A novel anticancer therapy that simultaneously targets aberrant p53 and Notch activities in tumors

PLoS One. 2012;7(10):e46627. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0046627. Epub 2012 Oct 10.

Abstract

Notch signaling pathway plays an important role in tumorigenesis by maintaining the activity of self-renewal of cancer stem cells, and therefore, it is hypothesized that interference of Notch signaling may inhibit tumor formation and progression. H101 is a recombinant oncolytic adenovirus that is cytolytic in cells lacking intact p53, but it is unable to eradicate caner stem cells. In this study, we tested a new strategy of tumor gene therapy by combining a Notch1-siRNA with H101 oncolytic adenovirus. In HeLa-S3 tumor cells, the combined therapy blocked the Notch pathway and induced apoptosis in tumors that are p53-inactive. In nude mice bearing xenograft tumors derived from HeLa-S3 cells, the combination of H101/Notch1-siRNA therapies inhibited tumor growth. Moreover, Notch1-siRNA increased Hexon gene expression at both the transcriptional and the translational levels, and promoted H101 replication in tumors, thereby enhancing the oncolytic activity of H101. These data demonstrate the feasibility to combine H101 p53-targted oncolysis and anti-Notch siRNA activities as a novel anti-cancer therapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis
  • Caspase 3 / metabolism
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • DNA Replication
  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • HeLa Cells
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy
  • Oncolytic Viruses / genetics
  • Oncolytic Viruses / physiology*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / metabolism
  • RNA Interference
  • RNA, Small Interfering / genetics
  • Receptor, Notch1 / genetics*
  • Receptor, Notch1 / metabolism
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism*
  • Virus Replication
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • DNA, Viral
  • NOTCH1 protein, human
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • Receptor, Notch1
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • MDM2 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2
  • CASP3 protein, human
  • Caspase 3