Exploring the potential of engineered exosomes as delivery systems for tumor-suppressor microRNA replacement therapy in ovarian cancer.

Abstract

MicroRNA (miRNA) plays a pivotal role in cancer biology. Therefore, tumor suppressor (TS) miRNAs are an attractive target for cancer therapy. However, clinical trials have failed due to the difficulties in miRNA delivery, warranting the development of a novel drug delivery system (DDS). Exosomes are stable in circulation and selectively picked up by cancer cells, indicating that they can serve as a miRNA carrier. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of exosomes as a carrier for miRNA replacement therapy for ovarian cancer (OC). First, exosomes were purified from primary-cultured omental fibroblasts of OC patients. miR-199a-3p was selected as a TS miRNA, and the synthesized miR-199a-3p was loaded into exosomes by electroporation. Treatment with miR199a-3p-loaded-exosomes (miR-199a-3p-Exo) drastically increased miR-199a-3p expression level in OC cell lines (CaOV3; 8592-, SKOV3; 67188-, and OVCAR3; 2280-fold). miR-199a-3p-Exo suppressed c-Met expression, a direct target of miR-199a-3p, and thereby inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. In a xenograft study, miR-199a-3p-Exo also drastically inhibited peritoneal dissemination in OC mice model, and diminished c-Met expression, ERK phosphorylation, and MMP2 expression in tumors. These results suggest that miRNA replacement therapy using exosomes shows promise for treatment of OC. Given that omental fibroblasts can be obtained from most OC patients, patient-derived exosomes can be utilized as a DDS for future molecular-targeted therapies.

• Authors: Masaki Kobayashi, Kenjiro Sawada, Mayuko Miyamoto, Aasa Shimizu, Misa Yamamoto, Yasuto Kinose, Koji Nakamura, Mahiru Kawano, Michiko Kodama, Kae Hashimoto, Tadashi Kimura
• Journal: Biochemical and biophysical research communications (Biochem Biophys Res Commun) Vol. 527 Issue 1 Pg. 153-161 (06 18 2020) ISSN: 1090-2104 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 32446360 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• MicroRNAs
• mirn199 microRNA, human

Topics

• Animals
• Cell Proliferation
• Disease Models, Animal
• Exosomes (metabolism)
• Female
• Gene Transfer Techniques
• Genetic Engineering
• Genetic Therapy
• Humans
• MicroRNAs (genetics, metabolism)
• Ovarian Neoplasms (genetics, pathology, therapy)
• Tumor Cells, Cultured