Retrovirally transduced murine T lymphocytes expressing FasL mediate effective killing of prostate cancer cells

Cancer Gene Ther. 2009 May;16(5):439-52. doi: 10.1038/cgt.2008.96. Epub 2008 Dec 19.

Abstract

Adoptively transferred T cells possess anticancer activities partially mediated by T-cell FasL engagement of Fas tumor targets. However, antigen-induced T-cell activation and clonal expansion, which stimulates FasL activity, is often inefficient in tumors. As a gene therapy approach to overcome this obstacle, we have created oncoretroviral vectors to overexpress FasL or non-cleavable FasL (ncFasL) on murine T cells of a diverse T-cell receptor repertoire. Expression of c-FLIP was also engineered to prevent apoptosis of transduced cells. Retroviral transduction of murine T lymphocytes has historically been problematic, and we describe optimized T-cell transduction protocols involving CD3/CD28 co-stimulation of T cells, transduction on ice using concentrated oncoretrovirus, and culture with IL-15. Genetically modified T cells home to established prostate cancer tumors in vivo. Co-stimulated T cells expressing FasL, ncFasL and ncFasL/c-FLIP each mediated cytotoxicity in vitro against RM-1 and LNCaP prostate cancer cells. To evaluate the compatibility of this approach with current prostate cancer therapies, we exposed RM-1, LNCaP, and TRAMP-C1 cells to radiation, mitoxantrone, or docetaxel. Fas and H-2(b) expression were upregulated by these methods. We have developed a novel FasL-based immuno-gene therapy for prostate cancer that warrants further investigation given the apparent constitutive and inducible Fas pathway expression in this malignancy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Docetaxel
  • Fas Ligand Protein / immunology
  • Fas Ligand Protein / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy / methods*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mitoxantrone / pharmacology
  • Phenotype
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / genetics
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / immunology
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Retroviridae / genetics*
  • Retroviridae / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • Taxoids / pharmacology
  • Transduction, Genetic*

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Fas Ligand Protein
  • Taxoids
  • Docetaxel
  • Mitoxantrone