Glioblastoma and metastatic cancers share a critical feature: the involvement of miR-10b, a microRNA that promotes tumor progression and metastasis, particularly through its expression in endothelial cells facilitating cancer cell migration into and out of our blood vessels. My research project investigates whether miRTEN, a novel drug developed in our lab that targets miR-10b using CRISPR/Cas9 delivered via lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), can be repurposed from treating glioblastoma to inhibiting metastasis in cancers such as breast or lung cancer. I will employ techniques including qRT-PCR to quantify miR-10b expression, transfection and cell culturing to test drug efficacy in cancer and endothelial cell lines, microscopy and bioluminescence to visualize cellular responses, and trans-well assays to assess impacts on cancer cell migration. By demonstrating miRTENS’s ability to suppress miR-10b-driven metastatic processes, this research aims to expand its therapeutic application, potentially offering a new strategy to limit cancer spread and improve patient outcomes.
Northeastern University
