title: Cotransfected sodium iodide symporter and human tyroperoxidase genes following human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter for targeted radioiodine therapy of malignant glioma cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Radioiodine is a routine therapy for differentiated thyroid cancers. In principle, undifferentiated thyroid cancers as well as nonthyroid cancers can concentrate and, thus, be treated with radioiodine after transfection with the human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) gene. The human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter is an effective tumor-specific promoter of gene expression and, thus, may be useful in targeted gene therapy of cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used hTERT promoter-modulated expression of the hNIS and human thyroperoxidase (hTPO) genes in an experimental model of radioiodine-based treatment of malignant glioma. Cells were cotransfected by adenovirus in which the hNIS gene had been coupled to the hTERT promoter and the hTPO gene had been coupled to the human cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter (Ad-hTERT-hNIS and Ad-CMV-hTPO, respectively), and they were evaluated in cells thus transfecting transgene expression by western blots, (125)I uptake and influx, and clonogenecity after (131)I treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After cotransfection with two adenovirus, cells showed about 31-34 times higher (125)I uptake than the control cells transfected with Ad-CMV-EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) and almost 1.3-1.4 times higher (125)I uptake than cells only transfected with Ad-hTERT-hNIS. Western blots revealed two bands of ∼70 and 110 kDa, respectively. The in vitro clonogenic assay indicated that, after exposure to 100-1000 μCi of (131)I-iodide for 12 hours, 91%-94% of cells cotransfected with the hNIS and hTPO genes, 88%-93% of cells transfected with the hNIS gene, and only 62%-68% of control (nontransfected) cells were killed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The experiments demonstrated that an effective therapy of (131)I was achieved in malignant glioma cell lines after induction of tumor-specific iodide uptake activity by the hTERT promoter-directed NIS expression in vitro. Cotransfection of the hNIS and hTPO genes can lead to longer retention of radioiodide, but did not increase cell killing over that achieved with transfection with the hNIS gene alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Anshan Road 154, Heping, Tianjin, People's Republic of China .
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D001324:Autoantigens / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005910:Glioma / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D027981:Symporters / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D014162:Transfection; D000099209:Sodium-Iodide Symporters
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D027981:Symporters; D019098:Telomerase; D000099209:Sodium-Iodide Symporters; C056658:TPO protein, human; C509186:TERT protein, human