Improved gene transfer into bladder cancer cells using adenovirus vector containing RGD motif.

BACKGROUND The transduction efficacy of adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vector in high-grade human bladder cancer cells is generally extremely low due to the non-expression of coxsackie and adenoviral receptor (CAR). We investigated whether fiber-modified adenovirus vector containing an RGD motif in the HI loop of the adenovirus fiber knob could increase the transduction efficiency of Ad5 into human bladder cancer cells in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS We examined the expressions of CAR, and of α(v), β(3) and β(5) integrin, and the transduction efficacy of fiber-modified adenovirus vector in four human bladder cancer cell lines (TCC-SUP, 253J, T24 and KK47). RESULTS The expression of CAR was lower and those of α(v) and β(3) integrin were higher in four human cancer cell lines compared with the control cell line, KK47. The transduction efficacy of fiber-modified adenovirus vector increased by 20- to 470-fold compared with Ad5. CONCLUSION Fiber-modified adenovirus vector may be useful in order to establish new effective gene therapy strategies for the treatment of high-grade human bladder cancer.