Conjugation of antisense oligonucleotides to PEGylated carbon nanotubes enables efficient knockdown of PTPN22 in T lymphocytes.
PEGylated-carbon nanotubes (PNTs) were evaluated as nanocarriers of antisense oligonucleotides into T-cells using protein tyrosine phosphatase N22 (PTPN22) as a model target gene. PTPN22 is an important predisposing gene and drug target in type 1 diabetes and several other human autoimmune diseases. Here, we generated the first anti-PTPN22 20-mer antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) and tethered them to PNTs through a cleavable disulfide bond. Spectroscopic and atomic force microscopy analyses were used to determine the loading of ASO onto PNTs, whereas the cleavable nature of the disulfide bond connecting the oligonucleotide to the nanocarrier was confirmed by incubation with dithiothreitol followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. PNT-conjugated ASOs achieved efficient (>50%) knockdown of PTPN22 expression in T-lymphocytes in culture at the mRNA and protein level, as measured by quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting, respectively. Considering the high biocompatibility and low in vivo toxicity of PNTs, we expect that our approach will be easily translated to achieve in vivo knockdown of PTPN22 and other T lymphocyte targets, thus enabling novel ASO-mediated immunotherapies for type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases.
Delogu
Lucia G
LG
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Institute for Genetic Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Magrini
Andrea
A
Bergamaschi
Antonio
A
Rosato
Nicola
N
Dawson
Marcia I
MI
Bottini
Nunzio
N
Bottini
Massimo
M
D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D054596:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 22 / Q000235:genetics*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C516765:PTPN22 protein, human; D054596:Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase, Non-Receptor Type 22