Effects of recombinant adenovirus vector expressing human lactoferrin on proliferation and apoptosis of cervical cancer stem-like cells / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Gene engineering plays an important role in the process of human malignant tumor treatment, and adenovirus vectors for gene therapy are commonly used. In recent years, lactoferrin is found to exert important effects on the occurrence, development and metastasis of a variety of tumors. However, little is reported on the in vivo expression of adenovirus vector mediated lactoferrin in the human body.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of adenovirus mediated human lactoferrin (Ad-hLF) on proliferation and apoptosis of cervical cancer stem-like cells.METHODS:Primary cervical cancer cells from mice were cultured in vitro to sort cervical cancer stem-like cells using SP method. Afterwards, the stem-like cells were divided into three groups, blank control group, empty vector group, and Ad-hLF group, followed by transfection with nothing, Ad-GFP and Ad-hLF, respectively. After transfection, MTT assay was used to detect the proliferation of cervical cancer stem-like cells; scratch-wound assay was employed to detect the migration of cervical cancer stem-like cells; western blot assay was used to determine the expression of lactoferrin in cervical cancer stem-like cells; and Annexin V-FITC/PI was used to detect cell apoptosis.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the blank control and empty vector groups, Ad-hLF significantly inhibited the proliferation of cervical cancer stem-like cells and reduced the number of scratched cells, while the cell apoptosis increased in the Ad-hLF group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). These findings indicate that the recombinant adenovirus vector mediated lactoferrin Ad-hLF for transfection of cervical cancer stem-like cells can be stably expressed in cervical cancer stem-like cells, and can inhibit the proliferation, increase apoptosis and reduce migration of cervical cancer stem-like cells.