Gene Knockdown by EpCAM Aptamer-siRNA Chimeras Suppresses Epithelial Breast Cancers and Their Tumor-Initiating Cells

Effective therapeutic strategies for in vivo siRNA delivery to knockdown genes in cells outside the liver are needed to harness RNA interference for treating cancer. EpCAM is a tumor-associated antigen highly expressed on common epithelial cancers and their tumor-initiating cells (TIC, also known as...

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Veröffentlicht in:Molecular cancer therapeutics 2015-10, Vol.14 (10), p.2279-2291
Hauptverfasser: Gilboa-Geffen, Adi, Hamar, Peter, Le, Minh T N, Wheeler, Lee Adam, Trifonova, Radiana, Petrocca, Fabio, Wittrup, Anders, Lieberman, Judy
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Effective therapeutic strategies for in vivo siRNA delivery to knockdown genes in cells outside the liver are needed to harness RNA interference for treating cancer. EpCAM is a tumor-associated antigen highly expressed on common epithelial cancers and their tumor-initiating cells (TIC, also known as cancer stem cells). Here, we show that aptamer-siRNA chimeras (AsiC, an EpCAM aptamer linked to an siRNA sense strand and annealed to the siRNA antisense strand) are selectively taken up and knock down gene expression in EpCAM(+) cancer cells in vitro and in human cancer biopsy tissues. PLK1 EpCAM-AsiCs inhibit colony and mammosphere formation (in vitro TIC assays) and tumor initiation by EpCAM(+) luminal and basal-A triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, but not EpCAM(-) mesenchymal basal-B TNBCs, in nude mice. Subcutaneously administered EpCAM-AsiCs concentrate in EpCAM(+) Her2(+) and TNBC tumors and suppress their growth. Thus, EpCAM-AsiCs provide an attractive approach for treating epithelial cancer.
ISSN:1535-7163
1538-8514
DOI:10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-15-0201-T