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Cell and Gene Therapy 2018 & Clinical Microbiology Congress 2018
Biomedical Research
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Volume 29
S e p t e m b e r 1 0 - 1 1 , 2 0 1 8 | D u b l i n , I r e l a n d
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Róisín M Dwyer, Biomed Res 2018, Volume 29 | DOI: 10.4066/biomedicalresearch-C3-007
ENGINEERING EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES
FOR TUMOUR TARGETED THERAPY
Róisín M Dwyer
National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland
E
xtracellular vesicles (EVs) shuttle genetic material including microRNA
(miRNA) between cell populations and throughout the circulation, and hold
immense potential as biomarkers of disease and vehicles for therapeutic drug
delivery. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the proven capacity to home to
sites of metastatic tumours and to evade immune surveillance. MSC-tumour
tropism and apparent immunosuppressive characteristics of the cells, has
raised tremendous interest in their potential as tumour-targeted delivery vehicles
for therapeutic agents. It has become clear that MSC-based therapy response
does not correlate with the level of cell engraftment, but is paracrine in nature.
MSCs are potent secretory cells, and release EVs in large quantities. These EVs
are thought to target specific sites when systemically administered in a manner
reflective of the parent cell. We recently engineered MSCs to secrete EVs loaded
with a tumour-suppressor microRNA, miRNA-379. Systemic administration of
miRNA-379-EVs was well tolerated and reduced breast cancer growth
in vivo
. This
evidence strongly supports the hypothesis that systemic delivery of MSC-derived
EV-encapsulated miRNAs may offer therapeutic promise in the treatment of
metastatic breast cancer. Along with treatment of existing metastases, MSC-EVs
have the potential to inhibit remodelling of pre-metastatic niches systemically,
and reduce cancer progression and recurrence. EVs are also released into the
circulation by cancer cells and may represent a fingerprint of the tumour, raising
potential for the circulating EV-miRNA profile as a biomarker of response to
therapy.
Róisín M Dwyer is a Lecturer in Translational Science
in the discipline of surgery at National University of
Ireland Galway. Following graduation from University
College Dublin (UCD) with a degree in Science, she
has completed her MSc in Biological Sciences at Dub-
lin City University (DCU), and then was awarded her
PhD in Medicine and Therapeutics from UCD. This led
her to a postdoctoral research position at the Mayo
Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. She has established a
research programme, in collaboration with both na-
tional and international research groups, focusing on
novel approaches to breast cancer detection and ther-
apy in Ireland.
roisin.dwyer@nuigalway.ieBIOGRAPHY