Abstract
Liposomes are a useful means of delivering molecular targeting agents such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) to downregulate specific pathways important in cancer growth and progression. The ability to non-invasively image these carriers is important to ascertain their delivery within the tumor. As cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is an important therapeutic target in cancer, we investigated loading COX-2-specific siRNA into cationic liposomes containing MR contrast agents for imaging delivery in cancer cells and tumors. COX-2 and GAPDH siRNA, as well as Magnevist or Feridex, were loaded directly into the liposomes. These lipoplexes were used for cell transfection of the poorly differentiated and highly metastatic breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. PEGylated liposomes loaded with Feridex and fluorescently labeled COX-2 siRNA were used for in vivo delivery of lipoplexes in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer xenografts in female SCID mice. Transient transfection assays demonstrated potent and specific downregulation of the COX-2 protein in cells in culture. Tail vein injections of PEGylated COX-2 lipoplexes resulted in intratumoral delivery of siRNA. Biodistribution studies showed significant localization in the lung, liver and kidney at 24 h. These data demonstrate the feasibility of liposomal-mediated delivery of COX-2-specific siRNA to downregulate COX-2 in cancer cells, and multi-modality imaging of the delivery of specific siRNA in tumors.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by NIH grants 2R01 CA 82337, NIH P50 CA103175, NIH U54 CA091409 (in collaboration with Dr Paul Wang at Howard University) and DOD-COE W81XWH-04-1-0595. We thank Drs Jan Hoh and Paul Wang for valuable scientific discussion, Mr Reza Hosseini for technical assistance and Mr Gary Cromwell for technical assistance with the animal studies.
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Supplementary Information accompanies the paper on Cancer Gene Therapy website (http://www.nature.com/cgt)
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Mikhaylova, M., Stasinopoulos, I., Kato, Y. et al. Imaging of cationic multifunctional liposome-mediated delivery of COX-2 siRNA. Cancer Gene Ther 16, 217–226 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/cgt.2008.79
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/cgt.2008.79
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