Abstract 1464: Exosomal delivery of tumor suppressive microRNA-7 as a novel approach to regulating cervical cancer cell growth

Abstract

Abstract There is an unmet need for more safe, effective, targeted therapy in cervical cancer which this study seeks to meet through the use of exosomes and miRNA. Although cervical cancer is the fourth most prevalent female cancer worldwide, it currently has sparce options for treatment. Early-stage tumors are often surgically removed, while later stage cancers are treated with traditional radiation and chemotherapy methods, which have limited efficacy. Thus, to bridge this gap, we propose the use of exosomes, which are naturally occurring cell-derived vesicles, in combination with microRNA-7 (miR-7), a known tumor-suppressive microRNA, as a potential treatment for cervical cancer. We first transfected adipocyte-derived stem cells (ADSC) with miR-7. ADSC produce exosomes that are immune-compatible, have a long half-life, and have an especially low toxicity, making them a versatile nanocarrier. We collected the conditioned media produced by the ADSC, from which we isolated the miR-7-containing exosomes. The collected exosomes were confirmed to contain the appropriate miRNA by qPCR and applied to HeLa cells, and cellular response and gene expression changes were analyzed via qPCR. Functional assays including proliferation and migration were also performed to analyze the effect of exosome treatment on cell function. Controls for this study included a parallel ADSC transfection with a non-coding, scramble miRNA, as well as HeLa cells treated with exosomes from non-transfected ADSC. Our studies demonstrate that transfection of ADSC with miR-7 produces exosomes with significantly increased levels of this regulatory miRNA, and that these exosomes can specifically deliver their cargo and effectively downregulate the target gene Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), which is involved in tumor progression in cervical cancer. Additionally, we show that these miR-7-containing exosomes decrease proliferation and migration of HeLa cells in our in vitro functional analysis. Ultimately, this technology provides an alternative treatment option that will improve clinical outcomes of women who are affected by cervical cancer. Citation Format: Gabriella McWilliams, Molly Roy, Daniel Bilbao Cortes, Yu-Ping Yang, Sylvia Daunert, Sapna Deo. Exosomal delivery of tumor suppressive microRNA-7 as a novel approach to regulating cervical cancer cell growth [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 1464.