CONTACT: Kristi Hellmuth
Johanna Spangenberg; (202) 638-7222
NEWS ROOM: March 20-26, 1997
Pointe Hilton on South Mountain
Phoenix, AZ
(602) 431-6501
ALABAMA MEDICAL TEAM TAKES AIM
AT CANCER CELLS WITH NEW GENE THERAPY. CAN WE GET CANCER CELLS TO SELF DESTRUCT?
Eight medical researchers at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Use Gene Therapy to Destroy Malignant Cells Found in Cervical and Ovarian Cancers.
PHOENIX, AZ (March 26, 1997) -- A remarkable new discovery in an Alabama laboratory holds great potential as a weapon in the ongoing battle against women's cancers. The introduction of a gene into three cervical cell lines and one ovarian cell line has resulted in the activation of a specific enzyme that causes cancer cells to self-destruct. The result? A novel approach to treating cancer that offers important clues towards developing therapies that destroy cancer cells yet leave healthy cells untouched.
This study was conducted by a medical team from University of Alabama-Birmingham and is one of several research studies presented at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Society of gynecologic Gynecologic Oncologists. Authors of the study are physicians Matt Robertson, M. Wang, M. Rosenfeld, J. Daschane, R. Ashford, R. Alvarez, G. Siegal, and D. Curiel, all from the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
The results of this research were presented for the first time at the 28th Annual Meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, at the Pointe Hilton on South Mountain, Phoenix, AZ. In addition to gynecologic oncologists, the organization's 800 members include medical oncologists, radiation therapists, and pathologists whose primary professional commitment is to the treatment of women with malignancies, including cancers of the ovary, endometrium, uterus, cervix, vagina, and vulva, as well as trophoblastic disease.
"Members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO) are taking a novel approach using gene therapy that can potentially cause cancer cell suicide as a treatment for ovarian cancer," according to Dr. Robertson. "The work is currently being done at the laboratory bench, but the results are looking promising for human applications."
Methodology The study, entitled, "Transcriptional Targeting of Molecular Chemotherapy for Gynecologic Malignancies," represents the first step in a regimen that hopes to transfer a new treatment from the researcher's laboratory bench to the patient's bedside. A herpes virus gene
(HSV-TK), is genetically engineered to be controlled by a tumor-specific promoter called SLPI. Cancer cells the in the laboratory are then transfected with the SLPI HSV-TK construct. These cells are then treated with the anti-viral drug, Pangcyclovir. This drug is activated by the HSV-TK and causes cancer cell deaths in two of three cervical cancer cells and ovarian cancer cell line tested. This study involved only cancer cell lines in the laboratory. HSV-TK is a very common approach for gene therapy, and can be applied to many tumors.
Results
The laboratory test demonstrated that the SLPI HSV-TK gene transfer directed the cancer cells to "commit suicide" in two of the three tested cervical cell lines and in the SKOV-3 ovarian cell line. The SLPI HSV-TK construct demonstrated an inductive profile consistent with tissue manifestation found in SLPI expressing tumor cells.
Conclusions The gene is only activated by the cancer cells thereby preserving non-malignant cells. The targeting also makes the "killer cells" more susceptible to other drugs, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the treatment.
The authors of this study are available to speak with the media regarding their study objectives, methodology, and results. Contact Kristi Hellmuth or Johanna Spangenberg at (202) 638-7222 for more information about this research or an interview with the authors.
RSS