1
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Fatani AS, Schätzlein AG, Uchegbu IF. Targeting Intracranial Tumours with a Combination of RNA and Chemotherapy. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:829. [PMID: 38931949 PMCID: PMC11207522 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/14/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumour, which remains largely resistant to treatment; the prognosis for patients is poor, with a median survival time of about 12-18 months, post diagnosis. In an effort to bring more efficacious treatments to patients, we targeted the down regulation of ITCH, an E3 ligase that is overexpressed in a variety of cancers, and which inhibits P73, a tumour suppressor gene. 6-O-glycolchitosan (GC) was used to deliver siRNA ITCH (GC60-siRNA-ITCH) and gemcitabine via the nose to brain route in CD-1 nude mice which had previously been implanted intracranially with U87-MG-luc2 cells. Prior to this in vivo study, an in vitro study established the synergistic effect of siRNA-ITCH in combination with a chemotherapy drug-gemcitabine. A downregulation of ITCH, an upregulation of p73 and enhanced apoptosis were observed in vitro in U87-MG cells, using qPCR, Western blot analysis, confocal laser scanning microscopy, flow cytometry and cytotoxicity assays. When GC60-siRNA-ITCH was combined with gemcitabine, there was a resultant decrease in cell proliferation in vitro. In CD1 mice, the administration of siRNA-ITCH (7 doses of 0.081 mg/kg) alone did not significantly affect animal survival (increasing mean survival from 29 to 33 days when compared to untreated animals), whereas intranasal gemcitabine had a significant effect on survival (increasing survival from 29 to 45 days when compared to untreated animals, p < 0.01). The most significant effect was seen with combination therapy (GC60-siRNA-ITCH plus gemcitabine), where survival increased by 89%, increasing from 29 to 54 days (p < 0.01). Our data demonstrate that siRNA chemosensitises brain tumours to gemcitabine and that the nose-to-brain delivery route may be a viable route for the treatment of intracranial tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdulhamid S. Fatani
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.S.F.); (A.G.S.)
| | - Andreas G. Schätzlein
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.S.F.); (A.G.S.)
- Nanomerics Ltd., Block Y, Northwick Park and St Mark’s Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow HA1 3UJ, UK
| | - Ijeoma F. Uchegbu
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; (A.S.F.); (A.G.S.)
- Nanomerics Ltd., Block Y, Northwick Park and St Mark’s Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow HA1 3UJ, UK
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2
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Kakinen A, Jiang Y, Davis TP, Teesalu T, Saarma M. Brain Targeting Nanomedicines: Pitfalls and Promise. Int J Nanomedicine 2024; 19:4857-4875. [PMID: 38828195 PMCID: PMC11143448 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s454553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Brain diseases are the most devastating problem among the world's increasingly aging population, and the number of patients with neurological diseases is expected to increase in the future. Although methods for delivering drugs to the brain have advanced significantly, none of these approaches provide satisfactory results for the treatment of brain diseases. This remains a challenge due to the unique anatomy and physiology of the brain, including tight regulation and limited access of substances across the blood-brain barrier. Nanoparticles are considered an ideal drug delivery system to hard-to-reach organs such as the brain. The development of new drugs and new nanomaterial-based brain treatments has opened various opportunities for scientists to develop brain-specific delivery systems that could improve treatment outcomes for patients with brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, stroke and brain tumors. In this review, we discuss noteworthy literature that examines recent developments in brain-targeted nanomedicines used in the treatment of neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandr Kakinen
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Yuhao Jiang
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Thomas Paul Davis
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Tambet Teesalu
- Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- Materials Research Laboratory, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Mart Saarma
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Ko T, Fumoto S, Kurosaki T, Nakashima M, Miyamoto H, Sasaki H, Nishida K. Interaction of γ-Polyglutamic Acid/Polyethyleneimine/Plasmid DNA Ternary Complexes with Serum Components Plays a Crucial Role in Transfection in Mice. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:522. [PMID: 38675183 PMCID: PMC11053868 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16040522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Typical examples of non-viral vectors are binary complexes of plasmid DNA with cationic polymers such as polyethyleneimine (PEI). However, problems such as cytotoxicity and hemagglutination, owing to their positively charged surfaces, hinder their in vivo use. Coating binary complexes with anionic polymers, such as γ-polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA), can prevent cytotoxicity and hemagglutination. However, the role of interactions between these complexes and serum components in in vivo gene transfer remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the contribution of serum components to in vivo gene transfer using PEI/plasmid DNA binary complexes and γ-PGA/PEI/plasmid DNA ternary complexes. In binary complexes, heat-labile components in the serum greatly contribute to the hepatic and splenic gene expression of the luciferase gene. In contrast, serum albumin and salts affected the hepatic and splenic gene expression in the ternary complexes. Changes in physicochemical characteristics, such as increased particle size and decreased absolute values of ζ-potential, might be involved in the enhanced gene expression. These findings would contribute to a better understanding of in vivo non-viral gene transfer using polymers, such as PEI and γ-PGA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomotaka Ko
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Shintaro Fumoto
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Kurosaki
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Moe Nakashima
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Miyamoto
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Sasaki
- Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Koyo Nishida
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan
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4
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Klug DM, Tse EG, Silva DG, Cao Y, Charman SA, Chauhan J, Crighton E, Dichiara M, Drake C, Drewry D, da Silva Emery F, Ferrins L, Graves L, Hopkins E, Kresina TAC, Lorente-Macías Á, Perry B, Phipps R, Quiroga B, Quotadamo A, Sabatino GN, Sama A, Schätzlein A, Simpson QJ, Steele J, Shanu-Wilson J, Sjö P, Stapleton P, Swain CJ, Vaideanu A, Xie H, Zuercher W, Todd MH. Open Source Antibiotics: Simple Diarylimidazoles Are Potent against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. ACS Infect Dis 2023; 9:2423-2435. [PMID: 37991879 PMCID: PMC10714399 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is widely acknowledged as one of the most serious public health threats facing the world, yet the private sector finds it challenging to generate much-needed medicines. As an alternative discovery approach, a small array of diarylimidazoles was screened against the ESKAPE pathogens, and the results were made publicly available through the Open Source Antibiotics (OSA) consortium (https://github.com/opensourceantibiotics). Of the 18 compounds tested (at 32 μg/mL), 15 showed >90% growth inhibition activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) alone. In the subsequent hit-to-lead optimization of this chemotype, 147 new heterocyclic compounds containing the diarylimidazole and other core motifs were synthesized and tested against MRSA, and their structure-activity relationships were identified. While potent, these compounds have moderate to high intrinsic clearance and some associated toxicity. The best overall balance of parameters was found with OSA_975, a compound with good potency, good solubility, and reduced intrinsic clearance in rat hepatocytes. We have progressed toward the knowledge of the molecular target of these phenotypically active compounds, with proteomic techniques suggesting TGFBR1 is potentially involved in the mechanism of action. Further development of these compounds toward antimicrobial medicines is available to anyone under the licensing terms of the project.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana M. Klug
- School
of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Edwin G. Tse
- School
of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel G. Silva
- School
of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
- School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-903. Brazil
| | - Yafeng Cao
- WuXi
AppTec (Wuhan) Co., Ltd., 666 Gaoxin Road, East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, Wuhan 430075, People’s Republic of China
| | - Susan A. Charman
- Centre
for Drug Candidate Optimization, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Jyoti Chauhan
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Elly Crighton
- Centre
for Drug Candidate Optimization, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Maria Dichiara
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Chris Drake
- Hypha Discovery, 154b Brook Dr, Milton, Abingdon OX14 4SD, United Kingdom
| | - David Drewry
- UNC Lineberger
Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Structural
Genomics Consortium, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Flavio da Silva Emery
- School
of Pharmaceutical Sciences of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14040-903. Brazil
| | - Lori Ferrins
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Lee Graves
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Emily Hopkins
- Hypha Discovery, 154b Brook Dr, Milton, Abingdon OX14 4SD, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas A. C. Kresina
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Álvaro Lorente-Macías
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
- Department
of Medicinal & Organic Chemistry and Excellence Research Unit
of ‘‘Chemistry Applied to Biomedicine and the Environment’’,
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
- A. L-M.
Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, Institute of Genetics & Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Perry
- Drugs
for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), 15 Chemin Camille-Vidart, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Richard Phipps
- Hypha Discovery, 154b Brook Dr, Milton, Abingdon OX14 4SD, United Kingdom
| | - Bruno Quiroga
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Antonio Quotadamo
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Clinical
and Experimental Medicine PhD Program, University
of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41121 Modena, Italy
| | - Giada N. Sabatino
- School
of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Anthony Sama
- Citizen
scientist, New York, New York 11570, United States
| | - Andreas Schätzlein
- School
of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Quillon J. Simpson
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jonathan Steele
- Hypha Discovery, 154b Brook Dr, Milton, Abingdon OX14 4SD, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Shanu-Wilson
- Hypha Discovery, 154b Brook Dr, Milton, Abingdon OX14 4SD, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Sjö
- Drugs
for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi), 15 Chemin Camille-Vidart, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Paul Stapleton
- School
of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J. Swain
- Cambridge
MedChem Consulting, 8
Mangers Lane, Duxford, Cambridge CB22 4RN, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Vaideanu
- School
of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
| | - Huanxu Xie
- WuXi
AppTec (Wuhan) Co., Ltd., 666 Gaoxin Road, East Lake High-Tech Development Zone, Wuhan 430075, People’s Republic of China
| | - William Zuercher
- UNC Lineberger
Comprehensive Cancer Center, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Matthew H. Todd
- School
of Pharmacy, University College London, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
- Structural
Genomics Consortium, University College
London, 29-39 Brunswick
Square, London WC1N 1AX, United Kingdom
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5
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Fatani AS, Petkova A, Schatzlein AG, Uchegbu IF. Dose-dependent delivery of genes to the cerebral cortex via the nasal route. Int J Pharm 2023; 644:123343. [PMID: 37633538 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123343] [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: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
The use of nucleic acids to treat various brain diseases could offer new therapeutic modalities, providing the nucleic acids may be effectively delivered to areas of the brain using non-toxic vectors. In this study, we present evidence that genes may be successfully delivered in a dose-dependent manner via the nose, primarily to the cerebral cortex using a 6-O-glycolchitosan (GC) formulation of plasmid DNA. Positively charged (zeta potential = +13 - + 25 mV) GC-DNA nanoparticles of 100-500 nm in diameter with favourable cell biocompatibility were shown to deliver the reporter Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) plasmid to the U87MG cell line and the resulting protein expression was not significantly different from that obtained with Lipofectamine 2000. On intranasal delivery of GC-luciferase-plasmid nanoparticles to Balb/ C mice at 4 doses, ranging from 0.02 to 0.1 mg/ kg, luciferase activity was observed qualitatively in intact mouse brains, 48 h after intranasal, using the IV-VIS visualisation. In further confirmation of brain delivery, dose-dependent protein expression was quantified in multiple brain areas 48 h after dosing; with protein expression seen mainly in the cerebral cortex and striatum and following expression levels: cerebral cortex = olfactory bulb > striatum > brain stem > mid brain = cerebellum. No protein expression was observed in the liver and lungs of dosed animals. GC-DNA protein expression was not significantly different to that observed with Lipofectamine 2000. These results demonstrate that GC-DNA nanoparticles are able to deliver genes preferably to specific brain regions such as the cerebral cortex and striatum; offering the possibility of using genes to treat a range of neurological disorders using a non-invasive method of dosing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asya Petkova
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; Nanomerics Ltd., Block Y, Northwick Park and St Mark's Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow HA1 3UJ, UK
| | - Andreas G Schatzlein
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; Nanomerics Ltd., Block Y, Northwick Park and St Mark's Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow HA1 3UJ, UK
| | - Ijeoma F Uchegbu
- UCL School of Pharmacy, 29-39 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AX, UK; Nanomerics Ltd., Block Y, Northwick Park and St Mark's Hospital, Watford Road, Harrow HA1 3UJ, UK.
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