Effect of sonoporation on cationic liposome-mediated IFNbeta gene therapy for metastatic hepatic tumors of murine colon cancer.

To examine the efficacy of ultrasound-mediated gene therapy in the treatment of hepatic cancer, we performed cationic liposome-mediated interferon-beta (IFNbeta) gene therapy combined with sonoporation, using metastatic hepatic tumors of murine colon cancer. The combination of liposome/DNA treatment and ultrasound gave higher transgene IFNbeta expression in Colon26 colon adenocarcinoma cells than that with microbubble/DNA in combination with ultrasound and that with liposome/DNA alone. Cationic liposome-mediated IFNbeta gene therapy combined with ultrasound showed an antitumor effect in vitro and combination use of the anticancer drug cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (CDDP) showed a synergistic effect with the IFNbeta gene therapy. The survival of mice with metastatic hepatic tumor of Colon26 cells was significantly prolonged by cationic liposome-mediated IFNbeta gene therapy alone, and sonoporation had a synergistic effect on prolongation of survival and inhibition of tumor growth rate in these mice. Combination use of CDDP with IFNbeta gene therapy also showed a synergistic effect on prolongation of survival and inhibition of tumor growth rate. In conclusion, ultrasound-mediated gene therapy for the treatment of hepatic cancers may be effective in a clinical setting.