A Potential Route For Human Tumor Gene Therapy

Main Category: Cancer / Oncology
Also Included In: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology;  Genetics
Article Date: 22 May 2008 - 0:00 PST

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The type 1 Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE1) is a transmembrane protein found in all eukaryotic cells. One of its functions is to evacuate excessive H+ in the cytoplasm by means of Na+-H+ exchange, resulting in stable intracellular pH value. Inhibition of the upregulation of NHE-1 gene expression in human gastric carcinoma cells can induce intracellular acidification, resulting in apoptosis of tumor cells, which is helpful for the treatment of tumors.

This study, performed by a team led by Professor Hai-Feng Liu, is described in a research article published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

Previous studies have proven that the significantly higher expression level of NHE1 protein in gastric carcinoma tissues than in normal gastric tissues is closely associated with the genesis and progression of tumors, suggesting that NHE1 can be used as the target in treatment of tumors. However, further studies are needed to know whether the intervention of the antisense NHE1 gene can decrease type 1 Na+/H+ exchange of membranous ion exchange protein in gastric carcinoma cells, and the effects on the biological behaviors of gastric carcinoma cells.

The purpose of transfection of the antisense NHE1 gene into the human gastric carcinoma cell line SGC-7901 is to investigate the effects of antisense therapy targeting the NHE1 gene on the malignant phenotypes of gastric carcinoma cells. The results indicate NHE1 genes are among the important genes in maintaining the phenotypes of the SGC-7901 cell line. NHE1 might be closely associated with the malignant biological behaviors of tumor cells, so the phenotypes of the tumor will be restrained when NHE1 is inhibited.

This is an interesting article examining the effect of inhibiting NHE1 on tumor survival. It would be useful to make clearer in the abstract what NHE1 is. Further research should be done on gene therapy for gastric carcinomas.

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Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release.
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Reference: Liu HF, Teng XC, Zheng JC, Chen G, Wang XW. Effects of NHE1 antisense gene transfection on the biological behaviors of SGC-7901 human gastric carcinoma cells. World J Gastroenterol 2008; 14(14): 2162-2167 http://www.wjgnet.com/1007-9327/14/2162.asp

Correspondence to: Professor Hai-Feng Liu, Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Beijing 100039, China.

About World Journal of Gastroenterology

World Journal of Gastroenterology (WJG), a leading international journal in gastroenterology and hepatology, has established a reputation for publishing first class research on esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, viral hepatitis, colorectal cancer, and H pylori infection for providing a forum for both clinicians and scientists. WJG has been indexed and abstracted in Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, Science Citation Index Expanded (also known as SciSearch) and Journal Citation Reports/Science Edition, Index Medicus, MEDLINE and PubMed, Chemical Abstracts, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Abstracts Journals, Nature Clinical Practice Gastroenterology and Hepatology, CAB Abstracts and Global Health. ISI JCR 2003-2000 IF: 3.318, 2.532, 1.445 and 0.993. WJG is a weekly journal published by WJG Press. The publication dates are the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day of every month. The WJG is supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30224801 and No. 30424812, and was founded with the name of China National Journal of New Gastroenterology on October 1, 1995, and renamed WJG on January 25, 1998.

About The WJG Press

The WJG Press mainly publishes World Journal of Gastroenterology.

Source: Jing Zhu
World Journal of Gastroenterology