Methods and assays for specific targeting and delivery of RNA nanoparticles to cancer metastases.

In recent years, RNA nanotechnology has become increasingly attractive due to its potential for applications in nanomedicine. RNA nanotechnology refers to the design and synthesis of nanoparticles composed mainly of RNA via bottom-up self-assembly. RNA nanoparticle is a suitable candidate for targeted delivery of therapeutics to cancer cells due to its multivalency, which allows the combination of therapeutic, targeting, and detection moieties all into one nanoparticle. To date, a system capable of exclusively targeting metastatic cancers that have spread to distant organs or lymph nodes is in demand. In this chapter, we report methods for establishing the clinically relevant colorectal cancer mouse metastasis models and describe methods and assays for constructing multifunctional, thermodynamically and chemically stable RNA nanoparticles that specifically target colorectal cancer metastases in the liver. Systemic injection of RNA nanoparticles showed metastatic cells targeting with little or no accumulation in normal liver parenchyma several hours after injection, demonstrating the therapeutic potential of these RNA nanoparticles as a delivery system for the treatment of cancer metastases.