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Targeting sodium/iodide symporter gene expression for estrogen-regulated imaging and therapy in breast cancer

Abstract

Expression of the sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) has been detected in breast cancer tissue, but frequently, not at the levels necessary to mediate 131I accumulation. Transducing the hNIS gene into breast cancer cells with adenovirus could be a tractable strategy to render breast cancer susceptible to radioiodide therapy. We constructed the replication-incompetent virus, AdSERE, in which an estrogen-responsive promoter directs the expression of hNIS. In vitro, we demonstrate that AdSERE mediates hNIS expression and iodide uptake in ER+ breast cancer cells. In vivo, we show that AdSERE-infected ER+ tumors can be imaged due to tracer accumulation; in addition, AdSERE in combination with therapeutic doses of 131I suppresses tumor growth.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a Cancer Research UK program Grant C355/A6253. Claudia Montiel-Equihua was supported by a Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CONACyT) scholarship. Pilar Martin-Duque is supported by grants from the program of Ramon y Cajal and FISS from the Spanish Ministery of Science and Health and FIDES fund. Special acknowledgments to Ma. Teresa Macias, Fernando Nuñez, Yaohe Wang, Jennelle Francis and Krishna Caulee.

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Correspondence to N R Lemoine.

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Montiel-Equihua, C., Martín-Duque, P., de la Vieja, A. et al. Targeting sodium/iodide symporter gene expression for estrogen-regulated imaging and therapy in breast cancer. Cancer Gene Ther 15, 465–473 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/cgt.2008.6

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