Biomimetic gene editing system for precise tumor cell reprogramming and augmented tumor therapy

The abnormal level of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) is closely related to cancer metastasis and treatment resistance. CRISPR-Cas9-based gene editing technology has sparked profound hope to solve this issue by precise gene disruption, although the in vivo application remains hindered by the lack of a safe and efficient delivery strategy. Herein, we developed a cell membrane biomimetic core-shell system for light-controllable, precise gene editing. The inner core of the system comprises protamine for CRISPR-Cas9/sgRNA plasmid (pCas9) loading and calcium ions for efficient pCas9 transfection. The shell of the system is camouflaged by a cell membrane and modified with AS1411 aptamers for tumor targeting and photosensitizers to induce lysosomal escape and pCas9 release through reactive oxygen species production, thereby producing light-controllable enhanced gene editing. Neoplastic H1299 cells were reprogrammed using the biomimetic gene editing system upon laser irradiation with reduced VEGF and Vimentin expression, leading to enhanced antimetastatic effects. Genetic disruption of HIF-1α augmented the in vivo chemotherapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel. Our approach of using a membrane-camouflaged system combined with light augmentation provides a potential solution for the in vivo delivery of CRISPR-Cas9 as well as a feasible strategy for cancer therapy.