A nanoparticle system specifically designed to deliver short interfering RNA inhibits tumor growth in vivo

Cancer Res. 2009 Aug 15;69(16):6531-8. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-08-3945. Epub 2009 Aug 4.

Abstract

Use of short interfering RNA (siRNA) is a promising new approach thought to have a strong potential to lead to rapid development of gene-oriented therapies. Here, we describe a newly developed, systemically injectable siRNA vehicle, the "wrapsome" (WS), which contains siRNA and a cationic lipofection complex in a core that is fully enveloped by a neutral lipid bilayer and hydrophilic polymers. WS protected siRNA from enzymatic digestion, providing a long half-life in the systemic circulation. Moreover, siRNA/WS leaked from blood vessels within tumors into the tumor tissue, where it accumulated and was subsequently transfected into the tumor cells. Because the transcription factor KLF5 is known to play a role in tumor angiogenesis, we designed KLF5-siRNA to test the antitumor activity of siRNA/WS. KLF5-siRNA/WS exhibited significant antitumor activity, although neither WS containing control scrambled-siRNA nor saline containing KLF5-siRNA affected tumor growth. KLF5-siRNA/WS inhibited Klf5 expression within tumors at both mRNA and protein levels, significantly reducing angiogenesis, and we detected no significant acute or long-term toxicity. Our findings support the idea that siRNA/WS can be used to knock down specific genes within tumors and thereby exert therapeutic effects against cancers.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Carbocyanines / administration & dosage
  • Cell Proliferation / drug effects*
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
  • Gene Transfer Techniques
  • Half-Life
  • Humans
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Models, Biological
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Nanoparticles / therapeutic use*
  • Neoplasms / diagnosis
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / pathology*
  • RNA Stability
  • RNA, Small Interfering / administration & dosage*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured
  • Whole Body Imaging / methods

Substances

  • Carbocyanines
  • KLF5 protein, human
  • Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • cyanine dye 5