Targeting the HSP60/p53 Axis with Extracellular Vesicle-Delivered siRNA Reprograms Glycolysis in Prostate Cancer

Prostate Cancer (PCa), a most prevalent urologic malignancy in men, remains a therapeutic challenge due to limited targeted strategies. This study investigates heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) (HSPD1-encoded), employing multi-dimensional approaches to decipher its oncogenic role and develop siRNA-loaded extracellular vesicles (siRNA@EVs) for PCa targeted therapy. Bioinformatics screening identified HSPD1 overexpression in PCa, which was validated via qPCR/Western blot in clinical tissues and cell lines. Metabolomic-transcriptomic integration and Molecular Biology experiments revealed HSP60-mediated glycolytic reprogramming. EVs were harvested from UV-irradiated PCa cells via high-speed centrifugation. siRNA@EVs were constructed via electroporation and evaluated in vitro (glycolysis phenotyping: glucose consumption, lactate/pyruvate production, Hexokinase activity, and ATP production) and in vivo using xenograft models. Data were analyzed using R 4.3.1 and GraphPad Prism 9.0 (two-tailed t-test, P < 0.05). Multiple bioinformatics analyses (DepMap/TCGA/HPA) confirmed that HSP60 is specifically overexpressed and associated with advanced PCa progression and poor prognosis. HSPD1 knockdown and pharmacological HSP60 inhibition suppressed proliferation, metastasis, and subcutaneous tumor growth, while overexpression exacerbated oncogenicity. Multi-omics integration revealed HSP60 enhances glycolysis via p53 suppression, driving metabolic reprogramming. siRNA@EVs achieved significant HSPD1 silencing, effectively inhibiting the proliferation and metastasis of PCa cells, and blocking xenografts tumor growth in nude mice with safety. siRNA@EVs targeting HSPD1 demonstrate precision therapeutic potential with robust efficacy and safety, offering a novel approach for targeted therapy in PCa.

HSP60; extracellular vesicles; glycolysis; p53; prostate cancer.