A study has demonstrated that nano-sized vesicles released by red blood cells are a viable platform for delivering immunotherapeutic RNA molecules to suppress breast cancer growth and metastasis. The study successfully delivered RIG-I-activating RNAs using small, lipid membrane-bound particles released by red blood cells, called red blood cell extracellular vesicles (RBCEVs), to suppress cancer progression. The team had also discovered in earlier studies that these vesicles are ideal therapeutic carriers with a natural ability to deliver bioactive molecules to many cell types.
In the fight against cancer, the development of efficacious drugs is only half the battle; equally important is how drugs may be delivered efficiently and safely to the diseased sites in the body.The challenge of drug delivery is especially pertinent for RNA therapeutics which target an important immuno-modulatory receptor, RIG-I. When activated by certain types of RNAs, the receptor can initiate immune responses to kill cancer cells. As RNAs are unstable and fragile by nature, RNA-based drugs must be packaged in suitable carriers to prevent degradation, and promote efficient uptake by target cancer tissues. A study led by researchers at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS Medicine) -- in collaboration with the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technology University, Singapore (LKCMedicine, NTU Singapore) and A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) -- demonstrated that nano-sized vesicles released by red blood cells are a viable platform for delivering immunotherapeutic RNA molecules to suppress breast cancer growth and metastasis. Published in the Journal of Extracellular Vesicles, the study successfully delivered RIG-I-activating RNAs using small, lipid membrane-bound particles released by red…