Liposomal siRNA Penetrates and Shrinks Ovarian Cancer Tumors
Researchers at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center found a molecular “off” switch contained in a tiny sphere that is able to penetrate deeply into ovarian cancer cells, stifling a troublesome protein and drastically reducing the size of tumors.
The “tiny sphere” demonstrates a potent delivery system for short interfering RNA (siRNA) to attack cancer. Short interfering RNA is an amazing technology that can be used to silence genes.
It is important to get siRNA inside the tumor cells because the targeted protein (focal adhesion kinase, FAK) is inside the cell instead of the cell surface where most proteins targeted by cancer drugs are found.
The research team from UT MD Anderson Cancer Center took siRNA that targets a protein involved in the survival and spread of ovarian cells, then rolled it into a liposome (a nano-sized lipid ball).
Through this liposomal siRNA approach, deep penetration into the tumor was successfully conducted.
“This particle is so small, it has no problem getting through the tumor’s vasculature and into the tumor,” Lopez-Berestein says.
The FAK-targeting liposome ranges between 65 and 125 nanometers in diameter. Blood vessels that serve tumors are more porous than normal blood vessels, with pores of 100 to 780 nanometers wide. Normal blood vessel pores are 2 nanometers or less in diameter.
This research study, done in mice, is published in the August 15 edition of Clinical Cancer Research.
Read more at Medical News Today.
Tags: ovarian-cancer-tumors, siRNARelated Stories
POSTED IN: Gynecological cancers
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