Immunotherapy for breast cancer using EpCAM aptamer tumor-targeted gene knockdown.

ABSTRACT: New strategies for cancer immunotherapy are needed since most solid tumors do not respond to current approaches. Here we used epithelial cell adhesion molecule EpCAM (a tumor-associated antigen highly expressed on common epithelial cancers and their tumor-initiating cells) aptamer-linked small-interfering RNA chimeras (AsiCs) to knock down genes selectively in EpCAM⁺ tumors with the goal of making cancers more visible to the immune system. Knockdown of genes that function in multiple steps of cancer immunity was evaluated in aggressive triple-negative and HER2⁺ orthotopic, metastatic, and genetically engineered mouse breast cancer models. Gene targets were chosen whose knockdown was predicted to promote tumor neoantigen expression (Upf2, Parp1, Apex1), p

SUBMITTER: Zhang Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7936362 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature