2.

Survivin-VISA vector selectively expressed luciferase in the lung tumor tissue of SCID mice carrying orthotopic lung cancer xenograft, while CMV promoter strongly expressed luciferase in both of lung and lung tumor tissue of tumor-bearing mice. Fifty µg plasmid plus HLDC liposome were administrated into mice by tail vein injection, and the luciferase activity was detected with the noninvasive imaging system (IVIS imaging system, xenogen) after 48 hours. (A) The promoter specificity of CMV and Survivin-VISA (SV) was detected by driving luciferase expression in tumor-free and tumor-bearing mice (upper panel). The organs from mice were then dissected for ex vivo imaging (lower panel). The quantified signal from lungs and livers is also shown under the lower panel. (B) The lung organs from tumor-bearing mice were fixed and processed for immunohistochemical analysis of firefly luciferase expression by using anti-Luc antibody. The luciferase protein was stained in red and nucleus in blue.