| 1. |
- Dassie, Justin P., et al.
(författare)
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Targeted inhibition of prostate cancer metastases with an RNA aptamer to prostate-specific membrane antigen
- 2014
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Ingår i: Molecular Therapy. - : Nature Publishing Group. - 1525-0016 .- 1525-0024. ; 22:11, s. 1910-1922
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cell-targeted therapies (smart drugs), which selectively control cancer cell progression with limited toxicity to normal cells, have been developed to effectively treat some cancers. However, many cancers such as metastatic prostate cancer (PC) have yet to be treated with current smart drug technology. Here, we describe the thorough preclinical characterization of an RNA aptamer (A9g) that functions as a smart drug for PC by inhibiting the enzymatic activity of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Treatment of PC cells with A9g results in reduced cell migration/invasion in culture and metastatic disease in vivo. Importantly, A9g is safe in vivo and is not immunogenic in human cells. Pharmacokinetic and biodistribution studies in mice confirm target specificity and absence of non-specific on/off-target effects. In conclusion, these studies provide new and important insights into the role of PSMA in driving carcinogenesis and demonstrate critical endpoints for the translation of a novel RNA smart drug for advanced stage PC. © The American Society of Gene amp; Cell Therapy.
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| 2. |
- Thiel, Kristina W., et al.
(författare)
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Delivery of chemo-sensitizing siRNAs to HER2+-breast cancer cells using RNA aptamers
- 2012
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Ingår i: Nucleic Acids Research. - : Oxford University Press. - 0305-1048 .- 1362-4962. ; 40:13, s. 6319-6337
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression in breast cancer is associated with an aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis, making it an appealing therapeutic target. Trastuzumab, an HER2 antibody-based inhibitor, is currently the leading targeted treatment for HER2+-breast cancers. Unfortunately, many patients inevitably develop resistance to the therapy, highlighting the need for alternative targeted therapeutic options. In this study, we used a novel, cell-based selection approach for isolating cell-type specific, cell-internalizing RNA ligands (aptamers) capable of delivering therapeutic small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) to HER2-expressing breast cancer cells. RNA aptamers with the greatest specificity and internalization potential were covalently linked to siRNAs targeting the anti-apoptotic gene, Bcl-2. We demonstrate that, when applied to cells, the HER2 aptamer-Bcl-2 siRNA conjugates selectively internalize into HER2+-cells and silence Bcl-2 gene expression. Importantly, Bcl-2 silencing sensitizes these cells to chemotherapy (cisplatin) suggesting a potential new therapeutic approach for treating breast cancers with HER2+-status. In summary, we describe a novel cell-based selection methodology that enables the identification of cell-internalizing RNA aptamers for targeting therapeutic siRNAs to HER2-expressing breast cancer cells. The future refinement of this technology may promote the widespread use of RNA-based reagents for targeted therapeutic applications. © 2012 The Author(s).
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