Guanidine-rich helical polypeptides bearing hydrophobic amino acid pendants for efficient gene delivery

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zikun Yu ◽  
Zhimin Zhang ◽  
Jing Yan ◽  
Ziyin Zhao ◽  
Chenglong Ge ◽  
...  

Guanidine-rich helical polypeptides bearing hydrophobic amino acid pendants displayed high transfection efficiency both in vitro and in vivo and low cytotoxicity toward applications in gene therapy.

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 2328-2336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathias Dimde ◽  
Falko Neumann ◽  
Felix Reisbeck ◽  
Svenja Ehrmann ◽  
Jose Luis Cuellar-Camacho ◽  
...  

An advanced cationic carrier system which combines high transfection efficiency with low cytotoxicity and a control over the release of the encapsulated genetic material by the reduction of the multivalent architecture upon pH triggered degradation was developed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (12) ◽  
pp. 2208-2218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Young-Dong Kim ◽  
Tae-Eun Park ◽  
Bijay Singh ◽  
Kye-Soo Cho ◽  
Jaiprakash N. Sangshetti ◽  
...  

A new polylactitol-based multifunctional gene carrier has shown low cytotoxicity, a high transfection efficiency, and liver cell targeting bothin vitroandin vivo.


2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoaki Kurosaki ◽  
Takashi Kitahara ◽  
Shintaro Fumoto ◽  
Koyo Nishida ◽  
Kayo Yamamoto ◽  
...  

Purpose. In this study, we developed various ternary complexes of encapsulated polyplexes and lipoplexes using chondroitin sulfate (CS) and investigated their universal usefulness for gene delivery. Methods. To prepare the cationic complexes, pDNA was mixed with some cationic vectors such as poly-L-arginine, poly-L-lysine, N-[1-(2, 3-dioleyloxy) propyl]-N, N, N-trimethylammonium chloride (DOTMA)-cholesterol liposomes, and DOTMA- dioleylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE) liposomes. CS was added to the cationic complexes for constructions of ternary complexes. We examined in vitro transfection efficiency, cytotoxicity, hematotoxicity, and in vivo transfection efficiency of the ternary complexes. Result. The cationic polymers and cationic liposomes bound to pDNA and formed stable cationic polyplexes and lipoplexes, respectively. Those cationic complexes showed high transgene efficiency in B16-F10 cells; however, they also had high cytotoxicity and strong agglutination with erythrocytes. CS could encapsulate the polyplexes and lipoplexes and form stable anionic particles without disrupting their structures. The ternary complexes encapsulated by CS showed high transgene efficiency in B16-F10 cells with low cytotoxicity and agglutination. As the result of animal experiments, the polyplexes had little transgene efficiency after intravenous administration in mice, whereas polyplexes encapsulated by CS showed specifically high transgene efficiency in the spleen. The capsulation of CS, however, reduced the high transgene efficiency of the lipoplexes. Conclusion. These results indicate that CS can contribute to polyplex-mediated gene delivery systems for effective and safe gene therapy.


Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 2061 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guo-Qing Lin ◽  
Wen-Jing Yi ◽  
Qiang Liu ◽  
Xue-Jun Yang ◽  
Zhi-Gang Zhao

In this report, a series of polycations are designed and synthesized by conjugating reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive thioacetal-linkers to low molecular weight (LMW) polyethylenimine (PEI) via ring-opening polymerization. Their structure–activity relationships (SARs) as gene delivery vectors are systematically studied. Although the MWs of the target polymers are only ~9 KDa, they show good DNA binding ability. The formed polyplexes, which are stable toward serum but decomposed under ROS-conditions, have appropriate sizes (180~300 nm) and positive zeta-potentials (+35~50 mV). In vitro experiments reveal that these materials have low cytotoxicity, and higher transfection efficiency (TE) than controls. Furthermore, the title polymers exhibit excellent serum tolerance. With the present of 10% serum, the TE of the polymers even increases up to 10 times higher than 25 KDa PEI and 9 times higher than Lipofectamine 2000. The SAR studies also reveal that electron-withdrawing groups on the aromatic ring in 4a may benefit to balance between the DNA condensation and release for efficient gene transfection.


2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 573-582 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. T. L. Young ◽  
J. R. T. Lakey ◽  
A. G. Murray ◽  
R. B. Moore

Despite the great potential of gene therapy to become a new treatment modality in future medicine, there are still many limitations to overcome before this gene approach can pass to the stage of human trial. The foremost obstacle is the development of a safe, efficient, and efficacious vector system for in vivo gene application. This study evaluated the efficacy of lipofection as a gene delivery vehicle into primary endothelial cells. Transfection efficiency of several lipid-based reagents (Effectene, Fugene 6, DOTAP) was examined at experimental temperatures of 37°C, 24°C, and 6°C. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) using precise amounts of DNA (Effectene, 0.2 μg; Fugene 6, 0.5 μg; DOTAP, 2.5 μg) and lipids (Effectene, 10 μl; Fugene 6, 6 μl; DOTAP, 15 μl) optimized in our laboratory. Duration of incubation in the DNA/lipid transfection mixture varied for each lipid transfectant as follows: 5 h for both Fugene 6 and DOTAP and 3 h for Effectene. Efficiency of transfection was quantified by microscopic evaluation of EFGP expression in a minimum of 100 cells per group. Transfection efficiencies achieved with these lipofection agents were 34 ± 1.3% (mean ± SEM), 33 ± 1.4%, and 18 ± 1.5% for Effectene, Fugene 6, and DOTAP, respectively, at 37°C. Transfection results were lower at 24°C with mean efficiencies of 26 ± 2.4% for Effectene, 14 ± 2.9% for Fugene 6, and 15 ± 3.2% for DOTAP. Furthermore, mean efficiencies at 6°C were 6 ± 0.5%, 8 ± 1.5%, and 6 ± 0.0% for Effectene, Fugene 6, and DOTAP, respectively. Efficiency of transfection appeared to be temperature dependent (ANOVA; p < 0.0001). In spite of a significant decrease (37°C vs. 24°C: p < 0.0001; 37°C vs. 6°C: p < 0.0001; 24°C vs. 6°C: p < 0.0115) in transfection efficiency at low temperatures, the successful in vitro gene manipulation renders lipofection a potential gene delivery strategy for in vivo gene therapy.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhao ◽  
Li ◽  
Chen ◽  
Hu

Calcium phosphate (CaP) nanoparticles, as a promising vehicle for gene delivery, have been widely used owing to their biocompatibility, biodegradability and adsorptive capacity for nucleic acids. Unfortunately, their utility in vivo has been profoundly restricted due to numerous technical barriers such as the lack of tissue specificity and limited transfection efficiency, as well as uncontrollable aggregation over time. To address these issues, an effective conjugate folate-polyethylene glycol-pamidronate (shortened as FA-PEG-Pam) was designed and coated on the surface of CaP/NLS/pDNA (CaP/NDs), forming a versatile gene carrier FA-PEG-Pam/CaP/NDs. Inclusion of FA-PEG-Pam significantly reduced the size of CaP nanoparticles, thus inhibiting the aggregation of CaP nanoparticles. FA-PEG-Pam/CaP/NDs showed better cellular uptake than mPEG-Pam/CaP/NDs, which could be attributed to the high-affinity interactions between FA and highly expressed FR. Meanwhile, FA-PEG-Pam/CaP/NDs had low cytotoxicity and desired effect on inducing apoptosis (71.1%). Furthermore, FA-PEG-Pam/CaP/NDs showed admirable transfection efficiency (63.5%) due to the presence of NLS peptides. What’s more, in vivo studies revealed that the hybrid nanoparticles had supreme antitumor activity (IR% = 58.7%) among the whole preparations. Altogether, FA-PEG-Pam/CaP/NDs was expected to be a hopeful strategy for gene delivery.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 821-830
Author(s):  
Prasad Pofali ◽  
Adrita Mondal ◽  
Vaishali Londhe

Background: Current gene therapy vectors such as viral, non-viral, and bacterial vectors, which are used for cancer treatment, but there are certain safety concerns and stability issues of these conventional vectors. Exosomes are the vesicles of size 40-100 nm secreted from multivesicular bodies into the extracellular environment by most of the cell types in-vivo and in-vitro. As a natural nanocarrier, exosomes are immunologically inert, biocompatible, and can cross biological barriers like the blood-brain barrier, intestinal barrier, and placental barrier. Objective: This review focusses on the role of exosome as a carrier to efficiently deliver a gene for cancer treatment and diagnosis. The methods for loading of nucleic acids onto the exosomes, advantages of exosomes as a smart intercellular shuttle for gene delivery and therapeutic applications as a gene delivery vector for siRNA, miRNA and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and also the limitations of exosomes as a gene carrier are all reviewed in this article. Methods: Mostly, electroporation and chemical transfection are used to prepare gene loaded exosomes. Results: Exosome-mediated delivery is highly promising and advantageous in comparison to the current delivery methods for systemic gene therapy. Targeted exosomes, loaded with therapeutic nucleic acids, can efficiently promote the reduction of tumor proliferation without any adverse effects. Conclusion: In the near future, exosomes can become an efficient gene carrier for delivery and a biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aparna Bansal ◽  
Himanshu

Introduction: Gene therapy has emerged out as a promising therapeutic pave for the treatment of genetic and acquired diseases. Gene transfection into target cells using naked DNA is a simple and safe approach which has been further improved by combining vectors or gene carriers. Both viral and non-viral approaches have achieved a milestone to establish this technique, but non-viral approaches have attained a significant attention because of their favourable properties like less immunotoxicity and biosafety, easy to produce with versatile surface modifications, etc. Literature is rich in evidences which revealed that undoubtedly, non–viral vectors have acquired a unique place in gene therapy but still there are number of challenges which are to be overcome to increase their effectiveness and prove them ideal gene vectors. Conclusion: To date, tissue specific expression, long lasting gene expression system, enhanced gene transfection efficiency has been achieved with improvement in delivery methods using non-viral vectors. This review mainly summarizes the various physical and chemical methods for gene transfer in vitro and in vivo.


2020 ◽  
Vol 127 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Adamiak ◽  
Yaxuan Liang ◽  
Cherrie Sherman ◽  
Shweta Lodha ◽  
Erik Kohlbrenner ◽  
...  

Gene therapy is a promising approach for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Current strategies for myocardial gene transfer include the use of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors. However, AAVs may not be ideal for gene therapy vectors owing to pre-existing AAV capsid immunity in the human population that may reduce transduction efficacy and hinder preclinical-to-clinical translation. Interestingly, recent studies suggest that exosome-mediated encapsulation may protect viruses from neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against the capsid and promote viral infectivity. Here, we describe the ability of exosome-enveloped AAVs, i.e. exosomal AAVs (eAAVs), to evade NAbs and serve as a highly efficient gene delivery tool for cardiovascular therapeutics. We have developed a method to purifiy eAAVs from AAV-producing HEK-293T cells, and used electron/confocal microscopy, qPCR, immunoblotting, dynamic light scattering and interferometric imaging measurements to characterize eAAV morphology, contents and mechanism of action. We confirmed eAAVs represent vesicular fractions that exhibit common exosome phenotype, along with the presence of virus particles, and demonstrated that eAAV infectious entry potentially involves trafficking via endocytic compartments. Using flow cytometry, Langendorff perfusion system and bioluminescence imaging, we then evaluated efficiency of heart targeting for eAAV9/eAAV6 and standard AAV9/AAV6 encoding for mCherry or firefly luciferase in human cardiomyocytes in vitro and in mouse model in vivo . Regardless of the presence or absence of NAbs, we showed that eAAVs are more efficient in transduction in the same titer ranges as compared to standard AAVs. To test therapeutic efficacy, we intramyocardially injected eAAV9 or AAV9 vectors encoding for SERCA2a in NAb+ post-myocardial infarction mice and further evaluated cardiac function using echocardiography. Remarkably, eAAV9-SERCA2a outperformed standard AAVs significantly improving cardiac function in the presence of NAbs (%EF 55.14 ± 3.50 compared to 27.31 ± 1.63 at 6 weeks, respectively). In summary, delivery of AAVs protected by carrier exosomes (i.e. eAAVs) may retain the clinical benefits of AAVs while addressing one of its major challenges.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1170-1176
Author(s):  
Minchen Liu ◽  
Yulan Hu ◽  
Yi Feng

This study aimed to examine the transfection ability of polyethylenimine (PEI) (1800 Da)-grafted chitosan (10 kDa) (CP), a newly synthesized PEI derivative, in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The safety evaluation of the complex/DNA was studied in vitro and in vivo. In addition, CP/pGL3 was applied to investigate the effects of transfection efficiency. In this study, CP/DNA can be formed with compatible physicochemical characteristics for gene delivery. CP cytotoxicity decreased in A549 cells. Moreover, a zebrafish embryo model was used for evaluating the safety in vivo. Compared to the PEI (25 kDa) group, the zebrafish hatching rate increased and the mortality rate decreased in the CP/DNA group, which provided an indication of the safety of CP. In comparison with chitosan (100 kDa)-PEI (1200 Da), CP's transfection efficiency was higher in both A549 cells and MSCs. This study aimed to lay the foundation for further applications of CP in gene delivery. Therefore, further gene therapy investigations of CP by using MSCs need to be performed.


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