1. ¹Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
2. ²Oncology Research Institute, Greenville Hospital System, Greenville, SC, USA

Correspondence: Dr Y Wei, Oncology Research Institute, Greenville Hospital System, 900 W. Faris Road, Greenville, SC 29605, USA. E-mail: ywei@ghs.org

Received 21 May 2007; Revised 5 March 2008; Accepted 26 March 2008; Published online 8 May 2008.

Abstract

Tumor cells evade immunosurveillance by elements of the innate immune system, such as natural killer (NK) cells, by downregulating or 'shedding' certain cell-surface molecules like mouse UL16-binding protein-like transcript 1 (MULT1) that can activate NK cells through NK cell receptors such as NKG2D; they also avoid Fas-mediated apoptosis by downregulating its expression. In the present study we report the design and evaluation of the antitumor activity of a novel fusion protein, MULT1E/FasTI, consisting of the extracellular domain of MULT1 and the transmembrane and intracellular domains of Fas. The fusion construct (pMULT1E/FasTI) was transfected into the mouse pulmonary carcinoma cell line TC-1; and stable cell clones expressing the fusion protein were established. In-vitro cell culture studies demonstrated that the binding of the NKG2D/Fc, a recombinant protein of mouse NK cell receptor, to MULT1E/FasTI expressed on tumor cells was able to elicit apoptosis as assayed by Annexin V–fluorescein isothiocyanate staining and caspase-3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and to activate NKG2D-expressing cells, such as NK cells. In-vivo subcutaneous tumor studies demonstrated that tumor cells expressing MULT1E/FasTI grew significantly slower than cells without the protein. Pulmonary metastasis studies showed that most of the mice completely rejected tumor cells expressing MULT1E/FasTI. This approach may generate a new therapeutic agent for tumor treatment when combined with tumor cell-specific gene delivery vehicles such as oncolytic adenovirus vectors.