Lipid-mediated delivery of CD47 siRNA aids JQ1 in ensuring simultaneous downregulation of PD-L1 and CD47 and improves antitumor immunotherapy efficacy

Abstract

Cancer immunotherapy using immune checkpoint blockade has become an attractive treatment option for patients with different cancers. JQ1, an indirect inhibitor of MYC, enhances antitumor immune responses by regulating the expression of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) in tumor cells; however, its role in downregulating the expression of CD47 remains elusive. The present study revealed that JQ1 failed to downregulate and, when used at high concentrations, it unexpectedly upregulated the expression of CD47 in murine B16F10 melanoma and 4T1 breast tumor cells. Hence, the combinatory use of JQ1 and CD47-specific short interfering RNA (siRNA) may lead to an improved antitumor effect. To overcome the poor water solubility of JQ1 and enhance tumor-targeted delivery, cationic lipid nanoparticles (CLNs) encapsulating both JQ1 and siCD47 simultaneously (CLN/JQ1/siCD47) or each individually (CLN/JQ1/siNC or CLN/siCD47) were prepared. CLN/JQ1/siCD47, but not CLN/JQ1/siNC or CLN/siCD47, simultaneously downregulated both PD-L1 and CD47 in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, compared with CLN/JQ1/siNC and CLN/siCD47, CLN/JQ1/siCD47 induced a significantly enhanced antitumor effect in mice with established breast cancer. The results of this study highlight a synergistic effect of simultaneous PD-L1 and CD47 downregulation and provide a novel strategy for improving the antitumor effects of JQ1.