Using lentiviral vectors for efficient pancreatic cancer gene therapy

Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains a life-threatening disease. Efficient therapeutic gene delivery to PC-derived cells continues to present challenges. We used self-inactivated lentiviral vectors to transduce PC-derived cells in vitro and in vivo. We showed that lentiviral vectors transduce PC-derived cell lines with high efficiency (>90%), regardless of the differentiation state of the cell. Next, we transferred human interferon beta (hIFN-beta) gene. Expression of hIFN-beta in PC cells using lentiviral vectors resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation and the induction of cell death by apoptosis. In vivo, lentiviral administration of hIFN-beta prevented PC tumor progression for up to 15 days following gene therapy, and induced tumor regression/stabilization in 50% of the mice treated. Again, hIFN-beta expression resulted in cancer cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis induction. We provide evidence that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-based lentiviral vectors are very efficient for gene transfer in PC-derived cells in vitro and in vivo. As a consequence, delivery of hIFN-beta stopped PC tumor progression. Thus, our approach could be applied to the 85% of PC patients with a locally advanced disease.