New therapies that challenge existing paradigms are needed for the treatment of cancer. We report a nanoparticle-enabled therapeutic approach to B-cell lymphoma using synthetic high density lipoprotein nanoparticles (HDL-NPs). HDL-NPs are synthesized using a gold nanoparticle template to control conjugate size and ensure a spherical shape. Like natural HDLs, biomimetic HDL-NPs target scavenger receptor type B-1, a high-affinity HDL receptor expressed by lymphoma cells. Functionally, compared with natural HDL, the gold NP template enables differential manipulation of cellular cholesterol flux in lymphoma cells, promoting cellular cholesterol efflux and limiting cholesterol delivery. This combination of scavenger receptor type B-1 binding and relative cholesterol starvation selectively induces apoptosis. HDL-NP treatment of mice bearing B-cell lymphoma xenografts selectively inhibits B-cell lymphoma growth. As such, HDL-NPs are biofunctional therapeutic agents, whose mechanism of action is enabled by the presence of a synthetic nanotemplate. HDL-NPs are active in B-cell lymphomas and potentially, other malignancies or diseases of pathologic cholesterol accumulation.nanotechnology | therapy | biologic

We report a gold nanoparticle-templated high density lipoprotein (HDL AuNP) platform for gene therapy which combines lipid-based nucleic acid transfection strategies with HDL biomimicry. For proof-of-concept, HDL AuNPs are shown to adsorb antisense cholesterylated DNA. The conjugates are internalized by human cells, can be tracked within cells using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and regulate target gene expression. Overall, the ability to directly image the AuNP core within cells, the chemical tailorability of the HDL AuNP platform, and the potential for cell-specific targeting afforded by HDL biomimicry make this platform appealing for nucleic acid delivery.

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Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to summarize the most recent pre-clinical and clinical advancements in therapeutic nano-oncology. Recent findings First generation nanotherapies are well-tolerated in humans and evidence shows that they are efficacious while at the same time reducing the burden of side effects. Most of these therapies are not specifically targeted but take advantage of enhanced passive accumulation within tumors to preferentially deliver chemotherapies that are toxic when systemically administered. Actively targeted nanotherapies are entering the clinical arena and preliminary data are encouraging. Finally, a number of exciting pre-clinical developments in nanotechnology provide clear evidence that nanotherapies will continue to find their way into the clinic and will have a significant impact in oncology. Summary A number of intriguing nanoparticle therapies are being tested in pre-clinical and clinical trials. Nanoparticles with increasing molecular sophistication, specific targeting properties, and unique mechanisms-of-action will find their way to the clinic. Certainly, nanoparticle-based therapies will be increasingly represented in drug development pipelines, and will continue to provide efficacious and safe drug options for patients with cancer.

Systemic delivery of therapeutic nucleic acids to target cells and tissues outside of the liver remains a major challenge. We synthesized a biomimetic high density lipoprotein nanoparticle (HDL NP) for delivery of a cholesteryl modified therapeutic nucleic acid (RNAi) to vascular endothelial cells, a cell type naturally targeted by HDL. HDL NPs adsorb cholesteryl modified oligonucleotides and protect them from nuclease degradation. As proof of principle, we delivered RNAi targeting vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2) to endothelial cells to effectively silence target mRNA and protein expression in vitro. In addition, data show that treatment strongly attenuated in vivo neovascularization measured using a standard angiogenesis assay and in hypervascular tumor allografts where a striking reduction in tumor growth was observed. For effective delivery, HDL NPs required the expression of the cell surface protein scavenger receptor type-B1 (SR-B1). No toxicity of HDL NPs was measured in vitro or after in vivo administration. Thus, by using a biomimetic approach to nucleic acid delivery, data demonstrate that systemically administered RNAi-HDL NPs target SR-B1 expressing endothelial cells to deliver functional anti-angiogenic RNAi as a potential treatment of cancer and other neo-vascular diseases.

157 We report a nanoparticle-enabled therapeutic approach to B cell lymphoma using synthetic, high-density lipoprotein nanoparticles (HDL-NP). Like natural HDLs, biomimetic HDL-NPs target scavenger receptor type B-1 (SR-B1), a high-affinity HDL receptor expressed by lymphoma cells. Functionally, and unlike natural HDL, a gold nanoparticle template used to control HDL-NP synthesis enables differential manipulation of cellular cholesterol flux through SR-B1. Recent evidence in lymphoblasts and myeloblasts from patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) demonstrates enhanced uptake of cholesterol through high-density lipoprotein (HDL) carriers, which may result in increased cell proliferation. We therefore hypothesized that by targeting SR-B1, we could manipulate cholesterol flux in lymphoma cells thereby targeting cellular signaling pathways that would lead to cell death and offer an innovative approach to the treatment of lymphoma and other cancers. Methods: To accomplish this, we developed a biomimetic spherical nanoparticle (HDL-NP) with surface chemical properties similar to natural HDL, including the ability to sequester cholesterol. Biomimetic HDL-NPs are synthesized using a 5 nm diameter gold (Au) nanoparticle (NP) as a size- and shape-restrictive template on which to assemble the surface chemical components of natural HDLs, including phospholipids and the HDL-defining apolipoprotein A1 (Apo A1). Importantly, the core AuNP template occupies the real estate in natural cholesterol-rich HDLs reserved for esterified cholesterol, which inherently limits the ability of HDL-NPs to deliver cholesterol. We incubated the HDL-NPs with various lymphoma cell lines, and similarly tested the HDL-NPs in a xenograft model. Results: We first examined gene expression profiles of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Burkitt Lymphoma (BL) and normal B cells from patient samples in a database generated using Affymetrix U133plus 2.0 arrays in order to establish the prevalence of SR-B1 expression. We compared the expression of SR-B1 in BL cases (n=20), and DLBCL cases (n=40) that were further subdivided as activated B-cell (ABC)-like DLBCL (n=20), and germinal center (GC)-like DLBCL (n=20) to normal naive (n=3) and memory (n=3) B cells obtained from healthy donors. We found that SR-B1 was expressed at two to four-fold higher levels in the lymphomas (ABC and GC) compared with normal B cells. Next, we determined the expression of SR-B1 in lymphoma cell lines and normal peripheral lymphocytes by immunoblotting, and we found that SR-B1 is expressed in multiple B cell lymphoma cell lines, but not in Jurkat, a T-cell line, and is not expressed by normal human lymphocytes. Incubation of HDL-NP with Ramos, LY-3 and SUDHL-4 resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in cell viability and apoptosis (Figure 1) of the Ramos and SUDHL-4 cells, less so in LY-3 cells, and not in the Jurkat line. This required the nanoparticle construct and could not be duplicated by individual components of that construct, and was reversible with addition of acetylated low-density lipoprotein, indicating that the SR-B1 receptor was targeted. Xenograft experiments with SCID beige mice (C.B-Igh-1b/GbmsTac-Prkdcscid-Lystbg N7) bearing Ramos and Jurkat flank tumor xenografts confirmed the activity of the HDL-NP (Figure 2). Conclusion: We report a template-directed and bio-functional therapeutic nanostructure that could shift the paradigm for treating lymphoma and other cancers. A combination of SR-B1 binding and manipulation of cholesterol flux is responsible for selective induction of apoptosis in B cell lymphoma. Disclosures: Thaxton: Aurasense: Employment, Equity Ownership.

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