Template-Directed RIG-I Agonist Assembly for Image-guided Targeted Cancer Immunotherapy

Tumor-specific immunotherapies selectively target tumor cells with reduced toxicity compared to conventional treatments. Pattern recognition receptors, such as retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I)-like receptors, have been used to induce broad antitumor responses but their off-target effects and delivery issues hinder their clinical translation. To overcome these challenges, we present a strategy that involves the intracellular assembly of the RIG-I agonist on a tumor-specific RNA template (e.g., miRNA-21) by delivering a 5'-triphosphate single-stranded RNA RIG-I agonist (RIGA-miRNA-21) by a superparamagnetic nanoparticle carrier (TTX) to initiate specific RIG-I signaling and antitumor immune responses. Magnetic properties of TTX enable its detection by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) supporting the concept of image-guided therapy.

A single-stranded anti-miR-21 5'-triphosphate RIG-I agonist was conjugated to the dextran coat of the nanoparticles through disulfide bonds producing TTX-RIGA-miR-21 and tested in vitro and in vivo in B16-F10 melanoma model. Delivery of the TTX carrier was demonstrated in mice bearing B16-F10 tumors by MRI. Therapeutic studies included intravenous injections of TTX-RIGA-miR-21 or controls for 7 days starting on Day 4 after tumor implantation. On Day 15, animals were rechallenged with additional B16-F10 cells implanted on the opposite side.

We demonstrated that TTX-RIGA-miR21 was able to induce miRNA-21-dependent RIG-I signaling and apoptosis in melanoma cells, inhibit tumor growth, and induce immunity against tumor rechallenge in an animal model.

Our template-driven approach brings RIG-I closer to becoming a clinically relevant target in oncology by specifically activating immune responses within tumor cells through systemic RIG-I agonist delivery.