Silica cloaking of adenovirus enhances gene delivery while reducing immunogenicity

Viral gene therapy is a means of delivering genes to replace malfunctioning ones, to kill cancer cells, or to correct genetic mutations. This technology is emerging as a powerful clinical tool; however, it is still limited by viral tropism, uptake and clearance by the liver, and most importantly an immune response. To overcome these challenges, we sought to merge the robustness of viral gene expression and the versatility of nanoparticle technology. Here, we describe a method for cloaking adenovirus (Ad) in silica (SiAd) as a nanoparticle formulation that significantly enhances transduction. Intratumoral injections in human glioma xenografts revealed SiAd expressing luciferase improved tumor transduction while reducing liver uptake. In immune-competent mice SiAd induced no inflammatory cytokines and reduced production of neutralizing antibodies. Finally, SiAd expressing TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand inhibited tumor growth of glioma xenografts. These results reveal that silica cloaking of Ad can enhance viral gene delivery while reducing immunogenicity.