Programming tumor evolution with selection gene drives to proactively combat drug resistance
Scott M Leighow1,2, Joshua A Reynolds1, Ivan Sokirniy1,2
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
This study introduces selection gene drives to redirect tumor evolution and overcome drug resistance. These engineered systems effectively eliminate diverse cancer resistance mechanisms in vitro and in vivo.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Synthetic Biology
Background:
- Targeted anticancer therapies frequently fail due to the evolution of drug resistance.
- Tumor genetic heterogeneity complicates the development of universally effective cancer treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a novel therapeutic strategy that reproducibly redirects tumor evolution to overcome drug resistance.
- To develop and validate a selection gene drive system for cancer therapy.
Main Methods:
- Development of a selection gene drive system with inducible fitness advantage and shared fitness cost switches.
- Utilizing stochastic models to define selection gene drive design criteria.
- Prototyping drives that leverage tyrosine kinase inhibitors and diverse therapeutic mechanisms (prodrug catalysis, immune induction).
- In vitro and in vivo (mouse models) testing against pre-existing genetic resistance.
Main Results:
- Selection gene drives can be stably introduced into cancer cells.
- Designed drives successfully eradicated diverse genetic resistance mechanisms in vitro.
- Model-informed application of drives effectively targeted pre-existing resistance in mouse solid tumor models.
Conclusions:
- Selection gene drives represent a powerful, evolution-guided framework for anticancer therapy.
- This approach offers a reproducible method to engineer therapeutic opportunities by redirecting tumor evolution.
- The strategy holds promise for overcoming drug resistance in diverse cancers.
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