Dataset Information

Tumor-Targeted, Cytoplasmic Delivery of Large, Polar Molecules Using a pH-Low Insertion Peptide.

ABSTRACT: Tumor-targeted drug delivery systems offer not only the advantage of an enhanced therapeutic index, but also the possibility of overcoming the limitations that have largely restricted drug design to small, hydrophobic, "drug-like" molecules. Here, we explore the ability of a tumor-targeted delivery system centered on the use of a pH-low insertion peptide (pHLIP) to directly deliver moderately polar, multi-kDa molecules into tumor cells. A pHLIP is a short, pH-responsive peptide capable of inserting across a cell membrane to form a transmembrane helix at acidic pH. pHLIPs target the acidic tumor microenvironment with high specificity, and a drug attached to the inserting end of a pHLIP can be translocated across the cell membrane during the insertion process. We investigate the ability of wildtype pHLIP to deliver peptide nucleic acid (PNA) cargoes of varying sizes across lipid membranes. We find that pHLIP effectively delivers PNAs up to ?7 kDa into cells in a pH-dependent manner. In addition, pHLIP retains its tumor-targeting capabilities when linked to cargoes of this size, although the amount delivered is reduced for PNA cargoes greater than ?6 kDa. As drug-like molecules are traditionally restricted to sizes of ?500 Da, this constitutes an order-of-magnitude expansion in the size range of deliverable drug candidates.

SUBMITTER: Svoronos AA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7191262 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Tumor-Targeted, Cytoplasmic Delivery of Large, Polar Molecules Using a pH-Low Insertion Peptide.

Svoronos Alexander A AA Bahal Raman R Bahal Raman R Pereira Mohan C MC Barrera Francisco N FN Deacon John C JC Bosenberg Marcus M DiMaio Daniel D Glazer Peter M PM Engelman Donald M DM

Molecular pharmaceutics 20200113 2

Tumor-targeted drug delivery systems offer not only the advantage of an enhanced therapeutic index, but also the possibility of overcoming the limitations that have largely restricted drug design to small, hydrophobic, "drug-like" molecules. Here, we explore the ability of a tumor-targeted delivery system centered on the use of a pH-low insertion peptide (pHLIP) to directly deliver moderately polar, multi-kDa molecules into tumor cells. A pHLIP is a short, pH-responsive peptide capable of insert ...[more]

PMID: 31855437

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Project description:Rationale: miRNA therapeutics have gained attention during the past decade. These oligonucleotide treatments can modulate the expression of miRNAs in vivo and could be used to correct the imbalance of gene expression found in human diseases such as obesity, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. The in vivo efficacy of current anti-miRNAs technologies hindered by physiological and cellular barriers to delivery into targeted cells and the nature of miRNAs that allows one to target an entire pathway that may lead to deleterious off-target effects. For these reasons, novel targeted delivery systems to inhibit miRNAs in specific tissues will be important for developing effective therapeutic strategies for numerous diseases including atherosclerosis. Objective: To explore the application of anti-miR-33 (miR-33-5p) conjugated pH Low-Insertion Peptides (pHLIP) constructs for the specific targeting of macrophages located in vascular lesions in the regression of atherosclerosis. Methods and Results: The anti-miR-33 conjugated pHLIP constructs are preferentially delivered to atherosclerotic plaques macrophages. The inhibition of miR-33 using pHLIP-directed macrophage targeting improves atherosclerosis regression by increasing collagen content and decreased lipid accumulation within vascular lesions. Single cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed higher expression of fibrotic genes (Col2a1, Col3a1, Col1a2, Fn1, etc) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (Timp3), and downregulation of matrix metallopeptidase 12 (Mmp12) in macrophages from atherosclerotic lesions targeted by pHLIP- anti-miR-33. Conclusions: This study provides proof of principle for the application of pHLIP for treating advanced atherosclerosis via pharmacological inhibition of miR-33 in macrophages that avoids the deleterious effects in other metabolic tissues. This may open new therapeutic opportunities for atherosclerosis-associated cardiovascular diseases via selective delivery of other protective miRNAs.

Dataset Information

Tumor-Targeted, Cytoplasmic Delivery of Large, Polar Molecules Using a pH-Low Insertion Peptide.

Publications

Tumor-Targeted, Cytoplasmic Delivery of Large, Polar Molecules Using a pH-Low Insertion Peptide.

Similar Datasets

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