Dual programmed cell death pathways induced by p53 transactivation overcome resistance to oncolytic adenovirus in human osteosarcoma cells

Mol Cancer Ther. 2013 Mar;12(3):314-25. doi: 10.1158/1535-7163.MCT-12-0869. Epub 2013 Jan 11.

Abstract

Tumor suppressor p53 is a multifunctional transcription factor that regulates diverse cell fates, including apoptosis and autophagy in tumor biology. p53 overexpression enhances the antitumor activity of oncolytic adenoviruses; however, the molecular mechanism of this occurrence remains unclear. We previously developed a tumor-specific replication-competent oncolytic adenovirus, OBP-301, that kills human osteosarcoma cells, but some human osteosarcoma cells were OBP-301-resistant. In this study, we investigated the antitumor activity of a p53-expressing oncolytic adenovirus, OBP-702, and the molecular mechanism of the p53-mediated cell death pathway in OBP-301-resistant human osteosarcoma cells. The cytopathic activity of OBP-702 was examined in OBP-301-sensitive (U2OS and HOS) and OBP-301-resistant (SaOS-2 and MNNG/HOS) human osteosarcoma cells. The molecular mechanism in the OBP-702-mediated induction of two cell death pathways, apoptosis and autophagy, was investigated in OBP-301-resistant osteosarcoma cells. The antitumor effect of OBP-702 was further assessed using an orthotopic OBP-301-resistant MNNG/HOS osteosarcoma xenograft tumor model. OBP-702 suppressed the viability of OBP-301-sensitive and -resistant osteosarcoma cells more efficiently than OBP-301 or a replication-deficient p53-expressing adenovirus (Ad-p53). OBP-702 induced more profound apoptosis and autophagy when compared with OBP-301 or Ad-p53. E1A-mediated miR-93/106b upregulation induced p21 suppression, leading to p53-mediated apoptosis and autophagy in OBP-702-infected cells. p53 overexpression enhanced adenovirus-mediated autophagy through activation of damage-regulated autophagy modulator (DRAM). Moreover, OBP-702 suppressed tumor growth in an orthotopic OBP-301-resistant MNNG/HOS xenograft tumor model. These results suggest that OBP-702-mediated p53 transactivation is a promising antitumor strategy to induce dual apoptotic and autophagic cell death pathways via regulation of miRNA and DRAM in human osteosarcoma cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenoviridae
  • Apoptosis / genetics
  • Bone Neoplasms / pathology
  • Bone Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Bone Neoplasms / virology
  • Cell Cycle / genetics
  • Humans
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy*
  • Oncolytic Viruses / genetics
  • Osteosarcoma / pathology
  • Osteosarcoma / therapy*
  • Osteosarcoma / virology
  • Transcriptional Activation / genetics*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53