A novel and effective hepatocyte growth factor kringle 1 domain and p53 cocktail viral gene therapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Reduction sensitive nanocarriers mPEG-g-γ-PGA/SSBPEI@siRNA for effective targeted delivery of survivin siRNA against NSCLC

Poly γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA) is attractive due to its desirable biological properties such as nontoxicity, excellent biocompatibility, and minimal immunogenicity. Additionally, γ-PGA could be recognized by γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, which is regarded as a potential biomarker for many tumors. In this study, we have developed a new biodegradable, reduction sensitive, and tumor-specific gene nano-delivery platform consisting of a cationic carrier (SSBPEI) for siRNA condensation, mPEG shell for nanoparticle stabilization, and γ-PGA for accelerated cellular uptake. Disulfide bonds (-SS-) could be reduced specifically in the tumor environment, which is full of reductants such as glutathione reductase. Conjugating polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the γ-PGA led to the formation of mPEG-g-γ-PGA, with a decreased positive charge on the surface of SSBPEI@siRNA and substantially higher stability in an aqueous medium. As a result, mPEG-g-γ-PGA/SSBPEI@siRNA nanoparticles could protect siRNAs from RNase A degradation and release siRNAs in a reduction sensitive way. The multifunctional delivery system was shown to silence the Survivin gene and further promote chemotherapeutic drug-induced apoptosis in the A549 NSCLC cell line efficiently, thereby representing a novel promising platform for the delivery of siRNAs.

Peglated-H1/pHGFK1 nanoparticles enhance anti-tumor effects of sorafenib by inhibition of drug-induced autophagy and stemness in renal cell carcinoma

Background

Tumor targeting small molecular inhibitors are the most popular treatments for many malignant diseases, including cancer. However, the lower clinical response and drug resistance still limit their clinical efficacies. HGFK1, the first kringle domain of hepatocyte growth factor, has been defined as a potent anti-angiogenic factor. Here, we aimed to develop and identify novel nanoparticles—PH1/pHGFK1 as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Methods

We produced a novel cationic polymer—PH1 and investigated the anti-tumor activity of PH1/pHGFK1 nanoparticle alone and its combination therapy with sorafenib in RCC cell line xenografted mice model. Then, we figured out its molecular mechanisms in human RCC cell lines in vitro.

Results

We firstly demonstrated that intravenous injection of PH1/pHGFK1 nanoparticles significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival time of tumor-bearing mice, as well as synergistically enhanced anti-tumor activities of sorafenib. Furthermore, we elucidated that recombinant HGFK1 improved sorafenib-induced cell apoptosis and arrested cell cycle. In addition, HGFK1 could also decrease sorafenib-induced autophagy and stemness via blockading NF-κB signaling pathway in RCC both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions

HGFK1 could inhibit tumor growth, synergistically enhance anti-tumor activities of sorafenib and reverse its drug resistance evolution in RCC. Our results provide rational basis for clinical application of sorafenib and HGFK1 combination therapy in RCC patients.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1348-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Seek and destroy: targeted adeno-associated viruses for gene delivery to hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer with high incidence globally. Increasing mortality and morbidity rates combined with limited treatment options available for advanced HCC press for novel and effective treatment modalities. Gene therapy represents one of the most promising therapeutic options. With the recent approval of herpes simplex virus for advanced melanoma, the field of gene therapy has received a major boost. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) is among the most widely used and effective viral vectors today with safety and efficacy demonstrated in a number of human clinical trials. This review identifies the obstacles for effective AAV based gene delivery to HCC which primarily include host immune responses and off-target effects. These drawbacks could be more pronounced for HCC because of the underlying liver dysfunction in most of the patients. We discuss approaches that could be adopted to tackle these shortcomings and manufacture HCC-targeted vectors. The combination of transductional targeting by modifying the vector capsid and transcriptional targeting using HCC-specific promoters has the potential to produce vectors which can specifically seek HCC and deliver therapeutic gene without significant side effects. Finally, the identification of novel HCC-specific ligands and promoters should facilitate and expedite this process.

Targeting adeno-associated virus and adenoviral gene therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma

Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) heavily endangers human heath worldwide. HCC is one of most frequent cancers in China because patients with liver disease, such as chronic hepatitis, have the highest cancer susceptibility. Traditional therapeutic approaches have limited efficacy in advanced liver cancer, and novel strategies are urgently needed to improve the limited treatment options for HCC. This review summarizes the basic knowledge, current advances, and future challenges and prospects of adeno-associated virus (AAV) and adenoviruses as vectors for gene therapy of HCC. This paper also reviews the clinical trials of gene therapy using adenovirus vectors, immunotherapy, toxicity and immunological barriers for AAV and adenoviruses, and proposes several alternative strategies to overcome the therapeutic barriers to using AAV and adenoviruses as vectors.

Development of hybrid-type modified chitosan derivative nanoparticles for the intracellular delivery of midkine-siRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Most of the patients with HCC lose the surgical opportunity at the time of diagnosis. Some novel therapeutic modalities, like gene therapy, are promising for the treatment of HCC. However, the success of gene therapy depends on two aspects: efficient gene materials and gene delivery vectors. The present study was to develop new chitosan-based nanoparticles for a midkine-siRNA (anti-HCC gene drug) delivery.

METHODS

The novel gene delivery vector (MixNCH) was synthesized by hybrid-type modification of chitosan with 2-chloroethylamine hydrochloride and N, N-dimethyl-2-chloroethylamine hydrochloride. The chemical structure of MixNCH was characterized by FT-IR and 1HNMR. The cytotoxicity of MixNCH was determined by MTS assay. The gene condensation ability and size, zeta potential and morphology of MixNCH/MK-siRNA nanoparticles were measured. The in vitro transfection and gene knockdown efficiency of midkine by MixNCH/MK-siRNA nanoparticles was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Gene knockdown effect at the molecule level on the proliferation of HepG2 in vitro was determined by MTS assay.

RESULTS

MixNCH was successfully acquired by aminoalkylation modification of chitosan. The MixNCH could condense MK-siRNA well above the weight ratio of 3. The average size of MixNCH/MK-siRNA nanoparticles was 100-200 nm, and the surface charge was about +5 mV. Morphologically, MixNCH/MK-siRNA nanoparticles were in regular spherical shape with no aggregation. Regarding to the in vitro transfection of nanoparticles, the MixNCH/MK-siRNA nanoparticles reduced MK mRNA level to 14.03%+/-4.03%, which were comparable to Biotrans (8.94%+/-3.77%). MixNCH/MK-siRNA effectively inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 in vitro.

CONCLUSION

MixNCH/MK-siRNA nanoparticles could be effective for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

HGFK1 is associated with a better prognosis and reverses inhibition by gefitinib in NSCLC cases

PURPOSE

Non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading worldwide source of cancer-related deaths. Although some drugs targeting EGFR mutations have been developed, most advanced cases are still incurable. New targets for anticancer drugs are demanded. The kringle 1 domain of hepatocellular growth factor alpha chain (HGFK1) is a potent anti-angiogenesis factor. It has also emerged as a potential anticancer factor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expression of HGFK1 protein in patients with NSCLC has not been reported to date.

METHOD

Here, we assessed HGFK1 expression by Western blotting in 103 cases with advanced NSCLC to investigate the impact of HGFK1 on survival.

RESULTS

Results revealed 33 (30.1%) patients were classified as high expressors, this being significantly associated with less remote metastasis (P = 0.002) but not with lymph node metastasis (P = 0.062). There was also a significant association between HGFK1 expression and tumor size (P = 0.025) as well as clinical stage (P = 0.012). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that both overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) of patients with HGFK1 expression were longer than those of patients without HGFK1 expression (P = 0.004 and P = 0.001 respectively). HGFK1 reversed gefitinib inhibition in the resistant NSCLC cell line A431/GR but did not inhibit the proliferation of NSCLC cells A431 and A431/GR directly. Reversion of gefitinib inhibition in A431/GR cells by HGFK1 was related to decreased phosphorylation of ERK and STAT5.

CONCLUSIONS

HGFK1 may be a useful prognostic factor of advanced NSCLC patients and a potential drug for gefitinib resistant patients.

Attenuation of hepatic fibrosis through ultrasound-microbubble-mediated HGF gene transfer in rats

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to explore the feasibility of ultrasound-microbubble-mediated hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gene transfer for treating rat hepatic fibrosis induced by CCl(4).

METHODS

Forty-eight male SD rats were divided into ultrasound-microbubble-HGF group (U-M-HGF group), ultrasound-HGF group (U-HGF group), microbubble-HGF group (M-HGF group), HGF group (HGF group), CCl(4) group (control group), and normal group. The serum levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), total protein, albumin (ALB), and globulin (GLB) and the ratio of ALB/GLB were determined after treatment. The degree of hepatic fibrosis was evaluated by histopathological numerical scores. The protein expressions of HGF, collagen I, collagen III, and α-smooth muscle antibody (α-SMA) were detected by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Ultrasound-microbubble-mediated HGF therapy significantly reduced the serum level of ALT and AST to 59.88% and 49.18% of the control group, respectively. Ultrasound-microbubble-mediated HGF therapy prevented liver fibrosis, with an obvious decrease in fibrosis areas and extracellular matrix production of collagen I, collagen III, and α-SMA. The gene therapy could induce HGF delivery into the fibrotic liver effectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound-microbubble-mediated HGF gene therapy can reduce liver fibrosis, which provides a novel strategy for gene therapy of chronic liver disease.

Paradoxical action of growth factors: antiproliferative and proapoptotic signaling by HGF/c-MET

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-MET) signaling is usually associated with the promotion of cellular growth and often with progression of tumors. Nevertheless, under certain conditions HGF can also act as an antiproliferative and proapoptotic factor and can sensitize various cancer cells, treated with anticancer drugs, to apoptosis. Not only HGF but also its various truncated forms as well as intracellular fragments of its membrane receptor, c-MET, may act as antiproliferative and proapoptotic factors toward various cells. This review focuses on different mechanisms responsible for such paradoxical action of the known typical growth factor. It also points toward the possibilities of usage of this information in anticancer therapy.

Therapeutic microRNA delivery suppresses tumorigenesis in a murine liver cancer model

Therapeutic strategies based on modulation of microRNA (miRNA) activity hold great promise due to the ability of these small RNAs to potently influence cellular behavior. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a miRNA replacement therapy for liver cancer. We demonstrate that hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells exhibit reduced expression of miR-26a, a miRNA that is normally expressed at high levels in diverse tissues. Expression of this miRNA in liver cancer cells in vitro induces cell-cycle arrest associated with direct targeting of cyclins D2 and E2. Systemic administration of this miRNA in a mouse model of HCC using adeno-associated virus (AAV) results in inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, induction of tumor-specific apoptosis, and dramatic protection from disease progression without toxicity. These findings suggest that delivery of miRNAs that are highly expressed and therefore tolerated in normal tissues but lost in disease cells may provide a general strategy for miRNA replacement therapies.