SCIDOT-41. NANOTHERAPEUTIC TARGETING OF TUMOR ENDOTHELIUM FOR ENHANCING DRUG DELIVERY PAST THE BLOOD-BRAIN BARRIER

OBJECTIVE The Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastoma subgroup accounts for ~25% of all cases and has an intermediate prognosis. Current conventional therapies result in devastating morbidities including intellectual disability and secondary malignancies. Although molecularly targeted agents that inhibit the SHH pathway have demonstrated clinical efficacy, recent studies have shown on-target secondary toxicities on bone development suggesting new therapeutic approaches are needed. METHODS We investigated the efficacy of the SHH pathway inhibitor, Vismodegib packaged in a fucoidan-based nanoparticle (Fi-Vis) that targets P-selectin, a protein overexpressed on vascular endothelial cells and induced by low-dose ionizing radiation (XRT) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. This P-selectin targeting nanoparticle drug delivery system shows selectivity toward tumor vasculature and not normal brain vasculature in a genetic SHH medulloblastoma mouse model as assessed by ex vivo infrared imaging and two-photon intravital imaging. RESULTS Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of SHH medulloblastoma tissue following single dose XRT and Fi-Vis treatment (10mg/kg) showed a synergistic inhibition of Gli1 expression (>90% target inhibition). Furthermore, we demonstrate that very low dose XRT (0.25Gy) can induce P-selectin expression specifically within MB tumor vasculature and synergize with low dose Fi-Vis (10mg/kg) to significantly enhance mouse survival (p<0.01) when compared to radiation or Fi-Vis alone. Furthermore, assessment of bone toxicity using micro-CT and histological analysis following Fi-Vis administration in postnatal (P10) mice shows no bone toxicity when compared to free Vismodegib. Finally, in vitro studies using mouse brain endothelial cells suggest at least in part a caveolin-1 mediated transcytosis mechanism of crossing the endothelial blood-brain barrier. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest applicability of combined XRT and tumor vasculature-targeted nanotherapeutic dose de-escalation strategies for SHH medulloblastoma with implications for other pediatric and adult brain tumors.