Delivery of siRNA Using Functionalized Gold Nanorods Enhances Anti-Osteosarcoma Efficacy

Man Zhang; Jinti Lin; Jiakang Jin; Wei Yu; Yiying Qi; Huimin Tao

doi:10.3389/fphar.2021.799588

Delivery of siRNA Using Functionalized Gold Nanorods Enhances Anti-Osteosarcoma Efficacy

Front Pharmacol. 2021 Dec 20:12:799588. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.799588. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Man Zhang^{1

2

3}, Jinti Lin^{1

2

3}, Jiakang Jin^{1

2

3}, Wei Yu^{1

2

3}, Yiying Qi^{1

2

3}, Huimin Tao^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
² Orthopedics Research Institute of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Motor System Disease Research and Precision Therapy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China.

Abstract

Gold nanorods (GNRs) are intensively explored for the application in cancer therapy, which has motivated the development of photothermal therapy (PTT) multifunctional nanoplatforms based on GNRs to cure osteosarcoma (OS). However, the major limitations include the toxicity of surface protectants of GNRs, unsatisfactory targeting therapy, and the resistant effects of photothermal-induced autophagy, so the risk of relapse and metastasis of OS increase. In the present study, the GNR multifunctional nanoplatforms were designed and synthesized to deliver transcription factor EB (TFEB)-siRNA-targeting autophagy; then, the resistance of autophagy to PTT and the pH-sensitive cell-penetrating membrane peptide (CPP) was weakened, which could improve the tumor-targeting ability of the GNR nanoplatforms and realize an efficient synergistic effect for tumor treatment. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the GNR nanoplatform groups have anti-lung metastasis of OS. This study provides a new reference to improve the efficacy of OS clinically.

Keywords: RNA interference; autophagy; gold nanorods; osteosarcoma; photothermal therapy.