Radiosensitivity by ING4-IL-24 bicistronic adenovirus-mediated gene cotransfer on human breast cancer cells

Cancer Gene Ther. 2013 Jan;20(1):38-45. doi: 10.1038/cgt.2012.82. Epub 2012 Nov 23.

Abstract

Breast cancer is a common malignancy among women and is associated with poor 5-year survival rates. Gene radiotherapy, that is, gene therapy combined with radiotherapy, has been extensively studied as a new mode of therapy, but most studies have assessed only one gene. Here, we inserted two anti-oncogenes, ING4 (inhibitor of growth family member 4) and interleukin-24 (IL-24), in the same bicistronic adenovirus vector and explored the effect of dual-gene therapy combined with radiotherapy on breast cancer cells. Flow cytometry assays showed that adenovirus-mediated ING4 and IL-24 expression could suppress growth, promote apoptosis and induce G2/M cell-cycle arrest in MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, animal model studies demonstrated that the combination of ING4/IL-24 gene therapy and radiotherapy significantly suppressed cell proliferation and inhibited tumor growth (P<0.05). Mechanistically, the pro-apoptotic response likely involved the upregulation of Bax and Caspase-3 and the downregulation of Bcl-2. Thus, this study indicates that the co-expression of the two anti-oncogenes, ING4 and IL-24, could significantly promote radiotherapy sensitivity in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenoviridae / genetics*
  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Breast Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Cell Cycle Checkpoints
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Female
  • Gene Expression
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Homeodomain Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Homeodomain Proteins / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Interleukins / biosynthesis
  • Interleukins / genetics*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Radiation Tolerance / genetics*
  • Transduction, Genetic
  • Tumor Burden
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins / genetics*
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Homeodomain Proteins
  • ING4 protein, human
  • Interleukins
  • Tumor Suppressor Proteins
  • interleukin-24