Work

Conjugation with Receptor-Targeted Histidine-Rich Peptides Enhances the Pharmacological Effectiveness of Antisense Oligonucleotides

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Ineffective delivery to intracellular sites of action is one of the key limitations to the use of antisense and siRNA oligonucleotides as therapeutic agents. Here, we describe molecular scale antisense oligonucleotide conjugates that bind selectively to a cell surface receptor, are internalized, and then partially escape from nonproductive endosomal locations to reach their sites of action in the nucleus. Peptides that include bombesin sequences for receptor targeting and a run of histidine residues for endosomal disruption were covalently linked to a splice switching antisense oligonucleotide. The conjugates were tested for their ability to correct splicing and up-regulate expression of a luciferase reporter in prostate cancer cells that express the bombesin receptor. We found that trivalent conjugates that included both the targeting sequence and several histidine residues were substantially more effective than conjugates containing only the bombesin or histidine moieties. This demonstrates the potential of creating molecular scale oligonucleotide conjugates with both targeting and endosome escape capabilities.

Source: Bioconjugate Chemistry

DOI: 10.1021/bc400500h

Authors: Osamu Nakagawa, Xin Ming, Kyle Carver, Rudy Juliano

Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Language: English

Topic: RNA Interference and Gene Delivery

Subfield: Molecular Biology

Field: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute