Dual silencing of integrin αvβ3 receptor and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor using mPEG-PCL/DDAB hybrid nanoparticle loaded siRNA in breast cancer therapy: An in vitro study on MCF-7 cells

Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Dec 30:294:139334. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.139334. Online ahead of print.

Abstract

Integrin αvβ3, a primary cell-adhesion receptor, plays a crucial role in various biological processes, including angiogenesis, pathological neovascularization, and tumor metastasis. Its expression increases during tumor angiogenesis. The insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) is a transmembrane protein that stimulates vital signaling pathways, promoting cancer cell growth, survival, and metabolism. Notably, a crucial step in insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling in non-hematologic cancers is IGF1 binding to integrins αvβ3, followed by the formation of the integrin-IGF1-IGF1R complex that dual silencing of these genes could enhance therapeutic specificity on MCF-7 breast cancer cells. In the current study, mPEG-PCL-DDAB nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized by hybridizing methoxy polyethylene glycol-poly caprolactone (mPEG-PCL) with the cationic lipid dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB). These nanoparticles were utilized as a carrier of siRNAs for the dual silencing of integrin αvβ3 receptor and IGF1R. The results from the in vitro study indicate that this nanoparticle with high encapsulation efficiency of siRNAs, dramatically induces the process of apoptosis, gene silencing, and cell cycle arrest in MCF-7 tumor cell lines. In general, the article represents a significant advancement in MCF-7 breast cancer cell research by developing a novel nanoformulation as a therapeutic approach involving integrin αvβ3 receptor and IGF1R.

Keywords: Hybrid nanoparticle; IGF1R; Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor; Integrin αvβ3; mPEG-PCL/DDAB.