject of clinical trials in solid organ transplantation. In addition, NMP provides an opportunity to deliver therapeutic agents directly to the organ, thus avoiding many limitations associated with systemic treatment of the recipient. We report the delivery of oligonucleotide-based therapy to human kidneys during NMP, in this case to target microRNA function (antagomir). An antagomir targeting mir-24-3p localized to the endothelium and proximal tubular epithelium. Endosomal uptake during NMP conditions facilitated antagomir co-localization with proteins involved in the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) and demonstrated engagement of the miRNA target. This pattern of uptake was not seen during cold perfusion. Targeting mir-24-3p action increased expression of genes controlled by this microRNA, including heme oxygenase-1 and sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1. The expression of genes not under the control of mir-24-3p was unchanged, indicating specificity of the antagomir effect. In summary, this is the first report of ex vivo gymnotic delivery of oligonucleotide to the human kidney and demonstrates that NMP provides the platform to bind and block detrimental microRNAs in donor kidneys prior to transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Thompson
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Institute of Transplantation, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Avinash Sewpaul
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Institute of Transplantation, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Rodrigo Figuereido
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Institute of Transplantation, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Lucy Bates
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Samuel J Tingle
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Institute of Transplantation, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - John R Ferdinand
- NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gerhard R Situmorang
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Shameem S Ladak
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Chloe M Connelly
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Sarah A Hosgood
- NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael L Nicholson
- NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Department of Surgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Menna R Clatworthy
- NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simi Ali
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Colin H Wilson
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Institute of Transplantation, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Neil S Sheerin
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Institute of Transplantation, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Organ Donation and Transplantation, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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32
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Honcharenko D, Rocha CSJ, Lundin KE, Maity J, Milton S, Tedebark U, Murtola M, Honcharenko M, Slaitas A, Smith CIE, Zain R, Strömberg R. 2'- O-( N-(Aminoethyl)carbamoyl)methyl Modification Allows for Lower Phosphorothioate Content in Splice-Switching Oligonucleotides with Retained Activity. Nucleic Acid Ther 2022; 32:221-233. [PMID: 35238623 PMCID: PMC9221157 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2021.0086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
2′-O-(N-(Aminoethyl)carbamoyl)methyl (2′-O-AECM)-modified oligonucleotides (ONs) and their mixmers with 2′-O-methyl oligonucleotides (2′-OMe ONs) with phosphodiester linkers as well as with partial and full phosphorothioate (PS) inclusion were synthesized and functionally evaluated as splice-switching oligonucleotides in several different reporter cell lines originating from different tissues. This was enabled by first preparing the AECM-modified A, C, G and U, which required a different strategy for each building block. The AECM modification has previously been shown to provide high resistance to enzymatic degradation, even without PS linkages. It is therefore particularly interesting and unprecedented that the 2′-O-AECM ONs are shown to have efficient splice-switching activity even without inclusion of PS linkages and found to be as effective as 2′-OMe PS ONs. Importantly, the PS linkages can be partially included, without any significant reduction in splice-switching efficacy. This suggests that AECM modification has the potential to be used in balancing the PS content of ONs. Furthermore, conjugation of 2′-O-AECM ONs to an endosomal escape peptide significantly increased splice-switching suggesting that this effect could possibly be due to an increase in uptake of ON to the site of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmytro Honcharenko
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Cristina S J Rocha
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Karin E Lundin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jyotirmoy Maity
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Stefan Milton
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Ulf Tedebark
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Merita Murtola
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
| | | | | | - C I Edvard Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Rula Zain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Center for Rare Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roger Strömberg
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden
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Novel endosomolytic compounds enable highly potent delivery of antisense oligonucleotides. Commun Biol 2022; 5:185. [PMID: 35233031 PMCID: PMC8888659 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03132-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic and research potentials of oligonucleotides (ONs) have been hampered in part by their inability to effectively escape endosomal compartments to reach their cytosolic and nuclear targets. Splice-switching ONs (SSOs) can be used with endosomolytic small molecule compounds to increase functional delivery. So far, development of these compounds has been hindered by a lack of high-resolution methods that can correlate SSO trafficking with SSO activity. Here we present in-depth characterization of two novel endosomolytic compounds by using a combination of microscopic and functional assays with high spatiotemporal resolution. This system allows the visualization of SSO trafficking, evaluation of endosomal membrane rupture, and quantitates SSO functional activity on a protein level in the presence of endosomolytic compounds. We confirm that the leakage of SSO into the cytosol occurs in parallel with the physical engorgement of LAMP1-positive late endosomes and lysosomes. We conclude that the new compounds interfere with SSO trafficking to the LAMP1-positive endosomal compartments while inducing endosomal membrane rupture and concurrent ON escape into the cytosol. The efficacy of these compounds advocates their use as novel, potent, and quick-acting transfection reagents for antisense ONs. Two new endosomolytic small compounds increase delivery of splice-switching oligonucleotides by interfering with their trafficking to the LAMP1-positive endosomal compartments, inducing endosomal membrane rupture and concurrent oligonucleotide escape into the cytosol.
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34
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Wu Y, Li P, Liu L, Goodwin AJ, Halushka PV, Hirose T, Nakagawa S, Zhou J, Liu M, Fan H. lncRNA Neat1 regulates neuronal dysfunction post sepsis via stabilization of hemoglobin subunit beta. Mol Ther 2022; 30:2618-2632. [PMID: 35331906 PMCID: PMC9263235 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2022.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) is characterized by acute and diffuse brain dysfunction and correlates with long-term cognitive impairments with no targeted therapy. We used a mouse model of sepsis-related cognitive impairment to examine the role of lncRNA nuclear enriched abundant transcript 1 (Neat1) in SAE. We observed that Neat1 expression was increased in neuronal cells from septic mice and that it directly interacts with hemoglobin subunit beta (Hbb), preventing its degradation. The Neat1/Hbb axis suppressed postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) levels and decreased dendritic spine density. Neat1 knockout mice exhibited decreased Hbb levels, which resulted in increased PSD-95 levels, increased neuronal dendritic spine density, and decreased anxiety and memory impairment. Neat1 silencing via the antisense oligonucleotide GapmeR ameliorated anxiety-like behavior and cognitive impairment post-sepsis. In conclusion, we uncovered a previously unknown mechanism of the Neat1/Hbb axis in regulating neuronal dysfunction, which may lead to a novel treatment strategy for SAE.
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35
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Halloy F, Biscans A, Bujold KE, Debacker A, Hill AC, Lacroix A, Luige O, Strömberg R, Sundstrom L, Vogel J, Ghidini A. Innovative developments and emerging technologies in RNA therapeutics. RNA Biol 2022; 19:313-332. [PMID: 35188077 PMCID: PMC8865321 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2022.2027150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA-based therapeutics are emerging as a powerful platform for the treatment of multiple diseases. Currently, the two main categories of nucleic acid therapeutics, antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), achieve their therapeutic effect through either gene silencing, splicing modulation or microRNA binding, giving rise to versatile options to target pathogenic gene expression patterns. Moreover, ongoing research seeks to expand the scope of RNA-based drugs to include more complex nucleic acid templates, such as messenger RNA, as exemplified by the first approved mRNA-based vaccine in 2020. The increasing number of approved sequences and ongoing clinical trials has attracted considerable interest in the chemical development of oligonucleotides and nucleic acids as drugs, especially since the FDA approval of the first siRNA drug in 2018. As a result, a variety of innovative approaches is emerging, highlighting the potential of RNA as one of the most prominent therapeutic tools in the drug design and development pipeline. This review seeks to provide a comprehensive summary of current efforts in academia and industry aimed at fully realizing the potential of RNA-based therapeutics. Towards this, we introduce established and emerging RNA-based technologies, with a focus on their potential as biosensors and therapeutics. We then describe their mechanisms of action and their application in different disease contexts, along with the strengths and limitations of each strategy. Since the nucleic acid toolbox is rapidly expanding, we also introduce RNA minimal architectures, RNA/protein cleavers and viral RNA as promising modalities for new therapeutics and discuss future directions for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Halloy
- Department of Paediatrics, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Annabelle Biscans
- Oligonucleotide Chemistry, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&d, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Katherine E. Bujold
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, McMaster University, (Ontario), Canada
| | | | - Alyssa C. Hill
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, Eth Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Aurélie Lacroix
- Sixfold Bioscience, Translation & Innovation Hub, London, UK
| | - Olivia Luige
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Roger Strömberg
- Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Linda Sundstrom
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&d, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jörg Vogel
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (Hiri), Helmholtz Center for Infection Research (Hzi), Würzburg, Germany
- RNA Biology Group, Institute for Molecular Infection Biology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alice Ghidini
- Mechanistic and Structural Biology, Discovery Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals R&d, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
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36
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Making Sense of Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapeutics Targeting Bcl-2. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14010097. [PMID: 35056993 PMCID: PMC8778715 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14010097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) family, comprised of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins, regulates the delicate balance between programmed cell death and cell survival. The Bcl-2 family is essential in the maintenance of tissue homeostasis, but also a key culprit in tumorigenesis. Anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, the founding member of this family, was discovered due to its dysregulated expression in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Bcl-2 is a central protagonist in a wide range of human cancers, promoting cell survival, angiogenesis and chemotherapy resistance; this has prompted the development of Bcl-2-targeting drugs. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) are highly specific nucleic acid polymers used to modulate target gene expression. Over the past 25 years several Bcl-2 ASO have been developed in preclinical studies and explored in clinical trials. This review will describe the history and development of Bcl-2-targeted ASO; from initial attempts, optimizations, clinical trials undertaken and the promising candidates at hand.
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37
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Assmann JLJC, Leon LG, Stavast CJ, van den Bogaerdt SE, Schilperoord-Vermeulen J, Sandberg Y, Bellido M, Erkeland SJ, Feith DJ, Loughran TP, Langerak AW. miR-181a is a novel player in the STAT3-mediated survival network of TCRαβ+ CD8+ T large granular lymphocyte leukemia. Leukemia 2021; 36:983-993. [PMID: 34873301 PMCID: PMC8979821 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-021-01480-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
T-LGL cells arise as a consequence of chronic antigenic stimulation and inflammation and thrive because of constitutive activation of the STAT3 and ERK pathway. Notably, in 40% of patients, constitutive STAT3 activation is due to STAT3 activating mutations, whereas in 60% this is unknown. As miRNAs are amongst the most potent regulators in health and disease, we hypothesized that aberrant miRNA expression could contribute to dysregulation of these pathways. miRNA sequencing in T-LGL leukemia cases and aged-matched healthy control TEMRA cells revealed overexpression of miR-181a. Furthermore, geneset enrichment analysis (GSEA) of downregulated targets of miR-181a implicated involvement in regulating STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways. Flow cytometric analyses showed increased SOCS3+ and DUSP6+ T-LGL cells upon miR-181a inhibition. In addition, miR-181a-transfected human CD8+ T cells showed increased basal STAT3 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. By using TL1, a human T-LGL cell line, we could show that miR-181a is an actor in T-LGL leukemia, driving STAT3 activation by SOCS3 inhibition and ERK1/2 phosphorylation by DUSP6 inhibition and verified this mechanism in an independent cell line. In addition, miR-181a inhibition resulted in a higher sensitivity to FAS-mediated apoptosis. Collectively, our data show that miR-181a could be the missing link to explain why STAT3-unmutated patients show hyperactive STAT3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorn L J C Assmann
- Department of Immunology, Laboratory Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Leticia G Leon
- Department of Immunology, Laboratory Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Pathology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan J Stavast
- Department of Immunology, Laboratory Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sanne E van den Bogaerdt
- Department of Immunology, Laboratory Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joyce Schilperoord-Vermeulen
- Department of Immunology, Laboratory Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Yorick Sandberg
- Department of Hematology, Maasstadziekenhuis, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mar Bellido
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Groningen University Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan J Erkeland
- Department of Immunology, Laboratory Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David J Feith
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UVA Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Thomas P Loughran
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, UVA Cancer Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Anton W Langerak
- Department of Immunology, Laboratory Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. .,ACE Rare Immunological Diseases Center, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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38
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Shahzad K, Fatima S, Al-Dabet MM, Gadi I, Khawaja H, Ambreen S, Elwakiel A, Klöting N, Blüher M, Nawroth PP, Mertens PR, Michel S, Jaschinski F, Klar R, Isermann B. CHOP-ASO Ameliorates Glomerular and Tubular Damage on Top of ACE Inhibition in Diabetic Kidney Disease. J Am Soc Nephrol 2021; 32:3066-3079. [PMID: 34479965 PMCID: PMC8638397 DOI: 10.1681/asn.2021040431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maladaptive endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is linked to increased glomerular and tubular expression of the cell-death-promoting transcription factor C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP). Here, we determined whether locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting CHOP ameliorate experimental DKD. METHODS We determined the efficacy of CHOP-ASO in the early and late stages of experimental DKD (in 8- or 16-week-old db/db mice, respectively) alone or with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi), after an in vivo dose-escalation study. We used renal functional parameters and morphologic analyses to assess the effect of CHOP-ASO and renal gene-expression profiling to identify differentially regulated genes and pathways. Several human CHOP-ASOs were tested in hyperglycemia-exposed human kidney cells. RESULTS CHOP-ASOs efficiently reduced renal CHOP expression in diabetic mice and reduced markers of DKD at the early and late stages. Early combined intervention (CHOP-ASO and ACEi) efficiently prevented interstitial damage. At the later timepoint, the combined treatment reduced indices of both glomerular and tubular damage more efficiently than either intervention alone. CHOP-ASO affected a significantly larger number of genes and disease pathways, including reduced sodium-glucose transport protein 2 (Slc5a2) and PROM1 (CD133). Human CHOP-ASOs efficiently reduced glucose-induced CHOP and prevented death of human kidney cells in vitro . CONCLUSIONS The ASO-based approach efficiently reduced renal CHOP expression in a diabetic mouse model, providing an additional benefit to an ACEi, particularly at later timepoints. These studies demonstrate that ASO-based therapies efficiently reduce maladaptive CHOP expression and ameliorate experimental DKD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khurrum Shahzad
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sameen Fatima
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany,Institute of Experimental Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Moh’d Mohanad Al-Dabet
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany,Department of Medical Laboratories, American University of Madaba, Amman, Jordan
| | - Ihsan Gadi
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hamzah Khawaja
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Saira Ambreen
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ahmed Elwakiel
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nora Klöting
- Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias Blüher
- Helmholtz Institute for Metabolic, Obesity and Vascular Research of the Helmholtz Zentrum München at the University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany,Medical Department III, Endocrinology, Nephrology, Rheumatology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Peter P. Nawroth
- Internal Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, German Diabetes Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter R. Mertens
- Clinic of Nephrology and Hypertension, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sven Michel
- Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG, Planegg, Germany
| | | | - Richard Klar
- Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH & Co. KG, Planegg, Germany
| | - Berend Isermann
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Department of Diagnostics, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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39
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Morrisson MJ, Bi F, Yang K, Cady SL, Hartwich TMP, Cerchia AP, Li Z, Kim J, Irwin ML, Yang-Hartwich Y. Effect of exercise on peritoneal microenvironment and progression of ovarian cancer. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:5045-5062. [PMID: 34765311 PMCID: PMC8569339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is one of the deadliest gynecological malignancies and lacks treatments that do not significantly impact patient health-related quality of life. Exercise has been associated with reduced cancer risk and improved clinical outcomes; however the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. In this study, we utilized a treadmill-running exercise model to investigate the effects of exercise on high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) progression and chemotherapy outcomes. We found that treadmill-running suppressed peritoneal colonization of tumors in a syngeneic mouse ovarian cancer model. Acute exercise stimulated the production of CCL2 and IL-15 in the peritoneal microenvironment while downregulating CCL22, VEGF, and CCL12. Using a co-culture model, we demonstrated the role of CCL2 in mediating the activity of peritoneal cells to inhibit cancer cell viability. We showed that the activation of M1 macrophages may contribute to the exercise-induced changes in the peritoneal microenvironment. We identified that chronic exercise modulates gene expression of intraperitoneal fat tissues related to lipid formation, thermogenesis, browning, and inflammation, which can contribute to inhibiting the colonization of metastatic ovarian cancer. Treadmill running also lowered blood urea nitrogen levels and reduced incidence of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia during chemotherapy in a mouse model, suggesting the potential beneficial effects of exercise in improving chemotherapy outcomes. Our data provided new insights into the acute and chronic effects of physical activity on ovarian cancer at the molecular and in vivo levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline J Morrisson
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of MedicineNew Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Fangfang Bi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of MedicineNew Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Sheng Jing Hospital of China Medical UniversityShenyang 110004, Liaoning, China
| | - Kevin Yang
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of MedicineNew Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Sarah L Cady
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of MedicineNew Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Tobias MP Hartwich
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of MedicineNew Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Alexandra P Cerchia
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of New HavenWest Haven, CT 06516, USA
| | - Zhigui Li
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of MedicineNew Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Jaeyeon Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Melvin & Bren Simon Cancer Center, Indiana University School of MedicineIndianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Melinda L Irwin
- Yale School of Public HealthNew Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Cancer CenterNew Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Yang Yang-Hartwich
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of MedicineNew Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Cancer CenterNew Haven, CT 06510, USA
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40
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Wang Y, Luo W, Huang L, Xiao J, Song X, Li F, Ma Y, Wang X, Jin F, Liu P, Zhu Y, Kitazato K, Wang Y, Ren Z. A novel lncRNA linc-AhRA negatively regulates innate antiviral response in murine microglia upon neurotropic herpesvirus infection. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:9623-9651. [PMID: 34646390 PMCID: PMC8490526 DOI: 10.7150/thno.64880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglia are the primary cellular source of type I interferons (I-IFNs) in the brain upon neurotropic virus infection. Although the I-IFN-based antiviral innate immune response is crucial for eliminating viruses, overproduction led to immune disorders. Therefore, the relatively long-lasting I-IFNs must be precisely controlled, but the regulatory mechanism for the innate antiviral response in microglia remains largely unknown. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are being recognized as crucial factors in numerous diseases, but their regulatory roles in the innate antiviral response in microglia are undefined. Methods: The high-throughput RNA sequencing was performed to obtain differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) in primary microglia infected with or without the neurotropic herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). We selected four DELs ranked in the top 15 in basic level and their fold change induced by HSV-1, i.e., FPKMHSV-1/FPKMCells.We subsequently found a key lncRNA affecting the innate antiviral response of microglia significantly. We next used dual-luciferase reporter assays, bioinformatical tools, and truncation mutants of both lncRNA and targeted proteins to elucidate the downstream and upstream mechanism of action of lncRNA. Further, we established microglia-specific knock-in (KI) mice to investigate the role of lncRNA in vivo. Results: We identified a long intergenic non-coding RNA, linc-AhRA, involved in regulating the innate antiviral response in murine microglia. linc-AhRA is activated by aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and restricts I-IFN production in microglia upon neurotropic herpesvirus infection and innate immune stimulation. Mechanistically, linc-AhRA binds to both tripartite motif-containing 27 (TRIM27) and TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) through its conserved 117nt fragment as a molecular scaffold to enhance TRIM27-TBK1 interaction. This interaction facilitates the TRIM27-mediated ubiquitination of TBK1 and results in ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent degradation of TBK1. Consequently, linc-AhRA suppresses I-IFN production through facilitating TBK1 degradation and limits the microglial innate immune response against neurotropic herpesvirus infection. Microglia-specific KI of linc-AhRA mice shows a weakened antiviral immune response upon neurotropic herpesvirus challenge due to a reduction of TBK1 in microglia. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that linc-AhRA is a negative regulator of I-IFN production in microglia to avoid excessive autoimmune responses. These findings uncover a previously unappreciated role for lncRNA conserved fragments in the innate antiviral response, providing a strong foundation for developing nucleotide drugs based on conserved functional fragments within lncRNAs.
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Bost JP, Barriga H, Holme MN, Gallud A, Maugeri M, Gupta D, Lehto T, Valadi H, Esbjörner EK, Stevens MM, El-Andaloussi S. Delivery of Oligonucleotide Therapeutics: Chemical Modifications, Lipid Nanoparticles, and Extracellular Vesicles. ACS NANO 2021; 15:13993-14021. [PMID: 34505766 PMCID: PMC8482762 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.1c05099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Oligonucleotides (ONs) comprise a rapidly growing class of therapeutics. In recent years, the list of FDA-approved ON therapies has rapidly expanded. ONs are small (15-30 bp) nucleotide-based therapeutics which are capable of targeting DNA and RNA as well as other biomolecules. ONs can be subdivided into several classes based on their chemical modifications and on the mechanisms of their target interactions. Historically, the largest hindrance to the widespread usage of ON therapeutics has been their inability to effectively internalize into cells and escape from endosomes to reach their molecular targets in the cytosol or nucleus. While cell uptake has been improved, "endosomal escape" remains a significant problem. There are a range of approaches to overcome this, and in this review, we focus on three: altering the chemical structure of the ONs, formulating synthetic, lipid-based nanoparticles to encapsulate the ONs, or biologically loading the ONs into extracellular vesicles. This review provides a background to the design and mode of action of existing FDA-approved ONs. It presents the most common ON classifications and chemical modifications from a fundamental scientific perspective and provides a roadmap of the cellular uptake pathways by which ONs are trafficked. Finally, this review delves into each of the above-mentioned approaches to ON delivery, highlighting the scientific principles behind each and covering recent advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy P. Bost
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 14152, Sweden
| | - Hanna Barriga
- Department
of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Margaret N. Holme
- Department
of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Audrey Gallud
- Department
of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers
University of Technology, Gothenburg 41296, Sweden
- Advanced
Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg 43150, Sweden
| | - Marco Maugeri
- Department
of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine,
Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 41390, Sweden
| | - Dhanu Gupta
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 14152, Sweden
| | - Taavi Lehto
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 14152, Sweden
- Institute
of Technology, University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, Tartu 50411, Estonia
| | - Hadi Valadi
- Department
of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Institute of Medicine,
Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg 41390, Sweden
| | - Elin K. Esbjörner
- Department
of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers
University of Technology, Gothenburg 41296, Sweden
| | - Molly M. Stevens
- Department
of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
- Department
of Materials, Department of Bioengineering, Institute of Biomedical
Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BU, United Kingdom
| | - Samir El-Andaloussi
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge 14152, Sweden
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42
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Ducoli L, Agrawal S, Hon CC, Ramilowski JA, Sibler E, Tagami M, Itoh M, Kondo N, Abugessaisa I, Hasegawa A, Kasukawa T, Suzuki H, Carninci P, Shin JW, de Hoon MJL, Detmar M. The choice of negative control antisense oligonucleotides dramatically impacts downstream analysis depending on the cellular background. BMC Genom Data 2021; 22:33. [PMID: 34521352 PMCID: PMC8439024 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-021-00992-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The lymphatic and the blood vasculature are closely related systems that collaborate to ensure the organism’s physiological function. Despite their common developmental origin, they present distinct functional fates in adulthood that rely on robust lineage-specific regulatory programs. The recent technological boost in sequencing approaches unveiled long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as prominent regulatory players of various gene expression levels in a cell-type-specific manner. Results To investigate the potential roles of lncRNAs in vascular biology, we performed antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) knockdowns of lncRNA candidates specifically expressed either in human lymphatic or blood vascular endothelial cells (LECs or BECs) followed by Cap Analysis of Gene Expression (CAGE-Seq). Here, we describe the quality control steps adopted in our analysis pipeline before determining the knockdown effects of three ASOs per lncRNA target on the LEC or BEC transcriptomes. In this regard, we especially observed that the choice of negative control ASOs can dramatically impact the conclusions drawn from the analysis depending on the cellular background. Conclusion In conclusion, the comparison of negative control ASO effects on the targeted cell type transcriptomes highlights the essential need to select a proper control set of multiple negative control ASO based on the investigated cell types. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12863-021-00992-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ducoli
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.,Molecular Life Sciences PhD Program, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Saumya Agrawal
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Chung-Chau Hon
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Jordan A Ramilowski
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Eliane Sibler
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.,Molecular Life Sciences PhD Program, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michihira Tagami
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Masayoshi Itoh
- RIKEN Preventive Medicine and Diagnosis Innovation Program, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Naoto Kondo
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Imad Abugessaisa
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Akira Hasegawa
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Takeya Kasukawa
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Harukazu Suzuki
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Piero Carninci
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,Human Technopole, Via Cristina Belgioioso 171, 20157, Milan, Italy
| | - Jay W Shin
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Michiel J L de Hoon
- RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan.,RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 230-0045, Japan
| | - Michael Detmar
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland.
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43
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Umek T, Olsson T, Gissberg O, Saher O, Zaghloul EM, Lundin KE, Wengel J, Hanse E, Zetterberg H, Vizlin-Hodzic D, Smith CIE, Zain R. Oligonucleotides Targeting DNA Repeats Downregulate Huntingtin Gene Expression in Huntington's Patient-Derived Neural Model System. Nucleic Acid Ther 2021; 31:443-456. [PMID: 34520257 PMCID: PMC8713517 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2021.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is one of the most common, dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorders. It affects the striatum, cerebral cortex, and other subcortical structures leading to involuntary movement abnormalities, emotional disturbances, and cognitive impairments. HD is caused by a CAG•CTG trinucleotide-repeat expansion in exon 1 of the huntingtin (HTT) gene leading to the formation of mutant HTT (mtHTT) protein aggregates. Besides the toxicity of the mutated protein, there is also evidence that mtHTT transcripts contribute to the disease. Thus, the reduction of both mutated mRNA and protein would be most beneficial as a treatment. Previously, we designed a novel anti-gene oligonucleotide (AGO)-based strategy directly targeting the HTT trinucleotide-repeats in DNA and reported downregulation of mRNA and protein in HD patient fibroblasts. In this study, we differentiate HD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells to investigate the efficacy of the AGO, a DNA/Locked Nucleic Acid mixmer with phosphorothioate backbone, to modulate HTT transcription during neural in vitro development. For the first time, we demonstrate downregulation of HTT mRNA following both naked and magnetofected delivery into neural stem cells (NSCs) and show that neither emergence of neural rosette structures nor self-renewal of NSCs is compromised. Furthermore, the inhibition potency of both HTT mRNA and protein without off-target effects is confirmed in neurons. These results further validate an anti-gene approach for the treatment of HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tea Umek
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Thomas Olsson
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Pathology and Cytology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Olof Gissberg
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Osama Saher
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden.,Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Eman M Zaghloul
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden.,Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Karin E Lundin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Jesper Wengel
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Biomolecular Nanoscale Engineering Center, University of Southern Denmark, Odense M, Denmark
| | - Eric Hanse
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.,Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden.,UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dzeneta Vizlin-Hodzic
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - C I Edvard Smith
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Rula Zain
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Huddinge, Sweden.,Department of Clinical Genetics, Center for Rare Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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44
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Laurent Q, Martinent R, Moreau D, Winssinger N, Sakai N, Matile S. Oligonucleotide Phosphorothioates Enter Cells by Thiol‐Mediated Uptake. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.202107327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Laurent
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical Biology University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
| | - Rémi Martinent
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical Biology University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Moreau
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical Biology University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Winssinger
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical Biology University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
| | - Naomi Sakai
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical Biology University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
| | - Stefan Matile
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical Biology University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
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45
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Laurent Q, Martinent R, Moreau D, Winssinger N, Sakai N, Matile S. Oligonucleotide Phosphorothioates Enter Cells by Thiol-Mediated Uptake. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021; 60:19102-19106. [PMID: 34173696 PMCID: PMC8456962 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202107327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Oligonucleotide phosphorothioates (OPS) are DNA or RNA mimics where one phosphate oxygen is replaced by a sulfur atom. They have been shown to enter mammalian cells much more efficiently than non-modified DNA. Thus, solving one of the key challenges with oligonucleotide technology, OPS became very useful in practice, with several FDA-approved drugs on the market or in late clinical trials. However, the mechanism accounting for this facile cellular uptake is unknown. Here, we show that OPS enter cells by thiol-mediated uptake. The transient adaptive network produced by dynamic covalent pseudo-disulfide exchange is characterized in action. Inhibitors with nanomolar efficiency are provided, together with activators that reduce endosomal capture for efficient delivery of OPS into the cytosol, the site of action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Laurent
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryNational Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Rémi Martinent
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryNational Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Dimitri Moreau
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryNational Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Nicolas Winssinger
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryNational Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Naomi Sakai
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryNational Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Stefan Matile
- School of Chemistry and BiochemistryNational Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) Chemical BiologyUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
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46
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Schmidt S, Gallego SF, Zelnik ID, Kovalchuk S, Albæk N, Sprenger RR, Øverup C, Pewzner-Jung Y, Futerman AH, Lindholm MW, Jensen ON, Ejsing CS. Silencing of ceramide synthase 2 in hepatocytes modulates plasma ceramide biomarkers predictive of cardiovascular death. Mol Ther 2021; 30:1661-1674. [PMID: 34400330 PMCID: PMC9077316 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging clinical data show that three ceramide molecules, Cer d18:1/16:0, Cer d18:1/24:1, and Cer d18:1/24:0, are biomarkers of a fatal outcome in patients with cardiovascular disease. This finding raises basic questions about their metabolic origin, their contribution to disease pathogenesis, and the utility of targeting the underlying enzymatic machinery for treatment of cardiometabolic disorders. Here, we outline the development of a potent N-acetylgalactosamine-conjugated antisense oligonucleotide engineered to silence ceramide synthase 2 specifically in hepatocytes in vivo. We demonstrate that this compound reduces the ceramide synthase 2 mRNA level and that this translates into efficient lowering of protein expression and activity as well as Cer d18:1/24:1 and Cer d18:1/24:0 levels in liver. Intriguingly, we discover that the hepatocyte-specific antisense oligonucleotide also triggers a parallel modulation of blood plasma ceramides, revealing that the biomarkers predictive of cardiovascular death are governed by ceramide biosynthesis in hepatocytes. Our work showcases a generic therapeutic framework for targeting components of the ceramide enzymatic machinery to disentangle their roles in disease causality and to explore their utility for treatment of cardiometabolic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Schmidt
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, 2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Sandra F Gallego
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, VILLUM Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Iris Daphne Zelnik
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Sergey Kovalchuk
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, VILLUM Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Nanna Albæk
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, 2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Richard R Sprenger
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, VILLUM Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Charlotte Øverup
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, 2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Yael Pewzner-Jung
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Anthony H Futerman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Marie W Lindholm
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, 2970 Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Ole N Jensen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, VILLUM Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
| | - Christer S Ejsing
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, VILLUM Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark; Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany.
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47
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Nanoparticles-Based Oligonucleotides Delivery in Cancer: Role of Zebrafish as Animal Model. Pharmaceutics 2021; 13:pharmaceutics13081106. [PMID: 34452067 PMCID: PMC8400075 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13081106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Oligonucleotide (ON) therapeutics are molecular target agents composed of chemically synthesized DNA or RNA molecules capable of inhibiting gene expression or protein function. How ON therapeutics can efficiently reach the inside of target cells remains a problem still to be solved in the majority of potential clinical applications. The chemical structure of ON compounds could affect their capability to pass through the plasma membrane. Other key factors are nuclease degradation in the extracellular space, renal clearance, reticulo-endothelial system, and at the target cell level, the endolysosomal system and the possible export via exocytosis. Several delivery platforms have been proposed to overcome these limits including the use of lipidic, polymeric, and inorganic nanoparticles, or hybrids between them. The possibility of evaluating the efficacy of the proposed therapeutic strategies in useful in vivo models is still a pivotal need, and the employment of zebrafish (ZF) models could expand the range of possibilities. In this review, we briefly describe the main ON therapeutics proposed for anticancer treatment, and the different strategies employed for their delivery to cancer cells. The principal features of ZF models and the pros and cons of their employment in the development of ON-based therapeutic strategies are also discussed.
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Barkau CL, O'Reilly D, Eddington SB, Damha MJ, Gagnon KT. Small nucleic acids and the path to the clinic for anti-CRISPR. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 189:114492. [PMID: 33647260 PMCID: PMC8725204 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR-based therapeutics have entered clinical trials but no methods to inhibit Cas enzymes have been demonstrated in a clinical setting. The ability to inhibit CRISPR-based gene editing or gene targeting drugs should be considered a critical step in establishing safety standards for many CRISPR-Cas therapeutics. Inhibitors can act as a failsafe or as an adjuvant to reduce off-target effects in patients. In this review we discuss the need for clinical inhibition of CRISPR-Cas systems and three existing inhibitor technologies: anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins, small molecule Cas inhibitors, and small nucleic acid-based CRISPR inhibitors, CRISPR SNuBs. Due to their unique properties and the recent successes of other nucleic acid-based therapeutics, CRISPR SNuBs appear poised for clinical application in the near-term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Barkau
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
| | - Daniel O'Reilly
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605, USA
| | - Seth B Eddington
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
| | - Masad J Damha
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Keith T Gagnon
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
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Uppuladinne MVN, Dowerah D, Sonavane UB, Ray SK, Deka RC, Joshi RR. Structural insight into locked nucleic acid based novel antisense modifications: A DFT calculations at monomer and MD simulations at oligomer level. J Mol Graph Model 2021; 107:107945. [PMID: 34102527 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmgm.2021.107945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, five novel LNA based antisense modifications have been proposed. A conformational search was carried out using TANGO, followed by geometry optimization using MOPAC. Based on their electronic energies the most stable conformation for each modification was identified. Further, DFT based full geometry optimization on the most stable conformations at the gas phase B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) using a Gaussian03 and single point energy calculations on the optimized structures at the solvent phase B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory were done to derive their quantum chemical descriptors using the Gaussian09. A comparison of global reactivity descriptors confirmed that the LNA based modifications were the most reactive. Base-pair stability was recorded by observing the binding energies and base-pairing conformations of modified GC base pairs at the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed at the oligomer duplex level by incorporating individual modifications on 20-mer RNA-RNA duplexes using AMBER16. Free energy calculations of duplex structures suggested that incorporation of A2 modification into the RNA-RNA duplex increased the duplex binding affinity similar to LNA. Whereas, the A3 modification showed less binding compared to LNA but improved binding compared to MOE. This computational approach using quantum chemical methods may be very useful to propose better modifications than the existing ones before performing the experiments in the area of antisense technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallikarjunachari V N Uppuladinne
- HPC - Medical & Bioinformatics Applications Group, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Panchavati, Pashan, Pune, India.
| | - Dikshita Dowerah
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Assam, India.
| | - Uddhavesh B Sonavane
- HPC - Medical & Bioinformatics Applications Group, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Panchavati, Pashan, Pune, India.
| | - Suvendra Kumar Ray
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Assam, India.
| | - Ramesh C Deka
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Tezpur University, Assam, India.
| | - Rajendra R Joshi
- HPC - Medical & Bioinformatics Applications Group, Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Panchavati, Pashan, Pune, India.
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Natural antisense transcript of Period2, Per2AS, regulates the amplitude of the mouse circadian clock. Genes Dev 2021; 35:899-913. [PMID: 34016691 PMCID: PMC8168560 DOI: 10.1101/gad.343541.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, a set of core clock genes form transcription-translation feedback loops to generate circadian oscillations. We and others recently identified a novel transcript at the Period2 (Per2) locus that is transcribed from the antisense strand of Per2 This transcript, Per2AS, is expressed rhythmically and antiphasic to Per2 mRNA, leading to our hypothesis that Per2AS and Per2 mutually inhibit each other's expression and form a double negative feedback loop. By perturbing the expression of Per2AS, we found that Per2AS transcription, but not transcript, represses Per2 However, Per2 does not repress Per2AS, as Per2 knockdown led to a decrease in the Per2AS level, indicating that Per2AS forms a single negative feedback loop with Per2 and maintains the level of Per2 within the oscillatory range. Per2AS also regulates the amplitude of the circadian clock, and this function cannot be solely explained through its interaction with Per2, as Per2 knockdown does not recapitulate the phenotypes of Per2AS perturbation. Overall, our data indicate that Per2AS is an important regulatory molecule in the mammalian circadian clock machinery. Our work also supports the idea that antisense transcripts of core clock genes constitute a common feature of circadian clocks, as they are found in other organisms.
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