Harnessing high density lipoproteins to block transforming growth factor beta and to inhibit the growth of liver tumor metastases.

Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is a powerful promoter of cancer progression and a key target for antitumor therapy. As cancer cells exhibit active cholesterol metabolism, high density lipoproteins (HDLs) appear as an attractive delivery system for anticancer TGFβ-inhibitory molecules. We const...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: José Medina-Echeverz, Jessica Fioravanti, Nancy Díaz-Valdés, Kathrin Frank, Fernando Aranda, Celia Gomar, Nuria Ardaiz, Javier Dotor, Viktor Umansky, Jesús Prieto, Pedro Berraondo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2014-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0096799&type=printable
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850026650246316032
author José Medina-Echeverz
Jessica Fioravanti
Nancy Díaz-Valdés
Kathrin Frank
Fernando Aranda
Celia Gomar
Nuria Ardaiz
Javier Dotor
Viktor Umansky
Jesús Prieto
Pedro Berraondo
author_facet José Medina-Echeverz
Jessica Fioravanti
Nancy Díaz-Valdés
Kathrin Frank
Fernando Aranda
Celia Gomar
Nuria Ardaiz
Javier Dotor
Viktor Umansky
Jesús Prieto
Pedro Berraondo
author_sort José Medina-Echeverz
collection DOAJ
description Transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is a powerful promoter of cancer progression and a key target for antitumor therapy. As cancer cells exhibit active cholesterol metabolism, high density lipoproteins (HDLs) appear as an attractive delivery system for anticancer TGFβ-inhibitory molecules. We constructed a plasmid encoding a potent TGF-β-blocking peptide (P144) linked to apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) through a flexible linker (pApoLinkerP144). The ApoLinkerP144 sequence was then incorporated into a hepatotropic adeno-associated vector (AAVApoLinkerP144). The aim was to induce hepatocytes to produce HDLs containing a modified ApoA-I capable of blocking TGF-β. We observed that transduction of the murine liver with pApoLinkerP144 led to the appearance of a fraction of circulating HDL containing the fusion protein. These HDLs were able to attenuate TGF-β signaling in the liver and to enhance IL-12 -mediated IFN-γ production. Treatment of liver metastasis of MC38 colorectal cancer with AAVApoLinkerP144 resulted in a significant reduction of tumor growth and enhanced expression of IFN-γ and GM-CSF in cancerous tissue. ApoLinkerP144 also delayed MC38 liver metastasis in Rag2-/-IL2rγ-/- immunodeficient mice. This effect was associated with downregulation of TGF-β target genes essential for metastatic niche conditioning. Finally, in a subset of ret transgenic mice, a model of aggressive spontaneous metastatic melanoma, AAVApoLinkerP144 delayed tumor growth in association with increased CD8+ T cell numbers in regional lymph nodes. In conclusion, modification of HDLs to transport TGF-β-blocking molecules is a novel and promising approach to inhibit the growth of liver metastases by immunological and non-immunological mechanisms.
format Article
id doaj-art-8ab1b439d26b4ee49849187569a357cc
institution DOAJ
issn 1932-6203
language English
publishDate 2014-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj-art-8ab1b439d26b4ee49849187569a357cc2025-08-20T03:00:27ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032014-01-0195e9679910.1371/journal.pone.0096799Harnessing high density lipoproteins to block transforming growth factor beta and to inhibit the growth of liver tumor metastases.José Medina-EcheverzJessica FioravantiNancy Díaz-ValdésKathrin FrankFernando ArandaCelia GomarNuria ArdaizJavier DotorViktor UmanskyJesús PrietoPedro BerraondoTransforming growth factor β (TGF-β) is a powerful promoter of cancer progression and a key target for antitumor therapy. As cancer cells exhibit active cholesterol metabolism, high density lipoproteins (HDLs) appear as an attractive delivery system for anticancer TGFβ-inhibitory molecules. We constructed a plasmid encoding a potent TGF-β-blocking peptide (P144) linked to apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) through a flexible linker (pApoLinkerP144). The ApoLinkerP144 sequence was then incorporated into a hepatotropic adeno-associated vector (AAVApoLinkerP144). The aim was to induce hepatocytes to produce HDLs containing a modified ApoA-I capable of blocking TGF-β. We observed that transduction of the murine liver with pApoLinkerP144 led to the appearance of a fraction of circulating HDL containing the fusion protein. These HDLs were able to attenuate TGF-β signaling in the liver and to enhance IL-12 -mediated IFN-γ production. Treatment of liver metastasis of MC38 colorectal cancer with AAVApoLinkerP144 resulted in a significant reduction of tumor growth and enhanced expression of IFN-γ and GM-CSF in cancerous tissue. ApoLinkerP144 also delayed MC38 liver metastasis in Rag2-/-IL2rγ-/- immunodeficient mice. This effect was associated with downregulation of TGF-β target genes essential for metastatic niche conditioning. Finally, in a subset of ret transgenic mice, a model of aggressive spontaneous metastatic melanoma, AAVApoLinkerP144 delayed tumor growth in association with increased CD8+ T cell numbers in regional lymph nodes. In conclusion, modification of HDLs to transport TGF-β-blocking molecules is a novel and promising approach to inhibit the growth of liver metastases by immunological and non-immunological mechanisms.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0096799&type=printable
spellingShingle José Medina-Echeverz
Jessica Fioravanti
Nancy Díaz-Valdés
Kathrin Frank
Fernando Aranda
Celia Gomar
Nuria Ardaiz
Javier Dotor
Viktor Umansky
Jesús Prieto
Pedro Berraondo
Harnessing high density lipoproteins to block transforming growth factor beta and to inhibit the growth of liver tumor metastases.
PLoS ONE
title Harnessing high density lipoproteins to block transforming growth factor beta and to inhibit the growth of liver tumor metastases.
title_full Harnessing high density lipoproteins to block transforming growth factor beta and to inhibit the growth of liver tumor metastases.
title_fullStr Harnessing high density lipoproteins to block transforming growth factor beta and to inhibit the growth of liver tumor metastases.
title_full_unstemmed Harnessing high density lipoproteins to block transforming growth factor beta and to inhibit the growth of liver tumor metastases.
title_short Harnessing high density lipoproteins to block transforming growth factor beta and to inhibit the growth of liver tumor metastases.
title_sort harnessing high density lipoproteins to block transforming growth factor beta and to inhibit the growth of liver tumor metastases
url https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0096799&type=printable
work_keys_str_mv AT josemedinaecheverz harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases
AT jessicafioravanti harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases
AT nancydiazvaldes harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases
AT kathrinfrank harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases
AT fernandoaranda harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases
AT celiagomar harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases
AT nuriaardaiz harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases
AT javierdotor harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases
AT viktorumansky harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases
AT jesusprieto harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases
AT pedroberraondo harnessinghighdensitylipoproteinstoblocktransforminggrowthfactorbetaandtoinhibitthegrowthoflivertumormetastases