1.Cytotoxic effect of in vitro expanded NK cell-carrying oncolytic reovirus on colorectal cancer cells
CHEN Xiaoqing ; WANG Nianxue ; LONG Shiqi ; LIAO Chunxiang ; LIU Jinhe ; YANG Wei ; ZHAO Xing
Chinese Journal of Cancer Biotherapy 2019;26(5):492-499
Objective: To evaluate whether human NK cells expanded in vitro can be used as carrier cells of reovirus and to investigate its clinical application value. Methods: Expansion of human NK cells in vitro, and flow cytometry was used to analyse the purity of CD3-CD56+ cells. Expanded NK cells were loaded with reovirus and observed by confocal microscopy, to determining the location of reovirus on NK cells. CCK-8 assay was used to detect reovirus-induced oncolysis of expanded NK cells carrying reovirus (Reo-NK) to tumor cells in the presence of neutralizing antibodies; Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to assess the relative expression of viral RNA in tumor cells. Cytotoxicity assay were performed to detect Reo-NK cells against KRAS mutant (DLD-1) and KRAS wild type (CaCo-2, HT29) colorectal cancer cell lines, ELISA matched paired antibodies assay was performed to measure the perforin level released by NK cells. Results: Confocal microscopy demonstrated that NK cells retained reovirus on the surface. Expanded NK cells could delivery reovirus to tumor cells in the presence of neutralizing antibodies, and the reovirus after delivery still had significant oncolytic activity (P<0.01); Corresponding qPCR result displayed that the expression of viral RNA in tumor cells significantly increased over time (P<0.01). Compared with NK group, Reo-NK group evidently enhanced the cytotoxicity on colorectal cancer cell lines with both KRAS gene mutant and wild (all P<0.05), and significantly increased the release of perforin (all P<0.05). Conclusion: In vitro expanded NK cells provide a convincing cell carrier for reovirus, while reovirus enhances the cytotoxicity of NK cells, and the combination of the two show a stronger killing effect on colorectal cancer cells,that has important clinical application value.