Aptamer-displaying peptide amphiphile micelles as a cell-targeted delivery vehicle of peptide cargoes

Peptide amphiphile micelles (PAMs) are attractive vehicles for the delivery of a variety of therapeutic and prophylactic peptides. However, a key limitation of PAMs is their lack of preferential targeting ability. In this paper, we describe our design of a PAM system that incorporates a DNA oligonucleotide amphiphile (antitail amphiphile—AA) to form A/PAMs. A cell-targeting DNA aptamer with a 3′ extension sequence (tail) complementary to the AA is annealed to the surface to form aptamer-displaying PAMs (Aptamer∼A/PAMs). Aptamer∼A/PAMs are small, anionic, stable nanoparticles capable of delivering a large mass percentage peptide amphiphile (PA) compared to targeting DNA components. Aptamer∼A/PAMs are stable for over 4 h in the presence of biological fluids. Additionally, the aptamer retains its cell-targeting properties when annealed to the A/PAM, thus leading to enhanced delivery to a specifically-targeted B-cell leukemia cell line. This exciting modular technology can be readily used with a library of different targeting aptamers and PAs, capable of improving the bioavailability and potency of the peptide cargo. (paper)