Antiangiogenic Therapeutic mRNA Delivery Using Lung-Selective Polymeric Nanomedicine for Lung Cancer Treatment.

Therapeutic antibodies that block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) show clinical benefits in treating nonsmall cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) by inhibiting tumor angiogenesis. Nonetheless, the therapeutic effects of systemically administered anti-VEGF antibodies are often hindered in NSCLCs because of their limited distribution in the lungs and their adverse effects on normal tissues. These challenges can be overcome by delivering therapeutic antibodies in their mRNA form to lung endothelial cells, a primary target of VEGF-mediated pulmonary angiogenesis, to suppress the NSCLCs. In this study, we synthesized derivatives of poly(ß-amino esters) (PBAEs) and prepared nanoparticles to encapsulate the synthetic mRNA encoding bevacizumab, an anti-VEGF antibody used in the clinic. Optimization of nanoparticle formulations resulted in a selective lung transfection after intravenous administration. Notably, the optimized PBAE nanoparticles were distributed in lung endothelial cells, resulting in the secretion of bevacizumab. We analyzed the protein corona on the lung- and spleen-targeting nanoparticles using proteomics and found distinctive features potentially contributing to their organ-selectivity. Lastly, bevacizumab mRNA delivered by the lung-targeting PBAE nanoparticles more significantly inhibited tumor proliferation and angiogenesis than recombinant bevacizumab protein in orthotopic NSCLC mouse models, supporting the therapeutic potential of bevacizumab mRNA therapy and its selective delivery through lung-targeting nanoparticles. Our proof-of-principle results highlight the clinical benefits of nanoparticle-mediated mRNA therapy in anticancer antibody treatment in preclinical models.

Liver X receptor and STAT1 cooperate downstream of Gas6/Mer to induce anti-inflammatory arginase 2 expression in macrophages.

Mer signaling increases the transcriptional activity of liver X receptor (LXR) to promote the resolution of acute sterile inflammation. Here, we aimed to understand the pathway downstream of Mer signaling after growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas6) treatment that leads to LXR expression and transcriptional activity in mouse bone-marrow derived macrophages (BMDM). Gas6-induced increases in LXRα and LXRß and expression of their target genes were inhibited in BMDM from STAT1(-/-) mice or by the STAT1-specific inhibitor fludarabine. Gas6-induced STAT1 phosphorylation, LXR activation, and LXR target gene expression were inhibited in BMDM from Mer(-/-) mice or by inhibition of PI3K or Akt. Gas6-induced Akt phosphorylation was inhibited in BMDM from STAT1(-/-) mice or in the presence of fludarabine. Gas6-induced LXR activity was enhanced through an interaction between LXRα and STAT1 on the DNA promoter of Arg2. Additionally, we found that Gas6 inhibited lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced nitrite production in a STAT1 and LXR pathway-dependent manner in BMDM. Additionally, Mer-neutralizing antibody reduced LXR and Arg2 expression in lung tissue and enhanced NO production in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in LPS-induced acute lung injury. Our data suggest the possibility that the Gas6-Mer-PI3K/Akt-STAT1-LXR-Arg2 pathway plays an essential role for resolving inflammatory response in acute lung injury.

Identification and functional characterization of novel MATE1 genetic variations in Koreans.

Multidrug and toxin extrusion 1 (MATE1, SLC47A1), an organic cation transporter, plays an important role in the renal and biliary elimination of various clinical drugs, including the anti-diabetic drug metformin. The goal of this study was to identify and characterize novel genetic variants of MATE1. Five variants in the promoter region and two nonsynonymous variants, p.D64G and p.L125F, were identified in 48 DNA samples from healthy Koreans. MATE1 promoter haplotype 3 containing g.-1975C>A showed a significant increase in reporter activity. Three transcription factors, Nkx-2.5, SREBP-1, and USF-1 were predicted to bind to the promoter in the region of g.-1975C>A. Results from electrophoretic mobility shift assays showed that the g.-1975A allele exhibits greater binding affinity to all of these transcription factors than the g.-1975C allele. In particular, we found that Nkx-2.5 and USF-1 induce MATE1 transcription. Our study suggests that the common promoter haplotype of MATE1 changes MATE1 transcriptional activity regulated by Nkx-2.5, SREBP-1, and USF-1.