Assisting PNA transport through cystic fibrosis human airway epithelia with biodegradable hybrid lipid-polymer nanoparticles

Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 18;11(1):6393. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-85549-z.

Abstract

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by an airway obstruction caused by a thick mucus due to a malfunctioning Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) protein. The sticky mucus restricts drugs in reaching target cells limiting the efficiency of treatments. The development of new approaches to enhance drug delivery to the lungs represents CF treatment's main challenge. In this work, we report the production and characterization of hybrid core-shell nanoparticles (hNPs) comprising a PLGA core and a dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) shell engineered for inhalation. We loaded hNPs with a 7-mer peptide nucleic acid (PNA) previously considered for its ability to modulate the post-transcriptional regulation of the CFTR gene. We also investigated the in vitro release kinetics of hNPs and their efficacy in PNA delivery across the human epithelial airway barrier using an ex vivo model based on human primary nasal epithelial cells (HNEC) from CF patients. Confocal analyses and hNPs transport assay demonstrated the ability of hNPs to overcome the mucus barrier and release their PNA cargo within the cytoplasm, where it can exert its biological function.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine / chemistry
  • 1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine / pharmacology
  • Airway Obstruction / drug therapy
  • Airway Obstruction / genetics
  • Airway Obstruction / pathology
  • Cystic Fibrosis / drug therapy*
  • Cystic Fibrosis / genetics
  • Cystic Fibrosis / pathology
  • Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / genetics*
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • Humans
  • Lung / drug effects
  • Lung / pathology
  • Mucus / drug effects
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Nasal Mucosa / drug effects
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids / chemistry
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids / pharmacology*
  • Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer / chemistry
  • Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer / pharmacology

Substances

  • CFTR protein, human
  • Peptide Nucleic Acids
  • Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator
  • Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid Copolymer
  • 1,2-Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine