Nanoscale bubble ultrasound contrast agents-mediated suicide gene therapy system, Nanoscale bubble-LV5-YCD-TK/GCV/5-FC, effectively inhibits bladder cancer cell growth

Bladder cancer is the 2nd most common reason for human genitourinary cancer-associated mortality. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Nanoscale bubble ultrasound contrast agents-mediated yeast-cytosine-deaminase-thymidine kinase/ganciclovir (YCD-TK/GCV) or YCD-TK/5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) suicide gene therapy system on BIU-87 cell growth.Targeted nanoscale bubble ultrasound contrast agents were prepared by utilizing thin-film hydration-sonication approach. Nanoscale bubble-LV5-YCD-TK/GCV(5-FC) was constructed and transfected to BIU-87 cells. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate inflammation. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to examine cell viability. Cell-cycle distribution was analyzed with cell cycle assay. Flow cytometry assay was utilized to test apoptosis of BIU-87 cells. YCD-TK expression was examined using Western blot and quantitative Real Time-PCR (qRT-PCR), respectively.YCD-TK highly expressed in Nanoscale bubble mediated suicide gene therapy system. Nanoscale bubble-mediated suicide gene therapy system significantly induced inflammatory response and apoptosis compared to that of Nanoscale bubble group (p0.05). Nanoscale bubble mediated suicide gene therapy system significantly reduced cell viability compared to that of the Nanoscale bubble group (p0.05). Nanoscale bubble mediated suicide gene therapy system significantly inhibited cell cycle arrest compared to that of the Nanoscale bubble group (p0.05). Nanoscale bubble-LV5-YCD-TK/GCV/5-FC therapy system significantly reduced BIU-87 cell viability compared to that of the Nanoscale bubble-associated groups (p0.05).Nanoscale bubble-mediated suicide gene therapy system, bubble-LV5-YCD-TK/GCV/5-FC, acts as a novel therapeutic strategy for bladder cancer treatment.