A fluorinated peptide with high serum- and lipid-tolerence for the delivery of siRNA drugs to treat obesity and metabolic dysfunction

Obesity is the major risk factor for metabolic diseases such as fatty liver, hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance. Beige fat has been recognized as a therapeutic target considering its great potential to burn energy. Since the evolutionary discovery of RNA interference and its utilization for gene knockdown in mammalian cells, a remarkable progress has been achieved in siRNA-based therapeutics. However, efficient delivery of siRNA into adipose tissues or differentiated adipocytes is challenging due to high lipid contents in these tissues. Here, we discovered a highly efficient fluoropolypeptide with excellent serum and lipid tolerance for this purpose from a library of amphiphlic polypeptides. The lead material F13-16 exhibited high gene knockdown efficacies in undifferentiated preadipocytes and differentiated adipocytes, as well as adipose tissues. It successfully delivered a siRNA targeting Tle3, an established suppressor gene for energy expenditure, in beige fat, and thereby ameliorated diet-induced obesity and metabolic disorders by increasing energy expenditure and thermogenic capacity. The results demonstrated that fluoropolypeptide is a useful tool for the delivery of siRNA-based therapeutics into adipocyte/adipose tissues for gene therapy.