Prevention of prostate cancer metastasis by a CRISPR-delivering nanoplatform for interleukin-30 genome editing

Abstract

Prostate-cancer (PC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men worldwide. Interleukin-(IL)-30 is a PC-progression driver, and its suppression would be strategic for fighting metastatic disease. Biocompatible Lipid-Nanoparticles (NPs) were loaded with CRISPR/Cas9gRNA to delete human(h)IL30-gene and functionalized with anti-PSCA-Abs (Cas9hIL30-PSCA-NPs). Efficiency of the NPs in targeting IL30 and metastatic potential of PC cells was examined in vivo, in xenograft models of lung metastasis, and in vitro, by using 2-Organ-on-Chip (2-OC), containing 3D-spheroids of IL30+PC-Endothelial-Cell(EC) co-cultures in circuit with either Lung-mimicking-spheroids, or Bone-marrow(BM)-niche-mimicking-scaffolds. Cas9hIL30-PSCA-NPs demonstrated circulation stability, genome editing efficiency, without off-target effects and organ toxicity. Intravenous injection of three-doses/13-days, or five-doses/20-days, of NPs in mice bearing circulating PC cells and micro-emboli substantially hindered lung metastasization. Cas9hIL30-PSCA-NPs inhibited PC cell proliferation and expression of IL30 and metastasis-drivers, such as CXCR2, CXCR4, IGF1, L1CAM, METAP2, MMP2 and TNFSF10, whereas CDH1 was up-regulated. PC-Lung and PC-BM 2-OCs revealed that Cas9hIL30-PSCA-NPs suppressed PC cell release of CXCL2/GROβ, which in vivo was associated with intra-metastatic myeloid cell infiltrates, and of DKK1, OPG and IL6, which in vitro boosted endothelial-network formation and cancer cell migration. Development of a patient-tailored nanoplatform for selective CRISPR-mediated IL30 gene deletion is a clinically valuable tool against PC progression.