Controlled intracellular localization and enhanced antisense effect of oligonucleotides by chemical conjugation

Oligonucleotides can be covalently linked to peptides composed of any sequence of amino acids by solid phase fragment condensation. The peptides incorporated into the conjugates include nuclear localizing signals (NLS), nuclear export signals (NES), membrane fusion domain of some viral proteins and some designed peptides with amphipathic character. Evaluation of biological properties of DNA-peptide conjugates indicated that (a) the conjugates could bind to target RNA and dsDNA with increased affinity, (b) the conjugates were more resistant to cellular nuclease degradation, (c) the conjugate-RNA hybrids could activate RNase H as effectively as native oligonucleotides, (d) the conjugates with fusion peptides showed largely enhanced cellular uptake, (e) the conjugates with NLS could be predominantly delivered into the cell nucleus, (f) the conjugates with NES could be localized in the cytoplasm. As a result, antisense oligonucleotides conjugated with NLS could inhibit human telomerase in human leukemia cells much more strongly than phosphorothioate oligonucleotides.     

药物的聚乙二醇修饰研究进展

简要介绍了聚乙二醇(polyethylene glycol, PEG)的生理化学特性, 药物的聚乙二醇修饰的优势, 详细介绍了蛋白质药物和小分子药物的聚乙二醇修饰技术及其在药物研究中的应用进展, 认为药物的聚乙二醇修饰技术通过改变药物的分子结构, 可以有效地改善药物动力学和药效等性质, 增加注射药物的临床应用范围. 同时基于药物的聚乙二醇修饰技术的优势和研究现状, 评述了药物的聚乙二醇修饰技术的发展前景.     

1,2-disubstituted ferrocenyl carbohydrate chloroquine conjugates as potential antimalarial agents

This work presents a new family of organometallic antimalarial compounds consisting of ferrocene bearing a chloroquine-derived moiety as well as a 1,2;3,5-diisopropylidene glucofuranose moiety at a cyclopentadienyl scaffold in a 1,2-substitution pattern. The synthetic route proceeds via a stereoselective functionalization of ferrocene carboxaldehyde to the 1,2-disubstituted conjugates. After complete characterization of these new, trifunctional conjugates, they were examined for their cytotoxicity in two cancerous cell lines (MDA-MB-435S and Caco2) and one non-cancerous cell line (MCF-10A), showing that increased cytotoxicity can be observed for the chloroquine ferrocenyl conjugates compared to their carbohydrate-substituted precursors. The antiplasmodial activity of the conjugates in a chloroquine-sensitive strain of Plasmodium falciparum (D10) and a chloroquine-resistant strain (Dd2) was determined. Monosubstituted conjugates 13, 14 and 15 exhibit decreasing activity with increasing alkyl chain length between the ferrocene and quinoline moiety, bifunctional conjugates 16, 17, 18 show constant activity, performing better than chloroquine in the Dd2 strain.     

pH-Sensitive brush polymer-drug conjugates by ring-opening metathesis copolymerization

Representing a new category of polymer-drug conjugates, brush polymer-drug conjugates were prepared by ring-opening metathesis copolymerization. Following judicious structural design, these conjugates exhibited well-shielded drug moieties, significant water solubility, well-defined nanostructures, and acid-triggered drug release.     

Synthesis and properties of covalently linked thiaporphyrin-ferrocene conjugates

Four examples of ferrocene-thiaporphyrin conjugates in which the ferrocenyl group was covalently connected either directly at meso-position of thiaporphyrin or to meso-phenyl group of thiaporphyrin via ethyne bridge were prepared by coupling bromo- or iodo thiaporphyrin with α-ethynylferrocene under mild Pd(0) coupling conditions. NMR, absorption and electrochemical studies indicated that the thiaporphyrin and ferrocenyl units interact strongly in ethyne bridged porphyrin-ferrocene conjugates but the interaction is very weak in phenyl ethyne bridged porphyrin-ferrocene conjugates. The steady state fluorescence studies indicated that the fluorescence yields are reduced to 50% in phenyl ethyne conjugates but the fluorescence is completely quenched in ethyne bridged conjugates. The partial or complete quenching of porphyrin fluorescence in these conjugates is due to electron transfer from ferrocene unit to excited state of porphyrin sub-unit. Oxidation of ferrocene to ferrocenium ion with an oxidizing agent in ethyne bridged conjugates resulted in a recovery of porphyrin fluorescence.     

Evaluation of hydrophobic‐interaction chromatography resins for purification of antibody‐drug conjugates using a mimetic model with adjustable hydrophobicity

Antibody drug conjugates are cytotoxic pharmaceuticals, designed to destroy malignant cells. A cytotoxic molecule is attached to an antibody that binds specific to a cancer‐cell surface. Given the high toxicity of the drugs, strict safety standards have to be kept. For this reason, an antibody drug conjugates model was developed with fluorescein 5‐isothiocyanate as the nontoxic payload surrogate. Due to the similar hydrophobicity, this model is used to establish a suitable purification process and characterization method for antibody drug conjugates. Because of the pH dependent solubility of fluorescein, the hydrophobicity of conjugates can be modulated by the pH value. Based on the complex heterogeneity and hydrophobicity of the conjugates a chromatographic purification is challenging. Hydrophobic interaction chromatography is used for analytical as well as for preparative separation. Because of the increased hydrophobicity of the conjugates compared to native antibody, hydrophobic interaction chromatography often suffer from resolution and recovery problems. Conjugates were separated differing on the number of payloads attached to the antibody. For this matter, the drug–antibody ratio is determined and used as a quantitative term. The conjugates are purified at high recoveries and resolution by step gradients using suitable resins, allowing the separation of the target drug–antibody ratio.     

Detection of benzo[a]pyrene sulfate and glucuronide conjugates in cell culture medium by directly coupled microbore high-performance liquid chromatography-fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry.

An improved method is described for detecting glucuronide and sulfate conjugates of benzo[a]pyrene in medium from cell cultures treated with benzo[a]pyrene. This method is based on a microbore high-performance liquid chromatograph directly coupled to a high-resolution continuous-flow fast atom bombardment mass spectrometer. Sulfate and glucuronide conjugates, as well as some structural isomers of glucuronide conjugates, were fully separated by the reversed-phase microbore high-performance liquid chromatography conditions used in this study. Since the method does not rely on the use of radiolabeled materials, it may be used to detect conjugates of a wide variety of hydrocarbons. The high sensitivity and selectivity of the method were demonstrated by detecting conjugates in the media of cell cultures derived from mice, hamsters and humans.     

Bioconjugates of smart polymers and proteins: synthesis and applications

Over the past 20 years we have been deeply involved with the synthesis and applications of stimuli-responsive polymer systems, especially polymer-biomolecule conjugates. The work of Toyoichi Tanaka has been a constant inspiration for our work and this article is dedicated to him. This article summarizes the research that we have carried out along with many collaborators on polymer-protein conjugates. We include conjugates prepared by random polymer conjugation to lysine amino groups, and also those prepared by site-specific conjugation of the polymer to specific amino acid sites that are genetically-engineered into the known amino acid sequence of the protein. We describe the preparation and properties of thermally-sensitive, random conjugates to enzymes and several affinity recognition proteins. We have also prepared site-specific conjugates to streptavidin. with temperature-sensitive polymers, pH-sensitive polymers, and light-sensitive polymers. The preparation of these conjugates and their many fascinating applications are reviewed in this article.     

Iron transport-mediated drug delivery: practical syntheses and in vitro antibacterial studies of tris-catecholate siderophore-aminopenicillin conjugates reveals selectively potent antipseudomonal activity

An artificial tris-catecolate siderophore with a tripodal backbone and its conjugates with ampicillin and amoxicillin were synthesized. Both conjugates exhibited significantly enhanced in vitro antibacterial activities against Gram-negative species compared to the parent drugs, especially against Pseudomonas aeruginosa . The conjugates appeared to be assimilated by an induced bacterial iron transport process as their activities were inversely related to iron concentration. The easily synthesized tris-catecolate siderophore has great potential for future development of various drug conjugates to target antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria.     

Covalently cross-linked proteins & polysaccharides: Formation,characterisation and potential applications

This review presents recent research conducted on the development of various protein-polysaccharide conjugates, their functional properties and industrial applications. These conjugates are formed by the glycosylation of food proteins with carbohydrates via the Maillard reaction and are capable of improving the functional properties of proteins. The Maillard reaction facilitates covalent bonding between a reducing group of a carbohydrate and an amino group of a protein under controlled conditions of temperature, time, pH, and relative humidity. There is a great deal of interest in modifying the functional properties of proteins and in the use of novel conjugates for various industrial applications. This review discusses various methods and their implications for preparing and characterising these conjugates. Furthermore, the physicochemical properties of conjugates such as solubility, thermal stability, emulsifying activity, emulsion stabilising properties, gelling and foaming properties are also analysed. A novel processing technology, a spinning disc reactor, could be an alternative process for the production of protein–polysaccharide conjugates, with desirable functionality in different food systems.     

Polymeric conjugates for drug delivery

The field of polymer therapeutics has evolved over the past decade and has resulted in the development of polymer-drug conjugates with a wide variety of architectures and chemical properties. Whereas traditional non-degradable polymeric carriers such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and N-(2-hydroxypropyl methacrylamide) (HPMA) copolymers have been translated to use in the clinic, functionalized polymer-drug conjugates are increasingly being utilized to obtain biodegradable, stimuli-sensitive, and targeted systems in an attempt to further enhance localized drug delivery and ease of elimination. In addition, the study of conjugates bearing both therapeutic and diagnostic agents has resulted in multifunctional carriers with the potential to both "see and treat" patients. In this paper, the rational design of polymer-drug conjugates will be discussed followed by a review of different classes of conjugates currently under investigation. The design and chemistry used for the synthesis of various conjugates will be presented with additional comments on their potential applications and current developmental status.     

Comparative efficiency of energy transfer from CdSe-ZnS quantum dots or nanorods to organic dye molecules

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in conjugates of CdSe-ZnS semiconductor nanocrystals of different shapes (FRET donors) and an Alexa Fluor organic dye (FRET acceptors) is examined. The dye molecules are chemically conjugated with quantum dots (QDs) or nanorods (NRs) in dimethyl sulfoxide colloidal solutions, and FRET efficiency in the purified conjugates is measured. The FRET from NR to a single dye molecule is less efficient than that of the QD-dye conjugates and this effect is explained in terms of distance-limited energy-transfer rate in the case of a point-like acceptor and extended donor dipoles. However, the larger surface area of NRs allows for many more dye acceptors to be bound, and the total FRET efficiency in NR-dye conjugates approaches those of QD-dye conjugates.     

Mechanisms of cytotoxicity in human ovarian carcinoma cells exposed to free Mce6 or HPMA copolymer-Mce6 conjugates

It is essential to understand cellular responses on photodynamic therapy (PDT) to design delivery systems that maximize cytotoxic effects coupled with minimal induction of side effects or protective mechanisms (or both). Here, we investigated mechanisms of toxicity in human ovarian carcinoma A2780 cells treated with structurally diverse N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer (P)-mesochlorin e6 monoethylenediamine (Mce6) conjugates that possessed differential subcellular accumulation or covalent attachments of photosensitizers (or both). Apoptosis and necrosis were observed after photoactivation, with increased apoptotic responses observed in cells exposed to conjugates possessing Mce6 linkage via a lysosomally degradable tetrapeptide spacer (HPMA copolymer-Mce6 conjugates containing Mce6 bound via glycylphenylalanylleucylglycine [GFLG] linker [P-GFLG-Mce6], HPMA copolymer-Mce6 conjugates containing Mce6 bound via a GFLG spacer and containing nuclear localization sequence, PKKKRKV132K(FITC)C [NLS(fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate [FITC])] bound via a thioether linkage [P-NLS(FITC)-GFLG-Mce6]). Furthermore, the induction of necrosis was more pronounced in cells exposed to conjugates containing both a nuclear localization sequence (NLS) and Mce6 bound by a degradable linker (P-NLS(FITC)-GFLG-Mce6). Caspase-independent mechanisms of cell death were identified in cells treated with nuclear-targeted conjugates possessing Mce6 attached using a nondegradable tether (HPMA copolymer-Mce6 conjugates containing Mce6 bound via a GG spacer and containing NLS(FITC) bound via a thioether linkage [P-NLS(FITC)-GG-Mce6]), whereas low levels of apoptosis and necrosis were detected in cells exposed to photoactivated nontargeted HPMA copolymer-Mce6 conjugates containing Mce6 coupled through a nondegradable spacer (HPMA copolymer-Mce6 conjugates containing Mce6 bound via GG linker [P-GG-Mce6]). Variations in gene expression were observed in cells on PDT. Specifically, HSP70 expression was solely detected in cells treated with P-GFLG-Mce6, whereas the loss of detection of several genes were observed in cells treated with P-NLS(FITC)-GFLG-Mce6. Variations in cellular responses on PDT using different HPMA copolymer-Mce6 conjugates will prove useful in the design of optimal HPMA copolymer PDT delivery systems.     

Au NPs-aptamer conjugates as a powerful competitive reagent for ultrasensitive detection of small molecules by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy

Features of Au NPs-aptamer conjugates as a powerful competitive reagent to substitute antibody in enhancing surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR) signal for the detection of small molecule are explored for the first time. In order to evaluate the sensing ability of Au NPs-aptamer conjugates as a competitive reagent, a novel SPR sensor based on indirect competitive inhibition assay (ICIA) for the detection of adenosine is constructed by employing the competitive reaction between antiadenosine aptamer with adenosine and antiadenosine aptamer with its partial complementary ss-DNA. The partial complementary ss-DNA of antiadenosine aptamer is firstly immobilized on SPR gold film as sensing surface. When the Au NPs-antiadenosine aptamer conjugates solution is added to SPR cell in the absence of adenosine, Au NPs-antiadenosine aptamer conjugates is adsorbed to SPR sensor by the DNA hybridization reaction, and results in a large change of SPR signal. However, the change of SPR signal is decreased when the mixing solution of adenosine with Au NPs-antiadenosine aptamer conjugates is added. This is because adenosine reacts with antiadenosine aptamer in Au NPs-antiadenosine aptamer conjugates and changes its structure from ss-DNA to tertiary structure, which cannot hybridize with its partial complementary ss-DNA immobilized on SPR gold surface. Based on this principle, a SPR sensor for indirect detection of adenosine can be developed. The experimental results confirm that the SPR sensor possesses a good sensitivity and a high selectivity for adenosine, which indirectly confirms that Au NPs-aptamer conjugates is a powerful competitive reagent. More significantly, it can be used to develop other SPR sensors based on ICIA to detect different targets by changing the corresponding type of aptamer in Au NPs-aptamer conjugates.     

Polymer-drug conjugates as inhalable drug delivery systems: A review

Accelerating interest by the pharmaceutical industry in the identification and development of less invasive routes of nanomedicine administration, coupled with defined efforts to improve the treatment of respiratory diseases through inhaled drug administration has fuelled growing interests in inhalable polymer-drug conjugates. Polymer-drug conjugates can alter the pharmacokinetic profile of the loaded drug after inhaled administration and enable the controlled and sustained exposure of the lungs to drugs when compared to the inhaled or oral administration of the drug alone. However, the major concern with the use of inhalable polymer-drug conjugates is their biocompatibility and long-term safety in the lungs, which is closely linked to lung retention times. A detailed understanding about the pharmacokinetics, lung disposition, clearance and safety of inhaled polymer-drug conjugates with significant translational potential is therefore required. This review therefore provides a comprehensive summary of the latest developments for several types of polymer-drug conjugates that are currently being explored as inhalable drug delivery systems. Finally, the current status and future perspective of the polymer-drug conjugates is also discussed with a focus on current knowledge gaps.     

Selective formation of covalent protein heterodimers with an unnatural amino acid

We report a strategy for the generation of heterodimeric protein conjugates using an unnatural amino acid with orthogonal reactivity. This paper addresses the challenges of site-specificity and homogeneity with respect to the synthesis of bivalent proteins and antibody-drug conjugates. There are numerous antibody-drug conjugates in preclinical and clinical development, yet these are based either on nonspecific lysine coupling chemistry or on disulfide modification made difficult by the large number of cysteines in antibodies. Here, we describe a recombinant approach that can be used to rapidly generate a variety of constructs with defined conjugation sites. Moreover, this methodology results in homogeneous antibody conjugates whose biological, physical, and pharmacological properties can be quantitatively assessed and subsequently optimized. As proof of concept, we have generated anti-Her2 Fab-Saporin conjugates that demonstrate excellent potency in vitro.     

Determination of individual bile acids in serum by high performance liquid chromatography

A high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method for analysis of 4 free and 8 conjugated bile acids in submicromolar quantities in serum is described using precolumn derivatization with 4-bromomethyl-7-methoxycoumarin (BMC) and fluorescence detection. Bile acids were extracted from serum with 0.4 M sodium bicarbonate, adsorbed onto a Sep-Pak C18 cartridge and eluted with methanol. The extract was derivatized with BMC in acetonitrile using 18-crown-6 crown ether as catalyst and the BMC labelled glycine conjugates and free bile acids were analysed using acetonitrile + methanol + water gradient elution and detection at 320/385 nm. Using a novel and simple approach, taurine conjugates were isolated by extracting the dried, derivatized material with water, in contrast to previous methods which required column chromatography cleanup to isolate the taurine conjugates prior to derivatization. The isolated taurine conjugates were then hydrolysed enzymatically, extracted, derivatized and analysed as free-bile acids. Recoveries of individual bile acids varied from 83-96% for free and glycine conjugates and 72-83% for taurine conjugates. Coefficients of variation were in the range of 5.1-12.5%. In addition to the simpler and shorter procedure for taurine conjugates, this method has increased sensitivity over most other procedures and improved HPLC separation for the various bile acids and conjugates with equivalent recovery and reproducibility compared with other published methods.     

THE USE OF INTERNALIZABLE DERIVATIVES OF CHLORIN E6 FOR INCREASING ITS PHOTOSENSITIZING ACTIVITY

Experiments with human hepatoma PLC/PRF/5 cells and human embryo skin fibroblasts involving the use of three different tests (colony formation, Trypan blue exclusion, labeled thymidine incorporation) have demonstrated a significantly higher photosensitizing activity of chlorin e₆ conjugates with internalizable ligands as compared to that of chlorin e₆ itself. Receptor-mediated internalization of chlorin e₆ conjugates ensures a greater photosensitization of cells than binding of those conjugates to cell surface receptors. The suitability of such conjugates that permit the delivery of a photosensitizer to sensitive intracellular targets is discussed.     

促性腺激素释放激素类似物-紫杉醇靶向抗肿瘤缀合物的合成及评价

以促性腺激素释放激素类似物(GnRHa)为靶向配体, 以紫杉醇为抗癌因子, 分别以硫醚键和二硫键为连接臂, 设计合成了2个靶向抗肿瘤缀合物. 研究了缀合物的肿瘤细胞增殖抑制活性和GnRH受体结合活性, 结果表明, 2个缀合物均具有较强的抗肿瘤活性和GnRH受体亲和力; 另外, 血浆稳定性实验结果显示, 以硫醚键偶联的缀合物1在血浆中孵育24 h, 原型保留仍在50%以上, 具有较高的稳定性.     

Preparation of synthetic auxin-amino acid conjugates

Auxin amide conjugates are regulators of the most important auxin, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), which is considered responsible for many important processes within the plants. Herein, amide conjugates of IAA were synthesized employing a simple and efficient coupling method with WSCI·HCl, a water-soluble condensing reagent, in the presence of 1-hydroxybenzotriazole. IAA conjugates with 10 amino acids along with their corresponding methyl esters were prepared in excellent yields, up to 95%, aiming to facilitate their identification in plant species. Eight IAA-amino acid methyl ester conjugates are characterized here for the first time.