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  • Acquired Diseases
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Inhibition of human lung carcinoma cell growth by apoptosis induction using Semliki Forest virus recombinant particles

Gene Therapy volume 7, pages 1477–1482 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

We have utilised cell cultures and growth of tumours in nude mice to assess further the potential of the Semliki Forest virus (SFV) vector as a cancer therapy agent. This vector is a transient RNA-based expression vector, and we have previously shown that SFV and its derived vector can induce p53-independent apoptosis by expression of the nonstructural region of the virus genome. Apoptosis induction is therefore an inherent property of the vector and is not dependent on heterologous gene expression. SFV recombinant suicide particles (rSFV) were shown to induce apoptosis in H358a cells, which are human non-small cell lung carcinoma cells deleted in p53. EGFP-expressing rSFV also inhibited the growth of developing H358a spheroids. Direct injection of rSFV into H358a tumours subcutaneously implanted as xenografts in nu/nu mice inhibited tumour growth, and in some cases caused complete regression. It is concluded that tumour growth suppression induced by rSFV was due to apoptosis induction and that the vector has an inherent cell death-promoting and antitumour activity. These results, as well as previous work by other authors on targeting and immune stimulation using alphavirus vectors, indicate that SFV recombinant particles in particular have considerable potential for further exploitation as a cancer therapy agent.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr Marina Fleeton and Professor Peter Liljeström for providing the vectors used in this study and for help with the vector system, and Ms Marie Moore for her assistance with pathological studies. We are also grateful to Ms Deborah Mansfield and Dr Jack Roth for providing the H358a cells. This work was supported by the Cancer Research Advancement Board of the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Health Research Board, BioResearch Ireland, the Wellcome Trust and the European Union Biotechnology Programme.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Moyne Institute of Preventive Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

    A-M Murphy, M M Morris-Downes & G J Atkins

  2. Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University College, Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland

    B J Sheahan

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  1. A-M Murphy
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Murphy, AM., Morris-Downes, M., Sheahan, B. et al. Inhibition of human lung carcinoma cell growth by apoptosis induction using Semliki Forest virus recombinant particles. Gene Ther 7, 1477–1482 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.gt.3301263

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