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An antisense oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) delivery system based on polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) micelles composed of an ODN-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) conjugate and polyethylenimine (PEI) was demonstrated. The PEC micelles having a core/shell structure were spontaneously formed in an aqueous solution by ionic interactions between ODN part in the conjugate and PEI. The ODN/PEI polyelectrolyte complex formed an inner core while PEG chains surrounded it as a shell. The morphology of the micelles was visualized as a separate sphere by atomic force microscopy (AFM). When the micelles containing a c-raf antisense ODN were intravenously administered into tumor-bearing nude mice, significant antitumor activities against human lung cancer were observed. The intravenously injected micelles also showed significantly higher accumulation level in the solid tumor region compared to that of naked ODN.

Raf-1 protein serine/threonine kinase plays an important role in cell proliferation and cell survival. We have previously described a novel cationic liposome-entrapped formulation of raf antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide (LErafAON) and its use as a radiosensitizer. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of combination of LErafAON and a chemotherapeutic agent on growth of human prostate (PC-3) and pancreatic tumor xenografts in athymic mice (Aspc-1 and Colo 357). In PC-3 tumor-bearing mice, administration of a combination of LErafAON (i.v., 25 mg/kg/dose, x10/16) and cisplatin (i.v., 11.0 mg/kg/dose, x3), epirubicin (EPI) (i.v., 9.0 mg/kg/dose, x3) or mitoxantrone (MTO) (i.v., 2.5 mg/kg/dose, x3) led to enhanced tumor growth inhibition as compared with single agents (LErafAON+cisplatin versus cisplatin, p<0.0002, n=8; LErafAON+EPI versus EPI, p<0.0001, n=6; LErafAON+MTO versus MTO, p<0.05, n=5). In prostate or pancreatic tumor-bearing mice, combination of LErafAON (i.v., 25 mg/kg/dose, x10/13) with docetaxel (Taxotere) (i.v., 5, 7.5 or 10 mg/kg/dose, x2/4) led to tumor regression or enhanced growth inhibition as compared with single agents (PC-3: LErafAON+Taxotere versus Taxotere, p<0.02, n=7; Aspc-1: LErafAON+Taxotere versus Taxotere, p<0.03, n=5; Colo 357: LErafAON+Taxotere versus Taxotere, p<0.04, n=7). Combination of LErafAON (i.v., 25 mg/kg/dose, x10/13) with gemcitabine (i.v., 75 mg/kg/dose, x4/6) also caused a significant tumor growth inhibition in the two pancreatic carcinoma models studied (Aspc-1: LErafAON+gemcitabine versus gemcitabine, p<0.0001, n=7; Colo 357: LErafAON+gemcitabine versus gemcitabine, p<0.002, n =5). LErafAON treatment (i.v., 25 mg/kg/dose, x10) caused inhibition of Raf-1 protein expression in these tumor tissues (around 25-60%, n=4-7). Interestingly, Taxotere treatment per se also led to decreased steady state level of Raf-1 protein in PC-3 and Aspc-1 tumor tissues (i.v., 10 mg/kg/dose, x1 or 7.5 mg/kg/dose, x2; around 25-80%, n=2/6). Present studies demonstrate enhanced tumor growth inhibition or regression in response to a combination of a chemotherapeutic drug and LErafAON. These data provide a proof-of-principle for the clinical use of LErafAON in combination with chemotherapy for cancer treatment.