Figure 3.
Therapeutic effect of intratumorally injected Ad5.pK7-Δ24 in an orthotopic animal model of advanced hormone refractory breast cancer. GFP-expressing M4A4-LM3 cells were injected into the mammary fat pads of NMRI nude mice and primary tumors were allowed to grow for 17 days. Mice received intratumoral injections of 3 × 108 VP of Ad5.pK7-Δ24, Ad5Δ24E3+ or no virus on 3 successive days (days 17, 18 and 19 after injections of tumor cells). Tumor size was followed by assessment of the number of viable tumor cells by noninvasive imaging of fluorescence (a) or by physical measuring of the tumors with a caliper in three dimensions (b). Photon count and tumor size are depicted as a percentage of initial values. Ad5.pK7-Δ24-treated mice had significantly less viable tumor cells when compared to the mock group (P<0.01). (c) A significant correlation was seen between the GFP expression and tumor size (P<0.01).