HepG2 Attenuation Induced by RNase A Modulates Gene Profiling and Immunophenotypic Characterization of Some Immune Cells Operating in Cancer Vaccine

• Fatma F. Abdel Hamid

  Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

• Mahmoud K. Singer

  Clinical Pathology Department, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University, Giza, Egyp

• Mahmoud N. El-Rouby

  Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

• Mahmoud M. Said

  Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt

• Reda H. Tabashy

  Radio-Diagnosis Department, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

• Motawa E. El-Houseini

  Cancer Biology Department, National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks as the third leading cause of cancer death. Attempts to induce an effective immune response against cancer by immunotherapeutic intervention, including activation of dendritic cells (DCs), were established. The present study was undertaken to investigate the attenuation of HepG2 cells using ribonuclease enzyme A (RNase A) as a possible biological factor to sensitize allogenic DCs and lymphocytes isolated from Egyptian HCC patients. Attenuation of HepG2 cells resulted in a significant increase in activated DC and T-lymphocyte markers, upregulation of CD44 gene expression and increased lactate dehydrogenase as well as interleukin-12 levels. In contrast, a significant decrease in mature DCs, B-cells, T-helper, cytotoxic T-cells, and NK-cells, as well as LMP-2 gene expression was recorded. In conclusion, the attenuation of HepG2 cells with RNase A and subsequent pulsation to allogenic DCs and lymphocytes caused a differential immune response. Further studies are recommended to explain the role of RNase A in modulating antigen expression on the tumor cell surface.

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