Enhanced killing of pancreatic cancer cells by expression of fusogenic membrane glycoproteins in combination with chemotherapy.
Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis with an annual mortality rate close to the annual incidence rate. We evaluated whether the expression of measles virus fusogenic membrane glycoproteins (FMG) H and F will enhance chemotherapy. Using Chou-Talalay analysis, we showed in vitro in pancreatic cancer cells that the expression of FMG often synergistically enhances clinically relevant chemotherapy. Furthermore, cell fusion in combination with chemotherapy resulted in strongly enhanced Annexin V binding, an early marker for apoptosis, when compared with single treatment. We showed in an i.p. and s.c. pancreatic xenograft model that the administration of a replication-defective adenoviral vector Ad.H/F encoding tumor-restricted FMG in combination with gemcitabine significantly enhanced treatment outcome when compared with treatment with each compound individually. To improve tumor transduction efficiency, the Ad.H/F vector was also transcomplemented with an oncolytic replication-restricted adenovirus (Ad.COX*MK), resulting in significantly improved treatment efficacy. We assessed treatment efficacy by survival analysis or measuring growth, respectively. In the i.p. model, on day 120, three of eight animals treated with this novel triple therapy consisting of Ad.H/F, gemcitabine, and Ad.COX*MK were alive and tumor free. Treatment with Ad.H/F and Ad.COX*MK resulted in one long-term survivor. In all other treatment groups, there were no long-term survivors. The significantly improved therapeutic outcome of animals receiving the triple therapy was attributed to multiple factors, including most likely improved FMG expression throughout the tumor and enhanced sensitivity of the tumor cells to gemcitabine by adenoviral gene products but also FMG expression. Qualitatively similar results were obtained in a s.c. pancreatic xenograft model.
Hoffmann
Dennis
D
Department of Molecular and Medical Virology, Institute of Microbiology and Hygiene, Ruhr-University Bochum, Room 6/40, Building MA, D-44801 Bochum, Germany.
Wildner
Oliver
O
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D050576:Membrane Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D050130:Oncolytic Virotherapy / Q000379:methods; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D015996:Survival Rate; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000093542:Gemcitabine
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D050576:Membrane Fusion Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D000093542:Gemcitabine