title: Gene therapy for murine lung cancer using an adenoviral vector expressing interleukin-15.
abstract: It has been proven that interleukin-15 (IL-15) has structural and functional features similar to those of interleukin-2 (IL-2). In this study we examined the anti-tumor effect of IL-15 using an adenoviral vector in a mouse model. We constructed an adenoviral vector expressing the IL-15 gene, and introduced it into a mouse Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cell line. Then we inoculated pulmonary tissue of a syngeneic mouse strain (C57BL/6 CR) with the IL-15 gene-expressing LLC cells (LLC/IL-15). At the early phase (Day 14), a large number of NK cells accumulated around the IL-15 expressing tumors. At the late phase (Day 28), a much larger number of NK cells had accumulated around the tumors and quite a few NK cells had invaded the IL-15 expressing tumors. The LLC/IL-15-inoculated group survived significantly longer compared to the control groups, i.e., a group inoculated with LacZ gene-expressing LLC cells or a group inoculated with IL-2 gene-expressing LLC cells. After 60 days, the surviving mice of the LLC/IL-15-inoculated group were re-challenged with an additional inoculation of LLC cells alone. Tumor growth was significantly inhibited in the rechallenged LLC/IL-15 group. Induction of cytotoxic T cells was confirmed by interferon-gamma production by splenocytes. We concluded that the IL-15 expressed in the IL-15 expressing tumor cells enhanced the accumulation of NK cells and activated them, leading to suppression of proliferation of the tumor cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume 830-0011, Japan. yoshimut@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshimuta
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D018827:Carcinoma, Lewis Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000235:genetics*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL
chemical_list: D019409:Interleukin-15; D007371:Interferon-gamma