Published Date: October 17, 2022
Full Text ArticleEvaluating antitumor activity of Escherichia coli purine nucleoside phosphorylase against head and neck patient-derived xenografts
Authors: Regina Rab, Annette Ehrhardt, Bhagelu R Achyut, Disha Joshi, Melissa Gilbert-Ross, Chunzi Huang, Katharine Floyd, Anton V Borovjagin, William B Parker, Eric J Sorscher, Jeong S Hong
Cancer Rep (Hoboken). 2023 Feb;6(2):e1708. doi: 10.1002/cnr2.1708. Epub 2022 Oct 17.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP) gene transfer represents a promising approach to treatment of head and neck malignancies. We tested recombinant adenovirus already in phase I/II clinical testing and leading-edge patient-derived xenografts (PDX) as a means to optimize this therapeutic strategy.
METHODS: Our experiments investigated purine base cytotoxicity, PNP enzyme activity following treatment of malignant tissue, tumor mass regression, viral receptor studies, and transduction by tropism-modified adenovirus.
RESULTS: Replication deficient vector efficiently transduced PDX cells and mediated significant anticancer effect following treatment with fludarabine phosphate in vivo. Either 6-methylpurine or 2-fluoroadenine (toxic molecules generated by the PNP approach) ablated head and neck cancer cell proliferation. High levels of adenovirus-3 specific receptors were detected in human tumor models, and vector was evaluated that utilizes this pathway.
CONCLUSIONS: Our studies provide the scientific foundation necessary to improve PNP prodrug cleavage and advance a new treatment for head and neck cancer.
PMID: 36253876DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1708PMC: PMC9939994