AN ANTISENSE EGFR OLIGODEOXYNUCLEOTIDE ENVELOPED IN LIPOFECTIN(R) INDUCES GROWTH-INHIBITION IN HUMAN-MALIGNANT GLIOMAS IN-VITRO

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in the progression of malignancy in gliomas. We studied the growth inhibitio n of the malignant glioma cell lines using an antisense EGFR oligodeox ynucleotide enveloped with Lipofectin(R). At a concentration of 5 mu M of the antisense EGFR oligodeoxynucleotide enveloped with LipofectinR , the proliferation of three malignant glioma cell lines was significa ntly inhibited. (p < 0.05) compared with that of the cells exposed to 5 mu M sense EGFR oligodeoxynucleotide. The activity of the tyrosine k inase and the DNA synthesis was also significantly suppressed (p < 0.0 5). These findings show that the antisense EGFR oligodeoxynucleotide e nveloped with LipofectinR has a possibility to become a useful gene th erapy against malignant gliomas.