Radiosensitization of gliomas by intracellular generation of 5-fluorouracil potentiates prodrug activator gene therapy with a retroviral replicating vector

Cancer Gene Ther. 2014 Oct;21(10):405-410. doi: 10.1038/cgt.2014.38. Epub 2014 Oct 10.

Abstract

A tumor-selective non-lytic retroviral replicating vector (RRV), Toca 511, and an extended-release formulation of 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC), Toca FC, are currently being evaluated in clinical trials in patients with recurrent high-grade glioma (NCT01156584, NCT01470794 and NCT01985256). Tumor-selective propagation of this RRV enables highly efficient transduction of glioma cells with cytosine deaminase (CD), which serves as a prodrug activator for conversion of the anti-fungal prodrug 5-FC to the anti-cancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) directly within the infected cells. We investigated whether, in addition to its direct cytotoxic effects, 5-FU generated intracellularly by RRV-mediated CD/5-FC prodrug activator gene therapy could also act as a radiosensitizing agent. Efficient transduction by RRV and expression of CD were confirmed in the highly aggressive, radioresistant human glioblastoma cell line U87EGFRvIII and its parental cell line U87MG (U87). RRV-transduced cells showed significant radiosensitization even after transient exposure to 5-FC. This was confirmed both in vitro by a clonogenic colony survival assay and in vivo by bioluminescence imaging analysis. These results provide a convincing rationale for development of tumor-targeted radiosensitization strategies utilizing the tumor-selective replicative capability of RRV, and incorporation of radiation therapy into future clinical trials evaluating Toca 511 and Toca FC in brain tumor patients.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Cell Survival / genetics
  • Cell Survival / radiation effects
  • Cytosine Deaminase / genetics
  • Cytosine Deaminase / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation
  • Female
  • Fluorouracil / metabolism*
  • Fluorouracil / pharmacology
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Order
  • Gene Transfer Techniques
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Genes, Transgenic, Suicide
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics*
  • Glioma / genetics*
  • Glioma / metabolism*
  • Glioma / pathology
  • Glioma / therapy
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Prodrugs / metabolism*
  • Prodrugs / pharmacology
  • Radiation Tolerance / genetics*
  • Retroviridae / genetics*
  • Transduction, Genetic
  • Virus Replication
  • Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays

Substances

  • Prodrugs
  • Cytosine Deaminase
  • Fluorouracil