Targeted gene delivery to Kaposi's sarcoma cells via the fibroblast growth factor receptor (original) (raw)

Goldman, C.K. etal. Targeted gene delivery to Kaposi's sarcoma cells via the fibroblast growth factor receptor. Cancer Res. 57, 1447-1451

Cancer Research

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a major AIDS-related malignancy associated with significant morbidity and mOrtalIty. Current chemotherapeutic reg imens are associated with a dismal prognosis. In an effort to develop a new approach to KS treatment, we devised a gene therapy-based adenovirus retargeting schema that redirects the adenovirus to fibroblast growth factor receptors endogenously present on the cell surface of KS cells. By using a bifunctional conjugate consisting of a blocking antiadenoviral knob Fab linked to basic fibroblast growth factor, FGF2, the gene trans duction of KS cells was enhanced 7.7-44 fold recombinant adenoviruses encoding either the firefly luciferase reporter gene, or the herpes simplex thymidine kinase gene, demonstrated quantitative enhancement of expres sion in the KS cell lines. In this regard, two KS cell lines that were previously refractory to native adenovirus transduction could be success fully transduced by the addition of the conjugate. This study thus ad dresses the utility of adenoviral retargeting to the FGF receptor in KS cells that are ordinarily transduction refractory to standardized ap preaches and allows practical development of gene therapy approaches for the treatment of human KS.

Fibroblast Growth Factor 2-Retargeted Adenoviral Vectors Exhibit a Modified Biolocalization Pattern and Display Reduced Toxicity Relative to Native Adenoviral Vectors

Human Gene Therapy, 2000

Adenovirus (Ad) have been used as vectors to deliver genes to a wide variety of tissues. Despite achieving high expression levels in vivo, Ad vectors display normal tissue toxicity, transient expression, and antivector immune responses that limit therapeutic potential. To circumvent these problems, several retargeting strategies to abrogate native tropism and redirect Ad uptake through defined receptors have been attempted. Despite success in cell culture, in vivo results have generally not shown sufficient selectivity for target tissues. We have previously identified (C. K. Goldman et al., Cancer Res., 57: 1447-1451, 1997) the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) ligand and receptor families as conferring sufficient specificity and binding affinity to be useful for targeting DNA in vivo. In the present studies, we retargeted Ad using basic FGF (FGF2) as a targeting ligand.

Modified adenoviruses for cancer gene therapy

International journal of cancer. Journal international du cancer, 2004

Adenoviral gene therapy is an exciting novel approach for treating cancers resistant to currently available therapies. However, currently there is little evidence supporting significant clinical benefits with replication-incompetent adenoviruses. Recent data suggest that expression of the primary receptor, the coxsackie-adenovirus receptor (CAR), may be highly variable on tumor cells, resulting in resistance to infection. Consequently, various strategies have been evaluated to modify adenovirus tropism in order to circumvent CAR deficiency, including retargeting complexes or genetic capsid modifications. To improve tumor penetration and local amplification on the antitumor effect, selectively oncolytic agents, i.e., conditionally replicating adenoviruses, have been constructed. Infection of tumor cells results in replication, oncolysis and subsequent release of the virus progeny. Normal tissue is spared due to lack of replication. This review focuses on the various modifications tha...

Advances in adenoviral vectors for cancer gene therapy

Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 1997

Delineation of the molecular basis of cancer affords the possibility of specific intervention at the molecular level for therapeutic purposes. To this end, viral and non-viral vectors have been designed for delivery and expression of genes into target malignant and non-malignant cells. Gene transfer by available vectors, applied in both the ex vivo and in vivo contexts, has resulted frequently in the desired cellular phenotypical changes. In this regard, recombinant adenoviruses have been particularly efficient for in vivo gene transfer. Importantly, numerous human clinical protocols using adenoviruses have rapidly entered into Phase I clinical trials. However, major vector-related problems remain to be solved before the transfer of therapeutic genes by adenoviruses can become an effective and common place strategy for cancer treatment. An overriding obstacle is the basic ability to deliver therapeutic genes quantitatively, and specifically, into tumour cells. In addition, transgene expression in transduced target cells has not been prolonged enough for certain applications. The short-term expression is due both to the adenoviral non-integrative life cycle and to potent inflammatory and immunological responses against the vector and transgene. Here we review a number of diverse advances in the design of adenoviral vectors for overcoming these obstacles. As vector technology fulfils these requirements for obtaining the 'targetable-injectable' vector, it is anticipated that promising results already observed in preclinical studies will translate quickly into the clinic.

Adenoviral vectors—How to use them in cancer gene therapy?

Virus Research, 2006

Gene therapy is most often described as a technique for introducing the foreign genetic material into cells with a correction of a dysfunctional gene as its final goal. Today, it is well known that cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world. Besides classical methods for cancer treatment new strategies against cancer are needed. Although originally being designed as a treatment for monogenetic illness, soon after, gene therapy appeared as a potential new strategy in cancer therapy. One of the widely used vectors for cancer gene therapy is adenovirus. In this review we have described molecular biology of adenoviruses and basis for construction of adenoviral vectors. We have also described concepts for cancer gene therapy including their in vitro and in vivo application. Special attention is drawn toward retargeting of adenovirus as a new approach in vector design for cancer gene therapy, in order to restrict transgene expression in tumor tissue. This approach uses biophysical as well as genetic characteristics of tumor itself and its supporting tissue, allowing new "bypass" in cancer gene therapy.

Nonreplicating Adenoviral Vectors: Improving Tropism and Delivery of Cancer Gene Therapy

Cancers, 2021

Recent preclinical and clinical studies have used viral vectors in gene therapy research, especially nonreplicating adenovirus encoding strategic therapeutic genes for cancer treatment. Adenoviruses were the first DNA viruses to go into therapeutic development, mainly due to well-known biological features: stability in vivo, ease of manufacture, and efficient gene delivery to dividing and nondividing cells. However, there are some limitations for gene therapy using adenoviral vectors, such as nonspecific transduction of normal cells and liver sequestration and neutralization by antibodies, especially when administered systemically. On the other hand, adenoviral vectors are amenable to strategies for the modification of their biological structures, including genetic manipulation of viral proteins, pseudotyping, and conjugation with polymers or biological membranes. Such modifications provide greater specificity to the target cell and better safety in systemic administration; thus, a ...

Retargeting of adenoviral vector using basic fibroblast growth factor ligand for malignant glioma gene therapy

Journal of Neurosurgery, 2005

Object. Adenovirus vector (AdV)—mediated gene delivery has been recently demonstrated in clinical trials as a novel potential treatment for malignant gliomas. Combined coxsackievirus B and adenovirus receptor (CAR) has been shown to function as an attachment receptor for multiple adenovirus serotypes, whereas the vitronectin integrins (αvβ3 and αvβ5) are involved in AdV internalization. In resected glioma specimens, the authors demonstrated that malignant gliomas have varying levels of CAR, αvβ3, and αvβ5 expression. Methods. A correlation between CAR expression and the transduction efficiency of AdV carrying the green fluorescent protein in various human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cell lines and GBM primary cell lines was observed. To increase transgene activity in in vitro glioma cells with low or deficient levels of CAR, the authors used basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) as a targeting ligand to redirect adenoviral infection through its cognate receptor, FGF receptor 1 (FG...

Oncolytic adenoviruses – selective retargeting to tumor cells

Oncogene, 2005

Virotherapy is an approach for the treatment of cancer, in which the replicating virus itself is the anticancer agent. Virotherapy exploits the lytic property of virus replication to kill tumor cells. As this approach relies on viral replication, the virus can self-amplify and spread in the tumor from an initial infection of only a few cells. The success of this approach is fundamentally based on the ability to deliver the replication-competent viral genome to target cells with a requisite level of efficiency. With virotherapy, while a number of transcriptional retargeting strategies have been utilized to restrict viral replication to tumor cells, this review will focus primarily on transductional retargeting strategies, whereby oncolytic viruses can be designed to selectively infect tumor cells. Using the adenoviral vector paradigm, there are three broad strategies useful for viral retargeting. One strategy uses heterologous retargeting ligands that are bispecific in that they bind both to the viral vector as well as to a cell surface target. A second strategy uses genetically modified viral vectors in which a cellular retargeting ligand is incorporated. A third strategy involves the construction of chimeric recombinant vectors, in which a capsid protein from one virus is exchanged for that of another. These transductional retargeting strategies have the potential for reducing deleterious side effects, and increasing the therapeutic index of virotherapeutic agents. Oncogene (2005) 24, 7775-7791.

Targeted Adenoviral Vectors for Cancer Gene Therapy

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 1998

In order to realise the full potential of gene therapy as a rational approach to the treatment of cancer, it will be necessary to achieve delivery of the therapeutic gene selectively to target tumour cells. Such cancer cell-specific gene delivery is mandated in the context of locoregional or compartmentalised carcinomas, and is also an absolute requirement for the treatment of disseminated disease. Moreover, underlying any cancer gene therapy approach is the need to achieve a high level of efficiency of gene transfer to the target cells. Of the existing viral and nonviral gene delivery vehicles, the adeno viral vector uniquely fulfils two requirements of an intra venously administered vector for cancer gene therapy: systemic stability and the ability to accomplish efficient transduction of cancer cells. However, it is necessary to modify native adenoviral tropism in order to achieve selective transduction of target tumour cells. A number of strategies have been developed for this purpose, involving genetic or immunological modifications to either of two adenoviral capsid proteins, the fibre and penton base. These strategies are designed to generate a targetable, injectable vector which would represent a major advance in the field of cancer gene therapy. Contents 1. Introduction: cancer gene therapy 2. Vector requirements for cancer gene therapy 3. The adenovirus is the most promising vector for direct in vivo gene delivery 4. The biology of adenoviral infection 5. The generation of targeted adenoviral vectors by immuno logical modifications of the fibre protein 6. The generation of targeted adenoviral vectors by genetic modifications of the fibre protein 7. The generation of targeted adenoviral vectors by modifications of the penton base 8. Future directions