title: PepFect15, a novel endosomolytic cell-penetrating peptide for oligonucleotide delivery via scavenger receptors.
abstract: Gene-regulatory biomolecules such as splice-correcting oligonucleotides and anti-microRNA oligonucleotides are important tools in the struggle to understand and treat genetic disorders caused by defective gene expression or aberrant splicing. However, oligonucleotides generally suffer from low bioavailability, hence requiring efficient and non-toxic delivery vectors to reach their targets. Cell-penetrating peptides constitute a promising category of carrier molecules for intracellular delivery of bioactive cargo. In this study we present a novel cell-penetrating peptide, PepFect15, comprising the previously reported PepFect14 peptide modified with endosomolytic trifluoromethylquinoline moieties to facilitate endosomal escape. Pepfect15 efficiently delivers both splice-correcting oligonucleotides and anti-microRNA oligonucleotides into cells through a non-covalent complexation strategy. To our knowledge this is the first work that describes peptide-mediated anti-microRNA delivery. The peptide and its cargo form stable, negatively charged nanoparticles that are taken up by cells largely through scavenger receptor type A mediated endocytosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurochemistry, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 21A, SE-106 92 Stockholm, Sweden. staffanl@neurochem.su.se
authors.forename: Staffan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Alarcón
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Helmfors
authors.forename: Diogo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mosqueira
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gyllborg
authors.forename: Oana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Tudoran
authors.forename: Ulo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Langel
mesh_terms: D017398:Alternative Splicing; D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D004705:Endocytosis; D011992:Endosomes / Q000378:metabolism; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D055666:Lipopeptides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011804:Quinolines / Q000737:chemistry; D051117:Scavenger Receptors, Class A / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D057846:Cell-Penetrating Peptides; D055666:Lipopeptides; D035683:MicroRNAs; D009841:Oligonucleotides; C582461:PepFect15 peptide; D011804:Quinolines; D051117:Scavenger Receptors, Class A