Short-interfering RNAs (siRNAs) have engendered much enthusiasm for their ability to silence the expression of specific genes. However, it is now well established that siRNAs, depending on their sequence, can be variably sensed by the innate immune system through recruitment of toll-like receptors 7 and 8 (TLR7/8). Here, we aimed to identify sequence-based modifications allowing for the design of bifunctional siRNAs with both proinflammatory and specific silencing activities, and with potentially increased therapeutic benefits. We found that the introduction of a micro-RNA (miRNA)-like nonpairing uridine-bulge in the passenger strand robustly increased immunostimulatory activity on human immune cells. This sequence modification had no effect on the silencing efficiency of the siRNA. Increased immunostimulation with the uridine-bulge design was specific to human cells, and conserved silencing efficiency required a Dicer-substrate scaffold. The increased cytokine production with the uridine-bulge design resulted in enhanced protection against Semliki Forest virus (SFV) infection, in viral assays. Thus, we characterize a design scaffold applicable to any given siRNA sequence, that results in increased innate immune activation without affecting gene silencing. Our data suggest that this sequence modification coupled with structural modification differentially recruits human TLR8 over TLR7, and could have potential application in antiviral therapies.

Sex steroids play a dominant role in breast carcinogenesis by still largely unknown mechanisms. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) have been extensively studied in the context of matrix biology but it is not known if sex steroids affect MMPs in breast cancer. MMPs degrade extracellular matrix components enabling tumor cell invasion and metastasis, but may also regulate the bioavailability of a variety of biologically active molecules such as anti-angiogenic fragments, which may be beneficial for the host. This study shows that estradiol and tamoxifen regulate MMP-2 and MMP-9 as well as TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in ER + PR + human breast cancer cells. The main finding was a significant effect of tamoxifen exposure, which increased intracellular and secreted protein levels whereas estradiol induced a significant decrease. The overall net effect of these alterations resulted in increased MMP-2/MMP-9 activity by tamoxifen treatment, which also significantly increased extracellular endostatin levels. We conclude that estradiol and tamoxifen have the ability to modulate MMP-2/MMP-9 activity, and endostatin levels in human breast cancer in vitro. The results suggest a possible role of MMP modulation associated with a generation of anti-angiogenic fragments in the therapeutic effect of tamoxifen in breast cancer.

Angiogenesis is regulated by the balance between pro-and antiangiogenic factors. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), acting via the receptors VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2, is a key mediator of tumour angiogenesis. The soluble form of the VEGF receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1) is an important negative regulator of VEGF-mediated angiogenesis. The majority of breast cancers are oestrogen dependent, but it is not fully understood how oestrogen and the antioestrogen, tamoxifen, affect the balance of angiogenic factors. Angiogenesis is a result of the interplay between cancer and endothelial cells, and sex steroids may exert effects on both cell types. In this study we show that oestradiol decreased secreted sVEGFR-1, increased secreted VEGF, and decreased the ratio of sVEGFR-1/ VEGF in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. The addition of tamoxifen opposed these effects. Moreover, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) incubated with supernatants from oestradiol-treated MCF-7 cells exhibited higher VEGFR-2 levels than controls. In vivo, MCF-7 tumours from oestradiol þ tamoxifen-treated nude mice exhibited decreased tumour vasculature. Our results suggest that tamoxifen and oestradiol exert dual effects on the angiogenic environment in breast cancer by regulating cancer cell-secreted angiogenic ligands such as VEGF and sVEGFR-1 and by affecting VEGFR-2 expression of endothelial cells.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are important regulators of tumor progression and angiogenesis. MMPs generate both proangiogenic and antiangiogenic fragments, such as vascular endothelial growth factor and endostatin. The in vivo activation of MMPs and endostatin generation occur mainly in the extracellular environment by interactions of different cell types. Therefore, these processes are necessary to study in the extracellular space in vivo. Sex steroids play a dominant role in breast carcinogenesis, by largely unknown mechanisms. In the present study, we used in vivo microdialysis to directly quantify MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity and sample endostatin from both stroma (murine) and tumor (human) cells in vivo in solid MCF-7 tumors in nude mice. We found that tamoxifen in combination with estradiol increased tumor MMP-2/MMP-9 in vivo activity, endostatin levels, and decreased tumor vascularization compared with estradiol treatment only. The stroma-derived endostatin was three to five times higher than cancer cell-generated endostatin. After inhibition of MMP-2/MMP-9, endostatin levels decreased, providing evidence that these proteases are highly involved in the generation of endostatin. Our results support the previously reported concept that MMPs may serve as negative regulators of angiogenesis. The regulation of endostatin generation by modulation of MMP-2/MMP-9 activities suggests a previously unrecognized mechanism of estradiol and tamoxifen, which may have implications for the pathogenesis of breast cancer. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(9): 4789-94)