Efficient telomerase inhibition in human non-small cell lung cancer cells by liposomal delivery of 2'-O-methyl-RNA.

The antisense oligonucleotide 2'-O-methyl-RNA is a selective telomerase inhibitor targeting the telomerase RNA component and represents a potential candidate for anticancer therapy. The poor cellular uptake of 2'-O-methyl-RNA is a limiting factor that may contribute to the lack of functional efficacy. To improve delivery of 2'-O-methyl-RNA and consequently antitumoral efficiency in human lung cancer cells, we have investigated several transfection reagents. The transfection reagents DOTAP, MegaFectin 60, SuperFect, FuGENE 6 and MATra-A were tested for intracellular delivery. A FAM-labeled 2'-O-methyl-RNA was used to assess the intracellular distribution by confocal laser scanning microscopy in A549 human non-small cell lung cancer cells. Telomerase activity was measured using the telomeric repeat amplification protocol. Cell viability after transfection was quantified by the MTT assay. All transfection reagents enhanced 2'-O-methyl-RNA uptake in A549 cells but the cationic lipid reagents DOTAP and MegaFectin 60 were most efficient in the delivery of 2'-O-methyl-RNA resulting in telomerase inhibition. Among both DOTAP exhibited the lowest cytotoxicity. Our experiments show that DOTAP is the most suitable transfection reagent for the delivery of 2'-O-methyl-RNA in human lung cancer cells according to its relatively low cytotoxicity and its ability to promote efficient uptake leading to the inhibition of telomerase.

Screening of telomerase inhibitors.

Shortening of telomeres prevents cells from uncontrolled proliferation. Progressive telomere shortening occurs at each cell division until a critical telomeric length is reached. Telomerase expression is switched off after embryonic differentiation in most normal cells, but it is expressed in a very high percentage of tumors of different origin. Thus, telomerase is regarded as the best tumor marker and a promising novel molecular target for cancer treatment. Therefore, different strategies to inhibit telomerase have been developed. However, systematic screening of telomerase inhibitors has not been performed to compare their therapeutic potential. We propose a suitable strategy for estimation of the therapeutic potential of telomerase inhibitors, which is based on a systematic screening of different inhibitors in the same cell system. From the long list of compounds discussed in the literature, we have selected four telomerase inhibitors of different structure and mode of action: BRACO19 (G-quadruplex-interactive compound), BIBR1532 (non-nucleosidic reverse transcriptase inhibitor), 2'-O-methyl RNA, and peptide nucleic acids (PNAs; hTR antisense oligonucleotides). To determine minimal effective concentrations for telomerase inhibition, telomerase activity was measured using the cell-free telomerase repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay. We also tested inhibitors in long-term cell-culture experiments by exposing A-549 cells to non-cytotoxic concentrations of inhibitors for a period of 99 days. Subsequently, telomerase activity of A-549 cells was investigated using the TRAP assay, and telomere length of samples was assessed by telomere restriction fragment (TRF) Southern blot analysis.

Optimization of the TRAP assay to evaluate specificity of telomerase inhibitors.

Telomerase inhibition represents a promising approach to anticancer treatment. In order to clarify the therapeutic potential of telomerase inhibitors we examined different substances (small molecule compounds BIBR1532 and BRACO19, as well as hTR antisense oligonucleotides 2'-O-methyl RNA and PNA) in A-549, MCF-7, and Calu-3 cell lines in a cell-free TRAP assay. We demonstrated that each of the tested agents inhibited telomerase in all used cell lines and that the antisense oligonucleotides represent the most potent inhibitors. Interestingly, upon evaluating the specificity of telomerase inhibitors we found out that not all agents acted specifically against telomerase. We observed that BRACO19 and PNA had an inhibitory effect also on PCR amplification of the TSR8 oligonucleotide which is provided in the TRAP(EZE) kit as a PCR control. By modifying the experimental protocol and using a different reverse primer we were able to enhance PNA selectivity, although the PCR inhibition of the TSR8 control template by BRACO19 could not be prevented. We propose an explanation for the lack of target specificity and suggest caution when testing putative telomerase inhibitors, as it appears that some of those substances may not affect specifically telomerase or telomeric G-rich sequences and thus can lead to the misinterpretation of experimental results.

Mapping of a novel MEN-like syndrome locus to rat chromosome 4.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia-like syndrome (MENX) is a hereditary cancer syndrome in the rat characterized by inborn cataract and multiple tumors affecting the neuroendocrine system developed within the first year of life. The spectrum of affected organs is intermediate between MEN type 1 (MEN1) and MEN type 2 (MEN2) syndromes in human, but, in contrast to them, MENX is inherited in a recessive fashion. Here we report the mapping of the MENX locus to rat Chromosome (Chr) 4 by a genome-wide linkage analysis. This analysis was done in 41 animals obtained from a (Wistar/Nhg x SDwe) x SDwe interstrain backcross, where SDwe (Sprague-Dawley white eye) indicates the affected animals. The MENX disease locus was ultimately mapped to a approximately 22-cM interval on Chr 4 that includes the rat homolog of the human RET proto-oncogene. As activating point mutations of RET are known to be responsible for MEN2 in human, we analyzed several markers located in the proximity of Ret for linkage to the disease phenotype. Our data exclude Ret involvement in MENX and establish that a second gene, playing a role in endocrine tumor formation, lies within the distal part of rat Chr 4. Although heritable human endocrine tumors are quite rare, sporadic tumors of MEN-affected tissues occur at a much higher frequency, and their pathogenesis is poorly understood. The identification of the MENX gene should contribute to our understanding of the genetic mechanisms of neuroendocrine tissue tumorigenesis and may assist in developing new and more appropriate therapeutic strategies for these diseases.

Recessive transmission of a multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome in the rat.

We describe a novel hereditary cancer syndrome in the rat that is transmitted by a recessive gene mutation. Animals exhibiting the mutant phenotype develop multiple neuroendocrine malignancies within the first year of life. The endocrine neoplasia is characterized by bilateral adrenal pheochromocytoma, multiple extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma, bilateral medullary thyroid cell neoplasia, bilateral parathyroid hyperplasia, and pituitary adenoma. The appearance of neoplastic disease is preceded by the development of bilateral juvenile cataracts. Although the spectrum of affected tissues is reminiscent of human forms of multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN), no germ-line mutations were detected in the Ret or Menin genes that are responsible for the dominantly inherited MEN syndromes in humans. Segregation studies in F1 and F2 crosses yielded frequencies of affected animals entirely consistent with a recessive autosomal mode of inheritance. The lack of the phenotype in F1 animals effectively excludes a germ-line tumor suppressor gene mutation as the causal event. The absence of mutation of known MEN genes and the unique constellation of affected tissues, plus the recessive mode of inheritance, lead us to conclude that the mutation of an as yet unknown gene is responsible for this syndrome of inherited neuroendocrine cancer.