Efficient siRNA targeted delivery into cancer cells by gastrin-releasing peptides.

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have displayed considerable promise for the treatment of cancer. However, their delivery to the desired cell population remains a challenging task. Here we have covalently conjugated a siRNA against survivin to gastrin-releasing peptides (GRPs) to direct siRNA molecules to cancer cells that express the GRP receptor. The cellular uptake of the peptide-siRNA conjugates was tested in breast MDA-MB 231 cancer cells, which express the GRP receptor. Fluorescein-tagged GRP-siRNA conjugates were taken up by cancer cells but not normal mammary epithelial cells or human blood monocytes. By 120 min of incubation, most of the cells have taken up the conjugates. Excess free peptide inhibited uptake, implying dependence of uptake on GRP receptor. Moreover, bitargeting of siRNA molecules by GR and luteinizing hormone-releasing peptides accelerated the uptake kinetics by MDA-MB 231 cells when compared to monotargeted siRNAs. Peptide-siRNA conjugates, but not free siRNAs, inhibited the expression of survivin, an endogenous gene involved in cancer cell survival. None of the peptide-siRNA conjugates induced the expression of inflammatory cytokines or interferon α in human blood leukocytes. Overall, the data demonstrate the feasibility of GRP receptor-mediated targeted delivery of siRNAs to cancer cells, an important step for RNA interference therapy in humans.