Intravital fluorescence imaging of small interfering RNA-mediated gene repression in a dual reporter melanoma xenograft model

Nucleic Acid Ther. 2012 Dec;22(6):438-43. doi: 10.1089/nat.2012.0364. Epub 2012 Oct 25.

Abstract

Development of RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics has been hampered by the lack of effective and efficient means of delivery. Reliable model systems for screening and optimizing delivery of RNAi-based agents in vivo are crucial for preclinical research aimed at advancing nucleic acid-based therapies. We describe here a dual fluorescent reporter xenograft melanoma model prepared by intradermal injection of human A375 melanoma cells expressing tandem tomato fluorescent protein (tdTFP) containing a small interfering RNA (siRNA) target site as well as enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), which is used as a normalization control. Intratumoral injection of a siRNA specific to the incorporated siRNA target site, complexed with a cationic lipid that has been optimized for in vivo delivery, resulted in 65%±11% knockdown of tdTFP relative to EGFP quantified by in vivo imaging and 68%±10% by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. No effect was observed with nonspecific control siRNA treatment. This model provides a platform on which siRNA delivery technologies can be screened and optimized in vivo.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Humans
  • Lentivirus / genetics
  • Luciferases / biosynthesis
  • Luciferases / genetics
  • Melanoma / metabolism
  • Melanoma / pathology*
  • Mice
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Optical Imaging
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • RNA Interference*
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics*
  • Skin Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology*

Substances

  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Luciferases