Nanoparticle delivery of HIF1α siRNA combined with photodynamic therapy as a potential treatment strategy for head-and-neck cancer

Combination therapy has become a major strategy in cancer treatment. We used anisamide-targeted lipid-calcium-phosphate (LCP) nanoparticles to efficiently deliver HIF1α siRNA to the cytoplasm of sigma receptor-expressing SCC4 and SAS cells that were also subjected to photodynamic therapy (PDT). HIF1α siRNA nanoparticles effectively reduced HIF1α expression, increased cell death, and significantly inhibited cell growth following photosan-mediated photodynamic therapy in cultured cells. Intravenous injection of the same nanoparticles into human SCC4 or SAS xenografted mice likewise resulted in concentrated siRNA accumulation and reduced HIF1α expression in tumor tissues. When combined with photodynamic therapy, HIF1α siRNA nanoparticles enhanced the regression in tumor size resulting in a ~40% decrease in volume after 10 days. Combination therapy was found to be substantially more effective than either HIF1α siRNA or photodynamic therapy alone. Results from caspase-3, TUNEL, and CD31 marker studies support this conclusion. Our results show the potential use of LCP nanoparticles for efficient delivery of HIF1α siRNA into tumors as part of combination therapy along with PDT in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma.