Therapeutic restoration of miR-126-3p as a multi-targeted strategy to modulate the liver tumor microenvironment

Impaired natural killer (NK) cell-mediated antitumor responses contribute to the growth of liver tumors. Expression of a disintegrin and metalloprotease 9 (ADAM9) increases shedding of membrane-bound major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related protein A and results in evasion from NK cell-mediated cytolysis. ADAM9 is also involved in angiogenesis and tumor progression and is a target of miR-126-3p, a tumor suppressor that is downregulated and alters tumor cell behavior in the liver and other cancers. We evaluated the restoration of miR-126-3p and modulation of the miR-126-3p/ADAM9 axis as a therapeutic approach to simultaneously enhance NK cell-mediated cytolysis while targeting both tumor cells and their microenvironment.

Precursor miRNAs were loaded into milk-derived nanovesicles to generate therapeutic vesicles (therapeutic milk-derived nanovesicles) for the restoration of functional miR-126-3p in recipient cancer cells.

Administration of therapeutic milk-derived nanovesicles increased miR-126-3p expression and reduced ADAM9 expression in target cells and was associated with an increase in membrane-bound major histocompatibility complex class I chain-related protein A. This enhanced NK cell cytolysis in adherent tumor cells and in multicellular tumor spheroids while also impairing angiogenesis and modulating macrophage chemotaxis. Moreover, IV administration of therapeutic milk-derived nanovesicles with adoptive transfer of NK cells reduced tumor burden in orthotopic hepatocellular cancer xenografts in mice.

A directed RNA therapeutic approach can mitigate NK cell immune evasion, reduce angiogenesis, and alter the tumor cell phenotype through the restoration of miR-126-3p in liver tumor cells. The pleiotropic effects elicited by this multi-targeted approach to modulate the local tumor microenvironment support its use for the treatment of liver cancer.