Evaluation of modified Interferon alpha mRNA constructs for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancer

Scientific Reports, 2018 · DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31061-w · Published: August 7, 2018

Simple Explanation

This study explores using mRNA to deliver Interferon alpha (IFN-α) to treat non-melanoma skin cancer. The researchers tested different versions of IFN-α mRNA on human skin samples to see which ones were most effective at producing the protein. They found that some modified versions of the mRNA led to significantly more IFN-α production compared to the natural version.

Study Duration

5 days

Participants

Human skin explants from healthy volunteers

Evidence Level

Ex vivo study

Key Findings

1
Skin explants remained viable and intact for at least five days, making them suitable for testing.
2
Biolistic delivery of mRNA resulted in mostly epidermal expression of the target protein.
3
Two optimized IFN-α mRNA variants showed significantly improved IFN-α protein expression compared to the native mRNA.

Research Summary

The study successfully delivered IFN-α mRNA to human skin explants using biolistic application. Optimized IFN-α mRNA sequence variants resulted in significantly higher IFN-α protein expression compared to the native human IFN-α mRNA. The findings provide a proof-of-concept for mRNA-based therapeutics for skin diseases like non-melanoma skin cancers.

Practical Implications

Novel Treatment Development

mRNA-based therapies offer a potential new approach for treating non-melanoma skin cancers and other epidermal conditions.

Personalized Medicine

The ex vivo testing method can be used to screen and optimize mRNA sequences for individual patients.

Improved Delivery Methods

Further research can focus on developing more efficient and less invasive mRNA delivery systems.

Study Limitations

1
Ex vivo skin explants lack vascular, nervous, and immune systems, limiting extrapolation to in vivo responses.
2
Variability exists between donor skin samples, potentially affecting the observed response.
3
Biolistic delivery can cause cell damage, complicating the interpretation of in vivo results.

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