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Humer D, Spadiut O. Enzyme prodrug therapy: cytotoxic potential of paracetamol turnover with recombinant horseradish peroxidase. MONATSHEFTE FUR CHEMIE 2021; 152:1389-1397. [PMID: 34759433 PMCID: PMC8542555 DOI: 10.1007/s00706-021-02848-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Targeted cancer treatment is a promising, less invasive alternative to chemotherapy as it is precisely directed against tumor cells whilst leaving healthy tissue unaffected. The plant-derived enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) can be used for enzyme prodrug cancer therapy with indole-3-acetic acid or the analgesic paracetamol (acetaminophen). Oxidation of paracetamol by HRP in the presence of hydrogen peroxide leads to N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine and polymer formation via a radical reaction mechanism. N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine binds to DNA and proteins, resulting in severe cytotoxicity. However, plant HRP is not suitable for this application since the foreign glycosylation pattern is recognized by the human immune system, causing rapid clearance from the body. Furthermore, plant-derived HRP is a mixture of isoenzymes with a heterogeneous composition. Here, we investigated the reaction of paracetamol with defined recombinant HRP variants produced in E. coli, as well as plant HRP, and found that they are equally effective in paracetamol oxidation at a concentration ≥ 400 µM. At low paracetamol concentrations, however, recombinant HRP seems to be more efficient in paracetamol oxidation. Yet upon treatment of HCT-116 colon carcinoma and FaDu squamous carcinoma cells with HRP-paracetamol no cytotoxic effect was observed, neither in the presence nor absence of hydrogen peroxide. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00706-021-02848-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Humer
- TU Wien, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Oliver Spadiut
- TU Wien, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
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2
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Humer D, Furlanetto V, Schruef AK, Wlodarczyk A, Kuttke M, Divne C, Spadiut O. Potential of unglycosylated horseradish peroxidase variants for enzyme prodrug cancer therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 142:112037. [PMID: 34392084 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Fighting cancer still relies on chemo- and radiation therapy, which is a trade-off between effective clearance of malignant cells and severe side effects on healthy tissue. Targeted cancer treatment on the other hand is a promising and refined strategy with less systemic interference. The enzyme horseradish peroxidase (HRP) exhibits cytotoxic effects on cancer cells in combination with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). However, the plant-derived enzyme is out of bounds for medical purposes due to its foreign glycosylation pattern and resulting rapid clearance and immunogenicity. In this study, we generated recombinant, unglycosylated HRP variants in Escherichia coli using random mutagenesis and investigated their biochemical properties and suitability for cancer treatment. The cytotoxicity of the HRP-IAA enzyme prodrug system was assessed in vitro with HCT-116 human colon, FaDu human nasopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and murine colon adenocarcinoma cells (MC38). Extensive cytotoxicity was shown in all three cancer cell lines: the cell viability of HCT-116 and MC38 cells treated with HRP-IAA was below 1% after 24 h incubation and the surviving fraction of FaDu cells was ≤ 10% after 72 h. However, no cytotoxic effect was observed upon in vivo intratumoral application of HRP-IAA on a MC38 tumor model in C57BL/6J mice. However, we expect that targeting of HRP to the tumor by conjugation to specific antibodies or antibody fragments will reduce HRP clearance and thereby enhance therapy efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Humer
- TU Wien, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Valentina Furlanetto
- KTH School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health Department of Industrial Biotechnology, AlbaNova, Roslagstullsbacken 21, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna-Katharina Schruef
- TU Wien, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria
| | - Angelika Wlodarczyk
- Austrian Research Institute for Chemistry and Engineering (OFI), Franz-Grill-Straße 5, Objekt 213, 1030 Vienna, Austria
| | - Mario Kuttke
- Medical University of Vienna, Institute for Vascular Biology and Thrombosis Research, Center for Pharmacology and Physiology, Schwarzspanierstrasse 17, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christina Divne
- KTH School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health Department of Industrial Biotechnology, AlbaNova, Roslagstullsbacken 21, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Oliver Spadiut
- TU Wien, Institute of Chemical, Environmental and Bioscience Engineering, Research Area Biochemical Engineering, Gumpendorfer Straße 1a, 1060 Vienna, Austria.
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3
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Luo EWC, Liao ML, Chien CL. Neural differentiation of glioblastoma cell lines via a herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir system driven by a glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253008. [PMID: 34370752 PMCID: PMC8351974 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor with poor prognosis that rapidly acquires resistance to available clinical treatments. The herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (HSVtk/GCV) system produces the selective elimination of HSVtk-positive cells and is a candidate for preclinical testing against glioblastoma via its ability to regulate proliferation and differentiation. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to establish a plasmid encoding the HSVtk/GCV system driven by a glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter and verify its possibility of neural differentiation of glioblastoma cell line under the GCV challenge. Four stable clones-N2A-pCMV-HSVtk, N2A-pGFAP-HSVtk, U251-pCMV-HSVtk, and U251-pGFAP-HSVtk-were established from neuronal N2A and glioblastoma U251 cell lines. In vitro GCV sensitivity was assessed by MTT assay for monitoring time- and dosage-dependent cytotoxicity. The capability for neural differentiation in stable glioblastoma clones during GCV treatment was assessed by performing immunocytochemistry for nestin, GFAP, and βIII-tubulin. Under GFAP promoter control, the U251 stable clone exhibited GCV sensitivity, while the neuronal N2A clones were nonreactive. During GCV treatment, cells underwent apoptosis on day 3 and dying cells were identified after day 5. Nestin was increasingly expressed in surviving cells, indicating that the population of neural stem-like cells was enriched. Lower levels of GFAP expression were detected in surviving cells. Furthermore, βIII-tubulin-positive neuron-like cells were identified after GCV treatment. This study established pGFAP-HSVtk-P2A-EGFP plasmids that successfully ablated GFAP-positive glioblastoma cells, but left neuronal N2A cells intact. These data suggest that the neural differentiation of glioblastoma cells can be promoted by treatment with the HSVtk/GCV system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Wei-Chia Luo
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Meng-Lin Liao
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- School of Medicine, College of Medicine, I‐Shou University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (CLC); (MLL)
| | - Chung-Liang Chien
- Graduate Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
- * E-mail: (CLC); (MLL)
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4
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Alizadeh S, Esmaeili A, Barzegari A, Rafi MA, Omidi Y. Bioengineered smart bacterial carriers for combinational targeted therapy of solid tumours. J Drug Target 2020; 28:700-713. [PMID: 32116051 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2020.1737087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Despite many endeavours for the development of new anticancer drugs, effective therapy of solid tumours remains a challenging issue. The current cancer chemotherapies may associate with two important limitations, including the lack/trivial specificity of treatment modalities towards diseased cells/tissues resulting in undesired side effects, and the emergence of drug-resistance mechanisms by tumour cells causing the failure of the treatment. Much attention, therefore, has currently been paid to develop smart and highly specific anticancer agents with maximal therapeutic impacts and minimal side effects. Among various strategies used to target cancer cells, bacteria-based cancer therapies (BCTs) have been validated as potential gene/drug delivery carriers, which can also be engineered to be used in diagnosis processes. They can be devised to selectively target the tumour microenvironment (TME), within which they may preferentially proliferate in the necrotic and anaerobic parts - often inaccessible to other therapeutics. BCTs are capable to sense and respond to the environmental signals, upon which they are considered as smart microrobots applicable in the controlled delivery of therapeutic agents to the TME. In this review, we aimed to provide comprehensive insights into the potentials of the bioengineered bacteria as smart and targeted bio-carriers and discuss their applications in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siamak Alizadeh
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.,Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Abolghasem Esmaeili
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Abolfazl Barzegari
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mohammad A Rafi
- Department of Neurology, Sidney Kimmel College of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yadollah Omidi
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology, Biomedicine Institute, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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5
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Attenuated Salmonella engineered with an apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) eukaryotic expressing system enhances its anti-tumor effect in melanoma in vitro and in vivo. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:3517-3528. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10485-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Telomere Gene Therapy: Polarizing Therapeutic Goals for Treatment of Various Diseases. Cells 2019; 8:cells8050392. [PMID: 31035374 PMCID: PMC6563133 DOI: 10.3390/cells8050392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Modulation of telomerase maintenance by gene therapy must meet two polarizing requirements to achieve different therapeutic outcomes: Anti-aging/regenerative applications require upregulation, while anticancer applications necessitate suppression of various genes integral to telomere maintenance (e.g., telomerase, telomerase RNA components, and shelterin complex). Patients suffering from aging-associated illnesses often exhibit telomere attrition, which promotes chromosomal instability and cellular senescence, thus requiring the transfer of telomere maintenance-related genes to improve patient outcomes. However, reactivation and overexpression of telomerase are observed in 85% of cancer patients; this process is integral to cancer immortality. Thus, telomere-associated genes in the scope of cancer gene therapy must be inactivated or inhibited to induce anticancer effects. These contradicting requirements for achieving different therapeutic outcomes mean that any vector-mediated upregulation of telomere-associated genes must be accompanied by rigorous evaluation of potential oncogenesis. Thus, this review aims to discuss how telomere-associated genes are being targeted or utilized in various gene therapy applications and provides some insight into currently available safety hazard assessments.
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7
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Chen T, Zhao X, Ren Y, Wang Y, Tang X, Tian P, Wang H, Xin H. Triptolide modulates tumour-colonisation and anti-tumour effect of attenuated Salmonella encoding DNase I. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2018; 103:929-939. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-018-9481-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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8
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Assani G, Xiong Y, Zhou F, Zhou Y. Effect of therapies-mediated modulation of telomere and/or telomerase on cancer cells radiosensitivity. Oncotarget 2018; 9:35008-35025. [PMID: 30405890 PMCID: PMC6201854 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.26150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world. Many strategies of cancer treatment such as radiotherapy which plays a key role in cancer treatment are developed and used nowadays. However, the side effects post-cancer radiotherapy and cancer radioresistance are two major causes of the limitation of cancer radiotherapy effectiveness in the cancer patients. Moreover, reduction of the limitation of cancer radiotherapy effectiveness by reducing the side effects post-cancer radiotherapy and cancer radioresistance is the aim of several radiotherapy-oncologic teams. Otherwise, Telomere and telomerase are two cells components which play an important role in cancer initiation, cancer progression and cancer therapy resistance such as radiotherapy resistance. For resolving the problems of the limitation of cancer radiotherapy effectiveness especially the cancer radio-resistance problems, the radio-gene-therapy strategy which is the use of gene-therapy via modulation of gene expression combined with radiotherapy was developed and used as a new strategy to treat the patients with cancer. In this review, we summarized the information concerning the implication of telomere and telomerase modulation in cancer radiosensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ganiou Assani
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yudi Xiong
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fuxiang Zhou
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunfeng Zhou
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biology Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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9
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Lopez MV, Cafferata EG, Viale DL, Podhajcer OL. Synthetic Tumor-Specific Promoters for Transcriptional Regulation of Viral Replication. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2018; 1651:113-130. [PMID: 28801903 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7223-4_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Here we describe a collection of methods that have been adapted to isolate and modify tumor-specific promoters (TSPs ) to drive viral replication for cancer therapy and other uses. We will describe as examples the secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC ) and the protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR-1) promoter. We outline strategies to select appropriate TSPs using bioinformatics resources and the methods utilized in their subsequent cloning, assessment of transcriptional activity, and their use in conditionally replicative oncolytic adenoviruses .
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Veronica Lopez
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Leloir Institue-Conicet, Av Patricias Argentinas, 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Eduardo G Cafferata
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Leloir Institue-Conicet, Av Patricias Argentinas, 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Diego L Viale
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Leloir Institue-Conicet, Av Patricias Argentinas, 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Osvaldo L Podhajcer
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Leloir Institue-Conicet, Av Patricias Argentinas, 435, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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10
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Zhang Z, Lang J, Cao Z, Li R, Wang X, Wang W. Radiation-induced SOD2 overexpression sensitizes colorectal cancer to radiation while protecting normal tissue. Oncotarget 2018; 8:7791-7800. [PMID: 27999194 PMCID: PMC5352361 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.13954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated whether radiation-induced overexpression of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) exerts radio-sensitizing effects on tumor cells while having radio-protective effects on normal cells during radio-activated gene therapy for human colorectal cancer. A chimeric promoter, C9BC, was generated by directly linking nine tandem CArG boxes to a CMV basic promoter, after which lentiviral vectors containing GFP and SOD2 gene driven by the C9BC promoter were constructed. Stably transfected HT-29 colorectal cancer cells and CCD 841 CoN normal colorectal cells were irradiated to a dose of 6-Gy, and cell proliferation and apoptosis were observed. Tumor xenografts and peritumoral skin tissue in BALB/c mice were infected with the therapeutic lentivirus and subsequently irradiated with a total dose of 6 Gy. In vitro experiments revealed that radiation-induced SOD2 overexpression inhibited tumor cell proliferation (61.89% vs. 40.17%, P < 0.01) and decreased apoptosis among normal cells (14.8% vs. 9.6%, P = 0.02) as compared to untransfected cells. Similar effects were observed in vivo. Thus radiation-induced SOD2 overexpression via the chimeric C9BC promoter increased the radiosensitivity of HT-29 human colorectal cancer cells and concurrently protected normal CCD 841 CoN colorectal cells from radiation damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Zhang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Jinyi Lang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Zhi Cao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sichuan Oncology Institute of Guangxi Medical University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Rong Li
- Institute of Combined Injuries, College of Military Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | - Xingyong Wang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China
| | - Weidong Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China
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11
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Gao X, Wang W, Yang H, Wu L, He Z, Zhou S, Zhao H, Fu Z, Zhou F, Zhou Y. UBE2D3 gene overexpression increases radiosensitivity of EC109 esophageal cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Oncotarget 2018; 7:32543-53. [PMID: 27105523 PMCID: PMC5078032 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.8869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2D3 (UBE2D3), a key component in ubiquitin (Ub) proteasome system, plays a crucial role in tumorigenesis. We previously found that it is bound to hTERT, and UBE2D3 could attenuate radiosensitivity of human breast cancer cells. Here we investigated a contributing role of UBE2D3 in radiosensitivity of esophageal squamous carcinoma. We demonstrated that the overexpression of UBE2D3 in esophageal squamous carcinoma cells (EC109) resulted in prolonged G1 phase and shortened G2/M phase after irradiation. UBE2D3 overexpression also decreased length of telomere and activity of telomerase. In addition, the overexpression of UBE2D3 increased mRNA expression but decreased protein levels of hTERT in both vitro and vivo systems. Compared with untreated cells, the treatment of UBE2D3 overexpressing cells with the specific proteasome inhibitor (MG132) could up-regulate hTERT. MG132 treatment of UBE2D3 overexpressed cells caused a clear and dramatic increase in the amount of ubiquitinated hTERT species. These findings indicate that UBE2D3 enhances radiosensitivity of EC109 cells by degradating hTERT through the ubiquitin proteolysis pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojia Gao
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China.,Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenbo Wang
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Yang
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China.,Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lin Wu
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China.,Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhongshi He
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China.,Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shuliang Zhou
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China.,Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong Zhao
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Wuhan, China.,Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhenming Fu
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fuxiang Zhou
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunfeng Zhou
- Department of Radiation and Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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12
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Zhang ZQ, Cao Z, Liu C, Li R, Wang WD, Wang XY. MiRNA-Embedded ShRNAs for Radiation-Inducible LGMN Knockdown and the Antitumor Effects on Breast Cancer. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163446. [PMID: 27656894 PMCID: PMC5033420 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Legumain (LGMN) is highly expressed in breast cancer (BC) and other solid tumors and is a potential anticancer target. Here we investigate the anti-tumor effects of short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting LGMN embedded in a microRNA-155 (miR-155) architecture, which is driven by a radiation-inducible chimeric RNA polymerase II (Pol II) promoter. Lentiviral vectors were generated with the chimeric promoter which controlled the expression of downstream shRNA-miR-155 cassette. Fluorescence was observed by using confocal microscopy. Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting were used to determine the expression level of LGMN, MMP2, and MMP9. Furthermore, the proliferation and invasive ability of BC cells was analyzed via plate colony formation and invasion assays. Here we demonstrated that the chimeric promoter could be effectively induced by radiation treatment. Furthermore, the shRNA-miR-155 cassette targeting LGMN could be effectively activated by the chimeric promoter. Radiation plus knockdown of LGMN impairs colony formation and dampens cell migration and invasion in BC cells. Inhibition of LGMN downregulates MMP2 and MMP9 expression in BC cells. Pol II-driven shRNA-miR-155 could effectively suppress the growth and invasiveness of BC cells, and that the interference effects could be regulated by radiation doses. Moreover, knockdown of LGMN alleviates the aggressive phenotype of BC cells through modulating MMPs expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Qiang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, 400014, China
- Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing, 400014, China
- Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, 400014, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China
| | - Zhi Cao
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Institute of Combined Injury, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Rong Li
- Institute of Combined Injury, State Key Laboratory of Trauma, Burns and Combined Injury, College of Preventive Medicine, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400038, China
| | - Wei-Dong Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu, 610041, China
- * E-mail: (WW); (XW)
| | - Xing-Yong Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, 400014, China
- Key Laboratory of Pediatrics in Chongqing, Chongqing, 400014, China
- Chongqing International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing, 400014, China
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China
- * E-mail: (WW); (XW)
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13
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Hickmott JW, Chen CY, Arenillas DJ, Korecki AJ, Lam SL, Molday LL, Bonaguro RJ, Zhou M, Chou AY, Mathelier A, Boye SL, Hauswirth WW, Molday RS, Wasserman WW, Simpson EM. PAX6 MiniPromoters drive restricted expression from rAAV in the adult mouse retina. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2016; 3:16051. [PMID: 27556059 PMCID: PMC4980111 DOI: 10.1038/mtm.2016.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Current gene therapies predominantly use small, strong, and readily available ubiquitous promoters. However, as the field matures, the availability of small, cell-specific promoters would be greatly beneficial. Here we design seven small promoters from the human paired box 6 (PAX6) gene and test them in the adult mouse retina using recombinant adeno-associated virus. We chose the retina due to previous successes in gene therapy for blindness, and the PAX6 gene since it is: well studied; known to be driven by discrete regulatory regions; expressed in therapeutically interesting retinal cell types; and mutated in the vision-loss disorder aniridia, which is in need of improved therapy. At the PAX6 locus, 31 regulatory regions were bioinformatically predicted, and nine regulatory regions were constructed into seven MiniPromoters. Driving Emerald GFP, these MiniPromoters were packaged into recombinant adeno-associated virus, and injected intravitreally into postnatal day 14 mice. Four MiniPromoters drove consistent retinal expression in the adult mouse, driving expression in combinations of cell-types that endogenously express Pax6: ganglion, amacrine, horizontal, and Müller glia. Two PAX6-MiniPromoters drive expression in three of the four cell types that express PAX6 in the adult mouse retina. Combined, they capture all four cell types, making them potential tools for research, and PAX6-gene therapy for aniridia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack W Hickmott
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chih-yu Chen
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David J Arenillas
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrea J Korecki
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Siu Ling Lam
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laurie L Molday
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Russell J Bonaguro
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michelle Zhou
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alice Y Chou
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anthony Mathelier
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Sanford L Boye
- Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - William W Hauswirth
- Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Robert S Molday
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Wyeth W Wasserman
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Elizabeth M Simpson
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the BC Children’s Hospital, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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14
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Progress and problems with the use of suicide genes for targeted cancer therapy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2016; 99:113-128. [PMID: 26004498 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2014] [Revised: 02/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Among various gene therapy methods for cancer, suicide gene therapy attracts a special attention because it allows selective conversion of non-toxic compounds into cytotoxic drugs inside cancer cells. As a result, therapeutic index can be increased significantly by introducing high concentrations of cytotoxic molecules to the tumor environment while minimizing impact on normal tissues. Despite significant success at the preclinical level, no cancer suicide gene therapy protocol has delivered the desirable clinical significance yet. This review gives a critical look at the six main enzyme/prodrug systems that are used in suicide gene therapy of cancer and familiarizes readers with the state-of-the-art research and practices in this field. For each enzyme/prodrug system, the mechanisms of action, protein engineering strategies to enhance enzyme stability/affinity and chemical modification techniques to increase prodrug kinetics and potency are discussed. In each category, major clinical trials that have been performed in the past decade with each enzyme/prodrug system are discussed to highlight the progress to date. Finally, shortcomings are underlined and areas that need improvement in order to produce clinical significance are delineated.
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15
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Influential Factors and Synergies for Radiation-Gene Therapy on Cancer. Anal Cell Pathol (Amst) 2015; 2015:313145. [PMID: 26783511 PMCID: PMC4689877 DOI: 10.1155/2015/313145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Radiation-gene therapy, a dual anticancer strategy of radiation therapy and gene therapy through connecting radiation-inducible regulatory sequence to therapeutic gene, leading to the gene being induced to express by radiation while radiotherapy is performed and finally resulting in a double synergistic antitumor effect of radiation and gene, has become one of hotspots in the field of cancer treatment in recent years. But under routine dose of radiation, especially in the hypoxia environment of solid tumor, it is difficult for this therapy to achieve desired effect because of low activity of radiation-inducible regulatory elements, low level and transient expression of target gene induced by radiation, inferior target specificity and poor biosecurity, and so on. Based on the problems existing in radiation-gene therapy, many efforts have been devoted to the curative effect improvement of radiation-gene therapy by various means to increase radiation sensitivity or enhance target gene expression and the expression's controllability. Among these synergistic techniques, gene circuit, hypoxic sensitization, and optimization of radiation-induced sequence exhibit a good application potential. This review provides the main influential factors to radiation-gene therapy on cancer and the synergistic techniques to improve the anticancer effect of radiation-gene therapy.
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16
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Tissue Specific Promoters in Colorectal Cancer. DISEASE MARKERS 2015; 2015:390161. [PMID: 26648599 PMCID: PMC4662999 DOI: 10.1155/2015/390161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Colorectal carcinoma is the third most prevalent cancer in the world. In the most advanced stages, the use of chemotherapy induces a poor response and is usually accompanied by other tissue damage. Significant progress based on suicide gene therapy has demonstrated that it may potentiate the classical cytotoxic effects in colorectal cancer. The inconvenience still rests with the targeting and the specificity efficiency. The main target of gene therapy is to achieve an effective vehicle to hand over therapeutic genes safely into specific cells. One possibility is the use of tumor-specific promoters overexpressed in cancers. They could induce a specific expression of therapeutic genes in a given tumor, increasing their localized activity. Several promoters have been assayed into direct suicide genes to cancer cells. This review discusses the current status of specific tumor-promoters and their great potential in colorectal carcinoma treatment.
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Abstract
In this article, advances in designing polymeric nanoparticles for targeted cancer gene therapy are reviewed. Characterization and evaluation of biomaterials, targeting ligands, and transcriptional elements are each discussed. Advances in biomaterials have driven improvements to nanoparticle stability and tissue targeting, conjugation of ligands to the surface of polymeric nanoparticles enable binding to specific cancer cells, and the design of transcriptional elements has enabled selective DNA expression specific to the cancer cells. Together, these features have improved the performance of polymeric nanoparticles as targeted non-viral gene delivery vectors to treat cancer. As polymeric nanoparticles can be designed to be biodegradable, non-toxic, and to have reduced immunogenicity and tumorigenicity compared to viral platforms, they have significant potential for clinical use. Results of polymeric gene therapy in clinical trials and future directions for the engineering of nanoparticle systems for targeted cancer gene therapy are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayoung Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David R. Wilson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Camila G. Zamboni
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Instituto do Câncer do Estado de São Paulo, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jordan J. Green
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and the Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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18
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Pranjol MZI, Hajitou A. Bacteriophage-derived vectors for targeted cancer gene therapy. Viruses 2015; 7:268-84. [PMID: 25606974 PMCID: PMC4306838 DOI: 10.3390/v7010268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer gene therapy expanded and reached its pinnacle in research in the last decade. Both viral and non-viral vectors have entered clinical trials, and significant successes have been achieved. However, a systemic administration of a vector, illustrating safe, efficient, and targeted gene delivery to solid tumors has proven to be a major challenge. In this review, we summarize the current progress and challenges in the targeted gene therapy of cancer. Moreover, we highlight the recent developments of bacteriophage-derived vectors and their contributions in targeting cancer with therapeutic genes following systemic administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Zahidul Islam Pranjol
- Institute of Clinical and Biomedical Science, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, Devon EX1 2LU, UK.
| | - Amin Hajitou
- Phage Therapy Group, Department of Medicine, Burlington Danes Building, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
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19
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Miao L, Xiong X, Lin Y, Cheng Y, Lu J, Zhang J, Cheng N. Down-regulation of FoxM1 leads to the inhibition of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer cells. Cancer Genet 2014; 207:75-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cancergen.2014.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2013] [Revised: 01/22/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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20
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Glinka EM. Eukaryotic expression vectors containing genes encoding plant proteins for killing of cancer cells. Cancer Epidemiol 2013; 37:1014-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2013.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2013] [Revised: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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21
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Intratumoral gene therapy versus intravenous gene therapy for distant metastasis control with 2-diethylaminoethyl-dextran methyl methacrylate copolymer non-viral vector-p53. Gene Ther 2013; 21:158-67. [PMID: 24285215 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2013.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Revised: 10/06/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Lung cancer still remains to be challenged by novel treatment modalities. Novel locally targeted routes of administration are a methodology to enhance treatment and reduce side effects. Intratumoral gene therapy is a method for local treatment and could be used either in early-stage lung cancer before surgery or at advanced stages as palliative care. Novel non-viral vectors are also in demand for efficient gene transfection to target local cancer tissue and at the same time protect the normal tissue. In the current study, C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups: (a) control, (b) intravenous and (c) intatumoral gene therapy. The novel 2-Diethylaminoethyl-Dextran Methyl Methacrylate Copolymer Non-Viral Vector (Ryujyu Science Corporation) was conjugated with plasmid pSicop53 from the company Addgene for the first time. The aim of the study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of targeted gene therapy in a Lewis lung cancer model. Indeed, although the pharmacokinetics of the different administration modalities differs, the intratumoral administration presented increased survival and decreased distant metastasis. Intratumoral gene therapy could be considered as an efficient local therapy for lung cancer.
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22
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Tong HP, Wang LF, Guo YL, Li L, Fan XZ, Ding J, Huang HY. Preparation of protamine cationic nanobubbles and experimental study of their physical properties and in vivo contrast enhancement. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2013; 39:2147-2157. [PMID: 23932278 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2013] [Revised: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to prepare a novel type of microbubble (MB), protamine cationic nanobubble (NB), to provide a new vector for tumor gene therapy. We prepared cationic NBs with protamine and other lipid components using mechanical oscillation. The protamine cationic NBs had a mean diameter of 521.2 ± 37.57 nm, a zeta potential of +18.5 mV, and a gene-carrying capacity of 15.69 μg androgen receptor (AR) siRNA per 10(8) NBs. The cationic NBs exhibited superior contrast enhancement for in vivo imaging compared with SonoVue (Bracco, Geneva, Switzerland), and their physical properties did not change significantly after 1 wk; meanwhile, the transfection efficiency of the cationic NBs in androgen-independent prostate cancer cells mediated by ultrasound irradiation was better than that of liposomes (82.17 ± 7.4% vs. 55.04 ± 5.4%, p < 0.01). Therefore, the protamine cationic NB can be considered for use as a novel type of gene-loading MB for ultrasound imaging and MB-mediated gene therapy of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai-Peng Tong
- Department of Ultrasound, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China
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23
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Policastro LL, Ibañez IL, Notcovich C, Duran HA, Podhajcer OL. The tumor microenvironment: characterization, redox considerations, and novel approaches for reactive oxygen species-targeted gene therapy. Antioxid Redox Signal 2013; 19:854-95. [PMID: 22794113 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2011.4367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment is a complex system that involves the interaction between malignant and neighbor stromal cells embedded in a mesh of extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Stromal cells (fibroblasts, endothelial, and inflammatory cells) are co-opted at different stages to help malignant cells invade the surrounding ECM and disseminate. Malignant cells have developed adaptive mechanisms to survive under the extreme conditions of the tumor microenvironment such as restricted oxygen supply (hypoxia), nutrient deprivation, and a prooxidant state among others. These conditions could be eventually used to target drugs that will be activated specifically in this microenvironment. Preclinical studies have shown that modulating cellular/tissue redox state by different gene therapy (GT) approaches was able to control tumor growth. In this review, we describe the most relevant features of the tumor microenvironment, addressing reactive oxygen species-generating sources that promote a prooxidative microenvironment inside the tumor mass. We describe different GT approaches that promote either a decreased or exacerbated prooxidative microenvironment, and those that make use of the differential levels of ROS between cancer and normal cells to achieve tumor growth inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Laura Policastro
- Department of Micro and Nanotechnology, National Atomic Energy Commission, Buenos Aires 1650, Argentina.
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24
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Wang W, Yang L, Hu L, Li F, Ren L, Yu H, Liu Y, Xia L, Lei H, Liao Z, Zhou F, Xie C, Zhou Y. Inhibition of UBE2D3 expression attenuates radiosensitivity of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells by increasing hTERT expression and activity. PLoS One 2013; 8:e64660. [PMID: 23741361 PMCID: PMC3669415 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The known functions of telomerase in tumor cells include replenishing telomeric DNA and maintaining cell immortality. We have previously shown the existence of a negative correlation between human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) and radiosensitivity in tumor cells. Here we set out to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying regulation by telomerase of radiosensitivity in MCF-7 cells. Toward this aim, yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) screening of a human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma radioresistant (Hep2R) cDNA library was first performed to search for potential hTERT interacting proteins. We identified ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2D3 (UBE2D3) as a principle hTERT-interacting protein and validated this association biochemically. ShRNA-mediated inhibition of UBE2D3 expression attenuated MCF-7 radiosensitivity, and induced the accumulation of hTERT and cyclin D1 in these cells. Moreover, down-regulation of UBE2D3 increased hTERT activity and cell proliferation, accelerating G1 to S phase transition in MCF-7 cells. Collectively these findings suggest that UBE2D3 participates in the process of hTERT-mediated radiosensitivity in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells by regulating hTERT and cyclin D1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Wang
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lei Yang
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Liu Hu
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fen Li
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Li Ren
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Haijun Yu
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Liu
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Ling Xia
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Han Lei
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhengkai Liao
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Fuxiang Zhou
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Conghua Xie
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunfeng Zhou
- Hubei Cancer Clinical Study Center, Hubei Key Laboratory of Tumor Biological Behaviors, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology & Medical Oncology, Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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25
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Zarogoulidis P, Darwiche K, Sakkas A, Yarmus L, Huang H, Li Q, Freitag L, Zarogoulidis K, Malecki M. Suicide Gene Therapy for Cancer - Current Strategies. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 4. [PMID: 24294541 DOI: 10.4172/2157-7412.1000139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Current cancer treatments may create profound iatrogenic outcomes. The adverse effects of these treatments still remain, as the serious problems that practicing physicians have to cope with in clinical practice. Although, non-specific cytotoxic agents constitute an effective treatment modality against cancer cells, they also tend to kill normal, quickly dividing cells. On the other hand, therapies targeting the genome of the tumors are both under investigation, and some others are already streamlined to clinical practice. Several approaches have been investigated in order to find a treatment targeting the cancer cells, while not affecting the normal cells. Suicide gene therapy is a therapeutic strategy, in which cell suicide inducing transgenes are introduced into cancer cells. The two major suicide gene therapeutic strategies currently pursued are: cytosine deaminase/5-fluorocytosine and the herpes simplex virus/ganciclovir. The novel strategies include silencing gene expression, expression of intracellular antibodies blocking cells' vital pathways, and transgenic expression of caspases and DNases. We analyze various elements of cancer cells' suicide inducing strategies including: targets, vectors, and mechanisms. These strategies have been extensively investigated in various types of cancers, while exploring multiple delivery routes including viruses, non-viral vectors, liposomes, nanoparticles, and stem cells. We discuss various stages of streamlining of the suicide gene therapy into clinical oncology as applied to different types of cancer. Moreover, suicide gene therapy is in the center of attention as a strategy preventing cancer from developing in patients participating in the clinical trials of regenerative medicine. In oncology, these clinical trials are aimed at regenerating, with the aid of stem cells, of the patients' organs damaged by pathologic and/or iatrogenic factors. However, the stem cells carry the risk of neoplasmic transformation. We discuss cell suicide inducing strategies aimed at preventing stem cell-originated cancerogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Zarogoulidis
- Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, "G. Papanikolaou" General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, EU ; Department of Interventional Pneumology, Ruhrlandklinik, West German Lung Center, University Hospital, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany, EU
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26
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Current world literature. Curr Opin Pediatr 2012; 24:770-9. [PMID: 23146873 DOI: 10.1097/mop.0b013e32835af8de] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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27
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Zhang Y, Fang L, Zhang Q, Zheng Q, Tong J, Fu X, Jiang X, Su C, Zheng J. An oncolytic adenovirus regulated by a radiation-inducible promoter selectively mediates hSulf-1 gene expression and mutually reinforces antitumor activity of I131-metuximab in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Oncol 2012. [PMID: 23182495 DOI: 10.1016/j.molonc.2012.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy and antibody approaches are crucial auxiliary strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment. Previously, we established a survivin promoter-regulated oncolytic adenovirus that has inhibitory effect on HCC growth. The human sulfatase-1 (hSulf-1) gene can suppress the growth factor signaling pathways, then inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and enhance cellular sensitivity to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. I(131)-metuximab (I(131)-mab) is a monoclonal anti-HCC antibody that conjugated to I(131) and specifically recognizes the HAb18G/CD147 antigen on HCC cells. To integrate the oncolytic adenovirus-based gene therapy and the I(131)-mab-based radioimmunotherapy, this study combined the CArG element of early growth response-l (Egr-l) gene with the survivin promoter to construct a radiation-inducible enhanced promoter, which was used to recombine a radiation-inducible oncolytic adenovirus as hSulf-1 gene vector. When I(131)-mab was incorporated into the treatment regimen, not only could the antibody produce radioimmunotherapeutic effect, but the I(131) radiation was able to further boost adenoviral proliferation. We demonstrated that the CArG-enhanced survivin promoter markedly improved the proliferative activity of the oncolytic adenovirus in HCC cells, thereby augmenting hSulf-1 expression and inducing cancer cell apoptosis. This novel strategy that involved multiple, synergistic mechanisms, including oncolytic therapy, gene therapy and radioimmunotherapy, was demonstrated to exert an excellent anti-cancer outcome, which will be a promising approach in HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhang
- Department of Cancer Radiotherapy, Nanjing Second Hospital and Second Affiliated Hospital of Southeast University, Nanjing 210003, China
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Effect of targeted silencing of hTERT mRNA by lentivirus-mediated siRNA on A549 lung cancer cells in vitro. Mol Biol Rep 2012; 40:605-16. [PMID: 23054018 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-012-2099-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2012] [Accepted: 10/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In our present study, we took advantage of the characteristics of RNA interference technology, which can efficiently, stably, and specifically silence target genes, and designed a small interfering RNA (siRNA) that could specifically target hTERT mRNA. We used a lentiviral vector (LV) to deliver the hTERT siRNA into telomerase-positive A549 lung cancer cells and investigated the effect of hTERT siRNA on the hTERT mRNA levels, hTERT protein levels, cell proliferation, and apoptosis in the lung cancer cells. The results from quantitative PCR, Western blotting, and the MTT assay showed that the expression levels of both hTERT mRNA and protein in the cells were significantly decreased and that the cell proliferation rate started to significantly slow down at 48 h after transfection with hTERT-LV. Our study demonstrated that siRNA sequences specifically targeting hTERT mRNA, which were packaged into lentivirus particles and then used to transfect the lung cancer cell line A549, can specifically silence the mRNA of the target gene, hTERT, and then reduce the hTERT protein expression level, which, in turn, reduces cell proliferation, inhibits cell growth, and induces apoptosis.
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Abstract
Progress in vector design and an increased knowledge of mechanisms underlying tumor-induced immune suppression have led to a new and promising generation of Adenovirus (Ad)-based immunotherapies, which are discussed in this review. As vaccine vehicles Ad vectors (AdVs) have been clinically evaluated and proven safe, but a major limitation of the commonly used Ad5 serotype is neutralization by preexistent or rapidly induced immune responses. Genetic modifications in the Ad capsid can reduce intrinsic immunogenicity and facilitate escape from antibody-mediated neutralization. Further modification of the Ad hexon and fiber allows for liver and scavenger detargeting and selective targeting of, for example, dendritic cells. These next-generation Ad vaccines with enhanced efficacy are now becoming available for testing as tumor vaccines. In addition, AdVs encoding immune-modulating products may be used to convert the tumor microenvironment from immune-suppressive and proinvasive to proinflammatory, thus facilitating cell-mediated effector functions that can keep tumor growth and invasion in check. Oncolytic AdVs, that selectively replicate in tumor cells and induce an immunogenic form of cell death, can also be armed with immune-activating transgenes to amplify primed antitumor immune responses. These novel immunotherapy strategies, employing highly efficacious AdVs in optimized configurations, show great promise and warrant clinical exploration.
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