A non-covalent peptide-based strategy for siRNA delivery

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Crombez ◽  
A. Charnet ◽  
M.C. Morris ◽  
G. Aldrian-Herrada ◽  
F. Heitz ◽  
...  

The major obstacle to clinical development of siRNAs (short interfering RNAs), like for most of the nucleic-acid-based strategies, is their poor cellular uptake and bioavailability. Although several viral and non-viral strategies have been proposed to improve siRNA delivery, their applications in vivo remain a major challenge. We have developed a new strategy, based on a short amphipathic peptide, MPG, that is able to form stable nanoparticles with siRNA. MPG-based particles enter the cell independently of the endosomal pathway and can efficiently deliver siRNA in a fully biologically active form into a variety of cell lines and in vivo. This short review will discuss the mechanism and the potency of the MPG strategy for siRNA delivery both in vitro and in vivo.

Author(s):  
Xinyue Yu ◽  
Qian Wang ◽  
Baocai Liu ◽  
Ning Zhang ◽  
Guanghui Cheng

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is often resistant to conventional therapies. Previous studies have reported the anticancer effects of vitamin D in several cancers, its role in radiotherapy (RT) remains unknown. We found that 1α, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (VD3), the biologically active form of vitamin D, had antitumor effect on CRC and sensitized CRC cells to ionizing radiation (IR). VD3 demonstrated synergistic effect in combination with IR, which were detected by colony formation and cell proliferation assay. Radiosensitivity restoration induced by VD3 was associated with a series of phenotypes, including apoptosis, autophagy, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Using proteomics, “regulation of cell migration” and “cadherin” were found to be obviously enriched GO terms. Moreover, cystatin D and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), the differentially expressed proteins, were associated with EMT. Next, we confirmed the contributions of these two genes in enhancing IR sensitivity of CRC cells upon inhibition of EMT. As determined by proteomics, the mechanism underlying such sensitivity involved partially block of JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway. Furthermore, VD3 also elicited sensitization to RT in xenograft CRC models without additional toxicity. Our study revealed that VD3 was able to act in synergy with IR both in vitro and in vivo and could also confer radiosensitivity by regulating EMT, thereby providing a novel insight for elevating the efficacy of therapeutic regimens.


Molecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fayaz Ali ◽  
Narayan S Hosmane ◽  
Yinghuai Zhu

Boron compounds now have many applications in a number of fields, including Medicinal Chemistry. Although the uses of boron compounds in pharmacological science have been recognized several decades ago, surprisingly few are found in pharmaceutical drugs. The boron-containing compounds epitomize a new class for medicinal chemists to use in their drug designs. Carboranes are a class of organometallic compounds containing carbon (C), boron (B), and hydrogen (H) and are the most widely studied boron compounds in medicinal chemistry. Additionally, other boron-based compounds are of great interest, such as dodecaborate anions, metallacarboranes and metallaboranes. The boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has been utilized for cancer treatment from last decade, where chemotherapy and radiation have their own shortcomings. However, the improvement in the already existing (BPA and/or BSH) localized delivery agents or new tumor-targeted compounds are required before realizing the full clinical potential of BNCT. The work outlined in this short review addresses the advancements in boron containing compounds. Here, we have focused on the possible clinical implications of the new and improved boron-based biologically active compounds for BNCT that are reported to have in vivo and/or in vitro efficacy.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenico Marson ◽  
Erik Laurini ◽  
Suzana Aulic ◽  
Maurizio Fermeglia ◽  
Sabrina Pricl

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) represent a new approach towards the inhibition of gene expression; as such, they have rapidly emerged as promising therapeutics for a plethora of important human pathologies including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and other disorders of a genetic etiology. However, the clinical translation of RNA interference (RNAi) requires safe and efficient vectors for siRNA delivery into cells. Dendrimers are attractive nanovectors to serve this purpose, as they present a unique, well-defined architecture and exhibit cooperative and multivalent effects at the nanoscale. This short review presents a brief introduction to RNAi-based therapeutics, the advantages offered by dendrimers as siRNA nanocarriers, and the remarkable results we achieved with bio-inspired, structurally flexible covalent dendrimers. In the companion paper, we next report our recent efforts in designing, characterizing and testing a series of self-assembled amphiphilic dendrimers and their related structural alterations to achieve unprecedented efficient siRNA delivery both in vitro and in vivo.


Author(s):  
Huong N. Vu ◽  
Diana M. Downs

Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate (PLP) is the biologically active form of vitamin B6 essential for cellular function in all domains of life. In many organisms, such as Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Escherichia coli, this cofactor can be synthesized de novo, or salvaged from B6 vitamers in the environment. Unexpectedly, S. enterica strains blocked in PLP biosynthesis were able to use exogenous PLP and pyridoxine 5′-phosphate (PNP) as the source of this required cofactor, while E. coli strains of the same genotype could not. Transposon mutagenesis found that phoN was essential for the salvage of PLP and PNP under the conditions tested. phoN encodes a class A nonspecific acid phosphatase (EC 3.1.3.2) that is transcriptionally regulated by the PhoPQ two-component system. The periplasmic location of PhoN was essential for PLP and PNP salvage, and in vitro assays confirmed PhoN has phosphatase activity with PLP and PNP as substrates. The data suggest that PhoN dephosphorylates B6 vitamers, after which they enter the cytoplasm and are phosphorylated by kinases of the canonical PLP salvage pathway. The connection of phoN with PhoPQ, and the broad specificity of the gene product suggests S. enterica is exploiting a moonlighting activity of PhoN for PLP salvage. IMPORTANCE Nutrient salvage is a strategy used by species across domains of life to conserve energy. Many organisms are unable to synthesize all required metabolites de novo and must rely exclusively on salvage. Others supplement de novo synthesis with the ability to salvage. This study identified an unexpected mechanism present in S. enterica that allows salvage of phosphorylated B6 vitamers. In vivo and in vitro data herein determined that the periplasmic phosphatase PhoN can facilitate the salvage of PLP and PNP. We suggest a mechanistic working model of PhoN-dependent utilization of PLP and PNP and discuss the general role of promiscuous phosphatases and kinases in organismal fitness.


Circulation ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 130 (suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
S. J Sangaralingham ◽  
Brenda K Huntley ◽  
Tomoko Ichiki ◽  
Sharon M Sandberg ◽  
John C Burnett

Introduction: ANP and BNP are cardiac hormones that have a natriuretic and diuretic role in heart failure (HF) through guanylyl cyclase receptor A (GC-A) and cGMP generation. C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) is part of this hormone family and is produced in the heart and endothelium. The biologically active form, CNP-22, is known to have potent anti-remodeling properties through the activation of GC-B and cGMP, but lacks natriuretic actions. Recently we have identified that another larger CNP form, CNP-53, is elevated in the plasma of acute decompensated HF patients, however it unclear if CNP-53 possesses biological actions. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that CNP-53 would be biologically active in vivo and in vitro, and would stimulate GC-B specific cGMP production. Methods: HEK 293 cells over-expressing GC-A and GC-B and human cardiac fibroblasts (hCFs), in which GC-B are in abundance, were stimulated with CNP-53 for 10 minutes at a dose of (10-8M). Two groups of anesthetized rats (n=8) received a 75-minute infusion of normal saline vehicle (V) or CNP-53 (1 ug/kg/min) and then mean arterial pressure (MAP), sodium excretion and urinary and plasma cGMP were assessed. Results: CNP-53 significantly activated cGMP in GC-B HEK cells (75±9 vs. 0.4±0.1 pmol/well, p<0.05) and in hCFs (0.17±0.03 vs. 0.00±0.00 pmol/well, p<0.05) compared to no treatment. In contrast CNP-53 failed to generate cGMP in GC-A HEK cells. In vivo, CNP-53 decreased MAP compared to vehicle (V: 101±2, CNP-53: 94±2 mmHg, p<0.05). CNP-53 had a greater natriuretic effect compared vehicle (V: 0.86±0.11, CNP-53: 1.39±0.21 uEq/min, p<0.05). Urinary cGMP excretion (V: 33±6, CNP-53: 177±28 pmol/min, p<0.05) and plasma cGMP generation was also significantly higher with CNP-53 compared to vehicle (V: 9±2, CNP-53: 91±3 pmol/ml, p<0.05). Conclusions: CNP-53, a higher molecular form of CNP that was reported to be increased human HF plasma, is bioactive with GC-B specific cGMP generation in vitro. Moreover, infusion of CNP-53 generates significant urinary and plasma cGMP and has natriuretic actions with minimal hypotensive effects in vivo. This study advances our understanding of CNP biology and provides new insights into potential CNP therapeutic opportunities targeting the progression of HF.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (37) ◽  
pp. 4888-4902 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilda D'Urso ◽  
Sonia Piacente ◽  
Cosimo Pizza ◽  
Paola Montoro

The consumption of berry-type fruits has become very popular in recent years because of their positive effects on human health. Berries are in fact widely known for their health-promoting benefits, including prevention of chronic disease, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Berries are a rich source of bioactive metabolites, such as vitamins, minerals, and phenolic compounds, mainly anthocyanins. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies recognized the health effects of berries and their function as bioactive modulators of various cell functions associated with oxidative stress. Plants have one of the largest metabolome databases, with over 1200 papers on plant metabolomics published only in the last decade. Mass spectrometry (MS) and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) are the most important analytical technologies on which the emerging ''omics'' approaches are based. They may provide detection and quantization of thousands of biologically active metabolites from a tissue, working in a ''global'' or ''targeted'' manner, down to ultra-trace levels. In the present review, we highlighted the use of MS and NMR-based strategies and Multivariate Data Analysis for the valorization of berries known for their biological activities, important as food and often used in the preparation of nutraceutical formulations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Zhichun Gu ◽  
Long Shen ◽  
Xianyan Liu ◽  
Houwen Lin

Background: To deliver drugs to treat Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), nanoparticles should firstly penetrate through blood brain barrier, and then target neurons. Methods: Recently, we developed an Apo A-I and NL4 dual modified nanoparticle (ANNP) to deliver beta-amyloid converting enzyme 1 (BACE1) siRNA. Although promising in vitro results were obtained, the in vivo performance was not clear. Therefore, in this study, we further evaluated the in vivo neuroprotective effect and toxicity of the ANNP/siRNA. The ANNP/siRNA was 80.6 nm with good stability when incubated with serum. In vivo, the treatment with ANNP/siRNA significantly improves the spatial learning and memory of APP/PS1 double transgenic mice, as determined by mean escape latency, times of crossing the platform area during the 60 s swimming and the percentage of the distance in the target quadrant. Results and Conclusion: After the treatment, BACE1 RNA level of ANNP/siRNA group was greatly reduced, which contributed a good AD treatment outcome. Finally, after repeated administration, the ANNP/siRNA did not lead to significant change as observed by HE staining of main organs, suggesting the good biocompatibility of ANNP/siRNA. These results demonstrated that the ANNP was a good candidate for AD targeting siRNA delivery.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay Kumar ◽  
Simranjeet Singh ◽  
Ragini Bhadouria ◽  
Ravindra Singh ◽  
Om Prakash

Holoptelea integrifolia Roxb. Planch (HI) has been used to treat various ailments including obesity, osteoarthritis, arthritis, inflammation, anemia, diabetes etc. To review the major phytochemicals and medicinal properties of HI, exhaustive bibliographic research was designed by means of various scientific search engines and databases. Only 12 phytochemicals have been reported including biologically active compounds like betulin, betulinic acid, epifriedlin, octacosanol, Friedlin, Holoptelin-A and Holoptelin-B. Analytical methods including the Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC), High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC), High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid Chromatography With Mass Spectral (LC-MS) analysis have been used to analyze the HI. From medicinal potency point of view, these phytochemicals have a wide range of pharmacological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor. In the current review, it has been noticed that the mechanism of action of HI with biomolecules has not been fully explored. Pharmacology and toxicological studies are very few. This seems a huge literature gap to be fulfilled through the detailed in-vivo and in-vitro studies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 252.1-252
Author(s):  
X. Liu ◽  
F. Tan ◽  
C. Liang

Background:Janus kinases (JAKs) are important regulators of intracellular responses triggered by many key proinflammatory cytokines and are clinically validated therapeutic targets for treating various autoimmune diseases. However, current approved JAK inhibitors failed to achieve maximal clinical benefit in part due to their unfavorable selectivity for individual JAKs such as JAK2 and/or JAK3, leading to dose-limiting toxicities or severe toxicities (e.g., thrombosis, anemia, immune suppression). Selective inhibition of JAK1 and/or TYK2 may minimize or avoid some of the toxicities and potentially offer a better therapeutic window for treating autoimmune diseases. No highly selective JAK1/TYK2 inhibitor has been reported to date.Objectives:Discovery of a highly selective JAK1/TYK2 inhibitor that maximally avoids JAK2 and JAK3 inhibition. We described preclinical characterization of a novel, highly potent and selective JAK1/TYK2 inhibitor TLL018 and its potential utility in treating autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).Methods:Using predicting SAR, TLL018 was designed to achieve exquisite selectivity for both JAK1 and TYK2 while sparing JAK2, JAK3 and other human kinases. Its enzyme and cell activities, kinase selectivity, andin vivoefficacy were assessed in a battery of relevant enzyme, cell and whole blood assays, andin vivoarthritis animal models. Additional preclinical DMPK and toxicology studies were conducted to support its clinical development.Results:TLL018 is a highly potent and selective, orally bioavailable JAK1/TYK2 inhibitor against JAK1 (IC50= 4 nM) and TYK2 (IC50= 5 nM) as measured inin vitrokinase assays with ATP concentrations at individual Km. Its potency against JAK2 or JAK3 is greater than 1 µM. Profiling against a panel of over 350 human kinase showed that TLL018 is exclusively selective for JAK1 and TYK2, with ≥ 90-fold selectivity against all other kinases tested. TLL018 exhibited potent cellular activity for JAK1-mediated IL-6 signaling (IC50= 0.6 µM) with greater than 100-fold selectivity against JAK2-mediated cytokine (e.g., TPO) signaling in human whole blood-based assays.Oral administration of TLL018 demonstrated dose-dependent efficacy in commonly studied rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (rAIA) model and mouse collagen-induced arthritis (mCIA) model. Significant inhibition of inflammation, bone resorption, splenomegaly and body weight change was observed in adjuvant-induced disease in rats. In addition, significant inhibition of inflammation, cartilage destruction, bone resorption and histological signs was demonstrated in collagen-induced arthritis in mice. Noticeably, TLL018 exhibited significant anti-inflammation activity at doses that only blocked JAK1 and TYK2 and exerted little inhibition of JAK2 and JAK3.In support of clinical development of TLL018, preclinical ADME and PK studies and IND-enabling toxicology and safety pharmacology studies were completed, confirming that TLL018 possesses excellent ADME and PK properties, and exhibits a clean on-target safety profile.Conclusion:TLL018 is a highly potent and selective JAK1/TYK2 inhibitor that demonstrated excellent efficacy and tolerability in relevant mouse and rat arthritis models. The collective data of its preclinical pharmacology, PK and toxicology showed a favorable pharmaceutical profile, further supporting its development for treating autoimmune diseases including RA. Clinical evaluation of TLL018 is ongoing.Disclosure of Interests:Xiangdong Liu Shareholder of: I own shares of TLL Pharmaceutical LLC, Employee of: I am employed by TLL Pharmaceutical LLC, Fenlai Tan Shareholder of: I own shares of TLL Pharmaceutical LLC, Employee of: I am employed by TLL Pharmaceutical LLC, Chris Liang Shareholder of: I own shares of TLL Pharmaceutical LLC, Employee of: I am employed by TLL Pharmaceutical LLC


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 360
Author(s):  
Xiaojian Zhang ◽  
Kaili Dai ◽  
Chenyu Liu ◽  
Haofeng Hu ◽  
Fulin Luo ◽  
...  

Biomimetic microspheres containing alginate/carboxymethylcellulose/gelatin and coated with 0%, 1%, 3%, and 6% berberine (BACG, BACG-1B, BACG-3B, BACG-6B) were prepared by the oil-in-water emulsion method combined with spray drying. Through a series of physicochemical parameters and determination of hemostatic properties in vitro and in vivo, the results indicated that BACG and BACG-Bs were effective in inducing platelet adhesion/aggregation and promoting the hemostatic potential due to their biomimetic structure and rough surface. In addition, BACG-6B with high berberine proportion presented better hemostatic performance compared with the commercial hemostatic agent compound microporous polysaccharide hemostatic powder (CMPHP). BACG-6B also showed strong antibacterial activity in the in vitro test. The hemolysis test and cytotoxicity evaluation further revealed that the novel composite biomaterials have good hemocompatibility and biocompatibility. Thus, BACG-6B provides a new strategy for developing a due-functional (hemostat/antibacterial) biomedical material, which may have broad and promising applications in the future.


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