Chemical approaches to discover the full potential of peptide nucleic acids in biomedical applications

• Nikita Brodyagin,
• Martins Katkevics,
• Venubabu Kotikam,
• Christopher A. Ryan and
• Eriks Rozners

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 1641–1688, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.116

• , many research groups have worked on chemical modifications to the backbone and nucleobases of PNA, as well as conjugating PNA to other biomolecules (e.g., cell-penetrating peptides) [4]. The present review summarizes the most significant efforts and achievements in optimizing various aspects of PNA

• ][159][160]. Looking forward, conjugation of PNA with various delivery enhancing compounds, most notably cell-penetrating peptides (CPP) that deliver the conjugates mainly through endocytosis (Figure 11) has become one of the most promising approaches to improving cellular uptake of PNA [161][162

• covalent conjugation of PNA to delivery enhancing compounds. Cell-penetrating peptides derived from natural proteins: The initial success of PNA delivery involved PNA conjugates taken up by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Pardridge and co-workers successfully demonstrated in vivo delivery and blood-brain

Enhanced target cell specificity and uptake of lipid nanoparticles using RNA aptamers and peptides

• Roslyn M. Ray,
• Anders Højgaard Hansen,
• Maria Taskova,
• Bernhard Jandl,
• Jonas Hansen,
• Citra Soemardy,
• Kevin V. Morris and
• Kira Astakhova

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2021, 17, 891–907, doi:10.3762/bjoc.17.75

• (GraphPad Software, CA). Components of the LNPs. A) Lipid species and lipidated cell-penetrating peptides applied by postinsertion. B) Graphical representation of aptamer–probe hybrids. LNPs with T7 pass through the transwell cell barrier and are taken up by target cells. HeLa (CCR5-negative control cell

• receptor type 5 (CCR5), a HIV-1 coreceptor. We report herein a CCR5-selective RNA aptamer that acts to facilitate entry through a simplified BBB model and that drives the uptake of LNPs into CCR5-expressing cells, while the gp160 aptamer did not. We further observed that the addition of cell-penetrating

• peptides, Tat and T7, did not increase BBB penetration above the aptamer-loaded LNPs alone. Moreover, we found that these targeted LNPs exhibit low immunogenic and low toxic profiles and that targeted LNPs can traverse the BBB to potentially deliver drugs into the target tissue. This approach highlights

Automated high-content imaging for cellular uptake, from the Schmuck cation to the latest cyclic oligochalcogenides

• Rémi Martinent,
• Javier López-Andarias,
• Dimitri Moreau,
• Yangyang Cheng,
• Naomi Sakai and
• Stefan Matile

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2020, 16, 2007–2016, doi:10.3762/bjoc.16.167

• chemistry tools to deliver into living cells has seen a shift of attention from counterion-mediated uptake of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and their mimics, particularly the Schmuck cation, toward thiol-mediated uptake with cell-penetrating poly(disulfide)s (CPDs) and cyclic oligochalcogenides (COCs

• results can be obtained from dose–response curves of the targeted delivery to selected cells and the cytotoxicity in the same experiment, even with poorly optimized cellular systems. Keywords: automation; cell-penetrating peptides; cellular uptake; cytosolic delivery; cytotoxicity; high-content imaging

• challenge is most pronounced with large substrates, such as proteins, oligonucleotides, or nanoparticles, due to the permeability barriers formed by the lipophilic core of the cell membrane [18][19]. In recent decades, the use of arginine-rich cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) as carriers has emerged as an

Synthesis and photophysical studies of a multivalent photoreactive Ru^II-calix[4]arene complex bearing RGD-containing cyclopentapeptides

• Sofia Kajouj,
• Lionel Marcelis,
• Alice Mattiuzzi,
• Adrien Grassin,
• Damien Dufour,
• Pierre Van Antwerpen,
• Didier Boturyn,
• Eric Defrancq,
• Mathieu Surin,
• Julien De Winter,
• Pascal Gerbaux,
• Ivan Jabin and
• Cécile Moucheron

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1758–1768, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.150

• is also faced by complexes anchored on cell-penetrating peptides. In order to provide a selective cell targeting, we developed a multivalent system composed of a photoreactive ruthenium(II) complex tethered to a calix[4]arene platform bearing multiple RGD-containing cyclopentapeptides. Extensive

• reactive-oxygen-species-dependent apoptosis. Another strategy for the design of cell penetrating photoreactive RuII complexes consists of tethering the complex to a vector that allows a cellular uptake. In this context, OsII, RhIII and RuII complexes were anchored to cell penetrating peptides (CPP) such as

Natural and redesigned wasp venom peptides with selective antitumoral activity

• Marcelo D. T. Torres,
• Gislaine P. Andrade,
• Roseli H. Sato,
• Cibele N. Pedron,
• Tania M. Manieri,
• Giselle Cerchiaro,
• Anderson O. Ribeiro,
• Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez and
• Vani X. Oliveira Jr.

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1693–1703, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.144

• rather than Arg due to its superior flexibility, lower propensity in potentially toxic cell-penetrating peptides [29], and decreased hydrophobic side chain, which is associated with cytotoxicity [30]. Moreover, Lys residues are more frequent than Arg residues in naturally occurring wasp venom peptides

• residues are not major components of cell-penetrating peptides [32], which are typically cytotoxic, so we chose to synthesize a Trp-containing analog as well. The changes in the designed analogs led to slight differences in specific physicochemical features (Table 1), such as hydrophobicity, hydrophobic

Design and biological characterization of novel cell-penetrating peptides preferentially targeting cell nuclei and subnuclear regions

• Anja Gronewold,
• Mareike Horn and
• Ines Neundorf

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1378–1388, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.116

• Anja Gronewold Mareike Horn Ines Neundorf Department of Chemistry, Biochemistry, University of Cologne, Zuelpicher Str. 47a, 50674 Cologne, Germany 10.3762/bjoc.14.116 Abstract Within this study, we report about the design and biological characterization of novel cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs

• nuclei; cell-penetrating peptides; nucleoli; subcellular targeting; Introduction Various drugs act on targets that are located within the nucleus, the control center of the eukaryotic cell. A lipid bilayer membrane, which is perforated with nuclear pore complex structures through which the transfer of

• , these peptides have been added to the growing family of cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs). CPPs are able to overcome the cellular membrane and to enhance the intracellular uptake of CPP-modified molecules [9]. Usually, these peptides are relatively short (≤30 amino acids (aa)) and display an amphipathic

Oligonucleotide analogues with cationic backbone linkages

• Melissa Meng and
• Christian Ducho

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2018, 14, 1293–1308, doi:10.3762/bjoc.14.111

• aspired improvement of cellular uptake, fully cationic oligonucleotide analogues might also be attractive candidate structures, as indicated by the advantageous properties of cationic cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) [38]. However, the design of modifications of type 1–6 precludes the preparation of fully

Peptide–polymer ligands for a tandem WW-domain, an adaptive multivalent protein–protein interaction: lessons on the thermodynamic fitness of flexible ligands

• Katharina Koschek,
• Vedat Durmaz,
• Oxana Krylova,
• Marek Wieczorek,
• Shilpi Gupta,
• Martin Richter,
• Alexander Bujotzek,
• Christina Fischer,
• Rainer Haag,
• Christian Freund,
• Marcus Weber and
• Jörg Rademann

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2015, 11, 837–847, doi:10.3762/bjoc.11.93

• . Moreover, attachment of bioactive peptides to polymers strongly enhanced their stability and protected them from proteolysis [7][8]. The construction of peptide-polymer conjugates with additional cell-penetrating peptides attached [9] enabled the smooth intracellular delivery of the conjugated polymer; as

• a third component fluorescent dyes [10] were coupled to the polymers simultaneously with the bioactive and the cell-penetrating peptides in order to enable the monitoring of cellular uptake and intracellular distribution of the peptide–polymer conjugate. Until now, various polymer carriers have been

Dimerization of a cell-penetrating peptide leads to enhanced cellular uptake and drug delivery

• Jan Hoyer,
• Ulrich Schatzschneider,
• Michaela Schulz-Siegmund and
• Ines Neundorf

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2012, 8, 1788–1797, doi:10.3762/bjoc.8.204

• , Germany, University of Leipzig 10.3762/bjoc.8.204 Abstract Over the past 20 years, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) have gained tremendous interest due to their ability to deliver a variety of therapeutically active molecules that would otherwise be unable to cross the cellular membrane due to their size

• a cell-penetrating peptide. Keywords: anti-tumor agents; cell-penetrating peptides; drug delivery; internalization studies; organometallic complexes; peptides; Introduction A substantial problem concerning promising drug candidates is often their incapacity to reach their full therapeutic

• potential due to limited bioavailability and cellular uptake. In recent years, cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) emerged as an encouraging tool to overcome this obstacle owing to their ability to autonomously cross the cellular membrane in a receptor-independent manner. This enables them to deliver a large