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c-myc Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides Enhance the Efficacy of Cisplatin in Melanoma Chemotherapy in Vitro and in Nude Mice¹

Laboratory of Experimental Chemotherapy, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Centro Ricerca Sperimentale, 00158 Rome, Italy [G. C., I. D., C. L., R. P., B. B., G. Z.]; Biomedical Technology Institute, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 00161 Rome, Italy [I. D.]; Lynx Therapeutics, Hayward, California 94545 [G. Z.]; and Kimmel Cancer Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107-6799 [B. C.]

This study was designed to assess the efficacy of a new antimelanoma therapeutic strategy that relies on the use of a c-myc antisense 15-mer phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotide ([S]ODN), in combination with cisplatin (cis-diamminedichloroplatinum; DDP), which is currently used in the clinical management of melanoma patients. Proliferation and colony formation of melanoma cells were both inhibited by the DDP/c-myc antisense [S]ODN combination to a greater extent than that observed with either agent alone. Inhibition was most effective when DDP was followed by c-myc antisense [S]ODNs. Cell cycle flow cytometric analysis of cells exposed to the two agents either alone or in combination demonstrated that (a) c-myc antisense [S]ODNs induced an accumulation of cells in S phase and apoptosis in a fraction of the cells, detectable at day 5 after the beginning of treatment; (b) DDP induced a block in G₂-M phase detectable at day 1, which was partially recovered, and apoptosis similar in extent to that induced by c-myc antisense [S]ODNs; and (c) DDP and c-myc antisense [S]ODNs together induced arrest in G₂-M phase, which was maximum at day 3, i.e., delayed as compared to the block induced by DDP. The combination induced a higher percentage of apoptosis, evident at day 3 from the start of treatment, that correlated with a marked reduction in Bcl-2 expression. Mice bearing human melanoma xenografts and treated sequentially with DDP and c-myc antisense [S]ODNs showed a higher inhibition of tumor growth, reduction in the number of lung metastases, and increase in life span compared with those treated with either agent alone. Together, these data lend support to the development of anticancer therapies involving oncogene-targeted antisense ODNs and conventional antineoplastic drugs.

¹ This work was partially supported by grants from Associazione Italiana per la Ricerca sul Cancro (to G. C.), Ministero della Sanità (to G. Z.), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (to G. Z.), and Italy-Usa Project on Therapy of Tumors (to G. Z.).

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed, at Laboratory of Experimental Chemotherapy, Experimental Research Center, Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Via delle Messi d'Oro n. 156, 00158 Rome, Italy. Phone: 39-6-49852537; Fax: 39-6-49852537; E-mail: zupi@crs.ifo.it.

Received 7/ 2/97. Accepted 11/10/97.

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