Novel epithelial cell adhesion molecule antibody conjugated polyethyleneimine-capped gold nanoparticles for enhanced and targeted small interfering RNA delivery to retinoblastoma cells.

Background: Several nanoconjugates have been designed to deliver nucleic acids such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) and DNA to cells to study silencing and expression efficacies. In the present study, we prepared novel epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) monoclonal antibody conjugated polyethyleneimine (PEI) capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) loaded with EpCAM-specific siRNA molecules to knock-down the EpCAM gene in retinoblastoma (RB) cells. We chose EpCAM as a target moiety to deliver siRNA because this molecule is highly expressed in various epithelial cancers and is an ideal target as it is highly expressed in the apical surface of tumor cells while showing basolateral expression in normal cells.

Oncogenic microRNA 17-92 cluster is regulated by epithelial cell adhesion molecule and could be a potential therapeutic target in retinoblastoma.

Purpose: Several miRNAs have been reported as candidate oncogenes and tumor suppressors, which are involved in the pathways specifically altered during tumorigenesis or metastasis. The miR 17-92 cluster located in 13q31 locus might contribute to retinoblastoma (RB) oncogenesis as 13q31 is amplified often in RB. We attempted to identify the factors involved in the regulation of miR 17-92 cluster in RB.

A novel in vitro three-dimensional retinoblastoma model for evaluating chemotherapeutic drugs.

Purpose: Novel strategies are being applied for creating better in vitro models that simulate in vivo conditions for testing the efficacy of anticancer drugs. In the present study we developed surface-engineered, large and porous, biodegradable, polymeric microparticles as a scaffold for three dimensional (3-D) growth of a Y79 retinoblastoma (RB) cell line. We evaluated the effect of three anticancer drugs in naïve and nanoparticle-loaded forms on a 3-D versus a two-dimensional (2-D) model.

Reversal of stathmin-mediated microtubule destabilization sensitizes retinoblastoma cells to a low dose of antimicrotubule agents: a novel synergistic therapeutic intervention.

Purpose: To explore the possibility of stathmin as an effective therapeutic target and to evaluate the synergistic combination of stathmin RNAi and the antimicrotubule agents paclitaxel and vincristine to retinoblastoma Y79 cells.

Methods: RNAi-mediated specific inhibition of stathmin expression in Y79 cells was shown by real-time quantitative RT-PCR (RT-Q-PCR), its effect on cell proliferation by MTT assay, cell invasion using matrigel, microtubule polymerization by immunohistochemistry, apoptosis, cell cycle analysis by flow cytometry analysis, and the changes in FOXM1 protein expression were studied by Western blot. The effect of combination treatment of stathmin siRNA and paclitaxel/vincristine was studied by assessing cell viability and apoptosis.