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Nilmary Grafals-Ruiz,1,2 Christian I Rios-Vicil,2,3 Eunice L Lozada-Delgado,2,4 Blanca I Quiñones-Díaz,2,5 Ricardo A Noriega-Rivera,2,5 Gabriel Martínez-Zayas,2,6 Yasmarie Santana-Rivera,2 Ginette S Santiago-Sánchez,2,5 Fatma Valiyeva,2 Pablo E Vivas-Mejía2,5 1Department of Physiology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico; 2Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico; 3Department of Neurosurgery, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico; 4Department of Biology, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico; 5Department of Biochemistry, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico; 6Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto RicoCorrespondence: Pablo E Vivas-MejíaComprehensive Cancer Center, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan 00935, Puerto RicoTel +1787 772 8300, ext 1114Fax +1787 758 2557Email pablo.vivas@upr.eduIntroduction: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal of the central nervous system (CNS) malignancies. The initiation, progression, and infiltration ability of GBMs are attributed in part to the dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs). Thus, targeting dysregulated miRNAs with RNA oligonucleotides (RNA interference, RNAi) has been proposed for GBM treatment. Despite promising results in the laboratory, RNA oligonucleotides have clinical limitations that include poor RNA stability and off-target effects. RNAi therapies against GBM confront an additional obstacle, as they need to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB).Methods: Here, we developed gold-liposome nanoparticles conjugated with the brain targeting peptides apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and rabies virus glycoprotein (RVG). First, we functionalized gold nanoparticles with oligonucleotide miRNA inhibitors (OMIs), creating spherical nucleic acids (SNAs). Next, we encapsulated SNAs into ApoE, or RVG-conjugated liposomes, to obtain SNA-Liposome-ApoE and SNA-Liposome-RVG, respectively. We characterized each nanoparticle in terms of their size, charge, encapsulation efficiency, and delivery efficiency into U87 GBM cells in vitro. Then, they were administered intravenously (iv) in GBM syngeneic mice to evaluate their delivery efficiency to brain tumor tissue.Results: SNA-Liposomes of about 30– 50 nm in diameter internalized U87 GBM cells and inhibited the expression of miRNA-92b, an aberrantly overexpressed miRNA in GBM cell lines and GBM tumors. Conjugating SNA-Liposomes with ApoE or RVG peptides increased their systemic delivery to the brain tumors of GBM syngeneic mice. SNA-Liposome-ApoE demonstrated to accumulate at higher extension in brain tumor tissues, when compared with non-treated controls, SNA-Liposomes, or SNA-Liposome-RVG.Discussion: SNA-Liposome-ApoE has the potential to advance the translation of miRNA-based therapies for GBM as well as other CNS disorders.Keywords: glioblastoma, GBM, central nervous system, CNS, microRNAs, RNA interference, spherical nucleic acids, liposomes

Background: First-line treatment with pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy in recurrent and metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) has improved survival. However, the overall response rate with this standard of care regimen (SOC) remains limited. Interleukin (IL)-12 is a potent cytokine that facilitates the crosstalk between innate and adaptive immunity, making it crucial in the antitumor response. Alum-anchored murine IL-12 (mANK-101) has been demonstrated to elicit robust antitumor responses in diverse syngeneic models, which were correlated with increased immune effector functions and prolonged local retention of IL-12. This study investigates the therapeutic benefit of combining mANK-101 with SOC in the MOC1 and MOC2 murine HNSCC tumor models., Methods: MOC1 and MOC2 tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice were administered with a single intratumoral injection of mANK-101 and weekly intraperitoneal injections of cisplatin and α-programmed death 1 (PD-1) for 3 weeks. For MOC1, flow cytometry and cytokine array were performed to assess the immune effector functions associated with the combinational treatment. Multiplex immunofluorescence was employed to characterize the influence of the treatment on the immune architecture in the tumors. RNA analysis was implemented for in-depth examination of the macrophage and effector populations., Results: In the MOC1 and MOC2 models, combination therapy with mANK-101, cisplatin, and α-PD-1 resulted in superior tumor growth inhibition and resulted in the highest rate of tumor-free survival when compared with treatment cohorts that received mANK-101 monotherapy or SOC treatment with α-PD-1 plus cisplatin. Furthermore, the combination therapy protected against tumor re-growth on rechallenge and controlled the growth of distal tumors. The improved therapeutic effect was associated with increased CD8 + T-cell recruitment, increased CD8 + and CD4 + activity, and repolarization of the macrophage population from M2 to M1 at the tumor site. Elevated and prolonged interferon-γ expression is central to the antitumor activity mediated by the combination therapy. In addition, the combination therapy with mANK-101+cisplatin+α-PD-1 induced the formation of tertiary lymphoid structure-like immune aggregates in the peritumoral space., Conclusion: The current findings provide a rationale for the combination of alum-tethered IL-12 with cisplatin and α-PD-1 for HNSCC., Competing Interests: Competing interests: HK and SB work for Ankyra Therapeutics., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is an aggressive form of primary breast cancer characterized by rapid onset and high risk of metastasis and poor clinical outcomes. The biological basis for the aggressiveness of IBC is still not well understood and no IBC-specific targeted therapies exist. In this study, we report that lipocalin 2 (LCN2), a small secreted glycoprotein belonging to the lipocalin superfamily, is expressed at significantly higher levels in IBC vs non-IBC tumors, independently of molecular subtype. LCN2 levels were also significantly higher in IBC cell lines and in their culture media than in non-IBC cell lines. High expression was associated with poor-prognosis features and shorter overall survival in IBC patients. Depletion of LCN2 in IBC cell lines reduced colony formation, migration, and cancer stem cell populations in vitro and inhibited tumor growth, skin invasion, and brain metastasis in mouse models of IBC. Analysis of our proteomics data showed reduced expression of proteins involved in cell cycle and DNA repair in LCN2-silenced IBC cells. Our findings support that LCN2 promotes IBC tumor aggressiveness and offer a new potential therapeutic target for IBC., (© 2021 The Authors. Molecular Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Federation of European Biochemical Societies.)