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Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication in the lung with siRNA/VIPER polyplexes.
J. Control. Release 345, 661-674 (2022)
SARS-CoV-2 has been the cause of a global pandemic since 2019 and remains a medical urgency. siRNA-based therapies are a promising strategy to fight viral infections. By targeting a specific region of the viral genome, siRNAs can efficiently downregulate viral replication and suppress viral infection. However, to achieve the desired therapeutic activity, siRNA requires a suitable delivery system. The VIPER (virus-inspired polymer for endosomal release) block copolymer has been reported as promising delivery system for both plasmid DNA and siRNA in the past years. It is composed of a hydrophilic block for condensation of nucleic acids as well as a hydrophobic, pH-sensitive block that, at acidic pH, exposes the membrane lytic peptide melittin, which enhances endosomal escape. In this study, we aimed at developing a formulation for pulmonary administration of siRNA to suppress SARS-CoV-2 replication in lung epithelial cells. After characterizing siRNA/VIPER polyplexes, the activity and safety profile were confirmed in a lung epithelial cell line. To further investigate the activity of the polyplexes in a more sophisticated cell culture system, an air-liquid interface (ALI) culture was established. siRNA/VIPER polyplexes reached the cell monolayer and penetrated through the mucus layer secreted by the cells. Additionally, the activity against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 in the ALI model was confirmed by qRT-PCR. To investigate translatability of our findings, the activity against SARS-CoV-2 was tested ex vivo in human lung explants. Here, siRNA/VIPER polyplexes efficiently inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication. Finally, we verified the delivery of siRNA/VIPER polyplexes to lung epithelial cells in vivo, which represent the main cellular target of viral infection in the lung. In conclusion, siRNA/VIPER polyplexes efficiently delivered siRNA to lung epithelial cells and mediated robust downregulation of viral replication both in vitro and ex vivo without toxic or immunogenic side effects in vivo, demonstrating the potential of local siRNA delivery as a promising antiviral therapy in the lung.
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Publikationstyp
Artikel: Journalartikel
Dokumenttyp
Wissenschaftlicher Artikel
Schlagwörter
Human Precision-cut Lung Slices ; Pulmonary Delivery ; Rna Therapeutics ; Sars-cov-2 ; Sirna Delivery
ISSN (print) / ISBN
0168-3659
e-ISSN
1873-4995
Zeitschrift
Journal of Controlled Release
Quellenangaben
Band: 345,
Seiten: 661-674
Verlag
Elsevier
Nichtpatentliteratur
Publikationen
Begutachtungsstatus
Peer reviewed
Förderungen
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen
Volkswagen Foundation
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
European Research Council
National Institutes of Health
Klinikum der Universitat Munchen
Bavarian State Government for Förderprogramm Corona-Forschung
Volkswagen Foundation
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
European Research Council
National Institutes of Health
Klinikum der Universitat Munchen
Bavarian State Government for Förderprogramm Corona-Forschung