scholarly journals Effect of Vesicle Size on the Cytolysis of Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs)

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (19) ◽  
pp. 7405
Author(s):  
Kazutami Sakamoto ◽  
Takeshi Kitano ◽  
Haruka Kuwahara ◽  
Megumi Tedani ◽  
Kenichi Aburai ◽  
...  

A specific series of peptides, called a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP), is known to be free to directly permeate through cell membranes into the cytosol (cytolysis); hence, this CPP would be a potent carrier for a drug delivery system (DDS). Previously, we proposed the mechanism of cytolysis as a temporal and local phase transfer of membrane lipid caused by positive membrane curvature generation. Moreover, we showed how to control the CPP cytolysis. Here, we investigate the phospholipid vesicle’s size effect on CPP cytolysis because this is the most straightforward way to control membrane curvature. Contrary to our expectation, we found that the smaller the vesicle diameter (meaning a higher membrane curvature), the more cytolysis was suppressed. Such controversial findings led us to seek the reason for the unexpected results, and we ended up finding out that the mobility of membrane lipids as a liquid crystal is the key to cytolysis. As a result, we could explain the cause of cytolysis suppression by reducing the vesicle size (because of the restriction of lipid mobility); osmotic pressure reduction to enhance positive curvature generation works as long as the membrane is mobile enough to modulate the local structure. Taking all the revealed vital factors and their effects as a tool, we will further explore how to control CPP cytolysis for developing a DDS system combined with appropriate cargo selection to be tagged with CPPs.

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 131-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia C. LeCher ◽  
Scott J. Nowak ◽  
Jonathan L. McMurry

AbstractCell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have long held great promise for the manipulation of living cells for therapeutic and research purposes. They allow a wide array of biomolecules from large, oligomeric proteins to nucleic acids and small molecules to rapidly and efficiently traverse cytoplasmic membranes. With few exceptions, if a molecule can be associated with a CPP, it can be delivered into a cell. However, a growing realization in the field is that CPP-cargo fusions largely remain trapped in endosomes and are eventually targeted for degradation or recycling rather than released into the cytoplasm or trafficked to a desired subcellular destination. This ‘endosomal escape problem’ has confounded efforts to develop CPP-based delivery methods for drugs, enzymes, plasmids, etc. This review provides a brief history of CPP research and discusses current issues in the field with a primary focus on the endosomal escape problem, for which several promising potential solutions have been developed. Are we on the verge of developing technologies to deliver therapeutics such as siRNA, CRISPR/Cas complexes and others that are currently failing because of an inability to get into cells, or are we just chasing after another promising but unworkable technology? We make the case for optimism.


2005 ◽  
Vol 390 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine de Coupade ◽  
Antonio Fittipaldi ◽  
Vanessa Chagnas ◽  
Matthieu Michel ◽  
Sophie Carlier ◽  
...  

Short peptide sequences that are able to transport molecules across the cell membrane have been developed as tools for intracellular delivery of therapeutic molecules. This work describes a novel family of cell-penetrating peptides named Vectocell® peptides [also termed DPVs (Diatos peptide vectors)]. These peptides, originating from human heparin binding proteins and/or anti-DNA antibodies, once conjugated to a therapeutic molecule, can deliver the molecule to either the cytoplasm or the nucleus of mammalian cells. Vectocell® peptides can drive intracellular delivery of molecules of varying molecular mass, including full-length active immunoglobulins, with efficiency often greater than that of the well-characterized cell-penetrating peptide Tat. The internalization of Vectocell® peptides has been demonstrated to occur in both adherent and suspension cell lines as well as in primary cells through an energy-dependent endocytosis process, involving cell-membrane lipid rafts. This endocytosis occurs after binding of the cell-penetrating peptides to extracellular heparan sulphate proteoglycans, except for one particular peptide (DPV1047) that partially originates from an anti-DNA antibody and is internalized in a caveolar independent manner. These new therapeutic tools are currently being developed for intracellular delivery of a number of active molecules and their potentiality for in vivo transduction investigated.


RSC Advances ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (57) ◽  
pp. 36116-36124
Author(s):  
Omar Paulino da Silva Filho ◽  
Muhanad Ali ◽  
Rike Nabbefeld ◽  
Daniel Primavessy ◽  
Petra H. Bovee-Geurts ◽  
...  

Noncovalent functionalization with acylated cell-penetrating peptides achieves an efficient cellular uptake of PLGA and PEG-PLGA nanoparticles.


Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 927 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Habault ◽  
Jean-Luc Poyet

Cell-penetrating-peptides (CPPs) are small amino-acid sequences characterized by their ability to cross cellular membranes. They can transport various bioactive cargos inside cells including nucleic acids, large proteins, and other chemical compounds. Since 1988, natural and synthetic CPPs have been developed for applications ranging from fundamental to applied biology (cell imaging, gene editing, therapeutics delivery). In recent years, a great number of studies reported the potential of CPPs as carriers for the treatment of various diseases. Apart from a good efficacy due to a rapid and potent delivery, a crucial advantage of CPP-based therapies is the peptides low toxicity compared to most drug carriers. On the other hand, they are quite unstable and lack specificity. Higher specificity can be obtained using a cell-specific CPP to transport the therapeutic agent or using a non-specific CPP to transport a cargo with a targeted activity. CPP-cargo complexes can also be conjugated to another moiety that brings cell- or tissue-specificity. Studies based on all these approaches are showing promising results. Here, we focus on recent advances in the potential usage of CPPs in the context of cancer therapy, with a particular interest in CPP-mediated delivery of anti-tumoral proteins.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 2075
Author(s):  
Tamara Lützenburg ◽  
Nele Burdina ◽  
Matthias S. Scholz ◽  
Ines Neundorf

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have emerged as versatile tools to increase the intracellular accumulation of different kinds of cargoes. For an efficient cellular uptake and drug delivery, their organization into a distinct and stable secondary structure at the outer surface of the plasma membrane is a hallmark and supports optimal lipid–peptide interactions. Incorporation of hydrophobic moieties, such as carboranes (CBs), has the potential to increase the lipophilicity of peptides, and thus, to facilitate the formation of secondary structures. Herein, we present synthesis and biophysical as well as biological characterization of carborane-CPP conjugates having incorporated one or more CB clusters. Our results highlight the possibility to modulate the secondary structure of CPPs by the addition of CB’s leading to constructs with altered membrane activity and promising use in terms of nucleic acid delivery.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 1431-1446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annarita Falanga ◽  
Lucia Lombardi ◽  
Emilia Galdiero ◽  
Valentina Del Genio ◽  
Stefania Galdiero

Cell-penetrating peptides present huge biomedical applications in a variety of pathologies, thanks to their ability to penetrate membranes and carry a variety of cargoes inside cells. Progress in peptide synthesis has produced a greater availability of virtually any synthetic peptide, increasing their attractiveness. Most molecules when associated to a cell-penetrating peptides can be delivered into a cell, however, understanding of the critical factors influencing the uptake mechanism is of paramount importance to construct nanoplatforms for effective delivery in vitro and in vivo in medical applications. Focus is now on the state-of-art of the mechanisms enabling therapeutics/diagnostics to reach the site target of their activities, and in support of scientists developing platforms for drug delivery and personalized therapies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazutami Sakamoto ◽  
Taku Morishita ◽  
Kenichi Aburai ◽  
Daisuke Ito ◽  
Tomohiro Imura ◽  
...  

AbstractA biomembrane's role is to be a barrier for interior cytosol from an exterior environment to execute the cell's normal biological functions. However, a water-soluble peptide called cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) has been known for its ability to directly penetrate through the biomembranes into cells (cytolysis) without perturbating cell viability and expected to be a promising drug delivery vector. Examples of CPP include peptides with multiple arginine units with strong cationic properties, which is the key to cytolysis. Here we show the conclusive evidence to support the mechanism of CPP’s cytolysis and way to control it. The mechanism we proposed is attributed to biomembrane’s physicochemical nature as lamellar liquid crystal (Lα). Cytolysis occurs as the temporal and local dynamic phase transitions from Lα to an undulated lamellar with pores called Mesh1. We have shown this phase transfer of Lα composed of dioleoyl-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) with water by adding oligo-arginine (Rx) as CPP at the equilibrium. Using giant unilamellar vesicle composed of DOPC as a single cell model, we could control the level of cytolysis of CPP (FITC-R8) by changing the curvature of the membrane through osmotic pressure modulation. The cytolysis of CPP utilizes biomembrane's inherent topological and functional flexibility corresponding to the stimuli.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document