Inhibition of cell proliferation and migration through nucleobase-modified polyamidoamine-mediated p53 delivery

Melittin alcalase-hydrolysate: a novel chemically characterized multifunctional bioagent; antibacterial, anti-biofilm and anticancer

The prevalent life-threatening microbial and cancer diseases and lack of effective pharmaceutical therapies created the need for new molecules with antimicrobial and anticancer potential. Bee venom (BV) was collected from honeybee workers, and melittin (NM) was extracted from BV and analyzed by urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (urea-PAGE). The isolated melittin was hydrolyzed with alcalase into new bioactive peptides and evaluated for their antimicrobial and anticancer activity. Gel filtration chromatography fractionated melittin hydrolysate (HM) into three significant fractions (F1, F2, and F3), that were characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and evaluated for their antimicrobial, anti-biofilm, antitumor, and anti-migration activities. All the tested peptides showed antimicrobial and anti-biofilm activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Melittin and its fractions significantly inhibited the proliferation of two types of cancer cells (Huh-7 and HCT 116). Yet, melittin and its fractions did not affect the viability of normal human lung Wi-38 cells. The IC50 and selectivity index data evidenced the superiority of melittin peptide fractions over intact melittin. Melittin enzymatic hydrolysate is a promising novel product with high potential as an antibacterial and anticancer agent.

Hyperactivation of p53 using CRISPRa kills human papillomavirus-driven cervical cancer cells

Clinical and pre-clinical work for a number of cancer types has demonstrated relatively positive outcomes and effective tumour regression when the level and function of p53, a well-established tumour suppressor, is restored. Human papillomavirus (HPV)-driven cancers encode the E6 oncoprotein, which leads to p53 degradation, to allow the carcinogenic process to proceed. Indeed, there have been several attempts to revive p53 function in HPV-driven cancers by both pharmacological and genetic means to increase p53 bioavailability. Here, we employed a CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) approach to overcome HPV-mediated silencing of p53 by hyperexpressing the p53 gene promoter. Our data show that CRISPRa-mediated hyperexpression of p53 leads to HPV⁺ cervical cancer cell killing and the reduction of cell proliferation. This proof-of-concept data suggest that increasing p53 bioavailability may potentially be a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of HPV-driven cancers.

Sodium Alginate-Doping Cationic Nanoparticle As Dual Gene Delivery System for Genetically Bimodal Therapy

Photodynamic therapy occupies an important position in cancer therapy because of its minimal invasiveness and high spatiotemporal precision, and photodynamic/gene combined therapy is a promising strategy for additive therapeutic effects. However, the asynchronism and heterogeneity between traditional chemical photosensitizers and nucleic acid would restrict the feasibility of this strategy. KillerRed protein, as an endogenous photosensitizer, could be directly expressed and take effect in situ by transfecting KillerRed reporter genes into cells. Herein, a simple and easily prepared sodium alginate (SA)-doping cationic nanoparticle SA@GP/DNA was developed for dual gene delivery. The nanoparticles could be formed through electrostatic interaction among sodium alginate, polycation, and plasmid DNA. The title complex SA@GP/DNA showed good biocompatibility and gene transfection efficiency. Mechanism studies revealed that SA doping could facilitate the cellular uptake and DNA release. Furthermore, SA@GP/DNA was applied to the codelivery of p53 and KillerRed reporter genes for the synergistic effect combining p53-mediated apoptosis therapy and KillerRed-mediated photodynamic therapy. The ROS generation, tumor cell growth inhibition, and apoptosis assays proved that the dual-gene transfection could mediate the better effect compared with single therapy. This rationally designed dual gene codelivery nanoparticle provides an effective and promising platform for genetically bimodal therapy.

Polymeric Dendrimers as Nanocarrier Vectors for Neurotheranostics

Dendrimers are polymers with well-defined 3D branched structures that are vastly utilized in various neurotheranostics and biomedical applications, particularly as nanocarrier vectors. Imaging agents can be loaded into dendrimers to improve the accuracy of diagnostic imaging processes. Likewise, combining pharmaceutical agents and anticancer drugs with dendrimers can enhance their solubility, biocompatibility, and efficiency. Practically, by modifying ligands on the surface of dendrimers, effective therapeutic and diagnostic platforms can be constructed and implemented for targeted delivery. Dendrimer-based nanocarriers also show great potential in gene delivery. Since enzymes can degrade genetic materials during their blood circulation, dendrimers exhibit promising packaging and delivery alternatives, particularly for central nervous system (CNS) treatments. The DNA and RNA encapsulated in dendrimers represented by polyamidoamine that are used for targeted brain delivery, via chemical-structural adjustments and appropriate generation, significantly improve the correlation between transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity. This article reports a comprehensive review of dendrimers' structures, synthesis processes, and biological applications. Recent progress in diagnostic imaging processes and therapeutic applications for cancers and other CNS diseases are presented. Potential challenges and future directions in the development of dendrimers, which provide the theoretical basis for their broader applications in healthcare, are also discussed.

Gene Therapy for Malignant and Benign Gynaecological Disorders: A Systematic Review of an Emerging Success Story

Simple Summary

This review discusses all the major advances in gene therapy of gynaecological disorders, highlighting the novel and potentially therapeutic perspectives associated with such an approach. It specifically focuses on the gene therapy strategies against major gynaecological malignant disorders, such as ovarian, cervical, and endometrial cancer, as well as benign disorders, such as uterine leiomyomas, endometriosis, placental, and embryo implantation disorders. The above therapeutic strategies, which employ both viral and non-viral systems for mutation compensation, suicide gene therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, antiangiogenesis and immunopotentiation approaches, have yielded promising results over the last decade, setting the grounds for successful clinical trials.

Abstract

Despite the major advances in screening and therapeutic approaches, gynaecological malignancies still present as a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age. Cervical cancer, although largely preventable through vaccination and regular screening, remains the fourth most common and most lethal cancer type in women, while the available treatment schemes still pose a fertility threat. Ovarian cancer is associated with high morbidity rates, primarily due to lack of symptoms and high relapse rates following treatment, whereas endometrial cancer, although usually curable by surgery, it still represents a therapeutic problem. On the other hand, benign abnormalities, such as fibroids, endometriosis, placental, and embryo implantation disorders, although not life-threatening, significantly affect women’s life and fertility and have high socio-economic impacts. In the last decade, targeted gene therapy approaches toward both malignant and benign gynaecological abnormalities have led to promising results, setting the ground for successful clinical trials. The above therapeutic strategies employ both viral and non-viral systems for mutation compensation, suicide gene therapy, oncolytic virotherapy, antiangiogenesis and immunopotentiation. This review discusses all the major advances in gene therapy of gynaecological disorders and highlights the novel and potentially therapeutic perspectives associated with such an approach.

Hyperactivating p53 in Human Papillomavirus-Driven Cancers: A Potential Therapeutic Intervention

Despite a vaccine being available, human papillomavirus virus (HPV)-driven cancers remain the ninth most prevalent cancers globally. Current therapies have significant drawbacks and often still lead to poor prognosis and underwhelming survival rates. With gene therapy becoming more available in the clinic, it poses a new front for therapeutic development. A characteristic of HPV-driven cancers is the ability to encode oncoproteins that aberrate normal p53 function without mutating this tumour-suppressor gene. The HPV E6 oncoprotein degrades p53 to allow the HPV-driven carcinogenic process to proceed. This review aimed to investigate the use of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) gene-editing technology and how it may be used to overcome HPV-mediated silencing of p53 by hyper-expressing the p53 promoter. Increasing p53 bioavailability may have promising potential as a therapy and has been a goal in the context of HPV-driven cancers. Clinical trials and proof-of-concept pre-clinical work have shown positive outcomes and tumour death when p53 levels are increased. Despite previous successes of RNA-based medicines, including the knockout of HPV oncogenes, the use of CRISPR activation is yet to be investigated as a promising potential therapy. This short review summarises key developments on attempts that have been made to increase p53 expression in the context of HPV cancer therapy, but leaves open the possibility for other cancers bearing a p53 wild-type gene.

Targeted drug delivery in cervical cancer: Current perspectives

Cervical cancer is preventable yet one of the most prevalent cancers among women around the globe. Though regular screening has resulted in the decline in incidence, the disease claims a high number of lives every year, especially in the developing countries. Owing to rather aggressive and non-specific nature of the conventional chemotherapeutics, there is a growing need for newer treatment modalities. The advent of nanotechnology has assisted in this through the use of nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery. A number of nanocarriers are continuously being developed and studied for their application in drug delivery. The present review summarises the different drug delivery approaches and nanocarriers that can be useful, their advantages and limitation.

RNA-based gene targeting therapies for human papillomavirus driven cancers

While platinum-based chemotherapy, radiation therapy and or surgery are effective in reducing human papillomavirus (HPV) driven cancer tumours, they have some significant drawbacks, including low specificity for tumour, toxicity, and severe adverse effects. Though current therapies for HPV-driven cancers are effective, severe late toxicity associated with current treatments contributes to the deterioration of patient quality of life. This warrants the need for novel therapies for HPV derived cancers. In this short review, we examined RNA-based therapies targeting the major HPV oncogenes, including short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) as putative treatment modalities. We also explore other potential RNA-based targeting approaches such as microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and mRNA vaccines as future treatment modalities for HPV cancers. Some of these technologies have already been approved for clinical use for a range of other human diseases but not for HPV cancers. Here we explore the emerging evidence supporting the effectiveness of some of these gene-based therapies for HPV malignancies. In short, the evidence sheds promising light on the feasibility of translating these technologies into a clinically relevant treatment modality for HPV derived cancers and potentially other virally driven human cancers.

Vaginal drug delivery approaches for localized management of cervical cancer

Cervical cancer or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) remain a major public health problem among women globally. Traditional methods such as surgery are often associated with possible complications which may impact future pregnancies and childbirth especially for young female patients. Vagina with a high contact surface is a suitable route for the local and systemic delivery of drugs but its abundant mucus in continuous exchange presents a barrier for the popularization of conventional vaginal formulations including suppositories, gel, patch, creams and so on. So the development of new pharmaceutical forms based on nanotechnology became appealing owing to its several advantages such as mucosa penetration, bioadhesion, controlled drug release, and decreased adverse effects. This review provided an overview of the development of topical treatment of cervical cancer or CIN through vaginal drug delivery ranging from conventional vaginal formulations to new nanocarriers to the newly developed phototherapy and gene therapy, analyzing the problems faced by current methods used, and advising the developing trend in future. The methods of establishing preclinical animal model are also discussed.

Recent Advances in Preclinical Research Using PAMAM Dendrimers for Cancer Gene Therapy

Carriers of genetic material are divided into vectors of viral and non-viral origin. Viral carriers are already successfully used in experimental gene therapies, but despite advantages such as their high transfection efficiency and the wide knowledge of their practical potential, the remaining disadvantages, namely, their low capacity and complex manufacturing process, based on biological systems, are major limitations prior to their broad implementation in the clinical setting. The application of non-viral carriers in gene therapy is one of the available approaches. Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers are repetitively branched, three-dimensional molecules, made of amide and amine subunits, possessing unique physiochemical properties. Surface and internal modifications improve their physicochemical properties, enabling the increase in cellular specificity and transfection efficiency and a reduction in cytotoxicity toward healthy cells. During the last 10 years of research on PAMAM dendrimers, three modification strategies have commonly been used: (1) surface modification with functional groups; (2) hybrid vector formation; (3) creation of supramolecular self-assemblies. This review describes and summarizes recent studies exploring the development of PAMAM dendrimers in anticancer gene therapies, evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of the modification approaches and the nanomedicine regulatory issues preventing their translation into the clinical setting, and highlighting important areas for further development and possible steps that seem promising in terms of development of PAMAM as a carrier of genetic material.

Preparation of FA-targeted magnetic nanocomposites co-loading TFPI-2 plasmid and cis-platinum and its targeted therapy effects on nasopharyngeal carcinoma

The majority of patients diagnosed with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) present with advanced-stage disease. The main treatment for these patients is concurrent chemoradiotherapy, which has various side effects. To improve the therapeutic effects and reduce the side effects of NPC chemoradiotherapy, we constructed a multifunctional folic acid (FA)-targeted magnetic nanocomposite codelivering tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) and cisplatin (CDDP). This novel nanocomposite (FA-MNP/CDDP/TFPI-2) was obtained by amidation and electrostatic adsorption between FA-methoxypolyethylene glycol-polyethyleneimine (FA-MPEG-PEI) containing the TFPI-2 plasmid and magnetic nanoparticles modified by aldehyde sodium alginate loaded with CDDP. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that the size of the individual magnetite particle core was approximately 11.5 nm. The structure and composition of the nanocomposites were identified and examined by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry. The fluorescence analysis, Prussian blue iron staining, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and whole-body fluorescence imaging results demonstrated that FA-MNP/CDDP/TFPI-2 showed high gene transfection efficiency and could target tumor cells via folate receptor (FR)-mediated delivery. The codelivery analysis showed that the obtained FA-MNP/CDDP/TFPI-2 composite could cause significantly more apoptosis than treatment with CDDP or TFPI-2 alone. The results showed that the FA-MNP/CDDP/TFPI-2 composites were successfully synthesized and indicated to be a specific molecular target for the FR with significant inhibitory effects on the growth of HNE-1 cells.

Salinomycin and Sulforaphane Exerted Synergistic Antiproliferative and Proapoptotic Effects on Colorectal Cancer Cells by Inhibiting the PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway in vitro and in vivo

Background

Both salinomycin (SAL) and sulforaphane (SFN) exert their antitumorigenic effects in various types of cancer We investigated whether combining salinomycin (SAL, an antibiotic ionophore) with sulforaphane (SFN, a phytochemical) exerted synergistic antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells in vitro and in vivo by evaluating the proliferative and apoptotic responses of two CRC cell lines.

Materials and Methods

The combination index (CI) was calculated using the Chou-Talalay method, and the effects of the synergistic combination (CI<1) of lower doses of SAL and SFN were selected for further studies. Anti-tumor effect of the combination of SAL and SFN was tested both in vitro and in vivo.

Results

Cotreatment effectively inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion and enhanced apoptosis. The xenograft model also showed similar results. Furthermore, we evaluated the molecular mechanism behind SAL- and SFN-mediated CRC cell apoptosis. The combination treatment induced apoptosis in Caco-2 and CX-1 cells by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway, which increased the expression of the tumor suppressor protein p53. The treatment also decreased the expression of the survival protein Bcl-2 and increased the expression of the proapoptotic protein Bax, which increased the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, as well as enhanced poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cleavage. Upon inhibiting the PI3K/Akt pathway with LY294002 prior to cotreatment, we detected enhanced PARP cleavage compared to that in the cotreatment only group.

Conclusion

We investigated whether the combination of SAL and SFN had antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in CRC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Cotreatment also significantly decreased migration and invasion compared to that of the control and SAL or SFN monotherapies. This novel combination of SAL and SFN might provide a potential strategy to treat CRC.

Targeted Gene Delivery Therapies for Cervical Cancer

Despite being largely preventable through early vaccination and screening strategies, cervical cancer is the most common type of gynecological malignancy worldwide and constitutes one of the leading causes of cancer deaths in women. Patients with advanced or recurrent disease have a very poor prognosis; hence, novel therapeutic modalities to improve clinical outcomes in cervical malignancy are needed. In this regard, targeted gene delivery therapy is presented as a promising approach, which leads to the development of multiple strategies focused on different aspects. These range from altered gene restoration, immune system potentiation, and oncolytic virotherapy to the use of nanotechnology and the design of improved and enhanced gene delivery systems, among others. In the present manuscript, we review the current progress made in targeted gene delivery therapy for cervical cancer, the advantages and drawbacks and their clinical application. At present, multiple targeted gene delivery systems have been reported with encouraging preclinical results. However, the translation to humans has not yet shown a significant clinical benefit due principally to the lack of efficient vectors. Real efforts are being made to develop new gene delivery systems, to improve tumor targeting and to minimize toxicity in normal tissues.

Nanofibrous Scaffolds Containing Hydroxyapatite and Microfluidic-Prepared Polyamidoamin/BMP-2 Plasmid Dendriplexes for Bone Tissue Engineering Applications

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to fabricate functional scaffolds to gene delivery bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) plasmid for bone formation in bone tissue engineering.

METHODS

Dendriplexes (DPs) of generation 4 polyamidoamin (G4-PAMAM)/BMP-2 plasmid were prepared through microfluidic (MF) platform. The physiochemical properties and toxicity of DPs were evaluated by DLS, AFM, FESEM and MTT assay. In order to create a suitable environment for stem cell growth and differentiation, poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) and poly-l-lactic acid/poly (ethylene oxide) (PLLA/PEO) scaffolds containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HA) and DPs were fabricated by the electrospinning method. The osteogenic potency of the scaffolds on human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) was investigated.

RESULTS

The results revealed that tuning the physical properties of DPs by adjusting flow parameters in microfluidic platform can easily improve the cell viability compared to conventional bulk mixing method. Also, the result showed that the presence of HA and DPs in PLLA/PEO scaffold enhanced alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and increased the amount of deposited Ca, as well as, related to osteogenesis gen markers.

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that on using the MF platform in preparation of DPs and loading them along with HA in PLLA/PEO scaffold, the osteogenic differentiation of hASCs could be tuned.

A chemoenzymatically synthesized cholesterol-g-poly(amine-co-ester)-mediated p53 gene delivery for achieving antitumor efficacy in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

An amphiphilic cationic copolymer cholesterol-g-poly(amine-co-ester), namely Chol-g-PMSC-PPDL synthesized in a chemoenzymatic route has been utilized as a carrier for p53 gene delivery to check its antitumor efficacy, using human prostate cancer cell line PC-3 (p53 null) as a model.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The transfection efficiency was measured by quantitative PCR and Western blotting assay. The anti-proliferative effect was detected using MTT method, colony formation assay and Live/Dead staining. The anti-migration effect was evaluated through wound healing and Transwell migration assays.

RESULTS

The transfection efficiency assay indicated that the carrier-mediated p53 gene transfection could dramatically enhance the intracellular p53 expression level. Through p53 gene delivery, obvious anti-proliferative effect could be detected which was elucidated to be associated with the simultaneous activation of mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis pathway and cell cycle arrest at G1 phase. Meanwhile, the anti-migration effect could be obtained after p53 gene transfection.

CONCLUSION

Chol-g-PMSC-PPDL-mediated p53 gene transfection could potentially be employed as a promising strategy for achieving effective anti-tumor response.

Phenylboronic acid-functionalized polyamidoamine-mediated miR-34a delivery for the treatment of gastric cancer

In the present research, a tumor-targeted gene carrier, PPP, was constructed through the modification of phenylboronic acid onto the surface of a polyamidoamine dendrimer, and then miR-34a delivery was employed as a model to evaluate its anti-tumor efficacy.

Inhibition of proliferation and migration of tumor cells through lipoic acid-modified oligoethylenimine-mediated p53 gene delivery

Inhibition of proliferation and migration of tumor cells through lipoic acid-modified oligoethylenimine-mediated p53 gene delivery.

Phenylboronic acid-modified polyamidoamine-mediated delivery of short GC rich DNA for hepatocarcinoma gene therapy

Phenylboronic acid was introduced on the surface of polyamidoamine to construct a derivative PP, which was further used as a tumor-targeting carrier for realizing the delivery of short GC rich DNA (GCD).

A novel disulfide bond-mediated cleavable RGD-modified PAMAM nanocomplex containing nuclear localization signal HMGB1 for enhancing gene transfection efficiency

BACKGROUND

Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers modified by polyethylene glycol (PEG) have frequently been investigated as a delivery carrier for gene therapy. However, modification of PAMAM with PEG using covalent linkage significantly reduces the cellular uptake rate and the transfection efficiency. How to conquer these barriers becomes a burning question in gene delivery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study constructed an effective disulfide bond-mediated cleavable RGD modified gene delivery system to overcome the aforementioned limitations. The disulfide bond was introduced between PAMAM dendrimers and PEG chains to realize the cleavage of PEG from the carrier system, whereas the arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) peptide was expected to promote the cellular uptake rate. A high mobility group Box 1 (HMGB1) protein containing nuclear localization signal (NLS) was simultaneously introduced to further promote gene expression efficiency. A pDNA/HMGB1/PAMAM-SS-PEG-RGD (DHP) nanocomplex was prepared via electrostatic interaction and characterized.

RESULTS

The results showed that DHP generated small particles and was able to condense and protect pDNA against degradation. In addition, the RGD peptide could significantly promote the cellular uptake of a nanocomplex. Intracellular trafficking and in vitro expression study indicated that the DHP nanocomplex escaped from lysosomes and the disulfide bonds between PAMAM and PEG cleaved due to the high concentration of GSH in the cytoplasm, pDNA consequently became exclusively located in the nucleus under the guidance of HMGB1, thereby promoting the red fluorescence protein (RFP) expression. Importantly, an in vivo antitumor activity study demonstrated that the DHP nanocomplex had higher antitumor activity than any other reference preparation.

CONCLUSION

All these results confirm that DHP could be a new strategy for improving the transfection and expression efficiency in gene delivery.

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of a cholesterol-g-poly(amine-co-ester) carrier for p53 gene delivery to inhibit the proliferation and migration of tumor cells

An amphiphilic cholesterol-g-poly(amine-co-ester) synthesizedviaa chemoenzymatic route has been successfully applied as a carrier in p53 gene delivery.

2-Amino-6-chloropurine-modified polyamidoamine-mediated p53 gene transfection to achieve anti-tumor efficacy

The modification of 2-amino-6-chloropurine on polyamidoamine was performed to synthesize a derivative, AP-PAMAM, which was then employed as a carrier for p53 gene delivery to achieve anti-tumor efficacy.