title: [Tumor-targeted human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter/tk gene therapy against human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells in vitro].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the targeted killing effect of human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (hTERTp)/tk gene on human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  The recombinant plasmid hTERTp/tk/pGL3 was transfected into human NPC HNE1 cells and the expressions of TK and telomerase were investigated. The targeted killing effect induced by hTERTp/tk on HNE1 cells was assessed using RT-PCR and MTT assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TK gene expression was detected in HNE1 cells transfected by hTERTp/tk/pGL3, and the cells showed reduced telomerase and hTERT expression as compared with the control cells. hTERTp/tk/pGL3 resulted in target killing of HNE1 cells but not of the normal control cells. The tumor cell-killing effect of hTERTp/tk/pGL3 was slightly milder than that of the positive control CMV/tk/pGL3 that produced nonselective cell killing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  hTERTp/tk, a tumor-specific expression system, allows targeted tumor cell killing and reduces the activity of telomerase in NPC cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510282, China. xufang3196@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Yuan-zheng
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Jian-yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Su-ping
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Meng-he
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018390:Gene Targeting; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics*; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D013937:Thymidine Kinase; C509186:TERT protein, human; D019098:Telomerase