Eradication of hepatoma and colon cancer in mice with Flt3L gene therapy in combination with 5-FU

Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2007 Oct;56(10):1605-13. doi: 10.1007/s00262-007-0306-3. Epub 2007 Mar 15.

Abstract

We developed a recombinant defective adenovirus with an insert of gene encoding extracellular domain of mouse Flt3L (Ad-mFlt3L) under control of cytomegalovirus promoter to investigate the biological efficacy of Flt3L in combination with chemotherapeutical drug, 5-FU, in eliciting an effective anti-cancer immunity in mouse hepatoma and colon cancer model systems. The constructed Ad-mFlt3L efficiently infected hepatoma and colon cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo, leading to a high production of mFlt3L proteins in association with accumulation of DCs, NK cells and lymphocytes in local tumor tissues. Administration of Ad-mFlt3L can protect bone marrow injury caused by 5-Fu and stimulates proliferation and maturation of lymphocytes, APCs and NKs. Intratumoral injection of Ad-mFlt3L followed by an intraperitoneal administration of 5-Fu significantly inhibited tumor growth and cured established tumors. Adenovirus mediated Flt3L gene therapy synergies with chemotherapeutic drug, 5-Fu, in elicitation of long-lasting antitumor immunity. The tumor specific immunity can be adoptively transferred into naïve animals successfully by transfusion of CD3+CD8+ T cells from the treated mice. The data suggests that adenovirus mediated Flt3L gene therapy in combination with 5-Fu chemotherapy may open a new avenue for development of anti-cancer chemogenetherapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenoviridae / genetics
  • Adoptive Transfer
  • Animals
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / adverse effects
  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / therapeutic use*
  • Bone Marrow / drug effects
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / pathology
  • Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / therapy*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Colonic Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Cytomegalovirus / genetics
  • Fluorouracil / adverse effects
  • Fluorouracil / therapeutic use*
  • Genetic Therapy*
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Hematopoiesis / drug effects
  • Liver Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Liver Neoplasms / pathology
  • Liver Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Membrane Proteins / genetics*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Spleen / immunology

Substances

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • Membrane Proteins
  • flt3 ligand protein
  • Fluorouracil