1. ¹Department of Urology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan
2. ²Merz Pharmaceuticals, Frankfurt, Germany
3. ³University of California San Francisco/Mt. Zion Cancer Center, CA, USA
4. ⁴Keck Graduate Institute, CA, USA

Correspondence: Dr A Irie, Department of Urology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, 1-15-1 Kitasato, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 228-8555, Japan. E-mail: akira_irie@pop07.odn.ne.jp

Received 9 March 2005; Revised 7 May 2005; Accepted 26 May 2005; Published online 19 August 2005.

Abstract

The altered expression of both p53 and erbB2 is strongly related to the disease status and the outcome of bladder cancers. We examined the antitumor efficacy by the modulation of these genetic alterations with a newly designed dual-gene-expressing adenovirus (Ad-p53/erbB2Rz), which expresses p53 and anti-erbB2 ribozyme simultaneously in human bladder cancer cells. Cell growth inhibition efficacy along with biological responses of this virus was compared with other viral vectors (Ad-p53, which expresses wild-type p53 cDNA, and Ad-erbB2Rz, which expresses anti-erbB2 ribozyme, solely or in combination). Sufficient transgene expression in targeted cells and the altered expression of the targeted genes and their encoded proteins were obtained by each therapeutic vector. Each of the three therapeutic viral vectors inhibited bladder cancer cell growth, and the putative additive antitumor effect was shown by the combination of two of the therapeutic vectors. Furthermore, Ad-p53/erbB2Rz had superior therapeutic efficacy when the same titers of viruses were infected. Nonspecific vector-related toxicity was minimized by reducing the total amount of viral titers by using the dual-gene-expressing adenovirus. Modulation of multiple genetic abnormalities might enhance the therapeutic efficacy, and vector-related toxicity could be minimized when the total amount of viral titers are reduced.