Fractionated radiation therapy in combination with adenoviral delivery of the cytosine deaminase gene and 5-fluorocytosine enhances cytotoxic and antitumor effects in human colorectal and cholangiocarcinoma models

Gene Ther. 2000 Jun;7(12):1019-26. doi: 10.1038/sj.gt.3301196.

Abstract

Radiosensitization of human gastrointestinal tumors by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been studied in vitro and clinically in human cancer therapy trials. The bacterial enzyme cytosine deaminase (CD) converts the nontoxic prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) into 5-FU. Human colon cancer cells stably expressing CD have been shown by other investigators to be sensitized to radiation following treatment with 5-FC. We previously used an adenoviral vector under control of the cytomegalovirus promoter (AdCMVCD) encoding the CD gene in combination with 5-FC and a single fraction of radiation exposure to enhance cytotoxicity to human cholangiocarcinoma cells in vitro and in vivo. The purpose of this study was to determine whether AdCMVCD infection and 5-FC with multiple fraction low-dose radiotherapy results in enhanced cytotoxicity. In the present study, we utilized AdCMVCD and 5-FC with single fraction radiotherapy to demonstrate enhanced cytotoxicity to WiDr human colon carcinoma cells in vitro. Additionally, we tested this gene therapy/prodrug treatment strategy employing a fractionated radiation dosing schema in animal models of WiDr colon carcinoma and SK-ChA-1 cholangiocarcinoma. A prolonged WiDr tumor regrowth delay was obtained with AdCMVCD infection in combination with systemic delivery of 5-FC and fractionated external beam radiation therapy compared with control animals treated without radiation, without 5-FC, or without AdCMVCD. The results of treatment with AdCMVCD + 5-FC + radiation therapy to cholangiocarcinoma xenografts were equivalent to those obtained with systemic 5-FU administration + radiation. Thus, the use of AdCMVCD can be effectively combined with clinically relevant 5-FC and radiation administration schemes to achieve enhanced tumor cell killing and increased control of established tumors of human gastrointestinal malignancies.

MeSH terms

  • Adenoviridae / genetics
  • Animals
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / pathology
  • Bile Duct Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic*
  • Cell Survival / radiation effects
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / pathology
  • Cholangiocarcinoma / radiotherapy*
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Colorectal Neoplasms / radiotherapy*
  • Cytosine Deaminase
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
  • Flucytosine / therapeutic use
  • Genetic Therapy / methods*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Nucleoside Deaminases / genetics
  • Prodrugs / therapeutic use
  • Radiation Tolerance
  • Radiation-Sensitizing Agents*
  • Transplantation, Heterologous
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Prodrugs
  • Radiation-Sensitizing Agents
  • Flucytosine
  • Nucleoside Deaminases
  • Cytosine Deaminase