GROWTH-INHIBITION OF GLIOMA-CELLS TRANSFECTED WITH THE HUMAN INTERFERON-BETA GENE BY LIPOSOMES COUPLED WITH A MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY

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  • 15 December 1990
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 50  (24) , 7826-7829
Abstract
A human .beta.-interferon (HuIFN-.beta.) gene inserted into a eukaryotic expression vector (pSV2IFN-.beta.) was entrapped in liposomes having positive charges on their surface. Liposome-mediated transfection of the gene into cultured glioma cells (U251-MG) resulted in the secretion of HuIFN-.beta. into the medium. The HuIFN-.beta. level in the culture medium of glioma cells reached 24 .+-. 8 (mean .+-. SD) IU/ml after 96 h of incubation, at which level the growth inhibitory effect on the cells was found to be > 40 times as compared with exogenously added HuIFN-.beta.. When the plasmid-containing liposomes were coupled with a monoclonal antibody (G-22 MCA) against glioma-associated antigen, the level of HuIFN-.beta. in the medium was 178 .+-. 26 IU/ml, resulting in a 7-fold increase, and the growth inhibitory effect was further elevated. Since the addition of a monoclonal antibody against HuIFN-.beta. to the medium did not cause the cell growth to resume, the growth inhibitory effect on the cells seems to be ascribed to HuIFN-.beta. produced in the cells transfected with its gene. Accordingly, the specific delivery of the HuIFN-.beta. gene into glioma cells by the use of such liposomes might become a useful technique for gene therapy of malignant glioma.