title: Cancer gene therapy using a survivin mutant adenovirus.
abstract: We have constructed a replication-deficient adenovirus encoding a nonphosphorylatable Thr(34)-->Ala mutant of the apoptosis inhibitor survivin (pAd-T34A) to target tumor cell viability in vitro and in vivo. Infection with pAd-T34A caused spontaneous apoptosis in cell lines of breast, cervical, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer. In contrast, pAd-T34A did not affect cell viability of proliferating normal human cells, including fibroblasts, endothelium, or smooth muscle cells. Infection of tumor cells with pAd-T34A resulted in cytochrome c release from mitochondria, cleavage of approximately 46-kDa upstream caspase-9, processing of caspase-3 to the active subunits of approximately 17 and 19 kDa, and increased caspase-3 catalytic activity. When compared with chemotherapeutic regimens, pAd-T34A was as effective as taxol and considerably more effective than adriamycin in induction of tumor cell apoptosis and enhanced taxol-induced cell death. In three xenograft breast cancer models in immunodeficient mice, pAd-T34A suppressed de novo tumor formation, inhibited by approximately 40% the growth of established tumors, and reduced intraperitoneal tumor dissemination. Tumors injected with pAd-T34A exhibited loss of proliferating cells and massive apoptosis by in situ internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. These data suggest that adenoviral targeting of the survivin pathway may provide a novel approach for selective cancer gene therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06536, USA.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mesri
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Wall
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Altieri
mesh_terms: D000260:Adenoviruses, Human; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D002453:Cell Cycle; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D015870:Gene Expression; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D051379:Mice; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology; D000077022:Survivin; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; C107489:BIRC5 protein, human; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D051034:Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D000077022:Survivin; D004317:Doxorubicin; D017239:Paclitaxel