Cancer screening by systemic administration of a gene delivery vector encoding tumor-selective secretable biomarker expression.

ABSTRACT: Cancer biomarkers facilitate screening and early detection but are known for only a few cancer types. We demonstrated the principle of inducing tumors to secrete a serum biomarker using a systemically administered gene delivery vector that targets tumors for selective expression of an engineered cassette. We exploited tumor-selective replication of a conditionally replicative Herpes simplex virus (HSV) combined with a replication-dependent late viral promoter to achieve tumor-selective biomarker expression as an example gene delivery vector. Virus replication, cytotoxicity and biomarker production were low in quiescent normal human foreskin keratinocytes and high in cancer cells in vitro. Following intravenous injection of virus >90% of tumor-bearing mice exhibited higher levels of biomark

SUBMITTER: Browne AW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3092745 | biostudies-literature | 2011 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature