Prashant Mani

Long‐term reduction of jaundice in Gunn rats by nonviral liver‐targeted delivery of Sleeping Beauty transposon

Asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGPR)‐mediated endocytosis has been used to target genes to hepatocytes in vivo. However, the level and duration of transgene expression have been low because of lysosomal translocation and degradation of the DNA and lack of its integration into the host genome. In this study we packaged the DNA of interest in proteoliposomes containing the fusogenic galactose‐terminated F‐glycoprotein of the Sendai virus (FPL) for targeted delivery to hepatocytes. After the FPL binds to ASGPR on the hepatocyte surface, fusogenic activity of the F‐protein delivers the DNA into the cytosol, bypassing the endosomal pathway. For transgene integration we designed plasmids containing one transcription unit expressing the Sleeping Beauty transposase (SB) and another expressing human uridinediphosphoglucuronate glucuronosyltransferase‐1A1 (pSB‐hUGT1A1). The latter was flanked by inverted/direct repeats that are substrates of SB. In cell culture, FPL‐mediated delivery of the E. coli β‐galactosidase gene (LacZ) resulted in transduction of ASGPR‐positive cells (rat hepatocytes or Hepa1 cell line), but not of ASGPR‐negative 293 cells. Intravenous injection of the FPL‐entrapped pSB‐hUGT1A1 (4‐8 μg/day, 1‐4 doses) into UGT1A1‐deficient hyperbilirubinemic Gunn rats (model of Crigler‐Najjar syndrome type 1) resulted in hUGT1A1 expression in 5%‐10% of hepatocytes, but not in other cell types. Serum bilirubin levels declined by 30% ± 4% in 2 weeks and remained at that level throughout the 7‐month study duration. With histidine containing FPL, serum bilirubin was reduced by 40% ± 5%, and bilirubin glucuronides were excreted into bile. No antibodies were detectable in the recipient rats against the F‐protein or human UGT1A1. Conclusion: FPL is an efficient hepatocyte‐targeted gene delivery platform in vivo that warrants further exploration toward clinical application. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)

Targeted cytosolic delivery of hydrogel nanoparticles into HepG2 cells through engineered Sendai viral envelopes.

Hydrogel nanoparticles of cross‐linked polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP‐NP) (35–50 nm in diameter) containing fluoresceinated dextran (FITC‐Dx) were encapsulated in reconstituted Sendai viral envelopes containing only the fusion (F) protein (F‐virosomes1). Incubation of these loaded F‐virosomes with human hepatoblastoma cells (HepG2) in culture resulted in membrane‐fusion‐mediated delivery of NPs to the cell cytoplasm, as inferred from the ability of cells to internalize FITC‐Dx loaded PVP‐NP (PVPf‐NP) in the presence of azide (an inhibitor of the endocytotic process). Introduction of PVPf‐NP into the HepG2 cells was assured by selective accumulation of FITC fluorescence in the cytosolic compartment. The structural integrity of the internalized PVPf‐NP was also confirmed by fluorescence microscopy and ultracentrifugation analysis. The potential usefulness of PVP‐NP‐mediated cytosolic release of water soluble drugs both in vitro and in vivo has been established for the first time.

Targeted delivery of hepatitis C virus-specific short hairpin RNA in mouse liver using Sendai virosomes

Internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated translation of input viral RNA is the initial required step for the replication of the positive-stranded genome of hepatitis C virus (HCV). We have shown previously the importance of the GCAC sequence near the initiator AUG within the stem and loop IV (SLIV) region in mediating ribosome assembly on HCV RNA. Here, we demonstrate selective inhibition of HCV-IRES-mediated translation using short hairpin (sh)RNA targeting the same site within the HCV IRES. sh-SLIV showed significant inhibition of viral RNA replication in a human hepatocellular carcinoma (Huh7) cell line harbouring a HCV monocistronic replicon. More importantly, co-transfection of infectious HCV-H77s RNA and sh-SLIV in Huh7.5 cells successfully demonstrated a significant decrease in viral RNA in HCV cell culture. Additionally, we report, for the first time, the targeted delivery of sh-SLIV RNA into mice liver using Sendai virosomes and demonstrate selective inhibition of HCV-IRES-mediated translation. Results provide the proof of concept that Sendai virosomes could be used for the efficient delivery of shRNAs into liver tissue to block HCV replication.

A Histidine Switch in Hemagglutinin-Neuraminidase Triggers Paramyxovirus-Cell Membrane Fusion

ABSTRACT Most paramyxovirus fusion proteins require coexpression of and activation by a homotypic attachment protein, hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN), to promote membrane fusion. However, the molecular mechanism of the activation remains unknown. We previously showed that the incorporation of a monohistidylated lipid into F-virosome (Sendai viral envelope containing only fusion protein) enhanced its fusion to hepatocytes, suggesting that the histidine residue in the lipid accelerated membrane fusion. Therefore, we explored whether a histidine moiety in HN could similarly direct activation of the fusion protein. In membrane fusion assays, the histidine substitution mutants of HN (H247A of Sendai virus and H245A of human parainfluenza virus 3) had impaired membrane fusion promotion activity without significant changes in other biological activities. Synthetic 30-mer peptides corresponding to regions of the two HN proteins containing these histidine residues rescued the fusion promoting activity of the mutants, whereas peptides with histidine residues substituted by alanine did not. These histidine-containing peptides also activated F-virosome fusion with hepatocytes both in the presence and in the absence of mutant HN in the virosome. We provide evidence that the HN-mimicking peptides promote membrane fusion, revealing a specific histidine “switch” in HN that triggers fusion.

Reciprocal Regulation of AKT and MAP Kinase Dictates Virus-Host Cell Fusion

ABSTRACT Viruses of the Paramyxoviridae family bind to their host cells by using hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN), which enhances fusion protein (F)-mediated membrane fusion. Although respiratory syncytial virus and parainfluenza virus 5 of this family are suggested to trigger host cell signaling during infection, the virus-induced intracellular signals dictating virus-cell fusion await elucidation. Using an F- or HN-F-containing reconstituted envelope of Sendai virus, another paramyxovirus, we revealed the role and regulation of AKT1 and Raf/MEK/ERK cascades during viral fusion with liver cells. Our observation that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation promotes viral fusion via ezrin-mediated cytoskeletal rearrangements, whereas AKT1 attenuates fusion by promoting phosphorylation of F protein, indicates a counteractive regulation of viral fusion by reciprocal activation of AKT1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, establishing a novel conceptual framework for a therapeutic strategy.

Targeting ribosome assembly on the HCV RNA using a small RNA molecule.

Translation initiation of hepatitis C Virus (HCV) RNA is the initial obligatory step of the viral life cycle, mediated through the Internal Ribosome Entry Site (IRES) present in the 5′-untranslated region (UTR). Initiation on the HCV IRES is mediated by multiple structure-specific interactions between IRES RNA and host 40S ribosomal subunit. In the present study we demonstrate that the SLIIIef domain, in isolation from other structural elements of HCV IRES, retain the ability to interact with 40S ribosome subunit. A small RNA SLRef, mimicking the SLIIIef domain was found to interact specifically with human La protein and the ribosomal protein S5 and selectively inhibit HCV RNA translation. More importantly, SLRef RNA showed significant suppression of replication in HCV monocistronic replicon and decrease of negative strand synthesis in HCV cell culture system. Finally, using Sendai virus based virosome, the targeted delivery of SLRef RNA into mice liver succeeded in selectively inhibiting HCV IRES mediated translation in vivo.

Combination of hepatocyte specific delivery and transformation dependent expression of shRNA inducing transcriptional gene silencing of c-Myc promoter in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

BackgroundA specific targeting modality for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) could ideally encompass a liver cell specific delivery system of a transcriptional unit that is active only in neoplastic cells. Sendai virosomes, derived from Sendai viral envelopes, home to hepatocytes based on the liver specific expression of asialoglycoprotein receptors (ASGPRs) which are recognized by the Sendai virosomal fusion (F) proteins. As reported earlier by us and other groups, transcriptional gene silencing (TGS) does not require continuous presence of the effector siRNA/shRNA molecule and is heritable, involving epigenetic modifications, leading to long term transcriptional repression. This could be advantageous over conventional gene therapy approaches, since continuous c-Myc inactivation is required to suppress hepatocarcinoma cells.MethodsExploiting such virosomal delivery, the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) promoter, in combination with various tumour specific enhancers, was used to drive the expression of shRNA directed against ME1a1 binding site of the proto-oncogene c-Myc P2 promoter, in order to induce TGS in neoplastic liver cells.ResultsThe dual specificity achieved by the Sendai virosomal delivery system and the promoter/enhancer guided expression ensured that the shRNA inducing TGS was active only in liver cells that had undergone malignant transformation. Our results indicate that such a bimodal therapeutic system induced specific activation of apoptosis in hepatocarcinoma cells due to heterochromatization and increased DNA methylation of the CpG islands around the target loci.ConclusionsThe Sendai virosomal delivery system, combined with AFP promoter/enhancer expression machinery, could serve as a generalized mechanism for the expression of genes deleterious to transformed hepatocarcinoma cells. In this system, the epigenetic suppression of c-Myc could have an added advantage for inducing cell death in the targeted cells.

Inhibition of the Interaction Between NS3 Protease and HCV IRES With a Small Peptide: A Novel Therapeutic Strategy

Recently, we have demonstrated that the protease domain of NS3 alone can bind specifically to hepatitis C virus (HCV) internal ribosome entry site (IRES) near the initiator AUG, dislodges human La protein and inhibits translation in favor of viral RNA replication. Here, by using a computational approach, the contact points of the protease on the HCV IRES were putatively mapped. A 30-mer NS3 peptide was designed from the predicted RNA-binding region that retained RNA-binding ability and also inhibited IRES-mediated translation. This peptide was truncated to 15 mer and this also demonstrated ability to inhibit HCV RNA-directed translation as well as replication. More importantly, its activity was tested in an in vivo mouse model by encapsulating the peptide in Sendai virus virosomes followed by intravenous delivery. The study demonstrates for the first time that the HCV NS3-IRES RNA interaction can be selectively inhibited using a small peptide and reports a strategy to deliver the peptide into the liver.

Erratum to: A novel placental like alkaline phosphatase promoter driven transcriptional silencing combined with single chain variable fragment antibody based virosomal delivery for neoplastic cell targeting

Background Placental like alkaline phosphate (PLAP), an oncofetal antigen, is highly expressed in germ cell, cervical, ovarian and several other tumour types but minimally in normal tissues. The expression of a PLAP promoter based transcriptional unit following antigen mediated cell specific delivery is a possible approach for tumour targeting.