title: Targeting gene therapy for hepatocarcinoma cells with the E. coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase suicide gene system directed by a chimeric alpha-fetoprotein promoter.
abstract: For hepatocarcinoma (HCC) gene therapy, the tumoricidal efficacy and selective expression of therapeutic gene remain two major challenges. The Escherichia coli (E. coli) purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP)/9-(2-deoxy-beta-dribofuranosyl)-6-methylpurine (MeP-dR) suicide gene system exhibits excellent anti-tumor effects, indicating this system directed by a HCC-specific promoter would offer a possibility of targeting gene therapy for HCC. To test this hypothesis, here, we prepared a plasmid (p[HRE]AF/PNP) containing the E. coli PNP/MeP-dR system and a chimeric human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) promoter, [HRE]AF. We introduced this plasmid into AFP-positive and low-AFP-generating human HCC cells, and evaluated its therapeutic effects on both human HCC cell lines. In the presence of hypoxia, the E. coli PNP gene directed by the [HRE]AF promoter were HCC-specifically expressed in two human HCC cell lines and, moreover, the [HRE]AF-PNP/MeP-dR therapy would yield significant and selective cytotoxicity in both AFP-positive and low-AFP-generating HCC cells. Our findings suggest the [HRE]AF-PNP/MeP-dR therapy has worthy potentialities as an effective strategy for targeting therapy of AFP-positive, and especially AFP-negative or low-AFP-generating HCC.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Liver Diseases, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Xiaokun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Junli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Peiyuan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Junsheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D024201:Bystander Effect; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D018390:Gene Targeting; D041722:Genes, Transgenic, Suicide / Q000235:genetics*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011683:Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; D011683:Purine-Nucleoside Phosphorylase