Tumor volume was measured in 2 mice at 2 weeks by sacrificing a few mice for measurements and then at the time
of sacrifice following treatment of mice for 1, 2, 3 and 4 mos. 5c. Mice were injected with tumor cells according to methods in fig. 5b and MAPK inhibitor treated with either (◆) 4 ug/ml, (■) 3 ug/ml and (●) 2 ug/ml biw DNAZYM-1P. Control mice were treated with (▲) lipofectamine and (Ж) scrambled oligonucleotide. Mice were treated for 2 mos, then treatment was discontinued for up to 17 weeks. 5d–5e. H&E and RPS2 antibody immunolabeled sections of a tumor from a mouse treated with the scrambled oligonucleotide for 2 mos (see fig. 5c). Similar studies were then carried out to assess whether DNAZYM-1P delivered systemically, could block the growth of tumors disseminated to a variety of organ systems. In these experiments, mice were injected i.v. via the tail vein at day 1 and day 10 with 1 × 105 cells/ml then Hydroxylase inhibitor treatment Mdivi1 started after
2 weeks by i.v. injection via the tail vein of DNAZYM-1P (▲)(n = 30), scrambled oligonucleotide (◆)(n = 30), vehicle (○)(n = 30), or buffer (Ж)(n = 30). The data in fig. 5b showed that tumors did not survive in mice treated with DNAZYM-1P (▲), whereas numerous tumors were found in the kidney, sternum, peritoneum, liver and lungs of mice treated with scrambled oligonucleotide (◆), vehicle (○) or buffer (Ж). Mouse survival studies were then carried out under the conditions described in fig. 5b, where treatment with the
different agents was discontinued after 2 mos and the mice monitored for ~4 mos. The mouse survival data showed that the mice all died by ~7–15 weeks in mice treated with lipofectamine (▲) or scrambled oligonucleotide (Ж) (fig. 5c). In mice treated with 2, 3 and 4 ug/ml DNAZYM-1P, mouse survival was either (●) 40%, (■) 90% and (◆) 100%, respectively. H&E stained sections and RPS2 antibody labeled sections of the tiny tumors present at the time treatment was initiated, showed that the PC-3ML cells normally formed solid tumor masses and the cells over expressed RPS2. In mice treated with the scrambled oligonucleotide for 2–3 mos, the Protein kinase N1 tumors still consisted of a packed mass of PC-3ML cells (fig. 5d) which expressed RPS2 (fig. 5e). Residual nodules sometimes remained following treatment of the mice with DNAZYM-1P for 2 mos. These nodules consisted of a collagen shell, but were largely empty masses filled with debris that was not immunolabeled with RPS2 antibodies (data not shown). Overall, we found that DNAZYM-1P treatment of the mice appeared to be of low or zero toxicity to the mice since they gained weight on a regular basis, were robust and healthy in appearance and showed zero neuropathy or hair loss. Histology of the liver, kidney, spleen, brain, spine, lungs, and heart indicated normal undamaged tissue.