Placental Homing Peptide-microRNA Inhibitor Conjugates for Targeted Enhancement of Intrinsic Placental Growth Signaling.

ABSTRACT: Suboptimal placental growth and development are the underlying cause of many pregnancy complications. No treatments are available, primarily due to the risk of causing fetal teratogenicity. microRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNA sequences that regulate multiple downstream genes; miR-145 and miR675 have previously been identified as negative regulators of placental growth. In this proof of principle study, we explored the feasibility of delivering miRNA inhibitors to the placentas of pregnant mice and developed novel placental homing peptide-microRNA inhibitor conjugates for targeted enhancement of intrinsic placental growth signalling. Scrambled-, miR-145- or miR-675 inhibitor sequences were synthesised from peptide nucleic acids and conjugated to the placental homing peptide CCGKRK.

SUBMITTER: Beards F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5562227 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature