Alain R. Thierry

Lipid-based delivery of combinations of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides for the in vitro inhibition of HIV-1 replication.

We evaluated a new approach to AIDS therapy by using combinations of oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs), delivered with a lipid-based carrier system, that target different HIV viral genome sites. We identified some of the factors that seem to influence the effectiveness of a combination strategy in cell cultures including ODN concentrations, type of infection (acute vs chronic), backbone modification of the ODN, and the number of sequences. When delivered by the DLS carrier system, some advantages of using a combination of ODNs over treatment with only one ODN could be observed in acute infection assays but not in the chronic infection model. These results suggest that in the acute infection model, the 3 different antisense ODNs in the “cocktail” might block an early step of virus replication by combined inhibitory effects. Various combinations of phosphorothioate-modified (PS) and unmodified oligonucleotides delivered by the DLS system were compared for their antiviral activity in a long-term acute assay using HIV-1 (IIIB strain)-infected MOLT-3 cells. The most effective combination had 3 phosphorothioate antisense ODNs: Srev, SDIS, and SPac (>99% inhibition at 100 pM). However, the additive effect determined when using ODN combinations was rather low, revealing the high level of nonsequence specificity in HIV-1 cell culture models. Data illustrated the high sequence nonspecific activity of ODNs, especially when comparing activity of antisense ODNs with activity of random control sequence ODNs. The latter exhibited an inhibitory effect similar to that of antisense ODNs under our experimental conditions. Nevertheless, we demonstrated that it is possible to achieve high anti-HIV activity by using, in combination, picomolar range concentrations of antisense oligonucleotides complexed to a lipid-based carrier system such as the DLS system, without increasing cell toxicity.

Is Antisense an Appropriate Nomenclature or Design for Oligodeoxynucleotides Aimed at the Inhibition of HIV-1 Replication?

We have evaluated the specificity and the variation in activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection of antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) with regard to factors such as dose-response range, number and choice of experimental controls, backbone modifications of the ODNs, type of cell infection, length of assays, and delivery approach. The highest level of inhibition was achieved in our long-term assay with MOLT-3 cells acutely infected with HIV-1 (IIIB0 and treated with free phosphorothioate-modified ODNs (PS-ODNs). The highest level of specificity was observed in our short-term assay with MOLT-3 cells acutely infected with HIV-1 (IIIB) and treated with free PS-ODNs. the highest potency (IC50 level) was observed in our short-term chronic-infection model with (DLS)-delivered ODNs in which the DLS delivery improved the ODN activity up to 106 times compared to the activity of free ODNs. Thus, the near blocking of HIV replication obtained when using PS-ODNs appears because of the addition of extracellular and/or membranar effects. The higher efficacy of PS-ODNs compared to unmodified ODNs, when both are delivered with the DLS system, was demonstrated solely in our short-term assay with MOLT-3 cells. Important variations in the level of sequence specificity were observed and depended on the type of control used and the type of cell assay employed. It seems that all 3 groups of control-tested, random, sense sequence, and non-antisense T30177 ODNs might have distinct activity and, consequently, different modes of action in inhibiting HIV replication. Our data buttress the notion that the contribution of the sequence-specific mediated mode of action is minor compared to the other mechanisms involved in ODN antiviral activity.

Influence of lipoplex surface charge on siRNA delivery: application to the in vitro downregulation of CXCR4 HIV-1 co-receptor

Objective: Cationic lipidic formulations have been successfully used to deliver small interfering RNA (siRNA) into cells but they show limitations for in vivo application due to their cytotoxicity and instability in the presence of serum. To overcome these limitations, the authors developed an anionic lipid-based carrier named Neutraplex (Nx). Here, they wanted to investigate the influence of the lipoplex (Lx) surface charge on cytotoxicity, delivery and silencing activity of siRNAs. Methods: The efficiency of three Nx formulations (cationic, close to neutrality and anionic) to deliver anti-CXCR4 siRNAs in MAGI cells was investigated and compared with the cationic commercial transfection reagent Lipofectamine RNAiMAX. Cellular uptake and intracellular localization of a fluorescent siRNA was monitored in live cells using fluorescence microscopy and silencing activity was measured by flow cytometry and RT-PCR analysis. Results: The authors found that the Lx surface charge influenced cellular uptake and silencing activity of siRNA in cell cultures. Although cationic Lx formulations were the most efficient carriers to deliver active silencing siRNAs, negatively charged lipoplexes were taken up by cells, delivered active siRNAs and presented low cytotoxicity. Conclusions: Altogether, the findings support further investigation for in vivo delivery of therapeutic siRNAs using Nx. Furthermore, this study indicates that anionic delivery systems may have potential for in vivo RNAi therapeutics.

Cytotoxicity assessment, inflammatory properties, and cellular uptake of Neutraplex lipid-based nanoparticles in THP-1 monocyte-derived macrophages

Current antiretroviral drugs used to prevent or treat human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection are not able to eliminate the virus within tissues or cells where HIV establishes reservoirs. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop targeted delivery systems to enhance drug concentrations in these viral sanctuary sites. Macrophages are key players in HIV infection and contribute significantly to the cellular reservoirs of HIV because the virus can survive for prolonged periods in these cells. In the present work, we investigated the potential of the lipid-based Neutraplex nanosystem to deliver anti-HIV therapeutics in human macrophages using the human monocyte/macrophage cell line THP-1. Neutraplex nanoparticles as well as cationic and anionic Neutraplex nanolipoplexes (Neutraplex/small interfering RNA) were prepared and characterized by dynamic light scattering. Neutraplex nanoparticles showed low cytotoxicity in CellTiter-Blue reduction and lactate dehydrogenase release assays and were not found to have pro-inflammatory effects. In addition, confocal studies showed that the Neutraplex nanoparticles and nanolipoplexes are rapidly internalized into THP-1 macrophages and that they can escape the late endosome/lysosome compartment allowing the delivery of small interfering RNAs in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, HIV replication was inhibited in the in vitro TZM-bl infectivity assay when small interfering RNAs targeting CXCR4 co-receptor was delivered by Neutraplex nanoparticles compared to a random small interfering RNA sequence. This study demonstrates that the Neutraplex nanosystem has potential for further development as a delivery strategy to efficiently and safely enhance the transport of therapeutic molecules into human monocyte-derived macrophages in the aim of targeting HIV-1 in this cellular reservoir.