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Meenakshi Sundaram DN, Plianwong S, Kc R, Ostergaard H, Uludağ H. In Vitro Cytotoxicity and Cytokine Production by Lipid-Substituted Low Molecular Weight Branched PEIs Used for Gene Delivery. Acta Biomater 2022; 148:279-297. [PMID: 35738388 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Lipid-modified low molecular weight branched polyethyleneimines (PEIs) are promising non-viral gene delivery systems that have been successfully explored for treatment of various diseases. The present study aims to determine in vitro safety of these delivery systems based on assessment of cytotoxicity with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), hemolysis with human red blood cells (RBC) and cytokine secretion from several sources of PBMCs. The viability of cells treated with lipopolymer/pDNA complexes was dependent on the polymer:pDNA ratio used but remained low at therapeutically relevant concentrations for most lipopolymers, except for the propionic acid substituted PEIs. The extent of hemolysis was minimal and below the accepted safety levels with most of the lipopolymers; however, some linoleic acid substituted PEIs yielded significant hemolysis activity. Unlike strong cytokine secretion from PMA/IO stimulated cells, most lipopolymer/pDNA complexes remained non-responsive, showing minimal changes in cytokine secretion (TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ) irrespective of the lipopolymer/pDNA formulations. The 0.6 kDa PEI with lauric acid substituent displayed slight cytokine upregulation, however it remained low relative to the positive controls. This study demonstrated that the lipid modified LMW PEIs are expected to be safe in contact with blood components. However, close attention to lipopolymer concentration and ratio of polymer to pDNA in formulations might be required for individual lipopolymers for optimal safety response in nucleic acid therapies. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: : This manuscript investigated the safety aspects of various lipid modified low molecular weight polyethylenimine (LMW-PEI) polymers employed for pDNA delivery through in vitro studies. Using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from multiple sources, we show that the hemolysis ability was minimal for most polymers, although a particular lipid substituent (linoleic acid) at specific ratios exhibited hemolysis. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6 and IFN-γ) were slightly upregulated only with a lauric acid substituted 0.6PEI, but remained low relative to positive control treatments. We further report the beneficial effect of polyacrylic acid additives on hemolysis and cytokine secretion to a reasonable extent. This study confirms the feasibility of using LMW-PEI as safe delivery agents for various therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samarwadee Plianwong
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Burapha University, Chonburi, Thailand
| | - Remant Kc
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Hanne Ostergaard
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Hasan Uludağ
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Meenakshi Sundaram DN, Kucharski C, Bahadur KC R, Tarman IO, Uludağ H. Polymeric siRNA delivery targeting integrin-β1 could reduce interactions of leukemic cells with bone marrow microenvironment. BIOMATERIALS AND BIOSYSTEMS 2021; 3:100021. [PMID: 36824309 PMCID: PMC9934419 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbiosy.2021.100021] [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] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncontrolled proliferation of the myeloid cells due to BCR-ABL fusion has been successfully treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), which improved the survival rate of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) patients. However, due to interactions of CML cells with bone marrow microenvironment, sub-populations of CML cells could become resistant to TKI treatment. Since integrins are major cell surface molecules involved in such interactions, the potential of silencing integrin-β1 on CML cell line K562 cells was explored using short interfering RNA (siRNA) delivered through lipid-modified polyethyleneimine (PEI) polymers. Reduction of integrin-β1 in K562 cells decreased cell adhesion towards human bone marrow stromal cells and to fibronectin, a major extracellular matrix protein for which integrin-β1 is a primary receptor. Interaction of K562 cells with fibronectin decreased the sensitivity of the cells to BCR-ABL siRNA treatment, but a combinational treatment with integrin-β1 and BCR-ABL siRNAs significantly reduced colony forming ability of the cells. Moreover, integrin-β1 silencing enhanced the detachment of K562 cells from hBMSC samples (2 out of 4 samples), which could make them more susceptible to TKIs. Therefore, the polymeric-siRNA delivery targeting integrin-β1 could be beneficial to reduce interactions with bone marrow microenvironment, aiding in the response of CML cells to therapeutic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cezary Kucharski
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Remant Bahadur KC
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | - Hasan Uludağ
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada,Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada,Corresponding author at: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, 2-021 RTF, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G6, Canada.
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Ullah I, Zhao J, Su B, Rukh S, Guo J, Ren XK, Xia S, Zhang W, Feng Y. Redox stimulus disulfide conjugated polyethyleneimine as a shuttle for gene transfer. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE. MATERIALS IN MEDICINE 2020; 31:118. [PMID: 33247778 DOI: 10.1007/s10856-020-06457-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Redox-responsive cationic polymers have gained considerable attention in gene delivery due to low cytotoxicity and spatio-temporal release of DNA into the cells. Here, we reported the synthesis of reducible disulfide conjugated polyethyleneimine (1.8 kDa) (denoted as SS-PEI) and its application to transfer pEGFP-ZNF580 plasmid (pZNF580) into EA.hy926 cell. This reducible SS-PEI polymer was prepared by one-step polycondensation reaction of low molecular weight PEI with bis-(p-nitrophenyl)-3,3'-dithiodipropionate. The SS-PEI successfully condensed pZNF580 into nano-sized complexes (170 ± 1.5 nm to 255 ± 1.6 nm) with zeta potentials of 3 ± 0.4 mV to 17 ± 0.9 mV. The complexes could be triggered to release pZNF580 when exposed to the reducing environment of 5 mM dithiothreitol. Besides, the SS-PEI exhibited low cytotoxicity. In vitro transfection results showed that SS-PEI exhibited good transfection efficiency comparable to PEI25kDa. Thus, the SS-PEI could act as an reducible gene carrier with good transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihsan Ullah
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Bin Su
- Department of Clinical Research, Characteristic Medical Center of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, 220 Chenglin Road, Tianjin, 300162, China
| | - Shah Rukh
- Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan, 23200, Pakistan
| | - Jintang Guo
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemical Science and Chemical Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Xiang-Kui Ren
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Tianjin, 300350, China
- Collaborative Innovation Centre of Chemical Science and Chemical Engineering (Tianjin), Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China
| | - Shihai Xia
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Splenic Medicine, Affiliated Hospital, Logistics University of People's Armed Police Force, Chenglin Road 220, Tianjin, 300162, China
| | - Wencheng Zhang
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Logistics University of People's Armed Police Force, Tianjin, 300309, China
| | - Yakai Feng
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Yaguan Road 135, Tianjin, 300350, China.
- Department of Clinical Research, Characteristic Medical Center of Chinese People's Armed Police Force, 220 Chenglin Road, Tianjin, 300162, China.
- Key Laboratory of Systems Bioengineering (Ministry of Education), Tianjin University, Weijin Road 92, Tianjin, 300072, China.
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Parmar MB, K C RB, Löbenberg R, Uludağ H. Additive Polyplexes to Undertake siRNA Therapy against CDC20 and Survivin in Breast Cancer Cells. Biomacromolecules 2018; 19:4193-4206. [PMID: 30222931 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.8b00918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Small interfering RNA (siRNA) delivered to silence overexpressed genes associated with malignancies is a promising targeted therapy to decrease the uncontrolled growth of malignant cells. To create potent delivery agents for siRNA, here we formulated additive polyplexes of siRNA using linoleic acid-substituted polyethylenimine and additive polymers (hyaluronic acid, poly(acrylic acid), dextran sulfate, and methyl cellulose) and characterized their physicochemical properties and effectiveness. Incorporating polyanionic polymer along with anionic siRNA in polyplexes was found to decrease the ζ-potential of polyplexes but enhance the cellular delivery of siRNA. The CDC20 and survivin siRNAs delivered by additive polyplexes showed promising efficacy in breast cancer MDA-MB-231, SUM149PT, MDA-MB-436, and MCF7 cells. However, the side effects of the siRNA delivery were observed in nonmalignant cells, and a careful formulation of siRNA/polymer polyplexes was needed to minimize side effects on normal cells. Because the efficacy of siRNA delivery by additive polyplexes was independent of breast cancer phenotypes used in this study, these polyplexes could be further developed to treat a wide range of breast cancers.
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Combinational siRNA delivery using hyaluronic acid modified amphiphilic polyplexes against cell cycle and phosphatase proteins to inhibit growth and migration of triple-negative breast cancer cells. Acta Biomater 2018; 66:294-309. [PMID: 29183848 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of breast cancer with few therapeutic options if it recurs after adjuvant chemotherapy. RNA interference could be an alternative therapy for metastatic breast cancer, where small interfering RNA (siRNA) can silence the expression of aberrant genes critical for growth and migration of malignant cells. Here, we formulated a siRNA delivery system using lipid-substituted polyethylenimine (PEI) and hyaluronic acid (HA), and characterized the size, ζ-potential and cellular uptake of the nanoparticulate delivery system. Higher cellular uptake of siRNA by the tailored PEI/HA formulation suggested better interaction of complexes with breast cancer cells due to improved physicochemical characteristics of carrier and HA-binding CD44 receptors. The siRNAs against specific phosphatases that inhibited migration of MDA-MB-231 cells were then identified using library screen against 267 protein-tyrosine phosphatases, and siRNAs to inhibit cell migration were further validated. We then assessed the combinational delivery of a siRNA against CDC20 to decrease cell growth and a siRNA against several phosphatases shown to decrease migration of breast cancer cells. Combinational siRNA therapy against CDC20 and identified phosphatases PPP1R7, PTPN1, PTPN22, LHPP, PPP1R12A and DUPD1 successfully inhibited cell growth and migration, respectively, without interfering the functional effect of the co-delivered siRNA. The identified phosphatases could serve as potential targets to inhibit migration of highly aggressive metastatic breast cancer cells. Combinational siRNA delivery against cell cycle and phosphatases could be a promising strategy to inhibit both growth and migration of metastatic breast cancer cells, and potentially other types of metastatic cancer. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE The manuscript investigated the efficacy of a tailored polymeric siRNA delivery system formulation as well as combinational siRNA therapy in metastatic breast cancer cells to inhibit malignant cell growth and migration. The siRNA delivery was undertaken by non-viral means with PEI/HA. We identified six phosphatases that could be critical targets to inhibit migration of highly aggressive metastatic breast cancer cells. We further report on specifically targeting cell cycle and phosphatase proteins to decrease both malignant cell growth and migration simultaneously. Clinical gene therapy against metastatic breast cancer with effective and safe delivery systems is urgently needed to realize the potential of molecular medicine in this deadly disease and our studies in this manuscript is intended to facilitate this endeavor.
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Xiao YP, Zhang J, Liu YH, Chen XC, Yu QY, Luan CR, Zhang JH, Wei X, Yu XQ. Ring-opening polymerization of diepoxides as an alternative method to overcome PEG dilemma in gene delivery. POLYMER 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2017.11.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Wu SY, Debele TA, Kao YC, Tsai HC. Synthesis and Characterization of Dual-Sensitive Fluorescent Nanogels for Enhancing Drug Delivery and Tracking Intracellular Drug Delivery. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18051090. [PMID: 28534813 PMCID: PMC5454999 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18051090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, dual-sensitive fluorescent branched alginate-polyethyleneimine copolymer (bAPSC) nanogels were synthesized from thiolated alginate and stearoyl-derivatized branched polyethyleneimine. The formation of bAPSC conjugates was confirmed through proton nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, whereas dynamic light scattering was used to measure the particle size and ζ potential of the nanogels. The fluorescent properties of the nanogels were confirmed through fluorescent spectroscopy and microscopy. In addition to the excitation-dependent fluorescence behavior, the fluorescence emission intensity of bAPSC was altered by both pH and γ-irradiation. This intensity was higher at a lower pH than at a higher pH, and it slightly decreased after γ-irradiation. The drug loading and encapsulation efficiency of bAPSC were 25.9% and 11.2%, respectively. An in vitro drug release study revealed that the synthesized nanogels release their doxorubicin (Dox) contents in a time-dependent manner, and the drug release was higher after 96 h of incubation. Approximately 43.74% and 88.36% of Dox was released after 96 h of incubation at pH 5.5 in the absence and presence of glutathione (GSH), respectively. However, relatively lower drug release, approximately 21.6% and 16%, was observed in the presence and absence of GSH at pH 7.4, respectively. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed that Dox-loaded bAPSC nanogels were internalized by HeLa cells, and drug distribution was easily tracked using fluorescent materials without additional probing agents. Moreover, cellular cytotoxicity and hemolysis results revealed less cytotoxicity and hemocompatibility of the synthesized nanogels, confirming that they are the most favorable alternative drug carriers for drug delivery systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szu-Yuan Wu
- Institute of Toxicology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 116, Taiwan.
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 110, Taiwan.
- Department of Biotechnology, Hungkuang University, Taichung 433, Taiwan.
| | - Tilahun Ayane Debele
- Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
| | - Yu-Chih Kao
- Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
| | - Hsieh-Chih Tsai
- Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 106, Taiwan.
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Heldt CL, Zahid A, Vijayaragavan KS, Mi X. Experimental and computational surface hydrophobicity analysis of a non-enveloped virus and proteins. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2017; 153:77-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2017.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 01/08/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Meenakshi Sundaram DN, Kucharski C, Parmar MB, Kc RB, Uludağ H. Polymeric Delivery of siRNA against Integrin-β1 (CD29) to Reduce Attachment and Migration of Breast Cancer Cells. Macromol Biosci 2017; 17. [PMID: 28160423 DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201600430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cell surface integrins, which play important roles in the survival, proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells, are a viable target for treatment of metastatic breast cancer. This line of therapy still remains challenging due to the lack of proper identification and validation of effective targets as well as the lack of suitable therapeutic agents for treatment. The focus is on one such molecular target for this purpose, namely integrin-β1, and effective lowering of integrin-β1 levels on a breast cancer model (MDA-MB-231 cells) is achieved by delivering a dicer-substrate short interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting integrin-β1 with lipid-modified low molecular weight polyethylenimine polymers. Reduction of integrin-β1 levels leads to reduced adhesion of MDA-MB-231 cells to extracellular matrix component fibronectin as well as to human bone marrow cells. A reduced migration of the breast cancer cells is also observed after integrin-β1 silencing in "scratch" and "transwell" migration assays. These results highlight the importance of integrin-β1 for the migration of metastatic breast cancer cells by effectively silencing this target with a practical dose of siRNA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cezary Kucharski
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2V2, Canada
| | - Manoj B Parmar
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada
| | - Remant Bahadur Kc
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2V2, Canada
| | - Hasan Uludağ
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H1, Canada.,Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2V2, Canada.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, 2V2, Canada
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Chiper M, Tounsi N, Kole R, Kichler A, Zuber G. Self-aggregating 1.8kDa polyethylenimines with dissolution switch at endosomal acidic pH are delivery carriers for plasmid DNA, mRNA, siRNA and exon-skipping oligonucleotides. J Control Release 2016; 246:60-70. [PMID: 27956144 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Efficiency of polyethylenimine (PEI) for nucleic acid delivery is affected by the size of the carrier and length of the nucleic acids. For instance, PEIs with molecular weights between 10-30kDa provide optimal DNA delivery activity whereas PEIs with molecular weights below 1.8kDa are ineffective. The activity of PEI is also severely diminished by substitution of DNA for shorter nucleic acids such as mRNA or siRNA. Here, through chemical modification of the primary amines to aromatic domains we achieved nucleic acid delivery by the 1.8kDa polyethylenimine (PEI) particles. This modification did not affect the PEI buffering abilities but enhanced its pH-sensitive aggregation, enabling stabilization of the polyplex outside the cell while still allowing nucleic acid release following cellular entry. The aromatic PEIs were then evaluated for their gene, mRNA, siRNA and 2'O-methyl phosphorothioate oligonucleotide in vitro transfection abilities. The salicylamide-grafted PEI showed to be a reliable carrier for delivering nucleic acids with cytoplasmic activity such as the mRNA and siRNA or nuclear diffusible oligonucleotide. It was then further equipped with polyethyleneglycol (PEG) and the delivery efficiency of the copolymer was tested in vivo for regeneration of dystrophin in the muscle of mdx mouse through a 2'O-methyl phosphorothioate-mediated splicing modulation. Intramuscular administration of polyplexes resulted in dystrophin-positive fibers in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy without apparent toxicity. These findings indicate that precise modifications of low molecular weight PEI improve its bio-responsiveness and yield delivery vehicles for nucleic acids of various types in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Chiper
- Molecular and Pharmaceutical Engineering of Biologics, CNRS - Université de Strasbourg UMR 7242, Boulevard Sebastien Brant, 67412 Illkirch, France; Faculté de Pharmacie - Université de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, F-67400 Illkirch, France
| | - Nassera Tounsi
- Faculté de Pharmacie - Université de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, F-67400 Illkirch, France; Laboratory of Therapeutic Innovation UMR 7200, CNRS - Université de Strasbourg, France
| | - Ryszard Kole
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - Antoine Kichler
- Faculté de Pharmacie - Université de Strasbourg, 74 Route du Rhin, F-67400 Illkirch, France; Laboratoire de Conception et d'Application de Molécules Bioactives, CNRS - Université de Strasbourg UMR 7199, France; Genethon, 91000 Evry, France
| | - Guy Zuber
- Molecular and Pharmaceutical Engineering of Biologics, CNRS - Université de Strasbourg UMR 7242, Boulevard Sebastien Brant, 67412 Illkirch, France.
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Parmar MB, Arteaga Ballesteros BE, Fu T, K C RB, Montazeri Aliabadi H, Hugh JC, Löbenberg R, Uludağ H. Multiple siRNA delivery against cell cycle and anti-apoptosis proteins using lipid-substituted polyethylenimine in triple-negative breast cancer and nonmalignant cells. J Biomed Mater Res A 2016; 104:3031-3044. [PMID: 27465922 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.35846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Conventional breast cancer therapies have significant limitations that warrant a search for alternative therapies. Short-interfering RNA (siRNA), delivered by polymeric biomaterials and capable of silencing specific genes critical for growth of cancer cells, holds great promise as an effective, and more specific therapy. Here, we employed amphiphilic polymers and silenced the expression of two cell cycle proteins, TTK and CDC20, and the anti-apoptosis protein survivin to determine the efficacy of polymer-mediated siRNA treatment in breast cancer cells as well as side effects in nonmalignant cells in vitro. We first identified effective siRNA carriers by screening a library of lipid-substituted polyethylenimines (PEI), and PEI substituted with linoleic acid (LA) emerged as the most effective carrier for selected siRNAs. Combinations of TTK/CDC20 and CDC20/Survivin siRNAs decreased the growth of MDA-MB-231 cells significantly, while only TTK/CDC20 combination inhibited MCF7 cell growth. The effects of combinational siRNA therapy was higher when complexes were formulated at lower siRNA:polymer ratio (1:2) compared to higher ratio (1:8) in nonmalignant cells. The lead polymer (1.2PEI-LA6) showed differential transfection efficiency based on the cell-type transfected. We conclude that the lipid-substituted polymers could serve as a viable platform for delivery of multiple siRNAs against critical targets in breast cancer therapy. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 3031-3044, 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj B Parmar
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Bárbara E Arteaga Ballesteros
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Timothy Fu
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Remant Bahadur K C
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - Judith C Hugh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Raimar Löbenberg
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Hasan Uludağ
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. .,Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
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Small hydrophobe substitution on polyethylenimine for plasmid DNA delivery: Optimal substitution is critical for effective delivery. Acta Biomater 2016; 33:213-24. [PMID: 26802444 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cationic polymers have been turned into effective gene delivery agents by functionalizing with long-chain aliphatic lipids, but little information exists if small hydrophobic moieties can serve as effective substituents for this purpose. To explore this issue, we modified small molecular weight (1.2kDa) polyethylenimine (1.2PEI) by a small hydrophobe, propionic acid (PrA), through N-acylation and investigated the efficacy of resultant polymers to deliver plasmid DNA (pDNA) to breast cancer cells MDA-231 and MCF-7. A significant impact of PrA grafting was observed on physicochemical features of polymers and resultant pDNA complexes. pDNA binding capacity, as measured by BC50 (weight ratio for 50% binding), was decreased from 0.25 to 0.64 with PrA substitution. Hydrodynamic size of polymer/pDNA complexes was not altered, but the surface charge (ξ-potential) was increased with low PrA substitution and decreased at higher PrA substitutions. Similarly, in vitro pDNA transfection efficacy in MDA-231 and MCF-7 cells was significantly increased with PrA grafting and optimum efficacy was observed in polymers with modest substitution, 0.25-1.0 PrAs/PEI (mol/mol), but higher substitutions was detrimental to transfection. The transfection efficiency of PEI-PrAs was higher than aliphatic lipid (linoleic acid) substituted PEI and more stable than 25kDa branched PEI. However, unlike studies reported elsewhere, siRNA had no effect on transfection efficacy of pDNA/PEI-PrA complexes when used as an additive. We conclude that small hydrophobe substitution on low MW PEI converts it into effective pDNA delivery agent in breast cancer cells up to an optimal ratio, indicating that balancing hydrophobicity of polymer is critical for pDNA transfection. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE This manuscript investigated the influence of small hydrophobe (propionic acid, PrA, 3 carbon) grafted onto small molecular weight polyethylenimine (1.2PEI) in pDNA delivery. We have explored this approach as an alternative of common strategies to graft long chain and/or bulky lipids [linoleic acid (18 carbon), cholesterol]. At optimal substitution, transfection efficiency of these polymers was significantly higher than long chain lipid substituted 1.2PEI, emphasizing a proper hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance for optimum gene delivery. The overall results establish the feasibility of using small hydrophobes to create functional carriers, as long as the polymers are engineered with optimal ratio of substituent. The reported studies should facilitate the efforts of biomaterials scientists and engineers to design new carriers for gene therapy.
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Yang S, Yang X, Liu Y, Zheng B, Meng L, Lee RJ, Xie J, Teng L. Non-covalent complexes of folic acid and oleic acid conjugated polyethylenimine: An efficient vehicle for antisense oligonucleotide delivery. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2015; 135:274-282. [PMID: 26263216 PMCID: PMC4856292 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2015.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2015] [Revised: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/19/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Polyethylenimine (PEI) was conjugated to oleic acid (PEI-OA) and evaluated as a delivery agent for LOR-2501, an antisense oligonucleotide against ribonucleotide reductase R1 subunit. PEI-OA/LOR-2501 complexes were further coated with folic acid (FA/PEI-OA/LOR-2501) and evaluated in tumor cells. The level of cellular uptake of FA/PEI-OA/LOR-2501 was more than double that of PEI/LOR-2501 complexes, and was not affected by the expression level of folate receptor (FR) on the cell surface. Efficient delivery was seen in several cell lines. Furthermore, pathway specific cellular internalization inhibitors and markers were used to reveal the principal mechanism of cellular uptake. FA/PEI-OA/LOR-2501 significantly induced the downregulation of R1 mRNA and R1 protein. This novel formulation of FA/PEI-OA provides a reliable and highly efficient method for delivery of oligonucleotide and warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Xuewei Yang
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Yan Liu
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Bin Zheng
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Lingjun Meng
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Robert J Lee
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China; College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jing Xie
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Lesheng Teng
- College of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China; State Key Laboratory of Long-acting and Targeting Drug Delivery System, Yantai 264000, China.
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14
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Enhanced survivin siRNA delivery using cationic liposome incorporating fatty acid-modified polyethylenimine. Chem Res Chin Univ 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s40242-015-5060-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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15
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Parmar MB, Aliabadi HM, Mahdipoor P, Kucharski C, Maranchuk R, Hugh JC, Uludağ H. Targeting Cell Cycle Proteins in Breast Cancer Cells with siRNA by Using Lipid-Substituted Polyethylenimines. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2015; 3:14. [PMID: 25763370 PMCID: PMC4329877 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2015.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cell cycle proteins are key regulators of cell cycle progression whose deregulation is one of the causes of breast cancer. RNA interference (RNAi) is an endogenous mechanism to regulate gene expression and it could serve as the basis of regulating aberrant proteins including cell cycle proteins. Since the delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) is a main barrier for implementation of RNAi therapy, we explored the potential of a non-viral delivery system, 2.0 kDa polyethylenimines substituted with linoleic acid and caprylic acid, for this purpose. Using a library of siRNAs against cell cycle proteins, we identified cell division cycle protein 20 (CDC20), a recombinase RAD51, and serine–threonine protein kinase CHEK1 as effective targets for breast cancer therapy, and demonstrated their therapeutic potential in breast cancer MDA-MB-435, MDA-MB-231, and MCF7 cells with respect to another well-studied cell cycle protein, kinesin spindle protein. We also explored the efficacy of dicer-substrate siRNA (DsiRNA) against CDC20, RAD51, and CHEK1, where a particular DsiRNA against CDC20 showed an exceptionally high inhibition of cell growth in vitro. There was no apparent effect of silencing selected cell cycle proteins on the potency of the chemotherapy drug doxorubicin. The efficacy of DsiRNA against CDC20 was subsequently assessed in a xenograft model, which indicated a reduced tumor growth as a result of CDC20 DsiRNA therapy. The presented study highlighted specific cell cycle protein targets critical for breast cancer therapy, and provided a polymeric delivery system for their effective down-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manoj B Parmar
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Hamidreza Montazeri Aliabadi
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada ; School of Pharmacy, Chapman University , Irvine, CA , USA
| | - Parvin Mahdipoor
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Cezary Kucharski
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Robert Maranchuk
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Judith C Hugh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
| | - Hasan Uludağ
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada ; Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada ; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta , Edmonton, AB , Canada
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16
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Lou Z, Xing H, Pan H, Lou F, Wang K, Fang Y, Han W, Li D. Low molecular weight polyethylenimine as a transgenic vector for tumor gene therapy. Biotech Histochem 2014; 90:140-5. [PMID: 25297563 DOI: 10.3109/10520295.2014.965278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We constructed a polymer composed of a series of small molecule polyethylenimine (PEI) using 4-arm polyethylenimine (PEG) as a core for tumor gene therapy. N,N'-carbonyldiimidazole and N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate were used as chemical connecting reagents to synthesize 4-arm PEG-PEI2000 and 4-arm PEG-PEI2000-MC11. Chemical characterization was performed using (1)H-NMR. The retardation effect of polymers on plasmid DNA was observed using electrophoretic mobility shift and MTT assays to test the toxicity of the polymers. The gene delivery capability of 4-arm PEG-PEI2000 and 4-arm PEG-PEI2000-MC11, and the effect of MC11 were determined by an in vitro gene delivery experiment with human hepatoma HepG2 cells. At a N:P ratio of 3, the 4-arm PEG-PEI2000 could retard successfully plasmid DNA with low toxicity. In experiments in vitro, when the N:P ratio was 30, the gene delivery efficiency of 4-arm PEG-PEI2000 in HepG2 cells was five times that of PEI2000; After connecting ligand MC11, however, the gene delivery efficiency was twice as great. Free MC11 effectively inhibited the gene delivery efficiency of the 4-arm PEG-PEI2000-MC11. Four-arm PEG-PEI2000 has low toxicity and high gene delivery efficiency, and is an effective gene delivery vector after linking ligand MC11.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Lou
- Department of Stomatology
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17
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Arif M, Tripathi SK, Gupta KC, Kumar P. Self-assembled amphiphilic phosphopyridoxyl-polyethylenimine polymers exhibit high cell viability and gene transfection efficiency in vitro and in vivo. J Mater Chem B 2013; 1:4020-4031. [DOI: 10.1039/c3tb20516a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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18
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Tripathi SK, Singh VP, Gupta KC, Kumar P. Hydrophobic and membrane permeable polyethylenimine nanoparticles efficiently deliver nucleic acids in vitro and in vivo. J Mater Chem B 2013; 1:2515-2524. [DOI: 10.1039/c3tb00481c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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19
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MC8 peptide-mediated Her-2 receptor targeting based on PEI-β-CyD as gene delivery vector. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2012; 169:450-61. [PMID: 23225019 DOI: 10.1007/s12010-012-9959-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Accepted: 11/06/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
A novel vector with high gene delivery efficiency and special cell targeting ability was developed using a good strategy that utilized low molecular weight polyethylenimine (PEI; molecular weight, 600 KDa [PEI600]) cross-linked to β-cyclodextrin (β-CyD) via a facile synthetic route. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her-2) are highly expressed in a variety of human cancer cells and are potential targets for cancer therapy. MC8 peptides, which have been proven to combine especially with Her-2 on cell membranes were coupled to PEI-β-CyD using N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate as a linker. The ratios of PEI600, β-CyD, and peptide were calculated based on proton integral values obtained from the (1)H-NMR spectra of the resulting products. Electron microscope observations showed that MC8-PEI-β-CyD can efficiently condense plasmid DNA (pDNA) into nanoparticles of about 200 nm, and MTT assays suggested the decreased toxicity of the polymer. Experiments on gene delivery efficiency in vitro showed that MC8-PEI-β-CyD/pDNA polyplexes had significantly greater transgene activities than PEI-β-CyD/pDNA in the Skov3 and A549 cells, which positively expressed Her-2, whereas, no such effect was observed in the MCF-7 cells, which negatively expressed Her-2. Our current research indicated that the synthesized nonviral vector shows improved gene delivery efficiency and targeting specificity in Her-2 positive cells.
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20
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Fitzsimmons R, Uludağ H. Specific effects of PEGylation on gene delivery efficacy of polyethylenimine: interplay between PEG substitution and N/P ratio. Acta Biomater 2012; 8:3941-55. [PMID: 22820308 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2012.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2012] [Revised: 06/10/2012] [Accepted: 07/11/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
While an effective non-viral gene carrier, 25 kDa branched polyethylenimine (PEI) is cytotoxic, and decreasing its toxicity while maintaining its functionality is vital. Conjugation of carriers with polyethylene glycol (PEG) is a common approach to decreasing toxicity and improving biodistribution; however, the effect of PEGylation on PEI transfection efficacy is contradictory at present. The aim of this work was to reveal the details of this dependence. Polymers were synthesized by grafting 2 kDa PEG to 25 kDa PEI at multiple ratios. Unlike typical investigations, parallel studies based on either total polymer weight or PEI-backbone weight were employed at the same time for accurate investigation into the specific effects of PEGylation. Polymers were assessed for toxicity and plasmid DNA (pDNA) binding, while polyplexes were formed at various polymer/pDNA weight ratios and monitored by dynamic light scattering (DLS) in the presence of serum. The efficacy of the polyplexes for pDNA delivery and transgene expression in HEK293 cells was assessed by flow cytometry. This approach unexpectedly revealed that increased PEG substitution caused lower toxicity and pDNA-binding on a per total polymer weight basis, but not on a per PEI-backbone weight basis. DLS indicated that high PEGylation prevents an increase in polyplex size in the presence of serum. Plasmid uptake and transgene expression were found to have a complex relationship with PEG substitution, dependent on the polymer/plasmid-DNA weight ratio. PEGylation generally decreased the transfection efficacy of PEI, but under ideal conditions of PEG substitution and polymer/pDNA ratio, PEGylation provided more effective carrier formulations than the native PEI itself.
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21
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FGF receptor-mediated gene delivery using ligands coupled to PEI-β-CyD. J Biomed Biotechnol 2012; 2012:989235. [PMID: 22570536 PMCID: PMC3335427 DOI: 10.1155/2012/989235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2011] [Revised: 02/09/2012] [Accepted: 02/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel vector with high gene delivery efficiency and special cell-targeting ability was developed using a good strategy that utilized low-molecular-weight polyethylenimine (PEI; molecular weight: 600 KDa [PEI600]) crosslinked to β-cyclodextrin (β-CyD) via a facile synthetic route. Fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) are highly expressed in a variety of human cancer cells and are potential targets for cancer therapy. In this paper, CY11 peptides, which have been proven to combine especially with FGFRs on cell membranes were coupled to PEI-β-CyD using N-succinimidyl-3-(2-pyridyldithio) propionate as a linker. The ratios of PEI600, β-CyD, and peptide were calculated based on proton integral values obtained from the (1)H-NMR spectra of the resulting products. Electron microscope observations showed that CY11-PEI-β-CyD can efficiently condense plasmid DNA (pDNA) into nanoparticles of about 200 nm, and MTT assays suggested the decreased toxicity of the polymer. Experiments on gene delivery efficiency in vitro showed that CY11-PEI-β-CyD/pDNA polyplexes had significantly greater transgene activities than PEI-β-CyD/pDNA in the COS-7 and HepG2 cells, which positively expressed FGFR, whereas no such effect was observed in the PC-3 cells, which negatively expressed FGFR. Our current research indicated that the synthesized nonviral vector shows improved gene delivery efficiency and targeting specificity in FGFR-positive cells.
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22
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Sun C, Tang T, Uludağ H. Molecular Dynamics Simulations of PEI Mediated DNA Aggregation. Biomacromolecules 2011; 12:3698-707. [DOI: 10.1021/bm2009476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chongbo Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2G8
| | - Tian Tang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2G8
| | - Hasan Uludağ
- Department of Chemical and Materials
Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton,
AB, Canada T6G 2G6
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2V2
- Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2N8
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