Differential killing of mismatch repair-deficient and -proficient cells: towards the therapy of tumors with microsatellite instability.

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) defects bring about a strong mutator phenotype and microsatellite instability (MSI). In an attempt to exploit MSI in cancer therapy, we constructed expression vectors carrying a thymidine kinase/blasticidin deaminase fusion gene downstream from a (C)(12) or an (A)(26) microsatellite and stably transfected these constructs into human cells in which the MMR status could be regulated by doxycycline. We now show that ganciclovir-resistant clones arising through frameshifts in the (C)(12) microsatellite were 20 times more frequent in cells in which MMR was inactivated. This difference may be exploited in gene therapy of tumors with MSI, which represent a substantial proportion of cancers of many different tissues.