Bacteriophage‐mediated therapy of chondrosarcoma by selective delivery of the tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) gene

• Published in: The FASEB journal Vol. 35; no. 5; pp. e21487 - n/a
• Main Authors: Chongchai, Aitthiphon, Waramit, Sajee, Suwan, Keittisak, Al‐Bahrani, Mariam, Udomruk, Sasimol, Phitak, Thanyaluck, Kongtawelert, Prachya, Pothacharoen, Peraphan, Hajitou, Amin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.2021
• Subjects: Adult; Animals; Apoptosis; Bacteriophages - genetics; Bone Neoplasms - genetics; Bone Neoplasms - pathology; Bone Neoplasms - therapy; Cell Proliferation; chondrosarcoma; Chondrosarcoma - genetics; Chondrosarcoma - pathology; Chondrosarcoma - therapy; Gene Transfer Techniques; Genetic Therapy; Genetic Vectors - administration & dosage; Humans; integrins αvβ3 and αvβ5 apoptosis; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Nude; Phage Therapy - methods; phage‐based particle; targeted gene therapy; Tumor Cells, Cultured; tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα); Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - genetics; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; chondrosarcoma; phage-based particle; targeted gene therapy; tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα); integrins αvβ3 and αvβ5 apoptosis
• ISSN: 0892-6638; 1530-6860
• DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002539R

Chondrosarcoma is a cartilage‐forming bone tumor, well known for intrinsic resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. We have designed a targeted chondrosarcoma gene therapy using a bacteriophage (phage) particle to deliver therapeutic genes. Phage has no tropism for mammalian cells, allowing engineered phage to be targeted to specific cell surface receptors in cancer. We modified the phage capsid to display the RGD4C ligand on the pIII minor coat proteins to specifically bind to αvβ3 or αvβ5 integrin receptors. The endosomal escape peptide, H5WYG, was also displayed on recombinant pVIII major coat proteins to enhance gene delivery. Finally, a human tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) therapeutic transgene expression cassette was incorporated into the phage genome. First, we found that human chondrosarcoma cells (SW1353) have high expression of αvβ3, αvβ5 integrin receptors, and both TNFα receptors. Targeted particle encoding a luciferase reporter gene efficiently and selectively mediated gene delivery to these cells. When SW1353 cells were treated with the targeted particle encoding a TNFα transgene, significant cell killing was evident and was associated with high expression of TNFα and apoptosis‐related genes. In vivo, mice with established human chondrosarcoma showed suppression of tumors upon repetitive intravenous administrations of the targeted phage. These data show that our phage‐based particle is a promising, selective, and efficient tool for targeted chondrosarcoma therapy.