Mosaic Recombinant Adeno-associated Virus Vector rAAV/DJ/CAG for Targeted Gene Delivery to Melanoma Cells Metastasized to the Lung

Abstract

Patients with metastasized melanoma have limited treatment options and poor diagnosis. Therefore, the development of treatments requires a new therapeutic approach, of which gene therapy using rAAV vectors can be proposed. The aim of the study was to examine the efficiency of the rAAV vector to transduce mouse melanoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Different rAAV serotypes encoding GFP under the control of both chicken beta-actin and cytomegalovirus promoters were used in the experiments. Intranasal, intraperitoneal, intravenous and intratumoral pathways of administration of rAAV vectors were tested using quantitative-PCR and immunohistochemical staining. The highest transduction efficiency in metastatic cells in vivo was observed 7 days after intranasal administration of a 1010 gc/0.03 ml dose of rAAV/DJ-CAG. Melanoma gene therapy based on rAAV vectors is a possible treatment option.