| 1. |
- Bestas, Burcu, et al.
(författare)
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Splice-correcting oligonucleotides restore BTK function in X-linked agammaglobulinemia model
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Investigation. - 0021-9738 .- 1558-8238. ; 124:9, s. 4067-4081
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA) is an inherited immunodeficiency that results from mutations within the gene encoding Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK). Many XLA-associated mutations affect splicing of BTK pre-mRNA and severely impair B cell development. Here, we assessed the potential of antisense, splice-correcting oligonucleotides (SCOs) targeting mutated BTKtranscripts for treating XLA. Both the SCO structural design and chemical properties were optimized using 2'-O-methyl, locked nucleic acid, or phosphorodiamidate morpholino backbones. In order to have access to an animal model of XLA, we engineered a transgenic mouse that harbors a BAC with an authentic, mutated, splice-defective human BTK gene. BTK transgenic mice were bred onto a Btk knockout background to avoid interference of the orthologous mouse protein. Using this model, we determined that BTK-specific SCOs are able to correct aberrantly spliced BTK in B lymphocytes, including pro-B cells. Correction of BTK mRNA restored expression of functional protein, as shown both by enhanced lymphocyte survival and reestablished BTK activation upon B cell receptor stimulation. Furthermore, SCO treatment corrected splicing and restored BTK expression in primary cells from patients with XLA. Together, our data demonstrate that SCOs can restore BTK function and that BTK-targeting SCOs have potential as personalized medicine in patients with XLA.
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| 2. |
- Eiríksdóttir, Emelía, et al.
(författare)
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Cellular Internalization Kinetics of (Luciferin-)Cell-Penetrating Peptide Conjugates
- 2010
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Ingår i: Bioconjugate chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1043-1802 .- 1520-4812. ; 21:9, s. 1662-1672
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) belong to a class of delivery vectors that have been extensively used for the cellular delivery of various, otherwise impermeable, macromolecules. However, results on the cellular internalization efficacy of CPPs obtained from various laboratories are sometimes challenging to compare because of differences in the experimental setups. Here, for the first time, the cellular uptake kinetics of eight well-established CPPs is compared in HeLa pLuc 705 cells using a recently published releasable luciferin assay. Using this assay, the kinetic behavior of cytosolic entry of these luciferin-CPP conjugates are registered in real time. Our data reveal that the uptake rate of CPPs reaches its maximum either in seconds or in tens of minutes, depending on the CPP used. Tat and higher concentrations of MAP and TP10 display fast internalization profiles that resemble the kinetic profile of membrane-permeable free luciferin. The uptake of the other peptides, pVec, penetratin, M918, and EB I, is much slower and is consistent with the reported observations of endocytosis being the predominant internalization mechanism. Additionally, to some extent, the latter CPPs can be clustered into subgroups which are based on time points when the most pronounced uptake rates are observed. This may indicate once more involvement of various (concentration dependent) mechanisms in the uptake of CPPs. In summary, the variances in the internalization profiles for the CPPs demonstrate the importance of measuring kinetics instead of only relying on simple end-point studies, and with the luciferin CPP assay, more lucid information can be retrieved when studying the internalization mechanisms of CPPs.
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| 3. |
- EL Andaloussi, Samir, et al.
(författare)
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Application of PepFect peptides for the delivery of splice-correcting oligonucleotides
- 2011
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Ingår i: Cell-penetrating peptides. - New York : Humana Press. - 9781607619185 ; , s. 361-373
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- One oligonucleotide-based approach that appear very promising for the treatment of different genetic disorders are based on so-called splice-correcting oligonucleotides (SCOs) that are exploited to manipulate splicing patterns. In order to increase the bioavailability, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have readily been covalently conjugated to SCOs to facilitate cellular internalization. While being a successful strategy for the delivery of uncharged oligonucleotides (ONs), it is extremely difficult to generate covalent conjugates between commonly used negatively charged ON analogs and cationic CPPs. Furthermore, high concentrations of ONs in the micromolar range are often needed to obtain biological responses, most likely as a result of endosomal entrapment of material. Therefore, exploring other vectorization methods using CPPs with endosomolytic properties are highly desired. A method of using stearyl modified CPP (i.e., TP10) analogs, named PepFect3 and PepFect4, are being described for the transfection of antisense SCOs using a simple one-step co-incubation procedure. These peptides form complexes with SCOs and efficiently promote cellular uptake by facilitating endosomal escape. This chapter describes the methods of how to form and characterize these nanoparticles and the cellular assay used to address the delivery.
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| 4. |
- EL Andaloussi, Samir, et al.
(författare)
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Cell-penetrating peptides-based strategies for the delivery of splice redirecting antisense oligonucleotides
- 2011
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Ingår i: Therapeutic Oligonucleotides. - New York : Humana Press. ; 764, s. 75-89
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Progress in our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of human malignancies has provided therapeutic targets amenable to oligonucleotide (ON)-based strategies. Antisense ON-mediated splicing regulation in particular offers promising prospects since the majority of human genes undergo alternative splicing and since splicing defects have been found in many diseases. However, their implementation has been hampered so far by the poor bioavailability of nucleic acids-based drugs. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) now appear as promising non-viral delivery vector for non-permeant biomolecules. We describe here new CPPs allowing the delivery of splice redirecting steric-block ON using either chemical conjugation or non-covalent complexation. We also describe a convenient and robust splice redirecting assay which allows the quantitative assessment of ON nuclear delivery.
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| 5. |
- EL Andaloussi, Samir, et al.
(författare)
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Design of a peptide-based vector, PepFect6, for efficient delivery of siRNA in cell culture and systemically in vivo
- 2011
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Ingår i: Nucleic Acids Research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0305-1048 .- 1362-4962. ; 39:9, s. 3972-3987
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- While small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have been rapidly appreciated to silence genes, efficient and non-toxic vectors for primary cells and for systemic in vivo delivery are lacking. Several siRNA-delivery vehicles, including cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), have been developed but their utility is often restricted by entrapment following endocytosis. Hence, developing CPPs that promote endosomal escape is a prerequisite for successful siRNA implementation. We here present a novel CPP, PepFect 6 (PF6), comprising the previously reported stearyl-TP10 peptide, having pH titratable trifluoromethylquinoline moieties covalently incorporated to facilitate endosomal release. Stable PF6/siRNA nanoparticles enter entire cell populations and rapidly promote endosomal escape, resulting in robust RNAi responses in various cell types (including primary cells), with minimal associated transcriptomic or proteomic changes. Furthermore, PF6-mediated delivery is independent of cell confluence and, in most cases, not significantly hampered by serum proteins. Finally, these nanoparticles promote strong RNAi responses in different organs following systemic delivery in mice without any associated toxicity. Strikingly, similar knockdown in liver is achieved by PF6/siRNA nanoparticles and siRNA injected by hydrodynamic infusion, a golden standard technique for liver transfection. These results imply that the peptide, in addition to having utility for RNAi screens in vitro, displays therapeutic potential.
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| 6. |
- Ezzat, Kariem, et al.
(författare)
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PepFect 14, a novel cell-penetrating peptide for oligonucleotide delivery in solution and as solid formulation
- 2011
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Ingår i: Nucleic Acids Research. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0305-1048 .- 1362-4962. ; 39:12, s. 5284-5298
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Numerous human genetic diseases are caused by mutations that give rise to aberrant alternative splicing. Recently, several of these debilitating disorders have been shown to be amenable for splice-correcting oligonucleotides (SCOs) that modify splicing patterns and restore the phenotype in experimental models. However, translational approaches are required to transform SCOs into usable drug products. In this study, we present a new cell-penetrating peptide, PepFect14 (PF14), which efficiently delivers SCOs to different cell models including HeLa pLuc705 and mdx mouse myotubes; a cell culture model of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD). Non-covalent PF14-SCO nanocomplexes induce splice-correction at rates higher than the commercially available lipid-based vector Lipofectamine™ 2000 (LF2000) and remain active in the presence of serum. Furthermore, we demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating this delivery system into solid formulations that could be suitable for several therapeutic applications. Solid dispersion technique is utilized and the formed solid formulations are as active as the freshly prepared nanocomplexes in solution even when stored at an elevated temperatures for several weeks. In contrast, LF2000 drastically loses activity after being subjected to same procedure. This shows that using PF14 is a very promising translational approach for the delivery of SCOs in different pharmaceutical forms.
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| 7. |
- Ezzat, Kariem, et al.
(författare)
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Peptide-based matrices as drug delivery vehicles
- 2010
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Ingår i: Current pharmaceutical design. - 1381-6128 .- 1873-4286. ; 16:9, s. 1167-1178
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Peptides, polypeptides and proteins have been extensively studied for their various structural and functional roles in living organisms. However, breakthrough discoveries in the last decades identified some peptide-based matrices that posses the ability to traverse biological membranes, and many peptides, polypeptides and even complete proteins have been shown to have such properties. Hence, these matrices have been successfully used for the intracellular delivery of many therapeutic cargos including small molecules, proteins, peptides, oligonucleutides, plasmids and nanoparticles both in vitro and in vivo. Being neither toxic nor carcinogenic and meanwhile efficient in delivery, they are recognized as very promising vectors to overcome the shortcomings of the available technologies. The characteristics of these peptide-based matrices and their applications in drug delivery are here briefly illustrated together with current challenges and future prospects.
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| 8. |
- Ezzat, Kariem, et al.
(författare)
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Scavenger receptor-mediated uptake of cell-penetrating peptide nanoparticles with oligonucleotides
- 2012
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Ingår i: The FASEB Journal. - : Wiley. - 0892-6638 .- 1530-6860. ; 26:3, s. 1172-1180
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are shortcationic peptides that penetrate cells by interacting withthe negatively charged plasma membrane; however, thedetailed uptake mechanism is not clear. In contrary to theconventional mode of action of CPPs, we show here thata CPP, PepFect14 (PF14), forms negatively charged nanocomplexeswith oligonucleotides and their uptake is mediatedby class-A scavenger receptors (SCARAs). Specificinhibitory ligands of SCARAs, such as fucoidin, polyinosinicacid, and dextran sulfate, totally inhibit the activityof PF14-oligonucleotide nanocomplexes in the HeLapLuc705 splice-correction cell model, while nonspecific,chemically related molecules do not. Furthermore, RNAinterference (RNAi) knockdown of SCARA subtypes(SCARA3 and SCARA5) that are expressed in this cell lineled to a significant reduction of the activity to <50%. Inline with this, immunostaining shows prevalent colocalizationof the nanocomplexes with the receptors, and electronmicroscopy images show no binding or internalizationof the nanocomplexes in the presence of theinhibitory ligands. Interestingly, naked oligonucleotidesalso colocalize with SCARAs when used at high concentrations.These results demonstrate the involvement ofSCARA3 and SCARA5 in the uptake of PF14-oligonucleotidenanocomplexes and suggest for the first time thatsome CPP-based systems function through scavenger receptors,which could yield novel possibilities to understandand improve the transfection by CPPs.
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| 9. |
- Ezzat, Kariem, et al.
(författare)
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Solid formulation of cell-penetrating peptide nanoparticles with siRNA and their stability in simulated gastric conditions
- 2012
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Ingår i: Journal of Controlled Release. - : Elsevier BV. - 0168-3659 .- 1873-4995. ; 162:1, s. 1-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short cationic peptides that have been extensively studied as drug delivery vehicles for proteins, nucleic acids and nanoparticles. However, the formulation of CPP-based therapeutics into different pharmaceutical formulations and their stability in relevant biological environments have not been given the same attention. Here, we show that a newly developed CPP, PepFect 14 (PF14), forms non-covalent nanocomplexes with short interfering RNA (siRNA), which are able to elicit efficient RNA-interference (RNAi) response in different cell-lines. RNAi effect was obtained at low siRNA doses with a unique kinetic profile. Furthermore, we utilized the solid dispersion technique to formulate PF14/siRNA nanocomplexes into solid formulations that were as active as the freshly prepared nanocomplexes in solution. Importantly, the freshly prepared nanocomplexes and solid formulations were stable after incubation with simulated gastric fluid having a pH of 1.2 and containing proteolytic enzymes. These results demonstrate the activity of PF14 in delivering and protecting siRNA in different pharmaceutical forms and biological environments.
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| 10. |
- Guterstam, Peter, et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of cellular internalization pathways for CPP-mediated oligonucleotide delivery
- 2011
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Ingår i: Cell-penetrating peptides. - New York : Humana Press. - 9781607619185 ; , s. 219-230
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The methods for evaluating internalization pathways of cellular CPP-mediated ON delivery utilizing a pre-mRNA splice correction assay and fluorescence-based quantification are described. Examples for characterization of CPP uptake routes, employing various endocytosis inhibitors, and special treatment conditions are demonstrated. The methods are developed to characterize cellular delivery of pre-mRNA splice switching peptide nucleic acids conjugated to CPPs by disulfide bond.
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