title: Effect of plasmid-mediated stable interferon-γ expression on proliferation and cell death in the SKOV-3 human ovarian cancer cell line.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High interferon-γ (IFN-γ) expression in tumors has been reported to be a favorable prognostic marker. Continuous exposure of ovarian cancer cells to IFN-γ was previously shown to result in significant growth inhibition and apoptosis. Our goal in this study was to evaluate the effect of plasmid-mediated stable IFN-γ expression on the SKOV-3 human ovarian carcinoma cell line.
  
  
  METHODS
  SKOV-3 cells were stably transfected with the pEGFP-IFN-γ plasmid. IFN-γ mRNA was detected by RT-PCR and IFN-γ protein expression was measured by ELISA. Proliferation and cell death in transfected SKOV-3 cells were measured by methyl-thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and Hoechst 33258 staining, respectively and compared with untransfected and empty vector-transfected cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  pEGFP-IFN-γ SKOV-3 cells efficiently expressed and secreted IFN-γ. They exhibited significantly decreased cellular proliferation when compared with control untransfected or empty vector-transfected cells (P < 0.05). The mode of cell death was primarily apoptosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stable expression of IFN-γ significantly inhibits the proliferation of ovarian carcinoma cells and has the potential to be used in clinical applications to treat ovarian carcinoma in the future.
authors.affiliation: Reproductive Unit, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, PR China.
authors.forename: Huiming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Huiya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jiaolei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yongmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guan
mesh_terms: D016923:Cell Death / Q000235:genetics; D048708:Cell Growth Processes / Q000235:genetics; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007371:Interferon-gamma