Ultra-thermostable RNA nanoparticles for solubilizing and high-yield loading of paclitaxel for breast cancer therapy

Nat Commun. 2020 Feb 20;11(1):972. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14780-5.

Abstract

Paclitaxel is widely used in cancer treatments, but poor water-solubility and toxicity raise serious concerns. Here we report an RNA four-way junction nanoparticle with ultra-thermodynamic stability to solubilize and load paclitaxel for targeted cancer therapy. Each RNA nanoparticle covalently loads twenty-four paclitaxel molecules as a prodrug. The RNA-paclitaxel complex is structurally rigid and stable, demonstrated by the sub-nanometer resolution imaging of cryo-EM. Using RNA nanoparticles as carriers increases the water-solubility of paclitaxel by 32,000-fold. Intravenous injections of RNA-paclitaxel nanoparticles with specific cancer-targeting ligand dramatically inhibit breast cancer growth, with nearly undetectable toxicity and immune responses in mice. No fatalities are observed at a paclitaxel dose equal to the reported LD50. The use of ultra-thermostable RNA nanoparticles to deliver chemical prodrugs addresses issues with RNA unfolding and nanoparticle dissociation after high-density drug loading. This finding provides a stable nano-platform for chemo-drug delivery as well as an efficient method to solubilize hydrophobic drugs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / chemistry
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / administration & dosage
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / chemistry
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide / genetics
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cryoelectron Microscopy
  • Drug Delivery Systems
  • ErbB Receptors / antagonists & inhibitors
  • ErbB Receptors / genetics
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nanoparticles / administration & dosage
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Nanoparticles / ultrastructure
  • Paclitaxel / administration & dosage*
  • Paclitaxel / chemistry
  • RNA / administration & dosage*
  • RNA / chemistry
  • RNA / genetics
  • RNA Stability
  • Single Molecule Imaging
  • Solubility
  • Thermodynamics
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Aptamers, Nucleotide
  • RNA
  • ErbB Receptors
  • Paclitaxel