CPT-11 is a clinically important
prodrug that requires conversion into the active metabolite
SN-38, a potent
topoisomerase I poison, for antitumor activity. However,
SN-38 is rapidly metabolized to the inactive
SN-38 glucuronide (SN-38G) in the liver, which reduces the amount of
SN-38 available for killing
cancer cells. Here, we investigated if local expression of β-
glucuronidase (βG) on
cancer cells to catalytically convert SN38G to SN38 could enhance the antitumor activity of
CPT-11. βG was tethered on the plasma membrane of three different human
cancer cell lines: human colon
carcinoma (LS174T),
lung adenocarcinoma (CL1-5) and bladder
carcinoma (EJ). Surface β-
glucuronidase-expressing cells were 20 to 80-fold more sensitive to
SN-38G than the parental cells. Intravenous
CPT-11 produced significantly greater suppression of CL1-5 and LS174 T
tumors that expressed βG as compared with unmodified
tumors. Furthermore, an adenoviral vector expressing membrane-tethered βG (Ad.βG) increased the sensitivity of
cancer cells to
SN-38G even at multiplicity of
infections as low as 0.16, indicating bystander killing of non-transduced
cancer cells. Importantly, intratumoral injection of Ad.βG significantly enhanced the in vivo antitumor activity of
CPT-11 as compared with treatment with
CPT-11 or Ad vectors alone. This study shows that Ad.βG has potential to boost the therapeutic index of
CPT-11.