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Immunotherapy is deemed one of the most powerful therapeutic approaches to treat cancer. However, limited response and tumor specificity are still major challenges to address. Herein, mannosylated polycations targeting mannose receptor- are developed as vectors for plasmid DNA (pDNA)-based vaccines to improve selective delivery of genetic material to antigen-presenting cells and enhance immune cell activation. Three diblock glycopolycations (M 15 A 12 , M 29 A 25 , and M 58 A 45 ) and two triblock copolymers (M 29 A 29 B 9 and M 62 A 52 B 32 ) are generated by using mannose (M), agmatine (A), and butyl (B) derivatives to target CD206, complex nucleic acids, and favor the endosomal escape, respectively. All glycopolycations efficiently complex pDNA at N/P ratios <5, protecting the pDNA from degradation in a physiological milieu. M 58 A 45 and M 62 A 52 B 32 complexed with plasmid encoding for antigenic ovalbumin (pOVA) trigger the immune activation of cultured dendritic cells, which present the SIINFEKL antigenic peptide via specific major histocompatibility complex-I. Importantly, administration of M 58 A 45 /pOVA elicits SIINFEKL-specific T-cell response in C56BL/6 mice bearing the melanoma tumor model B16-OVA, well in line with a reduction in tumor growth. These results qualify mannosylation as an efficient strategy to target immune cells in cancer vaccination and emphasize the potential of these glycopolycations as effective delivery vehicles for nucleic acids.

An innovative pH-switchable colloidal system that can be exploited for site-selective anticancer drug delivery has been generated by liposome decoration with a new novel synthetic non-peptidic oligo-arginine cell-penetration enhancer (CPE) and a quenching PEGylated counterpart that detaches from the vesicle surface under the acidic conditions of tumors. The CPE module ( Arg 4 - DAG) is formed by four arginine units conjugated to a first-generation (G1) 2,2-bis(hydroxymethyl)propionic acid (bis-MPA)/2,2-bis(aminomethyl)propionic acid (bis-AMPA) polyester dendron terminating with 1,2-distearoyl-3-azidopropane for liposome bilayer insertion. The zeta potential of the Arg 4 - DAG-decorated liposomes increased up to +32 mV as the Arg 4 - DAG/lipids molar ratio increased. The Arg 4 - DAG liposome shielding at pH 7.4 was provided by methoxy-PEG 5 kDa -polymethacryloyl sulfadimethoxine (mPEG 5 kDa -SDM 8 ) with 7.1 apparent p K a . Zeta potential, surface plasmon resonance and synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering analyses showed that at pH 7.4 mPEG 5 kDa -SDM 8 associates with polycationic Arg 4 - DAG-decorated liposomes yielding liposomes with neutral zeta potential. At pH 6.5, which mimics the tumor environment, mPEG 5 kDa -SDM 8 detaches from the liposome surface yielding Arg 4 - DAG exposure. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy showed a 30-fold higher HeLa cancer cell association of the Arg 4 - DAG-decorated liposomes compared to non-decorated liposomes. At pH 7.4, the mPEG 5 kDa -SDM 8 -coated liposomes undergo low cell association while remarkable cell association occurred at pH 6.5, which allowed for the controlled intracellular delivery of model macromolecules and small molecules loaded in the liposome under tumor conditions.

A novel polysaccharide bioconjugate was designed to selectively target breast cancer bone metastases using a bisphosphonate moiety (alendronate, ALN). Paclitaxel (PTX) was first covalently conjugated to pullulan (Pull) through a Cathepsin K-sensitive tetrapeptide spacer followed by a self-immolative aminobenzyl alcohol spacer to obtain Pull-(GGPNle-φ-PTX). ALN was then conjugated to the polymeric backbone of Pull-(GGPNle-φ-PTX) via a PEG spacer. The final bioconjugate Pull-(GGPNle-φ-PTX)-(PEG-ALN) was found to assemble into colloidal spherical structures, which were physically and chemically stable under physiological conditions. In vitro studies showed that Pull-(GGPNle-φ-PTX)-(PEG-ALN) had strong affinity for hydroxyapatite, which simulates the bone tissue. Paclitaxel was rapidly released from the bioconjugate by Cathepsin K cleavage under pathological conditions. All studies performed using human MDA-MB-231-BM (bone metastases-originated clone), murine 4T1 breast cancer cells, murine K7M2, and human SAOS-2 osteosarcoma cells showed that the bioconjugate exerted an enhanced antiproliferative activity compared to the conjugate without the ALN. Furthermore, the nanoconjugate inhibited the migration of cancer cells and further displayed potent anti-angiogenic activity. In conclusion, the results showed that this conjugate has an excellent potential for selective treatment of bone neoplasms such as breast cancer bone metastases and osteosarcoma.

The application of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) for preparation of a novel class of protein-polymer bioconjugates is described, exemplified by the synthesis of a recombinant human growth hormone (rh-GH) poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) hybrid. The rh-GH protein was activated via a bromo-ester functionalized linker and used as a macroinitiator to polymerize the hydrophilic monomer PEGMA under solely aqueous conditions at 4 degrees C. ATRP conditions resulted in controlled polymer growth from rh-GH with low-polydispersity polyPEGMA chains. The rh-GH PEGMA product exhibited properties consistent with the presence of attached hydrophilic polymer chains, namely, high stability to denaturation and proteolysis. The polymerization conditions and conjugation proceeded with retention of the biological activity of the hormone. The rh-GH PEGMA was administered subcutaneously to rats and the activity compared to native rh-GH. The rh-GH PEGMA exhibited similar activity as the native rh-GH in vivo when a daily dose of 40 microg was administered. However, when a higher dose of 120 microg was administered with 3 days between injections the bioavailability of the rh-GH PEGMA was significantly better than that of the native. The results therefore demonstrate that ATRP can be successfully used as a general alternative approach to direct polymer conjugation, namely, PEGylation, to produce PEG-like protein conjugates. This technique can be exploited to design and synthesize protein-polymer derivatives with tailored therapeutic properties.

6-Ascorbate-PEG-1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (6-ascorbate-PEG-PE) was synthesized according to a two-step procedure: (1) activation of ascorbic acid with bromine, and (2) synthesis of 6-ascorbate-PEG-PE by reacting 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[amino (poly(ethylene glycol))-2000] with an excess of 6-Br-ascorbic acid. The 6-ascorbate-PEG-PE was recovered by precipitation in diethyl ether and purified by gel permeation chromatography. The analysis of the product by 1H NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy confirmed the identity of the conjugate. Liposomes and PEG-PE-based lipid-core micelles were prepared by thin film hydration technique incorporating 6-ascorbate-PEG-PE as targeting moiety. The targeting properties of the ascorbate-decorated nanosystems were tested by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis and fluorescent microscopy on a panel of tumor cell lines preliminary selected for their ability to express the SVCT2 ascorbate transporter. Cell lines had been selected on the basis of the immunological properties assessed by FACS, which showed that two glioma cell lines, C6 and F98, and fibroblasts NIH/3T3 express plasma membrane-associated SVCT2 transporter for reduced ascorbic acid. Ascorbate-decorated pharmaceutical nanocarriers were endowed with selective targeting properties toward the SVCT2 transporter expressed in glioma cell models. This study shows that SVCT2 transporter for ascorbic acid expressed both in peculiar epithelial cells of the choroid plexus responsible for the filtering of vitamin C into the central nervous system (CNS) and, in some brain tumor cell lines, can be conceivably exploited as a potential target for delivery of drug-loaded pharmaceutical nanocarriers to the brain.

A new end-tailored monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) for site-directed protein conjugation was synthesized according to a three-step procedure: (1) linear 20 kDa PEG-NH(2) was conjugated to 12-(Boc-amino)dodecanoic acid; (2) PEG-NHCO(CH(2))(11)-Boc was deprotected by TFA treatment; (3) PEG-NHCO(CH(2))(11)-NH(2) was conjugated to 6-maleimidohexanoic acid to yield PEG-NHCO-(CH(2))(11)-NHCO(CH(2))(5)-Mal (PEG-C(18)-Mal). The chemical intermediates as well as the final product were purified by solvent precipitation/extraction and characterized by (1)H NMR spectroscopy and colorimetric analysis. The synthesis procedure yielded over 90% activated product [PEG-NHCO-(CH(2))(11)-NHCO(CH(2))(5)-Mal/PEG-NH(2) molar ratio, %]. Both PEG-C(18)-Mal and the commercial maleimido activated 20 kDa linear PEG (PEG-Mal) were used for conjugation to (17)Cys of recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (rh-G-CSF). Under denaturing conditions, at pH 7.0, both activated PEGs yielded over 90% protein conjugation. Under native conditions, about 55% and 7% PEGylated protein were obtained with PEG-C(18)-Mal and PEG-Mal, respectively. Circular dichroism analysis showed that the PEGylation does not induce detectable alteration of the protein secondary structure. On the other hand, the PEGylation conditions were found to affect significantly the protein stability. The derivatives obtained either with the two polymers by unfolding/refolding process or with PEG-Mal under native conditions displayed rapid aggregation with half-life ranging from 30 to 90 min. The derivative obtained with PEG-NHCO-(CH(2))(11)-NHCO(CH(2))(5)-Mal in the absence of guanidinium chloride displayed remarkably higher stability with aggregation half-life of about 60 h.

The tumor targeting properties of a new drug carrier synthesized by bioconjugation of folic acid (FA) to beta-cyclodextrins through a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) spacer (CD-PEG-FA) were investigated. Surface plasmon resonance demonstrated that CD-PEG-FA specifically interacts with immobilized folate binding protein (FBP) while the naked beta-cyclodextrins do not display any specific interaction. In vitro studies demonstrated that CD-PEG-FA was devoid of cell toxicity. [(3)H]-folic acid/CD-PEG-FA competition binding investigations performed with folate receptor overexpressing human epidermal carcinoma KB cells showed that CD-PEG-FA had about 14 times lower tumor cell binding capacity than free folic acid. The carrier cell trafficking properties were investigated using rhodamine-B as fluorescent probe, which possesses 3000 and 4580 M(-)(1) inclusion constants for CD-PEG-FA and beta-cyclodextrins, respectively. Cell-associated fluorescence measurements showed that CD-PEG-FA does not promote the rhodamine-B uptake into non-folate receptor expressing human lung carcinoma MCF7 cells while 19% higher accumulation in KB cells was found with respect to rhodamine-B loaded beta-cyclodextrins. Confocal laser scanning microscopy indicated the presence of cytosolic red fluorescent spots after 2 h of incubation of KB cells with rhodamine-B included CD-PEG-FA. The fluorescent dye resided primarily in small spots, namely, endosomes and multivesicular bodies. At 1 h after pulsed incubation, wider red fluorescent cellular structures appeared as a fusion of previous structures.

beta-Cyclodextrin-poly(ethylene glycol)-folic acid conjugate (CD-PEG-FA) was synthesized according to a two-step procedure: (1). synthesis of CD-PEG-NH(2) by reaction of monotosyl-activated beta-cyclodextrin with excess of 700 Da diamino-PEG; (2). synthesis of CD-PEG-FA by reaction of CD-PEG-NH(2) with succinimidyl ester-activated folic acid. The CD-PEG-NH(2) intermediate was purified by precipitation in acetone, and the CD-PEG-FA by gel permeation and C-18 reversed-phase chromatography. Both CD-PEG-NH(2) and CD-PEG-FA were analyzed by mass spectrometry, (1)H NMR, and UV-vis spectroscopy. All analytical methods confirmed the theoretical composition of the conjugates: the CD-PEG-NH(2) intermediate was composed of CD and PEG in the molar ratio of 1:1, and the CD-PEG-FA was composed of beta-cyclodextrin, PEG, and folic acid in the molar ratio of 1:1:1. The CD-PEG-FA conjugate was highly soluble in buffer (>42 mM) as compared to the unmodified beta-cyclodextrin (16.3 mM). Phase solubility diagrams of beta-estradiol revealed that drug solubility increases from 11 microM in buffer to 600 microM in the presence of beta-cyclodextrins and 5900 microM with CD-PEG-FA. However, the affinity of beta-estradiol for beta-cyclodextrins decreased about 4 times with PEG and folic acid conjugation. Stability studies carried out using chlorambucil confirmed that the conjugate partially prevents drug degradation in buffer, although this effect was considerably lower than that obtained with beta-cyclodextrin. Computer modeling studies showed that the folic acid linked to the beta-cyclodextrins through a PEG spacer could partially interact with the cyclodextrin cavity. Finally, CD-PEG-FA displayed reduced hemolytic effect as compared to unmodified beta-cyclodextrin.

For a comparative study of immunological properties of protein-polymer conjugates, uricase was modified with (a) poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) 6000 Da, (b) poly(N-acriloylmorpholine) 6000 Da, (c) branched monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol) 10000 Da, and (d) linear monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol) 5000 Da. Spectroscopic studies performed by UV, fluorescence, and circular dichroism did not show any relevant difference in protein conformation among the native and the conjugates. Immunological studies showed that both uricase antigenicity and immunogenicity were altered by polymer conjugation to an extent that depended upon the polymer composition; in particular, monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol) 10000 Da remarkably reduced the protein antigenicity, while unexpectedly, the poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) derivative presented higher antigenicity than the native protein. In Balb/c mice, the native protein elicited a rapid and intense immunoresponse whereas all the conjugates induced a lower production of anti-native uricase antibodies. The rank order of immunogenicity was native uricase > uricase-poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) > or = uricase-poly(N-acriloylmorpholine) > uricase-monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol) 5000 Da > uricase-monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol) 10000 Da. The four conjugates also induced anti polymer immunoresponse. Anti poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) and anti poly(N-acriloylmorpholine) antibodies were generated from the first immunization while low levels of anti polymer antibodies were found with both poly(ethylene glycol) conjugates only after the second immunization.

New PEG derivatives were studied for peptide and protein modification, based upon an amino acid arm, Met-Nle or Met-beta Ala, activated as succinimidyl ester. PEG-Met-Nle-OSu or PEG-Met-beta Ala-OSu react with amino groups in protein-yielding conjugates with stable amide bond. From these conjugates PEG may be removed by BrCN treatment, leaving Nle or beta Ala as reporter amino acid, at the site where PEG was bound. The conjugation of PEG and its removal by BrCN treatment was assessed on a partial sequence of glucagone and on lysozyme as model peptide or protein. Furthermore, insulin, a protein with three potential sites of PEGylation, was modified by PEG-Met-Nle, and the PEG isomers were separated by HPLC. After removal of PEG, as reported above, the sites of PEGylation were identified by characterization of the two insulin chains obtained after reduction and carboxymethylation. Mass spectrometry, amino acid analysis and Edman sequence, could reveal the position of the reporter norleucine that corresponds to the position of PEG binding.

A comparative pharmacokinetic and biodistribution investigation of polymer-protein conjugates prepared with various amphiphilic polymers was carried out using uricase as a model. Four polymer-uricase derivatives have been obtained by covalent binding of a similar number of polymer chains of (a) linear poly(ethylene glycol) (Mw 5000 Da); (b) branched poly(ethylene glycol) (Mw 10 000 Da); (c) poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (Mw 6000 Da); (d) poly(N-acryloilmorpholine) (Mw 6000 Da). By intravenous administration to Balb/c mice, the conjugates displayed different pharmacokinetic and organ distribution behaviors. (1) The unmodified enzyme and the poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) conjugate were the enzyme forms with the shortest and the longest permanence in blood respectively (mean residence time 45 and 4378 min). (2) Native uricase was found to localize soon after administration significantly in heart, lungs, and liver from where it was also rapidly cleared. (3) The poly(N-acryloilmorpholine) derivative showed the highest concentration levels in liver (up to 25.5% of the dose) and considerable accumulation took also place in the other considered organs. (4) Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)-uricase displayed a relevant tropism for liver but low uptake indexes were found for the other organs. (5) The branched poly(ethylene glycol) derivative accumulated preferentially in liver and spleen. (6) The linear poly(ethylene glycol) conjugate was, among the various uricase forms, the species with the lowest distribution levels in all the examined organs. (7) Finally, all the enzyme forms slowly disposed in kidneys with higher levels for the poly(N-acryloilmorpholine) derivative (15% after 2880 min) and unmodified uricase (14% after 1440 min).

Procedures are described for linking monomethoxypoly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) to both epsilon and alpha amino groups of lysine. The lysine carboxyl group can then be activated as a succinimidyl ester to obtain a new mPEG derivative (mPEG2-COOSu) with improved properties for biotechnical applications. This branched reagent showed in some cases a lower reactivity toward protein amino groups than the linear mPEG from which it was derived. A comparison of mPEG- and mPEG2-modified enzymes (ribonuclease, catalase, asparaginase, trypsin) was carried out for activity, pH and temperature stability, Km and Kcat values, and protection to proteolytic digestion. Most of the adducts from mPEG and mPEG2 modification presented similar activity and stability toward temperature change and pH change, although in a few cases mPEG2 modification was found to increase temperature stability and to widen the range of pH stability of the adducts. On the other hand, all of the enzymes modified with the branched polymer presented greater stability to proteolytic digestion relative to those modified with the linear mPEG. A further advantage of this branched mPEG lies in the possibility of a precise evaluation of the number of polymer molecules bound to the proteins; upon acid hydrolysis, each molecule of mPEG2 releases a molecule of lysine which can be detected by amino acid analysis. Finally, dimerization of mPEG by coupling to lysine provides a needed route to monofunctional PEGs of high molecular weight.