title: Self-assembled BolA-like amphiphilic peptides as viral-mimetic gene vectors for cancer cell targeted gene delivery.
abstract: In this study, two types of BolA-like amphiphilic peptides with dual ligands comprising a tumor-targeting moiety of RGD sequence and a cell-penetrating moiety of R8 sequence are designed and synthesized as gene vectors. The BolA-structural peptide carriers can self-assemble into spherical nanoparticles with a hydrophilic core and shell, which are similar to the viral capsid and can bind plasmid DNA in an aqueous medium to form viral-mimetic complexes. It is found that the BolA-like dual ligands system exhibits significantly enhanced gene expression in both HeLa and 293T cell lines, as compared with poly(ethylenimine) PEI. These BolA-like amphiphilic peptides are promising in clinical trials of gene therapy.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biomedical Polymers of Ministry of Education & Department of Chemistry, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China.
authors.forename: Jing-Xiao
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao-Ding
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Shuo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Ren-Xi
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.forename: Xian-Zheng
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002213:Capsid / Q000737:chemistry; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D010455:Peptides; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D011094:Polyethyleneimine; D004247:DNA