title: MicroRNAs targeting mutant K-ras by electrotransfer inhibit human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: Mutations of K-ras have been found in 30-60% of colorectal carcinomas and are believed to be associated with tumor initiation, tumor progression and metastasis formation. Therefore, silencing of mutant K-ras expression has become an attractive therapeutic strategy for colorectal cancer treatment. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of microRNA (miRNA) molecules directed against K-ras (miRNA-K-ras) on K-ras expression level and the growth of colorectal carcinoma cell line LoVo in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we evaluated electroporation as a gene delivery method for transfection of LoVo cells and tumors with plasmid DNA encoding miRNA-K-ras (pmiRNA-K-ras). Results of our study indicated that miRNAs targeting K-ras efficiently reduced K-ras expression and cell survival after in vitro electrotransfection of LoVo cells with pmiRNA-K-ras. In vivo, electroporation has proven to be a simple and efficient delivery method for local administration of pmiRNA-K-ras molecules into LoVo tumors. This therapy shows pronounced antitumor effectiveness and has no side effects. The obtained results demonstrate that electrogene therapy with miRNA-K-ras molecules can be potential therapeutic strategy for treatment of colorectal cancers harboring K-ras mutations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vidic
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Markelc
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sersa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coer
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kamensek
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tevz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kranjc
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cemazar
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D000818:Animals; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000235:genetics; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D019073:HT29 Cells; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods; D047368:Tumor Burden / Q000235:genetics; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D018631:ras Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D018631:ras Proteins