Feasibility of integrating tumor therapy with therapeutic effect evaluation using siRNA-loaded microbubbles
LI Shuoyang
YIN Tinghui
LI Jingguo
ZHENG Bowen
QIU Chen
WANG Ping
Abstract：Objective To evaluate the feasibility of integrating cancer gene therapy with therapeutic effect evaluation using siRNA-loaded nano-scale microbubbles (siRNA-NBs). Methods siRNA-NBs were prepared by hetero-assembly of polymeric siRNA micelles and liposomal microbubbles, and the particle sizes and surface potentials were examined with dynamic light scattering. The distributions of cy3- labled siRNA in the tumor tissues were evaluated using confocal laser scanning microscopy. A siRNA targeting the anti-apoptosis gene SIRT2 was designed and its gene silencing effects was tested in vivo using siRNA-NBs with ultrasound exposure. The therapeutic effect of the loaded siRNA-NBs was evaluated by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. Results The siRNA-NBs had a mean diameter of 400.7 ± 30.5 nm with a weak positive charge of+8.8 ± 0.8 mV. With ultrasound exposure, siRNA-NBs effectively delivered cy3-siRNA into the cytoplasm of cancer cells and caused SIRT2 suppression and cell apoptosis in tumor tissues, resulting in significantly suppressed tumor growth. In addition, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of siRNA-NBs provided good imaging quality to allow real-time observation of blood supply during gene therapy. Conclusions As a novel ultrasound contrast agent, siRNA-NBs make possible the integration of tumor gene therapy and therapeutic effect evaluation for cancer.
Keywords：small interfering RNAmicrobubblescontrast- enhanced ultrasonographytumor therapygene therapytherapeutic evaluation
Publication Date：2015-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 874-878 )