Evaluation of synthetic cell-penetrating peptides, Pro-rich peptide and octaargine derivatives, as adenovirus vector carrier.

Two cell-penetrating peptides, a Pro-rich peptide derivative, acetyl-(Val-Arg-Leu-Pro-Pro-Pro)(3)-Gly-Cys amide, and an octaarginine derivative, acetyl-Arg-Arg-Arg-Arg-Arg-Arg-Arg-Arg-Gly-Cys amide, were prepared by the solid phase method. Each peptide was coupled to the heterobifunctional cross-linking reagent, 6-maleimidohexanoic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester, and then conjugated to the Adenovirus vector containing luciferase gene. Peptide-modified Ad, as compared with wild-type Ad, exhibited excellent luciferase activity in B16BL6 cells.