scholarly journals Optimization of Synthesis of the Amino Lipid ECO for Effective Delivery of Nucleic Acids

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 1016
Author(s):  
Andrew L. Schilb ◽  
Josef H. Scheidt ◽  
Amita M. Vaidya ◽  
Zhanhu Sun ◽  
Da Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Transfection Efficiency ◽  
Solution Phase ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Synthetic Pathway ◽  
Efficient Delivery ◽  
Size Limitation

Nucleic acids are promising for a variety of therapies, such as cancer therapy and the gene therapy of genetic disorders. The therapeutic efficacy of nucleic acids is reliant on the ability of their efficient delivery to the cytosol of the target cells. Amino lipids have been developed to aid in the cytosolic delivery of nucleic acids. This work reports a new and efficient synthetic pathway for the lipid carrier, (1−aminoethyl) iminobis [N−(oleicylcysteinyl−1−amino−ethyl)propionamide] (ECO). The previous synthesis of the ECO was inefficient and presented poor product quality control. A solution−phase synthesis of the ECO was explored, and each intermediate product was characterized with better quality control. The ECO was synthesized with a relatively high yield and high purity. The formulations of the ECO nanoparticles were made with siRNA, miRNA, or plasmid DNA, and characterized. The transfection efficiency of the nanoparticles was evaluated in vitro over a range of N/P ratios. The nanoparticles were consistent in size with previous formulations and had primarily a positive zeta potential. The ECO/siLuc nanoparticles resulted in potent luciferase silencing with minimal cytotoxicity. The ECO/miR−200c nanoparticles mediated the efficient delivery of miR−200c into the target cells. The ECO/pCMV−GFP nanoparticles resulted in substantial GFP expression upon transfection. These results demonstrate that the solution−phase synthetic pathway produced pure ECO for the efficient intracellular delivery of nucleic acids without size limitation.

Non-Viral Vectors for Gene Delivery

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aparna Bansal ◽  
Himanshu
Keyword(s):  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Viral Vectors ◽  
Transfection Efficiency ◽  
Gene Transfection ◽  
Expression System ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Naked Dna

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.

scholarly journals Novel PEGylated Liposomes Enhance Immunostimulating Activity of isRNA

Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 3101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatyana Kabilova ◽  
Elena Shmendel ◽  
Daniil Gladkikh ◽  
Nina Morozova ◽  
Mikhail Maslov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Cationic Liposomes ◽  
Circulation Time ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Immunostimulating Activity ◽  
Pegylated Liposomes ◽  
Liposome Preparation ◽  
Molecular Masses

The performance of cationic liposomes for delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids in vivo can be improved and specifically tailored to certain types of cargo and target cells by incorporation of PEG-containing lipoconjugates in the cationic liposome’s composition. Here, we report on the synthesis of novel PEG-containing lipoconjugates with molecular masses of PEG 800, 1500 and 2000 Da. PEG-containing lipoconjugates were used as one of the components in liposome preparation with the polycationic amphiphile 1,26-bis(cholest-5-en-3β-yloxycarbonylamino)-7,11,16,20-tetra-azahexacosan tetrahydrochloride (2X3) and the lipid-helper dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE). We demonstrate that increasing the length of the PEG chain reduces the transfection activity of liposomes in vitro, but improves the biodistribution, increases the circulation time in the bloodstream and enhances the interferon-inducing activity of immunostimulating RNA in vivo.

scholarly journals Сationic liposomes as delivery systems for nucleic acids

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-27
Author(s):  
A. A. Mikheev ◽  
E. V. Shmendel ◽  
E. S. Zhestovskaya ◽  
G. V. Nazarov ◽  
M. A. Maslov
Keyword(s):  
Gene Therapy ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Serum Proteins ◽  
Transfection Efficiency ◽  
Biological Fluids ◽  
Genetic Material ◽  
Cationic Liposomes ◽  
Delivery Systems ◽  
Cationic Lipids

Objectives. Gene therapy is based on the introduction of genetic material into cells, tissues, or organs for the treatment of hereditary or acquired diseases. A key factor in the success of gene therapy is the development of delivery systems that can efficiently transfer genetic material to the place of their therapeutic action without causing any associated side effects. Over the past 10 years, significant effort has been directed toward creating more efficient and biocompatible vectors capable of transferring nucleic acids (NAs) into cells without inducing an immune response. Cationic liposomes are among the most versatile tools for delivering NAs into cells; however, the use of liposomes for gene therapy is limited by their low specificity. This is due to the presence of various biological barriers to the complex of liposomes with NA, including instability in biological fluids, interaction with serum proteins, plasma and nuclear membranes, and endosomal degradation. This review summarizes the results of research in recent years on the development of cationic liposomes that are effective in vitro and in vivo. Particular attention is paid to the individual structural elements of cationic liposomes that determine the transfection efficiency and cytotoxicity. The purpose of this review was to provide a theoretical justification of the most promising choice of cationic liposomes for the delivery of NAs into eukaryotic cells and study the effect of the composition of cationic lipids (CLs) on the transfection efficiency in vitro.Results. As a result of the analysis of the related literature, it can be argued that one of the most promising delivery systems of NAs is CL based on cholesterol and spermine with the addition of a helper lipid DOPE. In addition, it was found that varying the composition of cationic liposomes, the ratio of CL to NA, or the size and zeta potential of liposomes has a significant effect on the transfection efficiency.Conclusions. Further studies in this direction should include optimization of the conditions for obtaining cationic liposomes, taking into account the physicochemical properties and established laws. It is necessary to identify mechanisms that increase the efficiency of NA delivery in vitro by searching for optimal structures of cationic liposomes, determining the ratio of lipoplex components, and studying the delivery efficiency and properties of multicomponent liposomes.

Smart arginine-equipped polycationic nanoparticles for p/CRISPR delivery into cells

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pardis Moradi ◽  
akbar hasanzadeh ◽  
Fatemh Radmanesh ◽  
Saideh Rajai Daryasarei ◽  
Elaheh Sadat Hosseini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Editing ◽  
Transfection Efficiency ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Reporter Cell ◽  
Expression Plasmid ◽  
Safe Delivery ◽  
Gfp Reporter ◽  
Local Brain ◽  
Transfection Agent

Abstract An efficient and safe delivery system for the transfection of CRISPR plasmid (p/CRISPR) into target cells can open new avenues for the treatment of various diseases. Herein, we design a novel nonvehicle by integrating an arginine-disulfide linker with LMW PEI (PEI1.8k) for the delivery of p/CRISPR. These PEI1.8k-Arg nanoparticles facilitate the plasmid release and improve both membrane permeability and nuclear localization, thereby exhibiting higher transfection efficiency compared to native PEI1.8k in the delivery of nanocomplexes composed of PEI1.8k-Arg and p/CRISPR into conventional cells (HEK 293T). This nanovehicle is also able to transfect p/CRISPR in a wide variety of cells, including hard-to-transfect primary cells (HUVECs), cancer cells (HeLa), and neuronal cells (PC-12) with nearly 5 to 10 times higher efficiency compared to the polymeric gold standard transfection agent. Furthermore, the PEI1.8k-Arg nanoparticles can edit the GFP gene in the HEK 293T-GFP reporter cell line by delivering all possible forms of CRISPR/Cas9 system (e.g., plasmid encoding Cas9 and sgRNA targeting GFP, and Cas9/sgRNA ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) as well as Cas9 expression plasmid and in vitro-prepared sgRNA) into HEK 293T-GFP cells. The successful delivery of p/CRISPR into local brain tissue is also another remarkable capability of these nanoparticles. In view of all the exceptional benefits of this safe nanocarrier, it is expected to break new ground in the field of gene editing, particularly for therapeutic purposes.

scholarly journals Generation of dual specific bivalent BiTEs (dbBIspecific T-cell Engaging antibodies) for cellular immunotherapy

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Kujawski ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
Supriyo Bhattacharya ◽  
Patty Wong ◽  
Wen-Hui Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cell ◽  
Tumor Antigen ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Molecular Size ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Cellular Immunotherapy ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Antigen Antibody

AbstractBispecific T-cell engaging antibodies (BiTES), comprising dual anti-CD3 and anti-tumor antigen scFv fragments, are important therapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer. The dual scFv construct for BiTES requires proper protein folding while their small molecular size leads to rapid kidney clearance. Here we show that an intact (150 kDa) anti-tumor antigen antibody to CEA was joined in high yield (ca. 30%) to intact (150 kDa) anti-murine and anti-human CD3 antibodies using hinge region specific Click chemistry to form dual-specific, bivalent BiTES (db BiTES, 300 kDa). The interlocked hinge regions are compatible with a structural model that fits the electron micrographs of the 300 kDa particles. Compared to intact anti-CEA antibody, dbBiTES maintain high in vivo tumor targeting as demonstrated by PET imaging, and redirect dbBiTE coated T-cells (1 microgram/10 million cells) to kill CEA+ target cells both in vitro, and in vivo in CEA transgenic mice.

scholarly journals A microfluidic approach for sequential assembly of siRNA polyplexes with a defined structure-activity relationship

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. e1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik M. Loy ◽  
Philipp M. Klein ◽  
Rafał Krzysztoń ◽  
Ulrich Lächelt ◽  
Joachim O. Rädler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Hydrophobic Interactions ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Transfection Efficiency ◽  
Folate Receptor ◽  
Endosomal Escape ◽  
The Core ◽  
Functional Components ◽  
Lipid Anchor

Therapeutic nucleic acids provide versatile treatment options for hereditary or acquired diseases. Ionic complexes with basic polymers are frequently used to facilitate nucleic acid’s transport to intracellular target sites. Usually, these polyplexes are prepared manually by mixing two components: polyanionic nucleic acids and polycations. However, parameters such as internal structure, size, polydispersity and surface charge of the complexes sensitively affect pharmaceutical efficiency. Hence a controlled assembly is of paramount importance in order to ensure high product quality. In the current study, we present a microfluidic platform for controlled, sequential formulation of polyplexes. We use oligo-amidoamines (termed “oligomers”) with precise molecular weight and defined structure due to their solid phase supported synthesis. The assembly of the polyplexes was performed in a microfluidic chip in two steps employing a design of two successive Y junctions: first, siRNA and core oligomers were assembled into core polyplexes. These core oligomers possess compacting, stabilizing, and endosomal escape mediating motifs. Second, new functional motifs were mixed to the core particles and integrated into the core polyplex. The iterative assembly formed multi-component polyplexes in a highly controlled manner and enabled us to investigate structure-function relationships. We chose nanoparticle shielding polyethylene glycol (PEG) and cell targeting folic acid (termed “PEG-ligands”) as functional components. The PEG-ligands were coupled to lipid anchor oligomers via strain promoted azide—alkyne click chemistry. The lipid anchors feature four cholanic acids for inserting various PEG-ligands into the core polyplex by non-covalent hydrophobic interactions. These core—lipid anchor—PEG-ligand polyplexes containing folate as cell binding ligand were used to determine the optimal PEG-ligand length for transfecting folate receptor-expressing KB cells in vitro. We found that polyplexes with 20 mol % PEG-ligands (relative to ncore oligomer) showed optimal siRNA mediated gene knock-down when containing defined PEG domains of in sum 24 and 36 ethylene oxide repetitions, 12 EOs each from the lipid anchor and 12 or 24 EOs from the PEG-ligand, respectively. These results confirm that transfection efficiency depends on the linker length and stoichiometry and are consistent with previous findings using core—PEG-ligand polyplexes formed by click modification of azide-containing core polyplexes with aforementioned PEG-ligands. Hence, successive microfluidic assembly might be a potentially powerful route to create defined multi-component polyplexes with reduced batch-to-batch variability.

MicroRNA: Promising Roles in Cancer Therapy

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 1186-1203
Author(s):  
Atieh Hashemi ◽  
Gilar Gorji-bahri
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Therapy ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
Tumor Regression ◽  
Target Cells ◽  
Cancer Management ◽  
Efficient Delivery ◽  
Chemotherapy Agents

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding RNAs that act as one of the main regulators of gene expression. They are involved in maintaining a proper balance of diverse processes, including differentiation, proliferation, and cell death in normal cells. Cancer biology can also be affected by these molecules by modulating the expression of oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Thus, miRNA based anticancer therapy is currently being developed either alone or in combination with chemotherapy agents used in cancer management, aiming at promoting tumor regression and increasing cure rate. Access to large quantities of RNA agents can facilitate RNA research and development. In addition to currently used in vitro methods, fermentation-based approaches have recently been developed, which can cost‐effectively produce biological RNA agents with proper folding needed for the development of RNA-based therapeutics. Nevertheless, a major challenge in translating preclinical studies to clinical for miRNA-based cancer therapy is the efficient delivery of these agents to target cells. Targeting miRNAs/anti-miRNAs using antibodies and/or peptides can minimize cellular and systemic toxicity. Here, we provide a brief review of miRNA in the following aspects: biogenesis and mechanism of action of miRNAs, the role of miRNAs in cancer as tumor suppressors or oncogenes, the potential of using miRNAs as novel and promising therapeutics, miRNA-mediated chemo-sensitization, and currently utilized methods for the in vitro and in vivo production of RNA agents. Finally, an update on the viral and non-viral delivery systems is addressed.

scholarly journals Internalisation and Biological Activity of Nucleic Acids Delivering Cell-Penetrating Peptide Nanoparticles Is Controlled by the Biomolecular Corona

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 667
Author(s):  
Annely Lorents ◽  
Maria Maloverjan ◽  
Kärt Padari ◽  
Margus Pooga
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Transfection Efficiency ◽  
Protein Corona ◽  
Blood Stream ◽  
Cell Penetrating Peptides ◽  
Biological Efficiency ◽  
Cell Penetrating

Nucleic acid molecules can be transferred into cells to alter gene expression and, thus, alleviate certain pathological conditions. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are vectors that can be used for transfecting nucleic acids as well as many other compounds. CPPs associate nucleic acids non-covalently, forming stable nanoparticles and providing efficient transfection of cells in vitro. However, in vivo, expected efficiency is achieved only in rare cases. One of the reasons for this discrepancy is the formation of protein corona around nanoparticles, once they are exposed to a biological environment, e.g., blood stream. In this study, we compared protein corona of CPP-nucleic acid nanoparticles formed in the presence of bovine, murine and human serum. We used Western blot and mass-spectrometry to identify the major constituents of protein corona forming around nanoparticles, showing that proteins involved in transport, haemostasis and complement system are its major components. We investigated physical features of nanoparticles and measured their biological efficiency in splice-correction assay. We showed that protein corona constituents might alter the fate of nanoparticles in vivo, e.g., by subjecting them to phagocytosis. We demonstrated that composition of protein corona of nanoparticles is species-specific that leads to dissimilar transfection efficiency and should be considered while developing delivery systems for nucleic acids.

scholarly journals Internalisation and biological activity of nucleic acids delivering cell-penetrating peptide nanoparticles is controlled by the biomolecular corona

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annely Lorents ◽  
Maria Maloverjan ◽  
Kärt Padari ◽  
Margus Pooga
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acid ◽  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Transfection Efficiency ◽  
Protein Corona ◽  
Blood Stream ◽  
Cell Penetrating Peptides ◽  
Biological Efficiency ◽  
Cell Penetrating

Nucleic acid molecules can be transferred into cells to alter gene expression and, thus, alleviate certain pathological conditions. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are vectors that can be used for transfecting nucleic acids as well as many other compounds. CPPs associate nucleic acids non-covalently, forming stable nanoparticles and providing efficient transfection of cells in vitro. However, in vivo, expected efficiency is achieved only in rare cases. One of the reasons for this discrepancy is formation of protein corona around nanoparticles, once they are exposed to a biological environment, e.g. blood stream. In this study, we compared CPP-nucleic acid nanoparticles formed in the presence of bovine, murine and human serum. We used Western blot and mass-spectrometry to identify the major constituents of protein corona forming around nanoparticles, showing that proteins involved in transport, haemostasis and complement system are its major components. We investigated physical features of nanoparticles, and measured their biological efficiency in splice-correction assay. We showed that protein corona constituents might alter the fate of nanoparticles in vivo, e.g. by subjecting them to phagocytosis. We demonstrated that composition of protein corona of nanoparticles is species-specific that leads to dissimilar transfection efficiency and should be taken into account while developing delivery systems for nucleic acids.

scholarly journals A microfluidic approach for sequential assembly of siRNA polyplexes with defined structure – activity relationship

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik M Loy ◽  
Philipp M Klein ◽  
Rafał Krzysztoń ◽  
Ulrich Lächelt ◽  
Joachim O Rädler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleic Acids ◽  
Hydrophobic Interactions ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Transfection Efficiency ◽  
Folate Receptor ◽  
Endosomal Escape ◽  
The Core ◽  
Functional Components ◽  
Lipid Anchor

Therapeutic nucleic acids provide versatile treatment options for hereditary or acquired diseases. Ionic complexes with basic polymers are frequently used to facilitate nucleic acid’s transport to intracellular target sites. Usually, these polyplexes are prepared manually by mixing two components: polyanionic nucleic acids and polycations. However, parameters such as internal structure, size, polydispersity and surface charge of the complexes sensitively affect pharmaceutical efficiency. Hence a controlled assembly is of paramount importance in order to ensure high product quality. In the current study, we present a microfluidic platform for controlled, sequential formulation of polyplexes. We use oligo-amidoamines (termed ‘oligomers’) with precise molecular weight and defined structure due to their solid phase supported synthesis. The assembly of the polyplexes was performed in a microfluidic chip in two steps employing a design of two successive Y junctions: first, siRNA and core oligomers were assembled into core polyplexes. These core oligomers possess compacting, stabilizing, and endosomal escape mediating motifs. Second, new functional motifs were mixed to the core particles and integrated into the core polyplex. The iterative assembly formed multi-component polyplexes in a highly controlled manner and enabled us to investigate structure - function relationships. We chose nanoparticle shielding PEG and cell targeting folic acid (termed ‘PEG-ligands’) as functional components. The PEG-ligands were coupled to lipid anchor oligomers via strain promoted azide – alkyne click chemistry. The lipid anchors feature four cholanic acids for inserting various PEG-ligands into the core polyplex by non-covalent hydrophobic interactions. These core - lipid anchor - PEG-ligand polyplexes containing folate as cell binding ligand were used to determine the optimal PEG-ligand length for transfecting folate receptor-expressing KB cells in vitro. We found that polyplexes with 20 mol % PEG-ligands (relative to ncore oligomer) showed optimal siRNA mediated gene knock-down when containing defined polyethylene glycol (PEG) domains of in sum 24 and 36 ethylene oxide (EO) repetitions. These results confirm that transfection efficiency depends on the linker length and stoichiometry and are consistent with previous findings using core - PEG-ligand polyplexes formed by click modification of azide-containing core polyplexes with DBCO-PEG-ligand. Hence successive microfluidic assembly might be a potentially powerful route to create defined multi-component polyplexes with reduced batch-to-batch variability.

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