title: Safety and efficacy of suicide gene therapy with adenosine deaminase 5-fluorocytosine silmutaneously in in vitro cultures of melanoma and retinal cell lines.
abstract: Local treatment as a treatment modality is gaining increased general acceptance over time. Novel drugs and methodologies of local administration are being investigated in an effort to achieve disease local control. Suicide gene therapy is a method that has been investigated as a local treatment with simultaneously distant disease control. In our current experiment we purchased HTB-70 (melanoma cell line, derived from metastatic axillary node) and CRL-2302 (human retinal epithelium) were from ATCC LGC Standards and Ancotil(®), 2.5 g/250 ml (1 g/00ml) (5-Flucytosine) MEDA; Pharmaceuticals Ltd. UK. Adenosine Cytosine Deaminase (Ad.CD) was also used in order to convert the pro-drug 5-Flucytosine to the active 5-Fluoracil. Three different concentrations of 5-Flucytosine (5-FC) were administered (0.2ml, 0.8ml and 1.2ml). At indicated time-points (4h, 8h and 24h) cell viability and apoptosis were measured. Our concept was to investigate whether suicide gene therapy with Ad. CD-5-FC could be used with safety and efficiency as a future local treatment for melanoma located in the eye cavity. Indeed, our results indicated that in every 5-FC administration had mild cytotoxicity for the retinal cells, while increased apoptosis was observed for the melanoma cell line.
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, ``G. Papanikolaou`` General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakkas
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, ``G. Papanikolaou`` General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zarogoulidis
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, ``G. Papanikolaou`` General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Kalliopi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Domvri
authors.affiliation: 2. II Medical Department, ``Coburg`` Regional Clinic, Coburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hohenforst-Schmidt
authors.affiliation: 3. Gene and Cell Therapy Center, Hematology-BMT Unit, ``G. Papanikolaou`` Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bougiouklis
authors.affiliation: 4. Oncology Department, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
authors.forename: Stylianos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakolyris
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, ``G. Papanikolaou`` General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zarampoukas
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, ``G. Papanikolaou`` General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kioumis
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, ``G. Papanikolaou`` General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pitsiou
authors.affiliation: 5. Department of Respiratory Diseases, Changhai Hospital/First Affiliated Hospital of the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Haidong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: 5. Department of Respiratory Diseases, Changhai Hospital/First Affiliated Hospital of the Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 6. Laboratory of Histology, Embryology and Anthropology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Soultana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meditskou
authors.affiliation: 7. Internal Medicine Department, ``Theiageneio`` Anticancer Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Theodora
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsiouda
authors.affiliation: 8. Surgery Department, Private Cabinet, Serres, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pezirkianidis
authors.affiliation: 1. Pulmonary Department-Oncology Unit, ``G. Papanikolaou`` General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zarogoulidis
keywords: 5-fluorocytosine; melanoma; retinal.; suicide gene therapy