Abstract
Polyriboinosinic acid-polyribocytidylic acid (Poly I:C) serves as a synthetic mimic of viral double-stranded dsRNA, capable of inducing apoptosis in numerous cancer cells. Despite its potential, therapeutic benefits, the application of Poly I:C has been hindered by concerns regarding toxicity, stability, enzymatic degradation, and undue immune stimulation, leading to autoimmune disorders. To address these challenges, encapsulation of antitumor drugs within delivery systems such as cationic liposomes is often employed to enhance their efficacy while minimizing dosages. In this study, we investigated the potential of cationic liposomes to deliver Poly I:C into the Head and Neck 12 (HN12) cell line to induce apoptosis in the carcinoma cells and tumor model. Cationic liposomes made by the hydrodynamic focusing method surpass traditional methods by offering a continuous flow-based approach for encapsulating genes, which is ideal for efficient tumor delivery. DOTAP liposomes efficiently bind Poly I:C, confirmed by transmission electron microscopy images displaying their spherical morphology. Liposomes are easily endocytosed in HN12 cells, suggesting their potential for therapeutic gene and drug delivery in head and neck squamous carcinoma cells. Activation of apoptotic pathways involving MDA5, RIG-I, and TLR3 is evidenced by upregulated caspase-3, caspase-8, and IRF3 genes upon endocytosis of Poly(I:C)-encapsulated liposomes. Therapeutic evaluations revealed significant inhibition of tumor growth with Poly I:C liposomes, indicating the possibility of MDA5, RIG-I, and TLR3-induced apoptosis pathways via Poly I:C liposomes in HN12 xenografts in J:NU mouse models. Comparative histological analysis underscores enhanced cell death with Poly I:C liposomes, warranting further investigation into the precise mechanisms of apoptosis and inflammatory cytokine response in murine models for future research.
Recommended Citation
V. Singh and A. Chernatynskaya and L. Qi and H. Y. Chuang and T. Cole and V. M. Jeyalatha and L. Bhargava and W. A. Yeudall and L. Farkas and H. Yang, "Liposomes-Encapsulating Double-Stranded Nucleic Acid (Poly I:C) For Head And Neck Cancer Treatment," ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science, American Chemical Society, Jan 2024.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1021/acsptsci.4c00121
Department(s)
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
apoptosis; head and neck cancer; liposomes; microfluidics; poly I:C
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2575-9108
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2024 American Chemical Society, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2024
