Gene transfer has advantages in the treatment of a variety of disorders due to its selective expression within specific mammalian cells including the most primitive stem cells and cancer cells. Several investigators have reported on the clinical effects of interferon-α (IFN-α) or the combination of 5-FU plus IFN-α on patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma. Therefore, we examined the ability of a retrovirus-mediated IFN-α gene transfer to infect colon cancer cells COLO 201 and the effect of IFN-α gene expression alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs as 5-FU. IFN-α showed positive antitumor activity against COLO 201 cells, whereas 5-FU showed time- and concentration-dependent antitumor activity against COLO 201 cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated that combination therapy of IFN-α gene transfer and 5-FU resulted in enhancement of cancer cell lethality. The potentiation increased with higher concentrations of 5-FU by 1.5- to 2.1-fold. Our results suggest that retrovirus-mediated IFN-α gene transfer in COLO 201 cells resulted in functional gene expression as assessed by the levels of IFN-α mRNA and protein; furthermore, the combination of IFN-α gene transfer and 5-FU have additional effects on the induction of apoptosis. This finding provides an experimental basis for possible clinical therapy using retrovirus-mediated IFN-α gene transfer alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs for treatment of colorectal cancer.

Keywords:
Colon cancer, 5-Fluorouracil, Gene transfer, Interferon-α
1999
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.