Recombinant Adenovirus Carrying Human Sodium Iodide Symporter Gene Therapy Of Prostate Cancer

Radioiodine therapy, the most effective form of systemic radiotherapy available, is currently useful only for thyroid cancer because of thyroid-specific expression of the human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS). Here we explore the efficacy of a novel form of gene therapy using adenovirus-mediated hNIS gene transfer followed by radioiodine administration for treatment of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer cells in vitro infected with an adenovirus carrying the hNIS gene linked to the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) promoter showed highly active uptake of radioiodine. Prostate cancer xenografts in nude mice injected with the recombinant adenovirus also revealed highly active uptake of radioiodine. Following administration of radioiodine, an average tumor volume was reduced. These results show that hNIS gene delivery into non-thyroidal tumors is capable of inducing accumulation of therapeutically effective radioiodine doses and might therefore represent an effective and potentially curative therapy for prostate cancer.