Abstract
AbstractFibroblast activation protein (FAP) is a cell surface serine protease that is highly expressed on reactive stromal fibroblasts, such as cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and generally absent in healthy adult tissues. FAP expression in the tumor stroma has been detected in more than 90% of all carcinomas, rendering CAFs excellent target cells for a tumor site-specific adenoviral delivery of cancer therapeutics. Here, we present a tropism-modified human adenovirus 5 (Ad5) vector that targets FAP through trivalent, designed ankyrin repeat protein (DARPin)-based retargeting adapters. We describe the development and validation of these adapters via cell-based screening assays and demonstrate adapter-mediated Ad5 retargeting to FAP+fibroblastsin vitroandin vivo. We further show efficientin vivodelivery andin-situproduction of a therapeutic payload by CAFs in the tumor microenvironment (TME), resulting in attenuated tumor growth. We thus propose using our FAP-Ad5 vector to convert CAFs into a ‘biofactory’, secreting encoded cancer therapeutics into the TME to enable a safe and effective cancer treatment.
Publisher
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory