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Targeting breast tumors with pH (low) insertion peptides.

ABSTRACT: Extracellular acidity is associated with tumor progression. Elevated glycolysis and acidosis promote the appearance of aggressive malignant cells with enhanced multidrug resistance. Thus, targeting of tumor acidity can open new avenues in diagnosis and treatment of aggressive tumors and targeting metastatic cancers cells within a tumor. pH (low) insertion peptides (pHLIPs) belong to the class of pH-sensitive agents capable of delivering imaging and/or therapeutic agents to cancer cells within tumors. Here, we investigated targeting of highly metastatic 4T1 mammary tumors and spontaneous breast tumors in FVB/N-Tg (MMTV-PyMT)634Mul transgenic mice with three fluorescently labeled pHLIP variants including well-characterized WT-pHLIP and, recently introduced, Var3- and Var7-pHLIPs. The Var3- and Var7-pHLIPs constructs have faster blood clearance than the parent WT-pHLIP. All pHLIPs demonstrated excellent targeting of the above breast tumor models with tumor accumulation increasing over 4 h postinjection. Staining of nonmalignant stromal tissues in transgenic mice was minimal. The pHLIPs distribution in tumors showed colocalization with 2-deoxyglucose and the hypoxia marker, Pimonidazole. The highest degree of colocalization of fluorescent pHLIPs was shown to be with lactate dehydrogenase A, which is related to lactate production and acidification of tumors. In sum, the pHLIP-based targeting of breast cancer presents an opportunity to monitor metabolic changes, and to selectively deliver imaging and therapeutic agents to tumors.

SUBMITTER: Adochite RC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4123937 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Rationale: miRNA therapeutics have gained attention during the past decade. These oligonucleotide treatments can modulate the expression of miRNAs in vivo and could be used to correct the imbalance of gene expression found in human diseases such as obesity, metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. The in vivo efficacy of current anti-miRNAs technologies hindered by physiological and cellular barriers to delivery into targeted cells and the nature of miRNAs that allows one to target an entire pathway that may lead to deleterious off-target effects. For these reasons, novel targeted delivery systems to inhibit miRNAs in specific tissues will be important for developing effective therapeutic strategies for numerous diseases including atherosclerosis. Objective: To explore the application of anti-miR-33 (miR-33-5p) conjugated pH Low-Insertion Peptides (pHLIP) constructs for the specific targeting of macrophages located in vascular lesions in the regression of atherosclerosis. Methods and Results: The anti-miR-33 conjugated pHLIP constructs are preferentially delivered to atherosclerotic plaques macrophages. The inhibition of miR-33 using pHLIP-directed macrophage targeting improves atherosclerosis regression by increasing collagen content and decreased lipid accumulation within vascular lesions. Single cell RNA sequencing analysis revealed higher expression of fibrotic genes (Col2a1, Col3a1, Col1a2, Fn1, etc) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (Timp3), and downregulation of matrix metallopeptidase 12 (Mmp12) in macrophages from atherosclerotic lesions targeted by pHLIP- anti-miR-33. Conclusions: This study provides proof of principle for the application of pHLIP for treating advanced atherosclerosis via pharmacological inhibition of miR-33 in macrophages that avoids the deleterious effects in other metabolic tissues. This may open new therapeutic opportunities for atherosclerosis-associated cardiovascular diseases via selective delivery of other protective miRNAs.

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Targeting breast tumors with pH (low) insertion peptides.

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