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Yeoh YQ, Amin A, Cuic B, Tomas D, Turner BJ, Shabanpoor F. Efficient systemic CNS delivery of a therapeutic antisense oligonucleotide with a blood-brain barrier-penetrating ApoE-derived peptide. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 175:116737. [PMID: 38749176 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116737] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for treating central nervous system (CNS) disorders by modulating gene expression with high selectivity and specificity. However, the poor permeability of ASO across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) diminishes its therapeutic success. Here, we designed and synthesized a series of BBB-penetrating peptides (BPP) derived from either the receptor-binding domain of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) or a transferrin receptor-binding peptide (THR). The BPPs were conjugated to phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMO) that are chemically analogous to the 2'-O-(2-methoxyethyl) (MOE)-modified ASO approved by the FDA for treating spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The BPP-PMO conjugates significantly increased the level of full-length SMN2 in the patient-derived SMA fibroblasts in a concentration-dependent manner with minimal to no toxicity. Furthermore, the systemic administration of the most potent BPP-PMO conjugates significantly increased the expression of full-length SMN2 in the brain and spinal cord of SMN2 transgenic adult mice. Notably, BPP8-PMO conjugate showed a 1.25-fold increase in the expression of full-length functional SMN2 in the brain. Fluorescence imaging studies confirmed that 78% of the fluorescently (Cy7)-labelled BPP8-PMO reached brain parenchyma, with 11% uptake in neuronal cells. Additionally, the BPP-PMO conjugates containing retro-inverso (RI) D-BPPs were found to possess extended half-lives compared to their L-counterparts, indicating increased stability against protease degradation while preserving the bioactivity. This delivery platform based on BPP enhances the CNS bioavailability of PMO targeting the SMN2 gene, paving the way for the development of systemically administered neurotherapeutics for CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Qi Yeoh
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Azin Amin
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Brittany Cuic
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Doris Tomas
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Bradley J Turner
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Fazel Shabanpoor
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia; School of Chemistry, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
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Lessl AL, Pöhmerer J, Lin Y, Wilk U, Höhn M, Hörterer E, Wagner E, Lächelt U. mCherry on Top: A Positive Read-Out Cellular Platform for Screening DMD Exon Skipping Xenopeptide-PMO Conjugates. Bioconjug Chem 2023; 34:2263-2274. [PMID: 37991502 PMCID: PMC10739591 DOI: 10.1021/acs.bioconjchem.3c00408] [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: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) are a special type of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) that can be used as therapeutic modulators of pre-mRNA splicing. Application of nucleic-acid-based therapeutics generally requires suitable delivery systems to enable efficient transport to intended tissues and intracellular targets. To identify potent formulations of PMOs, we established a new in vitro-in vivo screening platform based on mdx exon 23 skipping. Here, a new in vitro positive read-out system (mCherry-DMDEx23) is presented that is sensitive toward the PMO(Ex23) sequence mediating DMD exon 23 skipping and, in this model, functional mCherry expression. After establishment of the reporter system in HeLa cells, a set of amphiphilic, ionizable xenopeptides (XPs) was screened in order to identify potent carriers for PMO delivery. The identified best-performing PMO formulation with high splice-switching activity at nanomolar concentrations in vitro was then translated to in vivo trials, where exon 23 skipping in different organs of healthy BALB/c mice was confirmed. The predesigned in vitro-in vivo workflow enables evaluation of PMO(Ex23) carriers without change of the PMO sequence and formulation composition. Furthermore, the identified PMO-XP conjugate formulation was found to induce highly potent exon skipping in vitro and redistributed PMO activity in different organs in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Lina Lessl
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jana Pöhmerer
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Yi Lin
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich Wilk
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Miriam Höhn
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Elisa Hörterer
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Ernst Wagner
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Center
for NanoScience (CeNS), LMU Munich, 80799 Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich Lächelt
- Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Department of Pharmacy, LMU
Munich, Butenandtstrasse 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Center
for NanoScience (CeNS), LMU Munich, 80799 Munich, Germany
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of
Vienna, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Choosing an Optimal Solvent Is Crucial for Obtaining Cell-Penetrating Peptide Nanoparticles with Desired Properties and High Activity in Nucleic Acid Delivery. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15020396. [PMID: 36839718 PMCID: PMC9963036 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15020396] [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: 01/02/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are highly promising transfection agents that can deliver various compounds into living cells, including nucleic acids (NAs). Positively charged CPPs can form non-covalent complexes with negatively charged NAs, enabling simple and time-efficient nanoparticle preparation. However, as CPPs have substantially different chemical and physical properties, their complexation with the cargo and characteristics of the resulting nanoparticles largely depends on the properties of the surrounding environment, i.e., solution. Here, we show that the solvent used for the initial dissolving of a CPP determines the properties of the resulting CPP particles formed in an aqueous solution, including the activity and toxicity of the CPP-NA complexes. Using different biophysical methods such as dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), transmission and scanning electron microscopy (TEM and SEM), we show that PepFect14 (PF14), a cationic amphipathic CPP, forms spherical particles of uniform size when dissolved in organic solvents, such as ethanol and DMSO. Water-dissolved PF14, however, tends to form micelles and non-uniform aggregates. When dissolved in organic solvents, PF14 retains its α-helical conformation and biological activity in cell culture conditions without any increase in cytotoxicity. Altogether, our results indicate that by using a solvent that matches the chemical nature of the CPP, the properties of the peptide-cargo particles can be tuned in the desired way. This can be of critical importance for in vivo applications, where CPP particles that are too large, non-uniform, or prone to aggregation may induce severe consequences.
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Ni D, Lin J, Zhang N, Li S, Xue Y, Wang Z, Liu Q, Liu K, Zhang H, Zhao Y, Chen C, Liu Y. Combinational application of metal-organic frameworks-based nanozyme and nucleic acid delivery in cancer therapy. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. NANOMEDICINE AND NANOBIOTECHNOLOGY 2022; 14:e1773. [PMID: 35014211 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The rapid development of nanotechnology has generated numerous ideas for cancer treatment, and a wide variety of relevant nanoparticle platforms have been reported. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been widely investigated as an anti-cancer drug delivery vehicle owing to their unique porous hybrid structure, biocompatibility, structural tunability, and multi-functionality. MOF materials with catalytic activity, known as nanozymes, have applications in photodynamic and chemodynamic therapy. Nucleic acids have also attracted increasing research attention owing to their programmability, ease of synthesis, and versatility. A variety of functional DNAs and RNAs have been applied both therapeutically (gene-targeting drugs for cancer treatment) and nontherapeutically (used as modified materials to enhance the therapeutic effects of other nanomedicines). The combined use of MOFs and functional nucleic acids have been extensively investigated and has been associated with excellent tumor-suppressor activity in various treatment methods. In this review, we summarize the progress in the research and development of tumor therapy based on MOFs and nucleic acid delivery over recent years, focusing on the combinational use of different delivery and design strategies for MOF/therapeutic nucleic acid platforms. We further summarize the strategies for combining MOFs (universal carrier, functional carrier) and nucleic acids (therapeutic nucleic acids, nontherapeutic nucleic acids) and discuss the corresponding therapeutic effects in cancer treatment. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongqi Ni
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety & CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinhui Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety & CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nuozi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education, College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
- Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Shilin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety & CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yueguang Xue
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety & CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing, China
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Ziyao Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety & CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qianglin Liu
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Kai Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongjie Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuliang Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety & CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- GBA National Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, Guangdong, China
| | - Chunying Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety & CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- GBA National Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, Guangdong, China
| | - Ying Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety & CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology of China, Beijing, China
- GBA National Institute for Nanotechnology Innovation, Guangdong, China
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