Plasma and Liver Protein Binding of N-Acetylgalactosamine-Conjugated Small Interfering RNA

Understanding small interfering RNA (siRNA) fraction unbound (f _u) in relevant physiologic compartments is critical for establishing pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships for this emerging modality. In our attempts to isolate the equilibrium free fraction of N-acetylgalactosamine-conjugated siRNA using classic small-molecule in vitro techniques, we found that the hydrodynamic radius was critical in determining the size exclusion limit requirements for f _u isolation, largely validating the siRNA "rigid rod" hypothesis. With this knowledge, we developed an orthogonally validated 50 kDa molecular-mass cutoff ultrafiltration assay to quantify f _u in biologic matrices including human, nonhuman primate, rat, and mouse plasma, and human liver homogenate. To enhance understanding of the siRNA-plasma interaction landscape, we examined the effects of various common oligonucleotide therapeutic modifications to the ribose and helix backbone on siRNA f _u in plasma (f _u,plasma) and found that chemical modifications can alter plasma protein binding by at least 20%. Finally, to gain insight into which specific plasma proteins bind to siRNA, we developed a qualitative screen to identify binding "hits" across a panel of select purified human plasma proteins.