Research led by the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, has used siRNA-based silencing of protein cyclophilin A (CyPA) to reduce tumor burden and extend the lives of patients with multiple myeloma.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a blood cancer that occurs in the bone marrow and can form tumors outside bone marrow in the body’s organs (extramedullary disease). MM is currently treatable but incurable, with inevitable relapse after treatment and typically short survival rates of 3 to 6 months for those with relapse as they build resistance to the treatments.
Endothelial cells within the bone marrow microenvironment are thought to play a critical role. Specifically, cyclophilin A (CyPA), a protein secreted by bone marrow endothelial cells, is involved in progression, survival, and chemotherapeutic resistance.
Inhibiting CyPA could simultaneously inhibit MM progression and make MM more vulnerable to chemotherapeutics, but getting inhibiting molecules into the bone marrow endothelium is challenging.
Small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics have broad potential to silence any targeted gene and are a great candidate for CyPA silencing but are limited by instability in the bloodstream and an inability to traverse cell membranes easily.
The researchers needed a way to get the potential therapy to the correct location and turned to a nanoparticle delivery system. The team developed nanoparticles comprised of a polymer-lipid hybrid material and a lipid-polyethylene glycol (PEG) to enable nucleic acid encapsulation.
The nanoparticles reduced the degradation of the RNA by enzymes in the blood and were able to deliver the payload siRNA to specific tissues via functionalization of the nanoparticle surface chemistry,
The nanoparticle delivery platform and a CyPA silencing siRNA payload were deployed in a living mouse model, and it worked. The silencing of CyPA decreased multiple myeloma invasion across bone marrow endothelial cells and disrupted interactions. When combined with a therapeutic, bortezomib, CyPA silencing sensitized cancer cells to therapy, which reduced proliferation and angiogenesis, and ultimately extended mouse survival.
The authors suggest that this nanoparticle platform may provide a broadly enabling technology to deliver nucleic acid therapeutics to other malignancies.
News
COVID-19 can wake up dormant viruses in the body, large study confirms
Virus reactivations by SARS-CoV-2 could worsen initial symptoms and increase risk of Long Covid. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists noticed that a SARS-CoV-2 infection can “wake up” other, dormant viruses already present in [...]
Scientists Discover the Brain May Enter a New Biological Phase Between 50 and 75
A single-cell study reveals major changes in immune cells, genome organization, and gene regulation within the aging human hippocampus, offering important insights into brain aging and dementias associated with age. Between roughly ages 50 [...]
Our books now available worldwide!
Online Sellers other than Amazon, Routledge, and IOPP Indigo Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artifcial Intelligence Global Health Care Equivalency In The Age Of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine And Artificial [...]
Unzipping the Code of Life: Scientists Pinpoint Where DNA First Opens
Researchers mapped where DNA first opens and how a helicase gate may release one strand as genome copying begins. Before a cell can divide, it must open its tightly wound DNA and begin copying the entire [...]
Scientists Tested an 8-Hour Eating Window and Found a Surprising Brain Benefit
Limiting the daily eating window may provide brain benefits beyond those associated with weight loss. Eating within a shorter daily window may provide cognitive benefits beyond those associated with weight loss alone, according to [...]
Focused Ultrasound Opens Blood-Brain Barrier to Treat Brain Cancer
Summary: A new study demonstrates that primary brain tumors (gliomas) are particularly receptive to targeted drug delivery using focused ultrasound (FUS) combined with microbubbles. The team developed a high-resolution MRI protocol to track blood-brain barrier [...]
AI’s promise and practical limits in drug discovery
AI tools are becoming increasingly common in early drug discovery, allowing scientists to analyse data and navigate large volumes of research. However, according to Dr Raminderpal Singh, turning that potential into consistent scientific workflows [...]
GHCE Concept
From the preface of the book Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artificial Intelligence, Edited by Frank Boehm: Since the publication of my first book (Nanomedical Device and Systems [...]
Healthcare Headlines: Challenges and Advances in 2026
Health-related updates reveal financial adjustments by Universal Health Services due to Medicaid reimbursement uncertainties, significant pollution-linked health concerns from French-British oil firm Perenco in Congo, drug trial setbacks, potential restructuring at major medical firms, [...]
Scientists Discover the Brain Protein That Helps Alzheimer’s Spread Through the Brain
Scientists have identified a brain protein that may help Alzheimer’s spread, revealing a potential new target for slowing the disease’s progression. Alzheimer’s disease is closely linked to the accumulation of a toxic form of the protein [...]
How Immune Dysregulation Contributes to Psychiatric Disorders
Introduction Growing evidence suggests that disruptions in immune function may play an important role in the development and progression of psychiatric disorders. However, immune mechanisms probably contribute more strongly in some patients than others, [...]
Electrostatic Discharge Boosts Triboelectric Nanogenerator Current and Enables DC Output
Controlled electrical discharges could enable triboelectric nanogenerators to achieve higher peak currents, extending nano-enabled energy harvesting into chemical processing and self-powered sensing. Paper: Electrostatic discharge as a breakthrough strategy for triboelectric nanogenerators. A new review [...]
Swiss laboratory uses old drugs against rare diseases
Researchers at the University of Geneva are combing through collections of approved drugs to find new therapies for rare diseases – with some success. This approach is gaining traction around the world, while pharmaceutical [...]
Nanozyme Aptasensors Show Promise for Faster Food, Health, and Environmental Testing
By pairing robust artificial enzymes with highly selective aptamers, nanozyme aptasensors could help detect disease biomarkers, pathogens, and contaminants faster, but the review shows that real-world deployment still depends on overcoming matrix interference, biofouling, [...]
Paralyzed Man Feels Sensation Again With Brain Stimulation Device
Aneuroprosthetic system has allowed a man with paralysis to grasp and lift objects and feel touch again. The device helped 42-year-old Keith Thomas of Massapequa, New York, who was paralyzed from the chest down [...]
Global Cancer Cases Could Surge 67% by 2050, New Report Warns
New data reveal major geographic disparities and highlight the urgent need for global action on prevention, early detection, and equitable access to treatment. For roughly one in five people worldwide, cancer will become part [...]
