Effect of Ganciclovir on Growth of Neuroblastoma Cell Line Expressed HSV-TK Gene

Cho, Hyun Sang; Lyu, Chuhl Joo; Yang, Chang Hyun; Oh, Seung Hwan; Kim, Kun Hong; Kim, Kir Young; Kim, Byung Soo

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Replication of defective adenoviral vectors can be used for gene transfer into a wide spectrum of replicating and nonreplicating cells. Accordingly, selective introduction of genes encoding for susceptibility to nontoxic drugs into proliferating tumor may be used to treat cancer. We investigated the efficacy of in vitro transduction of neuroblastoma cell with the herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene followed by administration of the antiviral drug ganciclovir.
METHODS
The recombinant adenoviral vector ADV/TK carrying the HSV-TK gene, under the control of the promoter from Rous sarcoma virus long term terminal repeat was constructed. And 1 x 10(4) Neuro 2a cells were plated in 96 well cultured plates and infected with ADV/TK at multiplicity of infection of 0, 1, 10, and 100. Twenty-four hours later, the infected cells were treated with PBS or ganciclovir at a concentration of 10 g/ml. After 48hr, the surviving cells in 96 well plates were determined by MTT assay.
RESULTS
After infection in vitro with ADV/TK at moi of 0, 1, 10, 100 and subsequent ganciclovir treatment, the percent survival rate of 1 x 10(4) Neuro 2a cells were 105%, 32%, 25%, and 15%. But the survival rate of 1 x 10(4) Neuro 2a cells with PBS treatment were 100%, 92%, 105%, 103%.
CONCLUSION
We concluded that in vitro transduction of neuroblastoma cell with the herpes simplex-thymidine kinase gene followed by administration of the antiviral drug ganciclovir is very effective.