Concurrent delivery of GM-CSF and endostatin genes by a single adenoviral vector provides a synergistic effect on the treatment of orthotopic liver tumors.

The immune resistance of large tumors represents a major problem for cancer immunotherapy, whereas the need for repeated injections of high doses of recombinant anti-angiogenic proteins represents a similar problem for anti-angiogenic therapy. To test whether antitumor activity could be increased by combining the above two mechanisms, this study examined the therapeutic effect of combination gene therapy using a murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (mGM-CSF) gene and a human endostatin (hED) gene on a rat orthotopic liver tumor model. An adenoviral vector was constructed that simultaneously carried two transcriptional cassettes, for the expression of mGM-CSF and hED, respectively, or that carried a single cassette of either gene. The adenoviruses were intratumorally administered to 3-day-old or 7-day-old tumors. Moreover, the antitumor effects of the combination therapy and monotherapy were assessed and compared. The double-gene-containing adenoviral vector expressed transgenes as efficiently as the single-gene-containing vector. Moreover, the adenovirally expressed endostatin was biologically active, as demonstrated in vitro and in vivo. Results from animal experiments demonstrated a synergistic antitumor effect induced by the combined mGM-CSF and hED therapy. The combination of hED with mGM-CSF enhanced tumor-specific CTL activity, but did not interfere with the infiltration of cellular effectors in the tumor regions. The blood vessel density of the liver tumors markedly reduced as a result of hED expression in both monotherapy and combination therapy. Furthermore, combination therapy significantly increased the number of apoptotic cells in the tumor regions. The experimental results suggest that the combined gene therapy against tumor cells and the tumor vascular system using antitumor immune mechanisms and anti-angiogenic mechanisms holds promise as a strategy for treating cancers.

Tai KF ，Chen PJ ，Chen DS ，Hwang LH ... -  《JOURNAL OF GENE MEDICINE》

Concurrent delivery of GM-CSF and B7-1 using an oncolytic adenovirus elicits potent antitumor effect.

Choi KJ ，Kim JH ，Lee YS ，Kim J ，Suh BS ，Kim H ，Cho S ，Sohn JH ，Kim GE ，Yun CO ... -  《GENE THERAPY》

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in a combination gene therapy strategy for head and neck cancer.

Day KV ，Li D ，Liu S ，Guo M ，O'Malley BW Jr ... -  《LARYNGOSCOPE》

Combination angiostatin and endostatin gene transfer induces synergistic antiangiogenic activity in vitro and antitumor efficacy in leukemia and solid tumors in mice.

Scappaticci FA ，Smith R ，Pathak A ，Schloss D ，Lum B ，Cao Y ，Johnson F ，Engleman EG ，Nolan GP ... -  《MOLECULAR THERAPY》

Endostatin gene therapy delivered by Salmonella choleraesuis in murine tumor models.

Some anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria have been used experimentally as anticancer agents because of their selective growth in tumors. In this study, we exploited attenuated Salmonella choleraesuis as a tumoricidal agent and a vector to deliver the endostatin gene for tumor-targeted gene therapy. Attenuated S. choleraesuis carrying a eukaryotic expression plasmid encoding reporter gene was used to evaluate its abilities of tumor targeting and gene delivery in three syngeneic murine tumor models. Furthermore, S. choleraesuis carrying the endostatin expression vector was administered intraperitoneally into tumor-bearing mice, and its antitumor effect was evaluated. Systemically administered S. choleraesuis preferentially accumulated within tumors for at least 10 days, forming tumor-to-normal tissue ratios exceeding 1000-10,000 : 1. Transgene expression via S. choleraesuis-mediated gene transfer also persisted for at least 10 days. Host immune responses and tumor hypoxia may influence tumor-targeting potential of S. choleraesuis. When systemically administered into mice bearing melanomas or bladder tumors, S. choleraesuis carrying the endostatin expression vector significantly inhibited tumor growth by 40-70% and prolonged survival of the mice. Furthermore, immunohistochemical studies in the tumors revealed decreased intratumoral microvessel density, reduced expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and increased infiltration of CD8(+) T cells. These results suggest that tumor-targeted gene therapy using S. choleraesuis carrying the endostatin expression vector, which exerts tumoricidal and antiangiogenic activities, represents a promising strategy for the treatment of solid tumors.

Lee CH ，Wu CL ，Shiau AL 《JOURNAL OF GENE MEDICINE》