Enhancement of nanoparticle-mediated double suicide gene expression driven by 'E9-hTERT promoter' switch in dedifferentiated thyroid cancer cells

Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), such as papillary thyroid cancer, has a good prognosis after routine treatment. However, in the course of treatment, 5% to 20% of cases may dedifferentiate and can be transformed into dedifferentiated DTC (deDTC) or anaplastic thyroid cancer, leading to treatment failure. To date, several drugs have been used effectively for dedifferentiated thyroid cancer, whereas gene therapy may be a potential method. Literature reported that double suicide genes driven by human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter (hTERTp) can specifically express in cancer cells and kill them. However, the weak activity of hTERTp limits its further research. To overcome this weakness, we constructed a novel chitosan nanocarrier containing double suicide genes driven by a 'gene switch' (a cascade of radiation enhancer E9 and a hTERTp). The vector was labeled with iodine-131 (I-131). On one hand, E9 can significantly enhance the activity of hTERTp under the weak radiation of I-131, thereby increasing the expression of double suicide genes in deDTC cells. On the other hand, I-131 also plays a certain killing role when it enters host cells. The proposed nanocarrier has good specificity for deDTC cells and thus deserves further study.