In vivo selection of tumor-targeting RNA motifs

Abstract

Successive rounds of selection of an RNA library in a mouse cancer model resulted in the identification of an aptamer that specifically bound a cancer-associated protein, providing an in vivo approach for identifying RNA motifs that can reveal and potentially inhibit tumor-specific targets. In an effort to target the in vivo context of tumor-specific moieties, we screened a large library of nuclease-resistant RNA oligonucleotides in tumor-bearing mice to identify candidate molecules with the ability to localize to hepatic colon cancer metastases. One of the selected molecules is an RNA aptamer that binds to p68, an RNA helicase that has been shown to be upregulated in colorectal cancer.