Bystander-Mediated Regression of Murine Neuroblastoma via Retroviral Transfer of the HSV-TK Gene

Selective introduction of genes conferring chemosensitivity into proliferating tumor cells may be used to treat cancer. We investigated the bystander effect of retrovirusmediated gene transfer of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) gene to murine neuroblastoma cell line (neuro-2a) in vitro and in vivo, and we examined whether the mechanism of bystander effect in neuroblastoma would also depend on connexin-dependent gap junction and/or immune response. A strong bystander effect was observed in vitro, whereby nontransduced tumor cells in proximity to transduced cells acquired susceptibility to ganciclovir (GCV) killing. Implanted mixtures of wildtype cells and HSV-TK transduced cells showed a potent bystander effect upon administration of GCV in A/J mice. HSV-TK/GCV system in murine neuroblastoma induced systemic immunity. Immunohistochemical staining showed many CD4+ and CD8+ cell infiltration but did not show anti-connexin 43+ cells. In conclusion, a strong bystander effect was observed in vitro and in vivo. The bystander effect in murine neuroblastoma might be dependent on immune response and/or on other mechanism such as protein phosphorylation or transfer of apoptotic vesicle, rather than connexin-dependent gap junction

Composições microbicidas, processos para sua obtenção, construções gênicas, processos para o controle de pestes

Em 17/03/2016: Anuidade de pedido de patente de invenção no prazo ordinárioDepositadaA presente invenção é relacionada a fatores antimicrobianos extraídos de envoltórios protetores (cascas) de ovos de insetos. A maioria destes fatores compreende peptídeos e/ou proteínas obtidas de tais involuntários e/ou de seus respectivos genes codificantes, em construções gênicas artificiais. São descritas composições microbicidas e processos para sua obtenção, bem como construções gênicas e processos para o controle de pestes