MALDI-MS Imaging Analysis of Noninflammatory Type III Rotaxane Dendrimers.

Rotaxane dendrimers with hyperbranched macromolecular interlocked structures and size modulation capacity demonstrate drug binding and release ability upon external stimuli. Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) can offer the high-throughput screening of endogenous/exogenous compounds. Herein, we reported a novel method to display the in situ spatial distribution of label-free monodispersed type III rotaxane dendrimers (RDs) G1 (first generation, size ∼1.5 nm) and G2 (second generation, size ∼5 nm) that were explored as potential drug vehicles in spleen tissue by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI-MSI). Experimental results indicated that the trans-2-[3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-2-methyl-2-propenylidene]malononitrile (DCTB) matrix exhibited the best performance for monodispersed type III RDs G1 and G2. The optimized method was successfully applied to map the in vivo spatial distribution of type III RDs G1 and G2 in the spleen from intraperitoneally injected mice. The MALDI-MSI images revealed that RDs G1 and G2 were relatively stable in the spleen within 24 h after administration. It was found that the identified type III RDs G1 and G2 penetrated through the tunica serosa and were predominantly localized in red pulp regions of spleens. They were also mapped in a marginal zone of spleens simultaneously. There was almost no toxicity of type III RDs G1 and G2 to mice spleens from the H&E results. Furthermore, the type III RDs did not induce the expression of inflammatory cytokines from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or THP-1 monocytes. The MSI analysis not only demonstrated its ability to image select rotaxane dendrimers in a rapid and efficient manner but also provided tremendous assistance on the applications of the further treatment of cancerous tissue as safe drug carriers. Furthermore, the new strategy demonstrated in this study could be applied on other label-free mechanically interlocked molecules, molecular machines, and macromolecules, which opened a new path to evaluate the toxicological and pharmacokinetic characteristics of these novel materials at the suborgan level.

Supramolecular Nanomachines as Stimuli-Responsive Gatekeepers on Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles for Antibiotic and Cancer Drug Delivery.

Major objectives in nanomedicine and nanotherapy include the ability to trap therapeutic molecules inside of nano-carriers, carry therapeutics to the site of the disease with no leakage, release high local concentrations of drug, release only on demand - either autonomous or external, and kill the cancer cells or an infectious organism. This review will focus on mesoporous silica nanoparticle carriers (MSN) with a large internal pore volume suitable for carrying anticancer and antibiotic drugs, and supramolecular components that function as caps that can both trap and release the drugs on-command. Caps that are especially relevant to this review are rotaxanes and pseudorotaxanes that consist of a long chain-like molecule threaded through a cyclic molecule. Under certain conditions discussed throughout this review, the cyclic molecule can be attracted to one end of the rotaxane and in the presence of a stimulus can slide to the other end. When the thread is attached near the pore opening on MSNs, the sliding cyclic molecule can block the pore when it is near the particle or open it when it slides away. The design, synthesis and operation of supramolecular systems that act as stimuli-responsive pore capping devices that trap and release molecules for therapeutic or imaging applications are discussed. Uncapping can either be irreversible because the cap comes off, or reversible when the cyclic molecule is prevented from sliding off by a steric barrier. In the latter case the amount of cargo released (the dose) can be controlled. These nanomachines act as valves. Examples of supramolecular systems stimulated by chemical signals (pH, redox, enzymes, antibodies) or by external physical signals (light, heat, magnetism, ultrasound) are presented. Many of the systems have been studied in vitro proving that they are taken up by cancer cells and release drugs and kill the cells when stimulated. Some have been studied in mouse models; after IV injection they shrink tumors or kill intracellular pathogens after stimulation. Supramolecular constructs offer fascinating, highly controllable and biologically compatible platforms for drug delivery.

Glycopolymers Made from Polyrotaxanes Terminated with Bile Acids: Preparation, Self-Assembly, and Targeting Delivery.

The use of natural compounds to construct biomaterials, including delivery system, is an attractive strategy. In the present study, through threading functional α-cyclodextrins onto the conjugated macromolecules of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and natural compound bile acid, glycopolymers of polyrotaxanes with the active targeting ability are obtained. These glycopolymers self-assemble into micelles as evidenced by dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy, in which glucosamine, as an example of targeting groups, is introduced. These micelles after loading doxorubicin (DOX) exhibit the selective recognition with cancer cells 4T1. Meanwhile, the maximal half inhibitory concentration is determined to be ≈2.5 mg L-1 for the DOX-loaded micelles, close to the value of free DOX·HCl (1.9 mg L-1 ). The cumulative release of DOX at pH 5.5 is faster than at pH 7.4, which may be used as the controlled release system. This drug delivery system assembled by glycopolymers features high drug loading of DOX, superior biocompatibility. The strategy not only utilizes the micellization induced by bile acids, but also overcomes the major limitation of PEG such as the lack of targeting groups. In particular, this drug delivery platform can extend to grafting the other targeting groups, rendering this system more versatile.

Development of self-assembled multi-arm polyrotaxanes nanocarriers for systemic plasmid delivery in vivo.

Polyrotaxane (PRX) is a promising supramolecular carrier for gene delivery. Classic PRX exhibits a linear structure in which the amine-functionalized α-cyclodextrin (CD) is threaded along the entire polyethylene glycol (PEG) backbone. While promising in vitro, the absence of free PEG moieties after CD threading compromised the in vivo implementation, due to the unfavorable pharmacokinetics (PK) and biodistribution profile. Herein, we developed a multi-arm PRX nanocarrier platform, which has been designed for protective nucleic acid encapsulation, augmented biodistribution and PK, and suitable for intravenous (IV) administration. A key design was to introduce cationic CD rings onto a multi-arm PEG backbone in a spatially selective fashion. The optimal structural design was obtained through iterative rounds of experimentation to determine the appropriate type and density of cationic charge on CD ring, the degree of PEGylation, the size and structure of polymer backbone, etc. This allowed us to effectively deliver large size reporter and therapeutic plasmids in cancer mouse models. Post IV injection, we demonstrated that our multi-arm polymer design significantly enhanced circulatory half-life and PK profile compared to the linear PRX. We continued to use the multi-arm PRX to formulate a therapeutic plasmid encoding an immunomodulatory cytokine, IL-12. When tested in a colon cancer syngeneic mouse model with same background, the IL-12 plasmid was protected by the multi-arm PRX and delivered through the tail vein to the tumor site, leading to a significant tumor inhibition effect. Moreover, our delivery system was devoid of major systemic toxicity.

pH-Responsive Coacervate Droplets Formed from Acid-Labile Methylated Polyrotaxanes as an Injectable Protein Carrier.

In prior research it has been demonstrated that methylated ß-cyclodextrins-threaded acid-labile polyrotaxanes (Me-PRXs) exhibit a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and form coacervate droplets above their LCST. In this study, the encapsulation of proteins in coacervate droplets and the pH-responsive release of proteins, through the acid-induced dissociation of the Me-PRX, were investigated. The coacervate droplets encapsulate various proteins, such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), lysozyme, and ß-galactosidase, at pH 7.4, into their hydrophobic inner phase. Concomitant with the pH-dependent dissociation of the Me-PRXs, the coacervates degraded below pH 6.5 and released encapsulated proteins, with the intrinsic activity of proteins maintained. Additionally, the subcutaneous injection of coacervate droplets encapsulating BSA in mice revealed that the retention time of the BSA at the injection site was prolonged compared to that of free BSA. Altogether, the coacervate droplets of the Me-PRX would be utilized as a new class of pH-responsive and injectable carrier for the controlled release of therapeutic proteins.

Influence of Molecular Structure on the In Vivo Performance of Flexible Rod Polyrotaxanes.

Polyrotaxanes, a family of rod-shaped nanomaterials comprised of noncovalent polymer/macrocycle assemblies, are being used in a growing number of materials and biomedical applications. Their physiochemical properties can vary widely as a function of composition, potentially leading to different in vivo performance outcomes. We sought to characterize the pharmacokinetic profiles, toxicities, and protein corona compositions of 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin polyrotaxanes as a function of variations in macrocycle threading efficiency, molecular weight, and triblock copolymer core structure. We show that polyrotaxane fate in vivo is governed by the structure and dynamics of their rodlike morphologies, such that highly threaded polyrotaxanes are long circulating and deposit in the liver, whereas lung deposition and rapid clearance is observed for species bearing lower 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin threading percentages. Architecture differences also promote recruitment of different serum protein classes and proportions; however, physiochemical differences have little or no influence on their toxicity. These findings provide important structural insights for guiding the development of polyrotaxanes as scaffolds for biomedical applications.

Recent progress in gene therapy to deliver nucleic acids with multivalent cationic vectors.

Due to the potential use as transfecting agents of nucleic acids (DNA or RNA), multivalent cationic non-viral vectors have received special attention in the last decade. Much effort has been addressed to synthesize more efficient and biocompatible gene vectors able to transport nucleic acids into the cells without provoking an immune response. Among them, the mostly explored to compact and transfect nucleic acids are: (a) gemini and multivalent cationic lipids, mixed with a helper lipid, by forming lipoplexes; and (b) cationic polymers, polycations, and polyrotaxanes, by forming polyplexes. This review is focused on the progress and recent advances experimented in this area, mainly during the present decade, devoting special attention to the lipoplexes and polyplexes, as follows: (a) to its biophysical characterization (mainly electrostatics, structure, size and morphology) using a wide variety of experimental methods; and (b) to its biological activity (transfection efficacy and cytotoxicity) addressed to confirm the optimum formulations and viability of these complexes as very promising gene vectors of nucleic acids in nanomedicine.

A large mobility of hydrophilic molecules at the outmost layer controls the protein adsorption and adhering behavior with the actin fiber orientation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC).

Adhesion behaviors of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) are interestingly affected by the mobility of hydrophilic chains on the material surfaces. Surfaces with different molecular mobilities were prepared using ABA-type block copolymers consisting polyrotaxane (PRX) or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) central block (A block), and amphiphilic anchoring B blocks of poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-co-n-butyl methacrylate) (PMB). Two different molecular mobilities of the PRX chains were designed by using normal α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) or α-CD whose hydroxyl groups were converted to methoxy groups in a given ratio to improve its molecular mobility (PRX-PMB and OMe-PRX-PMB). The surface mobility of these materials was assessed as the mobility factor (Mf), which is measured by quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring system. HUVECs adhered on OMe-PRX-PMB surface much more than PRX-PMB and PMB-block-PEG-block-PMB (PEG-PMB) surfaces. These different HUVEC adhesions were correlated with the density of cell-binding site of adsorbed fibronectin. In addition, the alignment of the actin cytoskeleton of adhered HUVECs was strongly suppressed on the PEG-PMB, PRX-PMB, and OMe-PRX-PMB in response to the increased Mf value. Remarkably, the HUVECs adhered on the OMe-PRX-PMB surface with much less actin organization. We concluded that not only the cell adhesion but also the cellular function are regulated by the molecular mobility of the outmost material surfaces.

Optical imaging of bacterial infection in living mice using deep-red fluorescent squaraine rotaxane probes.

Two structurally related fluorescent imaging probes allow optical imaging of bacterial leg infection models in living athymic and immunocompetent mice. Structurally, the probes are comprised of a deep-red fluorescent squaraine rotaxane scaffold with two appended bis(zinc(II)-dicolylamine) (bis(Zn-DPA)) targeting ligands. The bis(Zn-DPA) ligands have high affinity for the anionic phospholipids and related biomolecules that reside within the bacterial envelope, and they are known to selectively target bacterial cells over the nearly uncharged membrane surfaces of healthy mammalian cells. Planar, whole-animal optical imaging studies showed that intravenous dosing of either probe (10 nmol) allowed imaging of localized infections of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Salmonella enterica serovar typhimurium. High selectivity for the infected target leg (T) over the contralateral nontarget leg (NT) was reflected by T/NT ratios up to six. The infection imaging signal was independent of mouse humoral immune status, and there was essentially no targeting at a site of sterile inflammation induced by injection of lambda-carrageenan. Furthermore, the fluorescent probe imaging signal colocalized with the bioluminescence signal from a genetically engineered strain of S. enterica serovar typhimurium. Although not highly sensitive (the localized infection must contain at least approximately 10(6) colony forming units for fluorescence visualization), the probes are remarkably selective for bacterial cells considering their low molecular weight (<1.5 kDa) and simple structural design. The more hydrophilic of the two probes produced a higher T/NT ratio in the early stages of the imaging experiment and washed out more rapidly from the blood clearance organs (liver, kidney). Therefore, it is best suited for longitudinal studies that require repeated dosing and imaging of the same animal. The results indicate that fluorescent probes based on squaraine rotaxanes should be broadly useful for in vivo animal imaging studies, and they further validate the ability of imaging probes with bis(Zn-DPA) ligands to selectively target bacterial infections in living animals.

In vitro assessment of a novel polyrotaxane-based drug delivery system integrated with a cell-penetrating peptide.

In the development of anti-cancer drugs, it is important to yield selective cytotoxicity primarily against tumor tissues. To achieve this goal, the use of a polymer-drug conjugate appears to be appealing, simply because it can take the advantage of the so-called enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect due to vascular leak in tumors. Among various types of polymers, polyrotaxane (PR) is an interesting candidate and warrants further consideration. It is a self-assembled polymer made entirely of biocompatible components, by threading alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) molecules with the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain. The abundance in functional -OH groups on the CD residues renders PR the capability of carrying a large dose of small anti-tumor agents for delivery. Herein, we presented a novel PR-based delivery system using doxorubicin (DOX) as the model anti-cancer drug. Daunorubicin (DNR) was conjugated to the PR polymer via hydrolysable linkages, and upon hydrolysis, doxorubicin was released as the cytotoxic drug. To facilitate an intracellular uptake by the tumor cells of the PR-DOX conjugates, a cell-penetrating low molecular weight protamine (LMWP) peptide was further attached to the two termini of the PR chain. Using an innovative principle established in our laboratory, such as via the inhibition of the cell-penetrating activity by binding with heparin and reversal of this inhibition by subsequent addition of protamine, cellular uptake of the polymer-drug conjugates could be readily regulated. In this paper, we performed in vitro studies to demonstrate the feasibility of this delivery system. The LMWP-PR-DOX conjugates, which yielded a sustained release of DOX over a period of greater than 4 days, were successfully synthesized. Intracellular uptake of these conjugates by A2780 human ovarian cancer cells and regulation of such uptake by heparin and protamine were confirmed by using the MTT assay and also the confocal microscopy method.

Investigation of the intracellular delivery of fluoresceinated peptides by a host-[2]rotaxane.

The development of methods to transport peptides into cells via a passive mechanism would greatly aid in the development of therapeutic agents. We recently demonstrated that an impermeable fluoresceinated pentapeptide enters the cytoplasm and nucleus of COS 7 cells in the presence of a host-[2]rotaxane by a mechanism that does not depend on an active cell-mediated process. In this report, we further investigate the ability of the host-[2]rotaxane to deliver peptides possessing a wide range of polarities (negatively charged, positively charged, polar, and apolar side chains) into live cells. Only in the presence of the host-[2]rotaxane were the Fl-peptides taken up by COS 7 and ES2 cells. Flow cytometry experiments demonstrated that the level of delivery is largely temperature and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) independent, and the membranes remain intact. Although the level of transport does depend upon the nature of the side chains, it does not correlate with calculated LogD values, indicating that an additional interaction with the host-[2]rotaxane is modifying the permeability properties of the peptide. The amount of Fl-peptides transported from an aqueous phase into a chloroform phase in the presence of the host-[2]rotaxane correlates with the intensity of cellular fluorescence. Extraction and U-tube studies show that the Fl-peptide can be released from its complex with the host-[2]rotaxane into an aqueous phase, and the host-[2]rotaxane can transport a greater than a stoichiometric amount of an Fl-peptide through a CHCl3 layer. These studies demonstrate the utility of the host-[2]rotaxane in delivering peptides of all polarities across a cell membrane.

Determining the intracellular transport mechanism of a cleft-[2]rotaxane.

Rotaxanes are a class of interlocked compounds that have been extensively investigated for their potential utility as switches or sensors. We recently demonstrated that rotaxanes have further application as agents that transport material into cells. This novel finding prompted our investigation into the mechanism by which rotaxanes are involved in transmembrane transport. Two-dimensional NMR analysis showed that a cleft-containing rotaxane exists in two dominant conformations ("closed" and "open"). To determine the importance of conformational flexibility on the ability of the rotaxanes to bind guests and transport material into cells, the rotaxane was chemically modified to lock it in the closed conformation. Charged guests interact less favorably with the locked rotaxane, as compared to the unmodified rotaxane, both in an aqueous solution and in DMSO. In a chloroform solution, both rotaxanes bind the guests with similar affinities. The locked rotaxane exhibited a reduced capacity to transport a fluoresceinated peptide into cells, whereas the unmodified rotaxane efficiently delivers the peptide. Flow cytometry experiments demonstrated that a high percentage of the cells contained the delivered peptide (89-98%), the level of delivery is concentration dependent, and the rotaxanes and peptide have low toxicity. Cellular uptake of the peptide was largely temperature and ATP independent, suggesting that the rotaxane-peptide complex passes through the cellular membrane without requiring active cell-mediated processes. The results show that the sliding motion of the wheel is necessary for the delivery of materials into cells and can enhance the association of guests. These studies demonstrate the potential for rotaxanes as a new class of mechanical devices that deliver a variety of therapeutic agents into targeted cell populations.