OBJECTIVETo study transfection efficiency of Ad5F11p-GFP and its influence on biological characteristics of CIK and NK-92 cells in order to predict the application of Ad5F11p vector in immunotherapy.

METHODSTwo kinds of immune cells, cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells and natural-killer (NK) cell line NK-92 cells, were transfected by Ad5F11p-GFP at different multiplicity of transfection (MOI), and untransfected immune cells were used as negative control. GFP expression was determined by flow cytometry, the cell morphology was observed with microscope, the cell proliferation was analyzed by trypan blue staining, specific cytotoxicity of NK-92 cells was determined by LDH assay.

RESULTSAbout 90% of transfection efficiency for NK-92 cells could be achieved at a MOI of 25, while the transfection efficiency for CIK was less than 40% at a MOI of 200. In addition, the transfection efficiency basically unchanged at the same MOI for 48 h and 96 h, and the immune cells transfected with the virus trended to form agglomeration, displaying slower proliferation, increase of IFN-γ release and enhancement of tumor killing activity.

CONCLUSIONAd5F11p- modified NK-92 shows a good prospect for adoptive immunotherapy.