Abstract
Gene therapy with retroviral mediated gene transfer of the herpes simplex thymidine kinase (HS-tk) gene into a tumor mass confers sensitivity of the tumor cells to ganciclovir (GCV). Tumor-specific immunologic responses may develop following treatment of the primary tumor with retroviral HS-tk and GCV. In the present study we assessed whether GCV treatment of HS-tk transduced colon cancer (TK+) implanted in the peritoneal cavity induced a systemic antitumor response that would inhibit growth of a second wild-type (TK−) tumor implanted in the live. DHDK12 rat colon cancer cells were transduced in vitro with the retroviral HS-tk vector and established as a permanent cell line (TK+ cells). TK+ or TK− DHDK12 cells (6×106 cells) were injected intraperitoneally on day 0 into BD-IX rats. On day 10, TK− cells (3×106 cells) were injected into the liver in all the groups. The animals were then treated with GCV (150 mg/kg) for 13 days. TK+ peritoneal tumors underwent significant regression during therapy with GCV (0.05±0.004 g; n=7) compared to wild-type (TK−) tumors (2.2±0.7 g; n=6) (P<0.05). The volume to TK− tumors in the liver was significantly lower in GCV-treated rats with TK+ peritoneal tumors (12.5±8.3 mm3) compared to rats with TK− peritoneal tumors (96.7±18.1 mm3) (P<0.05). Histology of the liver tumors in the TK+ groups showed a dense monocytic infiltrate with fibrosis and only occasional viable tumor cells. Gene therapy with retroviral HS-tk vectors may provide a novel approach to treatment of gastrointestinal cancer by both direct cytotoxicity and an indirect mechanism that may included enhanced immunologic responses against disseminated disease.
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Misawa, T., Chiang, M.H., Pandit, L. et al. Development of systemic immunologic responses against hepatic metastases during gene therapy for peritoneal carcinomatosis with retroviral HS-tk and ganciclovir. J Gastrointest Surg 1, 527–533 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1091-255X(97)80069-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1091-255X(97)80069-8