Adenovirus-mediated human endostatin gene delivery demonstrates strain-specific antitumor activity and acute dose-dependent toxicity in mice

X. Y. Wen, Y. Bai, A. K. Stewart

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purified recombinant mouse endostatin protein has been reported to regress established murine solid tumors by inhibiting the proliferation of endothelial cells. To develop a clinical gene therapy strategy with endostatin, we cloned the cDNA of human endostatin by RT-PCR from human placenta. A 150-bp sequence encoding the IgG leader peptide was fused in frame to the 5′ end of the endostatin cDNA and recombinant adenoviruses, AdENDO-YFP and AdENDO, carrying endostatin gene expression cassettes were rescued. AdENDO-YFP infects cultured mammalian cells at high efficiency and expresses a biologically active human endostatin in secreted form at high levels bothin vitro and in vivo. When delivered in vivo, a strain-specific expression pattern was observed, with the highest and longest endostatin expression in 129/J mice. After systemic delivery of 2 × 109 PFU of AdENDO-YFP into 129/J mice, human endostatin expression was achieved at a mean value of 1.34 ± 0.42 μg/ml of serum (n = 6) and inhibition of lung metastasis was observed in an EOMA tumor model. However, high dose intravenous delivery of AdENDO-YFP and AdENDO was associated with severe acute toxicity in recipient mice that included loss of weight, bleeding, and death of animals. These events were not observed with the injection of identical doses of a control adenovirus that did not contain the endostatin gene. Because the endostatin adenovirus-associated acute toxicity was also observed in immunodeficient NCRNU-M nude mice, the toxicity does not appear to be the result of the immunogenicity against human endostatin or the EYFP protein.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)347-358
Number of pages12
JournalHuman gene therapy
Volume12
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 2001

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Medicine
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Adenovirus-mediated human endostatin gene delivery demonstrates strain-specific antitumor activity and acute dose-dependent toxicity in mice'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this