Tumor growth inhibition by intratumoral inoculation of defective herpes simplex virus vectors expressing granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor

Mol Ther. 2000 Oct;2(4):324-9. doi: 10.1006/mthe.2000.0130.

Abstract

To evaluate the potential of defective herpes simplex virus (HSV) amplicon vectors as in vivo cytokine gene transfer vehicles for active immunotherapy, we generated a defective HSV vector that encodes the murine granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene, using a replication-defective HSV as helper virus. A variety of murine tumor cell lines were efficiently infected in vitro with the defective GM-CSF vector (dvGM), and this led to the synthesis and secretion of murine GM-CSF. In an established bilateral subcutaneous tumor model with Harding-Passey murine melanoma, unilateral intratumoral inoculation of dvGM significantly inhibited tumor growth of both the inoculated and noninoculated contralateral tumors. This tumor inhibition was dose-dependent and resulted in increased survival of the dvGM-treated mice. Inoculation of a lacZ-expressing defective vector had no effect on tumor growth. We conclude that this defective HSV vector system offers an effective method for cytokine gene delivery in vivo and that GM-CSF expression in tumors has antitumor activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cytotoxicity, Immunologic
  • Defective Viruses
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Gene Expression
  • Gene Transfer Techniques
  • Genetic Therapy*
  • Genetic Vectors*
  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / biosynthesis
  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / genetics*
  • Injections, Subcutaneous
  • Melanoma, Experimental / metabolism
  • Melanoma, Experimental / pathology
  • Melanoma, Experimental / therapy*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Simplexvirus / genetics*
  • Simplexvirus / metabolism
  • Survival Rate
  • Transgenes
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor