Retro-inverso peptide inhibitor nanoparticles as potent inhibitors of aggregation of the Alzheimer's Aβ peptide

Abstract

Aggregation of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) is a key event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We investigated the effects of nanoliposomes decorated with the retro-inverso peptide RI-OR2-TAT (Ac-rGffvlkGrrrrqrrkkrGy-NH₂) on the aggregation and toxicity of Aβ. Remarkably low concentrations of these peptide inhibitor nanoparticles (PINPs) were required to inhibit the formation of Aβ oligomers and fibrils in vitro, with 50% inhibition occurring at a molar ratio of ~1:2000 of liposome-bound RI-OR2-TAT to Aβ. PINPs also bound to Aβ with high affinity (K_d=13.2-50 nM), rescued SHSY-5Y cells from the toxic effect of pre-aggregated Aβ, crossed an in vitro blood-brain barrier model (hCMEC/D3 cell monolayer), entered the brains of C57 BL/6 mice, and protected against memory loss in APP_SWE transgenic mice in a novel object recognition test. As the most potent aggregation inhibitor that we have tested so far, we propose to develop PINPs as a potential disease-modifying treatment for AD.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Liposomes; Oligomer; Retro-inverso peptide; β-amyloid.