Efficient biotinylation of methacryloyl-functionalized nonadherent cells for formation of cell microarrays

In order to obtain cell microarrays formed with human promyelocytic leukemia cells (HL-60), biotinylation of methacryloyl-functionalized HL-60 cells was performed via a thiol-ene reaction with thiol-terminated 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG(4)10K-SH). Biotinylated HL-60 cells were selectively adhered onto an avidin-patterned surface with high viability.     

Photocontrol of cell adhesion on amino-bearing surfaces by reversible conjugation of poly(ethylene glycol) via a photocleavable linker

Dynamic control of cell adhesion on substrates is a useful technology in tissue engineering and basic biology. This paper describes a method for the control of cell adhesion on amino-bearing surfaces by reversible conjugation of an anti-fouling polymer, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), via a newly developed photocleavable linker, 1-(5-methoxy-2-nitro-4-prop-2-ynyloxyphenyl)ethyl N-succinimidyl carbonate (1). This molecule has alkyne and succinimidyl carbonate at each end, which are connected by photocleavable 2-nitrobenzyl ester. Under this molecular design, the molecule crosslinked azides and amines, whose linkage cleaved upon application of near-UV light. By using aminosilanised glass and silicon as model substrates, we studied their reversible surface modification with PEG-azide (M(w) = 5000) based on contact angle measurements, ellipsometry, and AFM morphological observations. Protein adsorption and cell adhesion dramatically changed by PEGylation and the following irradiation, which can be used for cellular patterning. Also, the capability of the substrate to change cell adhesiveness by photoirradiation during cell cultivation was demonstrated by inducing cell migration. We believe this method will be useful for dynamic patterning of cells on protein-based scaffolds.     

聚乙二醇功能化程度对纳米金壳夹心二氧化硅载药量及稳定性影响研究

本文系统研究了不同聚乙二醇(PEG)功能化程度对纳米金壳夹心二氧化硅(GSNs)载药量及稳定性的影响.透射电子显微镜(TEM)观察结果表明,GSNs表面经修饰分子量为5 KDa的α-甲氧基-ω-巯基聚乙二醇(mPEG-SH)分子后,PEG分子层平均厚度约为4 nm;随PEG化程度增加,GSNs聚集沉降速度改善,稳定性提高,久置后(35 d)稳定性良好;电感耦合等离子体发射光谱(ICP-OES)测试表明,当PEG与Au反应摩尔比为0.24时,PEG分子层在金壳表面接近饱和;不同PEG化程度对GSNs载药量基本无影响.本研究可为优化无机纳米材料表面PEG修饰过程,发展无机纳米载体材料体内应用提供理论依据.     

Adsorption of poly(ethylene glycol)-modified lysozyme to silica

Covalent grafting of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to pharmaceutical proteins, "PEGylation", is becoming more commonplace due to improved therapeutic efficacy. As these conjugates encounter interfaces in manufacture, purification, and end use and adsorption to these interfaces may alter achievable production yields and in vivo efficacies, it is important to understand how PEGylation affects protein adsorption mechanisms. To this end, we have studied the adsorption of unmodified and PEGylated chicken egg lysozyme to silica, using optical reflectometry, total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) under varying conditions of ionic strength and extent of PEG modification. PEGylation of lysozyme changes the shape of the adsorption isotherm and alters the preferred orientation of lysozyme on the surface. There is an abrupt transition in the isotherm from low to high surface excess concentrations that correlates with a change in orientation of mono-PEGylated conjugates lying with the long axis parallel to the silica surface to an orientation with the long axis oriented perpendicular to the surface. No sharp transition is observed in the adsorption isotherm for di-PEGylated lysozyme within the range of concentrations examined. The net effect of PEGylation is to decrease the number of protein molecules per unit area relative to the adsorption of unmodified lysozyme, even under conditions where the surface is densely packed with conjugates. This is due to the area sterically excluded by the PEG grafts. The other major effect of PEGylation is to make conjugate adsorption significantly less irreversible than unmodified lysozyme adsorption.     

Native PAGE eliminates the problem of PEG-SDS interaction in SDS-PAGE and provides an alternative to HPLC in characterization of protein PEGylation

PEGylation of proteins has become an increasingly important technology in recent years. However, determination and characterization of the PEGylation products are problematic especially for the reaction mixture containing various modified proteins, unreacted PEG, and unmodified protein. A comparative study was carried out with two HPLC methods and two electrophoresis methods for characterization of the reaction mixture in PEGylation of HSA with PEG 5000, 10000, and 20000. RP-HPLC fails to give the correct information about the reaction of PEG 20000. Size-exclusion HPLC (SE-HPLC) produced very poor resolution on the PEG 5000 reaction. SDS-PAGE can run multiple samples of all PEGylation but the bands were smeared or broadened probably due to the interaction between PEG and SDS. On the other hand, native PAGE eliminates the problem of PEG-SDS interaction and provides better resolutions for all samples. Various PEGylated products and unmodified protein migrate differentially in native PAGE under nondenatured conditions. The results demonstrated that native PAGE could be a good alternative to HPLC and SDS-PAGE for the analysis of PEG-protein conjugates especially for characterization of the PEGylation mixture.     

Protein PEGylation attenuates adsorption and aggregation on a negatively charged and moderately hydrophobic polymer surface

Covalent grafting of poly(ethylene glycol) chains to proteins ("PEGylation") is emerging as an effective technique to increase the in vivo circulation time and efficacy of protein drugs. PEGylated protein adsorption at a variety of solid/aqueous interfaces is a critical aspect of their manufacture, storage, and delivery. A special category of block copolymer, PEGylated proteins have one or more water-soluble linear polymer (PEG) blocks and a single globular protein block that each exert distinct intermolecular and surface interaction forces. We report the impact of PEGylation on protein adsorption at the interface between aqueous solutions and solid films of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG), a moderately hydrophobic and negatively charged polymer. Using the model protein lysozyme with controlled degrees of PEGylation, we employ total internal reflection fluorescence techniques to measure adsorption isotherms, adsorption reversibility, and the extent of surface-induced aggregation. Lysozyme PEGylation reduces the extent of protein adsorption and surface-induced aggregation and increases the reversibility of adsorption compared to the unconjugated protein. Results are interpreted in terms of steric forces among grafted PEG chains and their effects on protein-protein interactions and protein orientation on the surface.     

Evaluation of PEGylated fibrin as a three-dimensional biodegradable scaffold for ovarian tissue engineering

The most challenging task of creating a bioengineered ovary to restore fertility in cancer patients is choosing an appropriate biomaterial to encapsulate isolated preantral follicles and ovarian cells. In this study, as a biocompatible and biodegradable biomaterial containing fibrin-like bioactivity and manageable physical properties, PEGylated fibrin aims to encapsulate isolated ovarian stromal cells as a first step of creating an engineered ovarian tissue. For this purpose, human ovarian stromal cells were isolated from frozen-thawed ovarian tissue and cultured in the PEGylated fibrin hydrogels (PEG:Fib), which were fabricated by combining two different molar ratios of PEG:Fib (10:1 and 5:1) and two thrombin concentrations. The samples were analyzed at days 0 and 5 of in vitro for cell density, proliferation (Ki67), and apoptosis (caspase-3). Moreover, LIVE/DEAD and PrestoBlue assays assessed cell viability and proliferation on days 1, 3, and 5. The effect of PEGylation on the biodegradation behavior of fibrin was evaluated by measuring the remaining mass ratio of non-modified fibrin, PEG:Fib 10:1, and PEG:Fib 5:1 hydrogels after 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 11, and 15 days. The results showed that PEGylated fibrin hydrogels enhanced scaffold stability and supported cell viability and proliferation. In addition, PEG:Fib 5:1 T50 indicated a significantly higher cell density dynamic and non-significantly lower expression of caspase-3 on day 5. Besides, uniformity of cell distribution inside the hydrogel and a tendency to a high rate of Ki67-positive cells was observed in PEG:Fib 10:1 T50 hydrogels. In conclusion, this study reveals the positive effects of PEGylated fibrin hydrogels on isolated human ovarian stromal cells. Based on such promising findings, we believe that this matrix should be tested to encapsulate isolated human ovarian follicles.     

Cell Spheroid Formation on the Surface of Multi-Block Copolymers Composed of Poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) and Polyethylene Glycol

3D structured cells have great drug screening potential because they mimic in vivo tissues better than 2D cultured cells. In this study, multi-block copolymers composed of poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are developed as a new kind of biocompatible polymers. PEG imparts non-cell adhesion while PMEA acts as an anchoring segment to prepare the polymer coating surface. The multi-block copolymers show higher stability in water than PMEA. A specific micro-sized swelling structure composed of a PEG chain is observed in the multi-block copolymer film in water. A single NIH3T3-3-4 spheroid is formed in 3 h on the surface of the multi-block copolymers with 8.4 wt% PEG. However, at a PEG content of 0.7 wt%, spheroid formed after 4 days. The adenosine triphosphate (ATP) activity of cells and the internal necrotic state of the spheroid change depending on PEG loading in the multi-block copolymers. As the formation rate of cell spheroid on low-PEG-ratio multi-block copolymers is slow, internal necrosis of cell spheroid is less likely to occur. Consequently, the cell spheroid formation rate by changing the PEG chain content in multi-block copolymers is successfully controlled. These unique surfaces are suggested to be useful for 3D cell culture.     

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.     

Use of poly(ethylene glycol) to control cell aggregation and fusion

Although poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) has been widely used as an agent to induce cell aggregation and fusion, the physicochemical principles of its function are only becoming understood recently. PEG has an extremely high affinity for water. The PEG commonly used for these applications is in the molecular weight range of 8000 to 10 000. At low concentrations (0–15 wt.%), PEG in this molecular weight range tends to deplete from cell or lipid surfaces, creating an osmotic gradient which brings cells or lipid vesicles together. The depletion force is measured using a surface force apparatus. The corresponding reduction of surface viscosity is verified by shear viscosity measurements and by vesicle tumbling experiments. At higher concentrations (15–45 wt.%), the extremely high osmotic pressure generated by PEG compresses apposing surfaces of aggregated cells or vesicles to within limits where the membrane is no longer stable, and fusion occurs at point defects. A fusion lumen is formed with the help of cell swelling. If PEG is adsorbed or covalently link to the cell or vesicle surface, the surface force profile becomes entirely repulsive, and aggregation and fusion is inhibited. The repulsion is accountable by steric and electrostatic forces. Therefore, the fusogenic function of PEG can be explained quantitatively by colloidal stability theories.     

Site-selective glycosylation of hemoglobin with variable molecular weight oligosaccharides: potential alternative to PEGylation

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugation (i.e., PEGylation) is a commonly used strategy to increase the circulatory half-life of therapeutic proteins and colloids; however, few viable alternatives exist to replicate its functions. Herein, we report a method for the rapid site-selective glycosylation of proteins with variously sized carbohydrates, up to a molecular weight (MW) of 10,000, thus serving as a potential alternative for PEGylation. More importantly, the method developed has two unique features. First, traditional protecting group strategies that typically accompany the modification of the carbohydrate fragments are circumvented, allowing for the facile site-selective glycosylation of a desired protein with variously sized glycans. Second, the methodology employed is not limited by oligosaccharide size; consequently, glycans of MW similar to that of PEG, used in the PEGylation of therapeutic proteins, can be employed. To demonstrate the usefulness of this technology, hemoglobin (Hb) was site-selectively glycosylated with a series of carbohydrates of increasing MW (from 504 to ～10,000). Hb was selected on the basis of the vast wealth of biochemical and biophysical knowledge present in the literature and because of its use as a precursor in the synthesis/formulation of artificial red blood cell substitutes. Following the successful site-selective glycosylation of Hb, the impact of increasing the glycan MW on Hb's biophysical properties was investigated in vitro.     

Construction of a tethered poly(ethylene glycol) surface gradient for studies of cell adhesion kinetics

Surface gradients can be used to perform a wide range of functions and represent a novel experimental platform for combinatorial discovery and analysis. In this work, a gradient in the coverage of a surface-immobilized poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) layer is constructed to interrogate cell adhesion on a solid surface. Variation of surface coverage is achieved by controlled transport of a reactive PEG precursor from a point source through a hydrated gel. Immobilization of PEG is achieved by covalent attachment of the PEG molecule via direct coupling chemistry to a cystamine self-assembled monolayer on gold. This represents a simple method for creating spatial gradients in surface chemistry that does not require special instrumentation or microfabrication procedures. The structure and spatial distribution of the PEG gradient are evaluated via ellipsometry and atomic force microscopy. A cell adhesion assay using bovine arteriole endothelium cells is used to study the influence of PEG thickness and chain density on biocompatibility. The kinetics of cell adhesion are quantified as a function of the thickness of the PEG layer. Results depict a surface in which the variation in layer thickness along the PEG gradient strongly modifies the biological response.     

Design of poly(ethylene glycol)/streptavidin coimmobilized upconversion nanophosphors and their application to fluorescence biolabeling

Infrared-to-visible upconversion phosphors (i.e., rare earth ion-doped Y2O3 nanoparticles (UNPs)) were synthesized by the homogeneous precipitation method. Because the charge on the erbium (Er) ion-doped Y2O3 (Y2O3:Er) NP (UNP1) surface is positive under neutral conditions, the UNP1 surface was electrostatically PEGylated using negatively charged poly(ethylene glycol)- b-poly(acrylic acid) (PEG- b-PAAc). The adsorption of PEG- b-PAAc was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) measurements and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The surface charge of the PEGylated UNP1s (PEG-UNP1s) was effectively shielded by the PEGylation. The dispersion stability of the UNP1s was also significantly improved by the PEGylation. The PEG-UNP1s were dispersed over 1 week under physiological conditions as a result of the steric repulsion between the PEG chains on the UNP1 surface. The upconversion emission spectrum of PEG-UNP1s was observed under physiological conditions and was confirmed by near-infrared excited fluorescence microscope observation. Streptavidin (SA)-installed ytterbium (Yb) and Er ion-codoped Y2O3 (Y2O3:Yb,Er) NPs (UNP2s) were prepared by the coimmobilization of PEG- b-PAAc and streptavidin. The PEG/SA coimmobilized UNP2s (PEG/SA-UNP2s) specifically recognized biotinylated antibodies and emitted strong upconversion luminescence upon near-infrared excitation. The obtained PEG/streptavidin coimmobilized UNPs are promising as high-performance near-infrared biolabeling materials.     

Elucidation of PEGylation site with a combined approach of in-source fragmentation and CID MS/MS

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)ylation of peptides and proteins creates significant challenges for detailed structural characterization, such as PEG heterogeneity, site of addition and number of attached PEGylated moieties. Recently, we published a novel LC/MS methodology with a post-column addition of amines to obtain accurate masses of PEGylated peptides and proteins. The accurate masses can be used to assign the structures and number of attached PEGs [15], but the PEGylation site remains unclear in situations where multiple potential attachments are involved. Here, we present a methodology combining in-source fragmentation (ISF) with CID-MS/MS to elucidate the PEGylated sites in PEGylated products. All PEGylated samples, either prepared in acidic solution, or collected from a RP-HPLC stream, were first ionized via ISF to produce products containing small PEG fragment attachment, and then those fragment ions obtained were sequenced via CID MS/MS to deduce the PEGylation site. The methodology was successfully applied to PEGylated glucagon and IgG4 antibody light chain, which demonstrated that the small PEG fragments attached were stable during the CID activation.     

PEGylated inorganic nanoparticles

Application of inorganic nanoparticles in diagnosis and therapy has become a critical component in the targeted treatment of diseases. The surface modification of inorganic oxides is important for providing diversity in size, shape, solubility, long-term stability, and attachment of selective functional groups. This Minireview describes the role of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in the surface modification of oxides and focuses on their biomedical applications. Such a PEGylation of surfaces provides "stealth" characteristics to nanomaterials otherwise identified as foreign materials by human body. The role of PEG as structure-directing agent in synthesis of oxides is also presented.     

Density control of poly(ethylene glycol) layer to regulate cellular attachment

A wide variety of cells usually integrate and respond to the microscale environment, such as soluble protein factors, extracellular matrix proteins, and contacts with neighboring cells. To gain insight into cellular microenvironment design, we investigated two-dimensional microarray formation of endothelial cells on a micropatterned poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-brushed surface, based on the relationship between PEG chain density and cellular attachment. The patterned substrates consisted of two regions: the PEG surface that acts as a cell-resistant layer and the exposed substrate surface that promotes protein or cell adsorption. A PEG-brushed layer was constructed on a gold substrate using PEG with a mercapto group at the end of the chain. The density of the PEG-brushed layer increased substantially with repetitive adsorption/rinse cycles of PEG on the gold substrate, allowing marked reduction of nonspecific protein adsorption. These repeated adsorption/rinse cycles were further regulated by using longer (5 kDa) and shorter (2 kDa) PEG to construct PEG layers with different chain density, and subsequent micropatterning was achieved by plasma etching through a micropatterned metal mask. The effects of PEG chain density on pattern formation of cell attachment were determined on micropatterning of endothelial cells. The results indicated that cell pattern formation was strongly dependent on the PEG chain density and on the extent of protein adsorption. Notably, a PEG chain density high enough to inhibit outgrowth of endothelial cells from the cell-adhering region in the horizontal direction could be obtained only by employing formation of a short filler layer of PEG in the preconstructed longer PEG-brushed layer, which prevented nonspecific protein adsorption almost completely. In this way, a completely micropatterned array of endothelial cells with long-term viability was obtained. This clearly indicated the importance of a short underbrushed PEG layer in minimizing nonspecific protein adsorption for long-term maintenance of the active cell pattern. The strategy for cell patterning presented here can be employed in tissue engineering to study cell-cell and cell-surface interactions. It is also applicable for high-throughput screening and clinical diagnostics, as well as interfacing cellular and microfabricated components of biomedical microsystems.     

Microcalorimetric study of the adsorption of PEGylated lysozyme on a strong cation exchange resin

Adsorption of native as well as mono-, di-, and tri-PEGylated lysozyme on Toyopearl Gigacap S-650M in sodium phosphate buffer is studied by isothermal titration calorimetry and by independent adsorption equilibrium measurements at pH 6 and 25°C. The production and separation of PEGylated lysozyme is discussed. Two different PEG sizes are used (5 kDa and 10 kDa) which leads to six different forms of PEGylated lysozyme which were systematically studied. The sodium chloride concentration is varied according to the elution conditions in the production process. The specific enthalpy of adsorption Δh(p)(ads) is determined from the calorimetric and the adsorption equilibrium data. It was found to be exothermal and constant with increasing adsorber loading for native lysozyme. For all PEGylated forms there is an influence of the adsorber loading on Δh(p)(ads) which is found to become more important with increasing PEGylation degree (total molecular weight of conjugated PEG). At low loadings the adsorption of all PEGylated lysozyme forms is exothermal. With increasing loading the adsorption becomes less exothermal and for the species with higher PEGylation degree also endothermal effects are observed at higher loadings. A thermodynamic analysis is carried out by which the enthalpic and entropic contributions to the binding constants are quantified. The findings are discussed on a molecular level. The results provide insight into the adsorption mechanisms of polymer-modified proteins on chromatographic resins.     

PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin targeted to α5β1-expressing MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells

Targeting drugs selectively to cancer cells can potentially benefit cancer patients by avoiding side effects generally associated with several cancer therapies. One of the attractive approaches to direct the drug cargo to specific sites is to incorporate ligands at the surface of the delivery systems. Integrin α(5)β(1) is overexpressed in tumor vasculature and cancer cells, thus making it an attractive target for use in drug delivery. Our group has developed a fibronectin-mimetic peptide, PR_b, which has been shown to bind specifically to integrin α(5)β(1), thereby providing a tool to target α(5)β(1)-expressing cancer cells in vitro as well as in vivo. Our current work focuses on designing modified stealth liposomes (liposomes functionalized with polyethylene glycol, PEG) for combining the benefits associated with PEGylation, as well as imparting specific targeting properties to the liposomes. We have designed PEGylated liposomes that incorporate in their bilayer the fibronectin-mimetic peptide-amphiphile PR_b that can target several cancer cells that overexpress α(5)β(1), including the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells used in this study. We have encapsulated doxorubicin inside the liposomes to enhance its therapeutic potential via PEGylation as well as active targeting to the cancer cells. Our results show that PR_b-functionalized stealth liposomes were able to specifically bind to MDA-MB-231 cells, and the binding could be controlled by varying the peptide concentration. The intracellular trafficking of the doxorubicin liposomes was examined, and within minutes after delivery the majority of them were found to be in the early endosomes, whereas after a longer period of time they had accumulated in the late endosomes and lysosomes. The functionalized liposomes were found to be equally cytotoxic as the free doxorubicin, especially at higher doxorubicin concentrations, and provided higher cytotoxicity than the nontargeted and GRGDSP-functionalized stealth liposomes. Thus, the PR_b-functionalized PEGylated nanoparticles examined in this study offer a promising strategy to deliver their therapeutic payload directly to the breast cancer cells, in an efficient and specific manner.     

Squaric Acid Mediated Chemoselective PEGylation of Proteins: Reactivity of Single‐Step‐Activated α‐Amino Poly(ethylene glycol)s

The covalent attachment of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to therapeutically active proteins (PEGylation) has become an important method to deal with the pharmacological difficulties of these polypeptides, such as short body‐residence times and immunogenicity. However, the derivatives of PEG used for PEGylation lack further functional groups that would allow the addition of targeting or labeling moieties. Squaric acid diethyl ester was used for the chemoselective single‐step activation of poly(ethylene glycol)s into the respective ester amides. The resultant selective protein‐reactive poly(ethylene glycol)s were investigated with respect to their selectivity towards amino acid residues in bovine serum albumin (as a model protein). The presented procedure relies on a robust two‐step protocol and was found to be selective towards lysine residues; the activated polyethers are efficient and stoichiometric PEGylation agents with a remarkable hydrolytic stability over a period of several days. By adjusting the pD value of the conjugation mixture, the chemoselectivity of the activated PEGs towards the α‐ and ε‐amino groups of lysine methyl ester was effectively changed.     

Linear Poly(methyl glycerol) and Linear Polyglycerol as Potent Protein and Cell Resistant Alternatives to Poly(ethylene glycol)

The nonspecific interaction of proteins with surfaces in contact with biofluids leads to adverse problems and is prevented by a biocompatible surface coating. The current benchmark material among such coatings is poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Herein, we report on the synthesis of linear polyglycerol derivatives as promising alternatives to PEG. Therefore, gold surfaces as a model system are functionalized with a self‐assembled monolayer (SAM) by a two‐step anhydride coupling and a direct thiol immobilization of linear poly(methyl glycerol) and polyglycerol. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy reveals both types of functionalized surfaces to be as resistant as PEG towards the adsorption of the test proteins fibrinogen, pepsin, albumin, and lysozyme. Moreover, linear polyglycerols adsorb even less proteins from human plasma than a PEG‐modified surface. Additional cell adhesion experiments on linear poly(methyl glycerol) and polyglycerol‐modified surfaces show comparable cell resistance as for a PEG‐modified surface. Also, in the case of long‐term stability, high cell resistance is observed for all samples in medium. Additional in vitro cell‐toxicity tests add to the argument that linear poly(methyl glycerol) and polyglycerol are strong candidates for promising alternatives to PEG, which can easily be modified for biocompatible functionalization of other surfaces.