Tumor gene-radiotherapy is a new thought put forward in recent years to treat tumor. It transfers gene into the body, which can kill tumor and enhance sensitivity of radiation. It has synergism of radiation and gene in local radiotherapy [
2]. Recent research has shown that HSV-TK can enhance sensitivity of radiation [
10]. Many scholar hold that radiotherapy can enhance effect of suicide gene to inhibit tumor [
11], and increase tumor cell apoptosis and tumor immunity with HSV-TK gene [
12]. On the other hand, suicide gene therapy is one of the few gene treatment systems which may enhance radiation sensitivity [
13]. Acyclic uzarin, propoxy uzarin and 5-FC have effect to enhance sensitivity. Kim et al [
14] found that 9 L glioma transducted with HSV-TK gene was more sensitive to rays after GCV treatment twice 24 h before and after radiation. Sensitizer enhancement ratio (SER) is 1.6. Khil et al [
15] transferred CD gene to intestine cancer cells, radiated for 72 h, and exposed them to 20 g/L 5-FC, then radiation sensitivity was increased 2.38 times compared with cells without transfected CD gene. In present study the author used HSV-TK/GCV suicide gene therapy system, combined with
60Co radiation, to conduct in vitro and in vivo experiments on human cervical cancer Hela. In in vitro the inhibition rates of Hela cell proliferation in the gene treatment group and radiotherapy group and combine treatment group were 45.8%, 42.4% and 87.5% respectively, compared with gene treatment group and radiotherapy group, difference in combined treatment group was significant (P < 0.01). The ratio of apoptosis among the gene treatment group, radiotherapy group and combined treatment group were (22.76 ± 3.51)%, (25.16 ± 3.17)%, (45.27 ± 5.15)% respectively compared with gene treatment group and radiotherapy group, difference in combined treatment group was significant (P < 0.01). Moreover, In vivo nude mice cervical cancer model treated experiment showed that there were significant differences in the three treatment groups, compared with control group; there was a significant difference in combined treatment group(P < 0.01), compared with gene treatment group or radiotherapy group, combined treatment group was superior to simple treatment group, which was in consistent with the study of NishiharaI et al [
16]. In addition, the authors observed the radiosensitization of HSV-TK/GCV suicide gene system in the present study. Radiosensitization of HSV-TK/GCV was tested by clone formation rate of cells. The dosage of GCV was decided in 1/10 of effective concentration (i.e. l μg/ml) according to preliminary experiment result in order to remove proper cyto-toxic effect of GCV. The results indicated there was no statistic significance in clone formation rate of cells of simple agent group (P > 0.05), compared with that of control group, it meant that cyto-toxic effect of GCV was excluded. Whereas there was a significant difference between clone formation rate of simple radiotherapy group and clone formation rate of combined treatment group, compared with that of control group, their relative clone formation rates were 51% and 26% respectively (See table
1). It meant that combined treatment group was more sensitive to rays. Above the results indicated the radiosensitization of HSV-TK/GCV suicide gene system was existing(E/O = 3.17 > 1.4). Which was in consistent with the study of NishiharaI et al [
16]. In short, in this present study in vitro and in vivo experiments showed HSV-TK/GCV system and
60Co may have synergism, when GCV less than effective dose was used in combined
60Co radiotherapy, sensitivity of HSV-TK gene to rays was enhanced significantly.
With regard to mechanism of the radiosensitization of HSV-TK/GCV suicide gene system, it was believed that when GCV enters cells transfected by HSV-TK gene, it converts into GCV-triphosphate, which can inhibit tumor cell repair of potentially lethal damage (PLD) and mix in DNA as competitive inhibitor of dTTP to enhance radiation sensitivity, reduce dose and toxic effect and improve therapeutic effect [
17]. At present, the approach of HSV-TK/GCV suicide gene system combined radiotherapy on tumor therapy has not yet been used on clinical stage. But the investigation about wild type p53 gene inducing malignant cell apoptosis and its sensitization has been used on clinical stage. Swisher et al [
18] had reported clinical stage II trial results about rAd2 p53 combined radiotherapy on nonsmall-cell lung cancer. The results showed: among the 19 patients, tumor cell has not yet been found by patho-biopsy in 63% (12/19). But tumor focus could be found in 16% (3/19) subjects accepting gene therapy, and the effective rate was less than 20% in subjects accepting radiotherapy. Those illustrated there were induction of p53 regulated genes and tumor regression in lung cancer patients after intratumoral delivery of adenoviral p53 (INGN 201) and radiation therapy.
On the whole, there were intimate relation between HSV-TK gene and tumor radiosensitivity. With molecule radiobiological development, it will be more clear that HSV-TK can enhance sensitivity of radiation and radiotherapy can enhance effect of suicide gene to inhibit tumor, which will give malignant tumor treatment more new approach and expectation; Meanwhile it will be very important to formulate correct combined therapeutic regimen and to predict curative effect and to appraise prognosis.