Min Ren, Ling Yang, Liming He, Jie Wang, Wei Zhao, Chunli Yang, Shuai Yang, Hao Cheng, Meijuan Huang, Maling Gou
Earthworms, long utilized in traditional medicine, serve as a source of inspiration for modern therapeutics. Lysenin, a defensive factor in the coelom fluid of the earthworm Eisenia fetida, has multiple bioactivities. However, the inherent toxicity of Lysenin as a pore-forming protein (PFP) restricts its application in therapy. Here, a gene therapy strategy based on Lysenin for cancer treatment is presented. The formulation consists of polymeric nanoparticles complexed with the plasmid encoding Lysenin. After transfection in vitro, melanoma cells can express Lysenin, resulting in necrosis, autophagy, and immunogenic cell death...
March 6, 2024: Advanced Science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)