Hydrodynamics-based gene delivery of naked DNA encoding fetal liver kinase-1 gene effectively suppresses the growth of pre-existing tumors

Antiangiogenic gene therapy is a promising strategy for cancer treatment, which generally requires highly efficient delivery systems. To date, success of this strategy has depended almost exclusively on the delivery of high titers of viral vectors, which can result in effective transgene expression. However, their cytotoxicity and immunogenicity are a major concern for clinical applications. Recent advances in delivery efficiency of naked DNA could potentially meet the requirement for both high transgene expression and minimal side effects. To investigate whether naked DNA can be used for antiangiogenic cancer therapy, an expression plasmid was generated that encodes a soluble form of fetal liver kinase-1 (Flk-1) gene, a receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Hydrodynamic injection of this plasmid resulted in close to 0.1 mg/ml of soluble Flk-1 protein in mouse serum and blocked VEGF-driven angiogenesis in matrigel in vivo. The same delivery significantly suppressed the growth of two different pre-existing subcutaneous tumors, Renca renal cell carcinoma and 3LL lung carcinoma. CD31 immunohistochemistry revealed that the tumor-associated angiogenesis was also highly attenuated in soluble Flk-1-treated mice. Thus, expression of genes by hydrodynamics-based gene delivery of naked DNA appears to be a promising approach for antiangiogenic cancer gene therapy.