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Palepšienė R, Muralidharan A, Maciulevičius M, Ruzgys P, Chopra S, Boukany PE, Šatkauskas S. New insights into the mechanism of electrotransfer of small nucleic acids. Bioelectrochemistry 2024; 158:108696. [PMID: 38583283 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108696] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is a powerful and rapidly developing technology that enables precise silencing of genes of interest. However, the clinical development of RNAi is hampered by the limited cellular uptake and stability of the transferred molecules. Electroporation (EP) is an efficient and versatile technique for the transfer of both RNA and DNA. Although the mechanism of electrotransfer of small nucleic acids has been studied previously, too little is known about the potential effects of significantly larger pDNA on this process. Here we present a fundamental study of the mechanism of electrotransfer of oligonucleotides and siRNA that occur independently and simultaneously with pDNA by employing confocal fluorescence microscopy. In contrast to the conditional understanding of the mechanism, we have shown that the electrotransfer of oligonucleotides and siRNA is driven by both electrophoretic forces and diffusion after EP, followed by subsequent entry into the nucleus within 5 min after treatment. The study also revealed that the efficiency of siRNA electrotransfer decreases in response to an increase in pDNA concentration. Overall, the study provides new insights into the mechanism of electrotransfer of small nucleic acids which may have broader implications for the future application of RNAi-based strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rūta Palepšienė
- Research Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, Universiteto str. 10, Akademija, Kaunas district LT-53361, Lithuania.
| | - Aswin Muralidharan
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands; Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands.
| | - Martynas Maciulevičius
- Research Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, Universiteto str. 10, Akademija, Kaunas district LT-53361, Lithuania.
| | - Paulius Ruzgys
- Research Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, Universiteto str. 10, Akademija, Kaunas district LT-53361, Lithuania.
| | - Sonam Chopra
- Research Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, Universiteto str. 10, Akademija, Kaunas district LT-53361, Lithuania.
| | - Pouyan E Boukany
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9 2629 HZ Delft, Netherlands.
| | - Saulius Šatkauskas
- Research Institute of Natural Sciences and Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, Universiteto str. 10, Akademija, Kaunas district LT-53361, Lithuania.
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Radzevičiūtė-Valčiukė E, Gečaitė J, Balevičiūtė A, Szewczyk A, Želvys A, Lekešytė B, Malyško-Ptašinskė V, Mickevičiūtė E, Malakauskaitė P, Kulbacka J, Novickij V. Effects of buffer composition and plasmid toxicity on electroporation-based non-viral gene delivery in mammalian cells using bursts of nanosecond and microsecond pulses. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1430637. [PMID: 39050682 PMCID: PMC11266100 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1430637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene electrotransfer (GET) is non-viral gene delivery technique, also known as electroporation-mediated gene delivery or electrotransfection. GET is a method used to introduce foreign genetic material (such as DNA or RNA) into cells by applying external pulsed electric fields (PEFs) to create temporary pores in the cell membrane. This study was undertaken to examine the impact of buffer composition on the efficiency of GET in mammalian cells Also, we specifically compared the effectiveness of high-frequency nanosecond (ns) pulses with standard microsecond (µs) pulses. For the assessment of cell transfection efficiency and viability, flow cytometric analysis, luminescent assays, and measurements of metabolic activity were conducted. The efficiency of electrotransfection was evaluated using two different proteins encoding plasmids (pEGFP-N1 and Luciferase-pcDNA3). The investigation revealed that the composition of the electroporation buffer significantly influences the efficacy of GET in CHO-K1 cell line. The different susceptibility of cell lines to the electric field and the plasmid cytotoxicity were reported. It was also shown that electroporation with nanosecond duration PEF protocols ensured equivalent or even better transfection efficiency than standard µsPEF. Additionally, we successfully performed long-term transfection of the murine 4T1 cell line using high-frequency nanosecond PEFs and confirmed its' applicability in an in vivo model. The findings from the study can be applied to optimize electrotransfection conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eivina Radzevičiūtė-Valčiukė
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology and Bioelectrochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Jovita Gečaitė
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology and Bioelectrochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Austėja Balevičiūtė
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology and Bioelectrochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Anna Szewczyk
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology and Bioelectrochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Augustinas Želvys
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology and Bioelectrochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Barbora Lekešytė
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology and Bioelectrochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Eglė Mickevičiūtė
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology and Bioelectrochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Paulina Malakauskaitė
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology and Bioelectrochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Julita Kulbacka
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology and Bioelectrochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Vitalij Novickij
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology and Bioelectrochemistry, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Gao S, Zhou M, Li Y, Xiao D, Wang Y, Yao Y, Gao Y, Cai X, Lin Y. Tetrahedral Framework Nucleic Acids Reverse New-Onset Type 1 Diabetes. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:50802-50811. [PMID: 34665600 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c16151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is caused by breakdowns of central and peripheral immune tolerance and destructions of insulin-producing β-cells. Conventional insulin injection cannot cure the disease. Regulatory immune cells, including regulatory T-cells (Tregs) and regulatory B-cells (Bregs), play critical roles in immune tolerance. Inducing regulatory immune cells to halt the progress of T1D and restore immune tolerance is the promising approach in T1D immunotherapy. Here, tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (tFNAs) were utilized to treat T1D in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice. 250 nM tFNA treatment was adopted in the experiment to reverse hyperglycemia and protect insulin-secreting β-cells in diabetic NOD mice. In addition, 250 nM tFNA treatment could induce Tregs and Bregs and suppress helper T (Th)-cells in the pancreas. In the pancreas, cytokines, as a significant signal during CD4+ T-cell differentiation, directly direct the differentiation programs. Apart from cytokines directing the differentiation of T-cells, the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signal is strongly associated with T-cell differentiation and T1D progression. We demonstrated tFNA treatment inducing regulatory immune cells probably by increasing TGF-β levels and the STAT signal. To sum up, 250 nM tFNA treatment could protect the diabetic NOD mice from hyperglycemia and preserve the functions of β-cells by restoring peripheral immune tolerance. The possible mechanism of inducing immune tolerance was related to the STAT signal and cytokine changes in the pancreas. Moreover, immunoregulation capabilities of tFNAs were demonstrated in the experiment, which set the foundation of tFNAs participating in further antigen-specific immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojingya Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Mi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yanjing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Dexuan Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yangxue Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yang Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yunfeng Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.,College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
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Ruzgys P, Barauskaitė N, Novickij V, Novickij J, Šatkauskas S. The Evidence of the Bystander Effect after Bleomycin Electrotransfer and Irreversible Electroporation. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26196001. [PMID: 34641546 PMCID: PMC8512684 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26196001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
One of current applications of electroporation is electrochemotherapy and electroablation for local cancer treatment. Both of these electroporation modalities share some similarities with radiation therapy, one of which could be the bystander effect. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of the bystander effect following these electroporation-based treatments. During direct CHO-K1 cell treatment, cells were electroporated using one 100 µs duration square wave electric pulse at 1400 V/cm (for bleomycin electrotransfer) or 2800 V/cm (for irreversible electroporation). To evaluate the bystander effect, the medium was taken from directly treated cells after 24 h incubation and applied on unaffected cells. Six days after the treatment, cell viability and colony sizes were evaluated using the cell colony formation assay. The results showed that the bystander effect after bleomycin electrotransfer had a strong negative impact on cell viability and cell colony size, which decreased to 2.8% and 23.1%, respectively. On the contrary, irreversible electroporation induced a strong positive bystander effect on cell viability, which increased to 149.3%. In conclusion, the results presented may serve as a platform for further analysis of the bystander effect after electroporation-based therapies and may ultimately lead to refined application of these therapies in clinics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulius Ruzgys
- Biophysical Research Group, Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos st. 844404, LT-44001 Kaunas, Lithuania; (P.R.); (N.B.)
| | - Neringa Barauskaitė
- Biophysical Research Group, Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos st. 844404, LT-44001 Kaunas, Lithuania; (P.R.); (N.B.)
| | - Vitalij Novickij
- Institute of High Magnetic Fields, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Naugarduko st. 4103227, LT-10224 Vilnius, Lithuania; (V.N.); (J.N.)
| | - Jurij Novickij
- Institute of High Magnetic Fields, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Naugarduko st. 4103227, LT-10224 Vilnius, Lithuania; (V.N.); (J.N.)
| | - Saulius Šatkauskas
- Biophysical Research Group, Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos st. 844404, LT-44001 Kaunas, Lithuania; (P.R.); (N.B.)
- Correspondence:
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Alshaer W, Zureigat H, Al Karaki A, Al-Kadash A, Gharaibeh L, Hatmal MM, Aljabali AAA, Awidi A. siRNA: Mechanism of action, challenges, and therapeutic approaches. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 905:174178. [PMID: 34044011 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Owing to specific and compelling gene silencing, RNA interference (RNAi) is expected to become an essential approach in treating a variety of infectious, hemato-oncological, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative conditions. The mechanism of action of small interfering RNA (siRNA) is based on post-transcriptional gene silencing. siRNA molecules are usually specific and efficient in the knockdown of disease-related genes. However, they are characterized by low cellular uptake and are susceptible to nuclease-mediated degradation. Therefore, siRNAs require a carrier for their protection and efficient delivery into target cells. The current review highlights the siRNA-based mechanism of action, challanges, and recent advances in clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walhan Alshaer
- Cell Therapy Center, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan.
| | - Hadil Zureigat
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan
| | - Arwa Al Karaki
- Faculty of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan
| | | | - Lobna Gharaibeh
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, 19328, Jordan
| | - Ma'mon M Hatmal
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, The Hashemite University, Zarqa 13133, Jordan
| | - Alaa A A Aljabali
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid, 21163, Jordan
| | - Abdalla Awidi
- Cell Therapy Center, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Jordan University Hospital, The University of Jordan, Amman, 11942, Jordan.
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Novickij V, Zinkevičienė A, Malyško V, Novickij J, Kulbacka J, Rembialkowska N, Girkontaitė I. Bioluminescence as a sensitive electroporation indicator in sub-microsecond and microsecond range of electrical pulses. JOURNAL OF PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY B-BIOLOGY 2020; 213:112066. [PMID: 33142215 DOI: 10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2020.112066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The cell membrane permeabilization in electroporation studies is usually quantified using fluorescent markers such as propidium iodide (PI) or YO-PRO, while Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line frequently serves as a model. In this work, as an alternative, we propose a sensitive methodology for detection and analysis of electroporation phenomenon based on bioluminescence. Luminescent mice myeloma SP2/0 cells (transfected using Luciferase-pcDNA3 plasmid) were used as a cell model. Electroporation has been studied using the 0.1-5 μs × 250 and 100 μs × 1-8 pulsing protocols in 1-2.5 kV/cm PEF range. It was shown that the bioluminescence response is dependent on the cell permeabilization state and can be effectively used to detect even weak permeabilization. During saturated permeabilization the methodology accurately predicts the losses of cell viability due to irreversible electroporation. The results have been superpositioned with permeabilization and pore resealing (1 h post-treatment) data using PI. Also, the viability of the cells was evaluated. Lastly, the SP2/0 tumors have been developed in BALB/C mice and the methodology has been tested in vivo using electrochemotherapy with bleomycin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitalij Novickij
- Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Auksė Zinkevičienė
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Veronika Malyško
- Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Jurij Novickij
- Faculty of Electronics, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Julita Kulbacka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Nina Rembialkowska
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Irutė Girkontaitė
- State Research Institute Centre for Innovative Medicine, Department of Immunology, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Sonam Chopra, Ruzgys P, Maciulevičius M, Šatkauskas S. Effect of Cell Passage Time on the Electrotransfection Efficiency. BIOL BULL+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359020550014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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