Engineering Enzyme-Cleavable Oligonucleotides by Automated Solid-Phase Incorporation of Cathepsin B Sensitive Dipeptide Linkers.

Jin C., Ei-Sagheer AH., Li S., Vallis KA., Tan W., Brown T.

Oligonucleotides containing cleavable linkers have emerged as versatile tools to achieve stimulus-responsive and site-specific cleavage of DNA. However, the limitations of previously reported cleavable linkers including photolabile and disulfide linkers have restricted their applications in vivo. Inspired by the cathepsin B-sensitive dipeptide linkers in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) such as Adcetris, we have developed Val-Ala-02 and Val-Ala-Chalcone phosphoramidites for the automated synthesis of enzyme-cleavable oligonucleotides. Cathepsin B digests Val-Ala-02 and Val-Ala-Chalcone linkers efficiently, enabling cleavage of oligonucleotides into two components or release of small-molecule payloads. Based on the prior success of dipeptide linkers in ADCs, we believe that these dipeptide linker phosphoramidites will promote new clinical applications of therapeutic oligonucleotides.

DOI

10.1002/ange.202114016

Type

Journal article

Publication Date

2022-03-21T00:00:00+00:00

Volume

134

Keywords

Cathepsin B, DNA Breakage, Dipeptide Linker, Oligonucleotide–Drug Conjugates, Solid-Phase Synthesis

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