In vivo activity of miR-34a mimics delivered by stable nucleic acid lipid particles (SNALPs) against multiple myeloma

PLoS One. 2014 Feb 27;9(2):e90005. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090005. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a disease with an adverse outcome and new therapeutic strategies are urgently awaited. A rising body of evidence supports the notion that microRNAs (miRNAs), master regulators of eukaryotic gene expression, may exert anti-MM activity. Here, we evaluated the activity of synthetic miR-34a in MM cells. We found that transfection of miR-34a mimics in MM cells induces a significant change of gene expression with relevant effects on multiple signal transduction pathways. We detected early inactivation of pro-survival and proliferative kinases Erk-2 and Akt followed at later time points by caspase-6 and -3 activation and apoptosis induction. To improve the in vivo delivery, we encapsulated miR-34a mimics in stable nucleic acid lipid particles (SNALPs). We found that SNALPs miR-34a were highly efficient in vitro in inhibiting growth of MM cells. Then, we investigated the activity of the SNALPs miR-34a against MM xenografts in SCID mice. We observed significant tumor growth inhibition (p<0.05) which translated in mice survival benefits (p=0.0047). Analysis of miR-34a and NOTCH1 expression in tumor retrieved from animal demonstrated efficient delivery and gene modulation induced by SNALPs miR-34a in the absence of systemic toxicity. We here therefore provide evidence that SNALPs miR-34a may represent a promising tool for miRNA-therapeutics in MM.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Caspases / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / genetics
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Transfer Techniques*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • Multiple Myeloma / genetics*
  • Multiple Myeloma / metabolism
  • Multiple Myeloma / pathology
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Transcriptome
  • Transfection
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • MIRN34 microRNA, human
  • MicroRNAs
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Caspases

Grants and funding

This work has been supported by the Italian Association for Cancer Research (AIRC) PI: P.T., Special Program Molecular Clinical Oncology – “5 per mille”, grant n. 9980, 2010–15. MC received a financial support by the Italian Ministry of Education and Research (PRIN 2009-2009EHW394). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.