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Eş I, Thakur A, Mousavi Khaneghah A, Foged C, de la Torre LG. Engineering aspects of lipid-based delivery systems: In vivo gene delivery, safety criteria, and translation strategies. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 72:108342. [PMID: 38518964 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108342] [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: 01/06/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Defects in the genome cause genetic diseases and can be treated with gene therapy. Due to the limitations encountered in gene delivery, lipid-based supramolecular colloidal materials have emerged as promising gene carrier systems. In their non-functionalized form, lipid nanoparticles often demonstrate lower transgene expression efficiency, leading to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes, specifically through reduced percentages of cells expressing the transgene. Due to chemically active substituents, the engineering of delivery systems for genetic drugs with specific chemical ligands steps forward as an innovative strategy to tackle the drawbacks and enhance their therapeutic efficacy. Despite intense investigations into functionalization strategies, the clinical outcome of such therapies still needs to be improved. Here, we highlight and comprehensively review engineering aspects for functionalizing lipid-based delivery systems and their therapeutic efficacy for developing novel genetic cargoes to provide a full snapshot of the translation from the bench to the clinics. We outline existing challenges in the delivery and internalization processes and narrate recent advances in the functionalization of lipid-based delivery systems for nucleic acids to enhance their therapeutic efficacy and safety. Moreover, we address clinical trials using these vectors to expand their clinical use and principal safety concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Eş
- Department of Material and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Old Road Campus Research Building, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK.
| | - Aneesh Thakur
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
| | - Amin Mousavi Khaneghah
- Faculty of Biotechnologies (BioTech), ITMO University 191002, 9 Lomonosova Street, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Camilla Foged
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Lucimara Gaziola de la Torre
- Department of Material and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
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2
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Khunsuk PO, Pongma C, Palaga T, Hoven VP. Zwitterionic Polymer-Decorated Lipid Nanoparticles for mRNA Delivery in Mammalian Cells. Biomacromolecules 2023; 24:5654-5665. [PMID: 37956106 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) play a key role in the effective transport of mRNA into cells for protein translation. Despite the stealthiness of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) that helps protect LNPs from protein absorption and blood clearance, the generation of anti-PEG antibodies resulting in PEG allergies remains a challenge for the development of an mRNA vaccine. Herein, a non-PEG lipid was developed by conjugating 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DPPE) with an antifouling zwitterionic polymer, poly(2-methyacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC), of different chain lengths. The PMPC-LNPs formulated from DPPE-PMPC were spherical (diameter ≈ 144-255 nm), neutral in charge, and stable at 4 °C for up to 28 days. Their fraction of stealthiness being close to 1 emphasized the antifouling characteristics of PMPC decorated on LNPs. The PMPC-LNPs were nontoxic to HEK293T cells, did not induce inflammatory responses in THP-1 cells, and exhibited an mRNA transfection efficiency superior to that of PEG-LNPs. This work demonstrated the potential of the developed zwitterionic polymer-conjugated LNPs as promising mRNA carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phim-On Khunsuk
- Program in Petrochemistry and Polymer Science, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Chitsuda Pongma
- Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Tanapat Palaga
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Center of Excellence in Materials and Bio-interfaces, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Voravee P Hoven
- Center of Excellence in Materials and Bio-interfaces, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University, Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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Stevens K, Marras AE, Campagna TR, Ting JM, Tirrell MV. Effect of Charged Block Length Mismatch on Double Diblock Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelle Cores. Macromolecules 2023; 56:5557-5566. [PMID: 37521249 PMCID: PMC10373519 DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c00555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte complex micelles are hydrophilic nanoparticles that self-assemble in aqueous environments due to associative microphase separation between oppositely charged blocky polyelectrolytes. In this work, we employ a suite of physical characterization tools to examine the effect of charged block length mismatch on the equilibrium structure of double diblock polyelectrolyte complex micelles (D-PCMs) by mixing a diverse library of peptide and synthetic charged-neutral block polyelectrolytes with a wide range of charged block lengths (25-200 units) and chemistries. Early work on D-PCMs suggested that this class of micelles can only be formed from blocky polyelectrolytes with identical charged block lengths, a phenomenon referred to as chain length recognition. Here, we use salt annealing to create PCMs at equilibrium, which shows that chain length recognition, a longstanding hurdle to repeatable self-assembly from mismatched polyelectrolytes, can be overcome. Interestingly, D-PCM structure-property relationships display a range of values that vary systematically with the charged block lengths and chemical identity of constituent polyelectrolyte pairings and cannot be described by generalizable scaling laws. We discuss the interdependent growth behavior of the radius, ionic pair aggregation number, and density in the micelle core for three chemically distinct diblock pairings and suggest a potential physical mechanism that leads to this unique behavior. By comparing the results of these D-PCMs to the scaling laws recently developed for single diblock polyelectrolyte complex micelles (S-PCMs: diblock + homopolymer), we observe that D-PCM design schemes reduce the size and aggregation number and restrict their growth to a function of charged block length relative to S-PCMs. Understanding these favorable attributes enables more predictive use of a wider array of charged molecular building blocks to anticipate and control macroscopic properties of micelles spanning countless storage and delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaden
C. Stevens
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Alexander E. Marras
- Walker
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
- Texas
Materials Institute, The University of Texas
at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, United States
| | - Trinity R. Campagna
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | | | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker
School of Molecular Engineering, The University
of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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Marras AE, Ting JM, Stevens KC, Tirrell MV. Advances in the Structural Design of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:7076-7089. [PMID: 34160221 PMCID: PMC9282648 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c01258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte complex micelles (PCMs) are a unique class of self-assembled nanoparticles that form with a core of associated polycations and polyanions, microphase-separated from neutral, hydrophilic coronas in aqueous solution. The hydrated nature and structural and chemical versatility make PCMs an attractive system for delivery and for fundamental polymer physics research. By leveraging block copolymer design with controlled self-assembly, fundamental structure-property relationships can be established to tune the size, morphology, and stability of PCMs precisely in pursuit of tailored nanocarriers, ultimately offering storage, protection, transport, and delivery of active ingredients. This perspective highlights recent advances in predictive PCM design, focusing on (i) structure-property relationships to target specific nanoscale dimensions and shapes and (ii) characterization of PCM dynamics primarily using time-resolved scattering techniques. We present several vignettes from these two emerging areas of PCM research and discuss key opportunities for PCM design to advance precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E Marras
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jeffrey M Ting
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Kaden C Stevens
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Matthew V Tirrell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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Marras AE, Campagna TR, Vieregg JR, Tirrell MV. Physical Property Scaling Relationships for Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles. Macromolecules 2021. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.1c00743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E. Marras
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Trinity R. Campagna
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Jeffrey R. Vieregg
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
| | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 5640 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60637, United States
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Kumar R, Santa Chalarca CF, Bockman MR, Bruggen CV, Grimme CJ, Dalal RJ, Hanson MG, Hexum JK, Reineke TM. Polymeric Delivery of Therapeutic Nucleic Acids. Chem Rev 2021; 121:11527-11652. [PMID: 33939409 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The advent of genome editing has transformed the therapeutic landscape for several debilitating diseases, and the clinical outlook for gene therapeutics has never been more promising. The therapeutic potential of nucleic acids has been limited by a reliance on engineered viral vectors for delivery. Chemically defined polymers can remediate technological, regulatory, and clinical challenges associated with viral modes of gene delivery. Because of their scalability, versatility, and exquisite tunability, polymers are ideal biomaterial platforms for delivering nucleic acid payloads efficiently while minimizing immune response and cellular toxicity. While polymeric gene delivery has progressed significantly in the past four decades, clinical translation of polymeric vehicles faces several formidable challenges. The aim of our Account is to illustrate diverse concepts in designing polymeric vectors towards meeting therapeutic goals of in vivo and ex vivo gene therapy. Here, we highlight several classes of polymers employed in gene delivery and summarize the recent work on understanding the contributions of chemical and architectural design parameters. We touch upon characterization methods used to visualize and understand events transpiring at the interfaces between polymer, nucleic acids, and the physiological environment. We conclude that interdisciplinary approaches and methodologies motivated by fundamental questions are key to designing high-performing polymeric vehicles for gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramya Kumar
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | | | - Matthew R Bockman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Craig Van Bruggen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Christian J Grimme
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Rishad J Dalal
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Mckenna G Hanson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Joseph K Hexum
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Theresa M Reineke
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
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Sproncken CM, Magana JR, Voets IK. 100th Anniversary of Macromolecular Science Viewpoint: Attractive Soft Matter: Association Kinetics, Dynamics, and Pathway Complexity in Electrostatically Coassembled Micelles. ACS Macro Lett 2021; 10:167-179. [PMID: 33628618 PMCID: PMC7894791 DOI: 10.1021/acsmacrolett.0c00787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Electrostatically coassembled micelles constitute a versatile class of functional soft materials with broad application potential as, for example, encapsulation agents for nanomedicine and nanoreactors for gels and inorganic particles. The nanostructures that form upon the mixing of selected oppositely charged (block co)polymers and other ionic species greatly depend on the chemical structure and physicochemical properties of the micellar building blocks, such as charge density, block length (ratio), and hydrophobicity. Nearly three decades of research since the introduction of this new class of polymer micelles shed significant light on the structure and properties of the steady-state association colloids. Dynamics and out-of-equilibrium processes, such as (dis)assembly pathways, exchange kinetics of the micellar constituents, and reaction-assembly networks, have steadily gained more attention. We foresee that the broadened scope will contribute toward the design and preparation of otherwise unattainable structures with emergent functionalities and properties. This Viewpoint focuses on current efforts to study such dynamic and out-of-equilibrium processes with greater spatiotemporal detail. We highlight different approaches and discuss how they reveal and rationalize similarities and differences in the behavior of mixed micelles prepared under various conditions and from different polymeric building blocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian
C. M. Sproncken
- Laboratory of Self-Organizing
Soft Matter, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry and
Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - J. Rodrigo Magana
- Laboratory of Self-Organizing
Soft Matter, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry and
Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Ilja K. Voets
- Laboratory of Self-Organizing
Soft Matter, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry and
Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
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SAXS methods for investigating macromolecular and self-assembled polyelectrolyte complexes. Methods Enzymol 2020; 646:223-259. [PMID: 33453927 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2020.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Polyelectrolyte complexation is driven by associative interactions between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, resulting in formation of a macroscopic polymer dense phase and a polymer dilute phase with applications in coatings, adhesives, and purification membranes. Beyond macroscale phase separation, precision polymer synthesis has enabled further development of polyelectrolyte complex (PEC)-based self-assembled micelles and hydrogels with applications in biotechnology. Interestingly, it has been suggested that mechanisms similar to polyelectrolyte complexation drive formation of biological condensates that play an indispensable role in cellular biogenesis. The formation pathways and functionality of these complex materials is dependent on the physical properties that are built into polymer structure and the resulting physical conformation in the dilute and dense phase. Scattering techniques have enabled in situ investigation of structure-function relationships in PEC materials that may address unresolved biophysical questions in cellular processes as well as catalyze the development of novel materials for diverse applications. We describe preparation of PEC materials with controlled polymer characteristics (length, blockiness, charge density), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) techniques employed to probe appropriate length scales, and the data analysis routines from a practical standpoint for new users. This article deals with bulk complexes and not with the related, important and interesting area of non-equilibrium layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes.
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Ting JM, Marras AE, Mitchell JD, Campagna TR, Tirrell MV. Comparing Zwitterionic and PEG Exteriors of Polyelectrolyte Complex Micelles. Molecules 2020; 25:E2553. [PMID: 32486282 PMCID: PMC7321349 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25112553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of model polyelectrolyte complex micelles (PCMs) was prepared to investigate the consequences of neutral and zwitterionic chemistries and distinct charged cores on the size and stability of nanocarriers. Using aqueous reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, we synthesized a well-defined diblock polyelectrolyte system, poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine methacrylate)-block-poly((vinylbenzyl) trimethylammonium) (PMPC-PVBTMA), at various neutral and charged block lengths to compare directly against PCM structure-property relationships centered on poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly((vinylbenzyl) trimethylammonium) (PEG-PVBTMA) and poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(l-lysine) (PEG-PLK). After complexation with a common polyanion, poly(sodium acrylate), the resulting PCMs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS) and small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). We observed uniform assemblies of spherical micelles with a diameter ~1.5-2× larger when PMPC-PVBTMA was used compared to PEG-PLK and PEG-PVBTMA via SAXS and DLS. In addition, PEG-PLK PCMs proved most resistant to dissolution by both monovalent and divalent salt, followed by PEG-PVBTMA then PMPC-PVBTMA. All micelle systems were serum stable in 100% fetal bovine serum over the course of 8 h by time-resolved DLS, demonstrating minimal interactions with serum proteins and potential as in vivo drug delivery vehicles. This thorough study of the synthesis, assembly, and characterization of zwitterionic polymers in PCMs advances the design space for charge-driven micelle assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M. Ting
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (J.M.T.); (A.E.M.); (J.D.M.); (T.R.C.)
- Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Alexander E. Marras
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (J.M.T.); (A.E.M.); (J.D.M.); (T.R.C.)
- Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
| | - Joseph D. Mitchell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (J.M.T.); (A.E.M.); (J.D.M.); (T.R.C.)
| | - Trinity R. Campagna
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (J.M.T.); (A.E.M.); (J.D.M.); (T.R.C.)
| | - Matthew V. Tirrell
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA; (J.M.T.); (A.E.M.); (J.D.M.); (T.R.C.)
- Center for Molecular Engineering and Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL 60439, USA
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