Protein transduction therapy into cochleae via the round window niche in guinea pigs

摘要

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are short sequences of amino acids that facilitate the penetration of conjugated cargoes across mammalian cell membranes, and as such, they may provide a safe and effective method for drug delivery to the inner ear. Simple polyarginine peptides have been shown to induce significantly higher cell penetration rates among CPPs. Herein, we show that a peptide consisting of nine arginines (“9R”) effectively delivered enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) into guinea pig cochleae via the round window niche without causing any deterioration in auditory function.