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Van den Avont A, Sharma-Walia N. Anti-nucleolin aptamer AS1411: an advancing therapeutic. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1217769. [PMID: 37808518 PMCID: PMC10551449 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1217769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted therapy is highly desirable, as it allows for selective cytotoxicity on diseased cells without off-target side effects. Nucleolin is a remarkable target for cancer therapy given its high abundance, selective presence on the plasma membrane, and multifaceted influence on the initiation and progression of cancer. Nucleolin is a protein overexpressed on the cell membrane in many tumors and serves as a binding protein for several ligands implicated in angiogenesis and tumorigenesis. Nucleolin is present in the cytoplasm, nucleoplasm, and nucleolus and is used by selected pathogens for cell entry. AS1411 is a guanosine-rich oligonucleotide aptamer that binds nucleolin and is internalized in the tumor cells. AS1411 is well tolerated at therapeutic doses and localizes to tumor cells overexpressing nucleolin. AS1411 has a good safety profile with efficacy in relapsed acute myeloid leukemia and renal cell carcinoma producing mild or moderate side effects. The promising potential of AS1411 is its ability to be conjugated to drugs and nanoparticles. When a drug is bound to AS1411, the drug will localize to tumor cells leading to targeted therapy with fewer systemic side effects than traditional practices. AS1411 can also be bound to nanoparticles capable of detecting nucleolin at concentrations far lower than lab techniques used today for cancer diagnosis. AS1411 has a promising potential to change cancer diagnoses and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neelam Sharma-Walia
- Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL, United States
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Aoki Y, Rocha CSJ, Lehto T, Miyatake S, Johansson H, Hashimoto Y, Nordin JZ, Mager I, Aoki M, Graham M, Sathyaprakash C, Roberts TC, Wood MJA, Behlke MA, Andaloussi SE. Fine Tuning of Phosphorothioate Inclusion in 2'-O-Methyl Oligonucleotides Contributes to Specific Cell Targeting for Splice-Switching Modulation. Front Physiol 2021; 12:689179. [PMID: 34721051 PMCID: PMC8548633 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.689179] [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: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Splice-switching antisense oligonucleotide- (SSO-) mediated correction of framedisrupting mutation-containing premessenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts using exon skipping is a highly promising treatment method for muscular diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Phosphorothioate (PS) chemistry, a commonly used oligonucleotide modification, has been shown to increase the stability of and improve the pharmacokinetics of SSOs. However, the effect of PS inclusion in 2′-O-methyl SSOs (2OMe) on cellular uptake and splice switching is less well-understood. At present, we demonstrate that the modification of PS facilitates the uptake of 2OMe in H2k-mdx myoblasts. Furthermore, we found a dependency of SSO nuclear accumulation and high splice-switching activity on PS inclusion in 2OMe (2OMePS), as tested in various reporter cell lines carrying pLuc/705. Increased exon-inclusion activity was observed in muscle, neuronal, liver, and bone cell lineages via both the gymnotic uptake and lipofection of 2OMePS. Using the photoactivatable ribonucleoside-enhanced crosslinking and a subsequent proteomic approach, we identified several 2OMePS-binding proteins, which are likely to play a role in the trafficking of 2OMePS to the nucleus. Ablation of one of them, Ncl by small-interfering RNA (siRNA) enhanced 2OMePS uptake in C2C12 myoblasts and upregulated luciferase RNA splicing in the HeLa Luc/705 reporter cell line. Overall, we demonstrate that PS inclusion increases nuclear delivery and splice switching in muscle, neuronal, liver, and bone cell lineages and that the modulation of 2OMePS-binding partners may improve SSO delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshitsugu Aoki
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Cristina S J Rocha
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Taavi Lehto
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Shouta Miyatake
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Henrik Johansson
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Yasumasa Hashimoto
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joel Z Nordin
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Imre Mager
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Misako Aoki
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - McClorey Graham
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Chaitra Sathyaprakash
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Tokyo, Japan
| | - Thomas C Roberts
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew J A Wood
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mark A Behlke
- Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc., Coralville, IA, United States
| | - Samir El Andaloussi
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Research Center, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital, Huddinge, Sweden
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Lorents A, Säälik P, Langel Ü, Pooga M. Arginine-Rich Cell-Penetrating Peptides Require Nucleolin and Cholesterol-Poor Subdomains for Translocation across Membranes. Bioconjug Chem 2018; 29:1168-1177. [PMID: 29510042 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.7b00805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Proficient transport vectors called cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) internalize into eukaryotic cells mostly via endocytic pathways and facilitate the uptake of various cargo molecules attached to them. However, some CPPs are able to induce disturbances in the plasma membrane and translocate through it seemingly in an energy-independent manner. For understanding this phenomenon, giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs) derived from the cells are a beneficial model system, since GPMVs have a complex membrane composition comparable to the cells yet lack cellular energy-dependent mechanisms. We investigated the translocation of arginine-rich CPPs into GPMVs with different membrane compositions. Our results demonstrate that lower cholesterol content favors accumulation of nona-arginine and, additionally, sequestration of cholesterol increases the uptake of the CPPs in vesicles with higher cholesterol packing density. Furthermore, the proteins on the surface of vesicles are essential for the uptake of arginine-rich CPPs: downregulation of nucleolin decreases the accumulation and digestion of proteins on the membrane suppresses translocation even more efficiently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annely Lorents
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology , University of Tartu , Riia 23 , 51010 Tartu , Estonia
- Institute of Technology , University of Tartu , Nooruse 1 , 50411 Tartu , Estonia
| | - Pille Säälik
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology , University of Tartu , Riia 23 , 51010 Tartu , Estonia
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine , University of Tartu , Ravila 14B , 50411 Tartu , Estonia
| | - Ülo Langel
- Institute of Technology , University of Tartu , Nooruse 1 , 50411 Tartu , Estonia
- Department of Neurochemistry , Stockholm University , Svante Arrhenius väg 16B , 10691 Stockholm , Sweden
| | - Margus Pooga
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology , University of Tartu , Riia 23 , 51010 Tartu , Estonia
- Institute of Technology , University of Tartu , Nooruse 1 , 50411 Tartu , Estonia
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Chen CF, Yang HC, Liu GS. [Effect of nucleolin silencing on differentiation of rat neural stem cells in vitro and the molecular mechanism]. NAN FANG YI KE DA XUE XUE BAO = JOURNAL OF SOUTHERN MEDICAL UNIVERSITY 2017; 37:875-882. [PMID: 28736361 PMCID: PMC6765513 DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-4254.2017.07.04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of nucleolin silencing on the differentiation of rat neural stem cells (NSCs) and the role of Wnt signaling pathway in mediating such effect. METHODS Adenovirus vectors expressing small interfering RNA (siRNA) against nucleolin were constructed, verified, and packaged in HEK293A cells. The adenovirus was then transfected into NSCs isolated from neonatal SD rats and the differentiation of the NSCs was examined by detecting the expressions of neuron specific encloase (NSE) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) using immunocytochemistry. The expressions of nucleolin, nestin, Wnt3, and β-catenin in the cells were determined with Western blotting. RESULTS Restriction endonuclease and sequencing analysis verified successful construction of the adenoviral vector expressing nucleolin siRNA (nucleolin-siRNA2). Infection of rat NSCs with nucleolin-siRNA2 significantly lowered nucleolin protein expression as compared with that in negative and blank control groups (P<0.05). The percentages of NSE-positive cells and GFAP-positive cells were significantly higher in NSCs infected with nucleolin-siRNA (P<0.01); the infection also resulted in obviously lowered expression of nestin protein and increased expressions of Wnt3 protein and β-catenin nucleoprotein in the cells. CONCLUSIONS Nucleolin silencing by adenovirus-mediated RNA interference induces the differentiation of NSCs into neurons and astrocytes, which is related with the activation of Wnt signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong-Feng Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.E-mail:
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