“
“Background The most frequent form of brain tumor in adults is glioma [1]. Types of gliomas include astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas,

oligoastrocytomas, and ependymomas [2]. Astrocytoma is the most common, and on the World Health Organization’s international classification of human tumors scale, astrocytomas may carry a histological grade anywhere from I (low proliferative potential and the possibility of cure) to IV (cytologically malignant, mitotically active, and typically fatal). By contrast, oligodendrogliomas and oligoastrocytomas PR-171 datasheet are usually classified either grade II or III [3]. The grade IV astrocytic tumor, or glioblastoma, is highly invasive and clinically challenging. Despite application of multimodal therapies, median survival is only 12-15 months [4]. There is a tremendous need to develop novel approaches SB431542 to treat glioblastoma, and virus-mediated gene therapy is a viable possibility. A novel gene therapy that could achieve an antiangiogenic and anti-invasive effect would reduce the tumor’s vascular permeability and prolong progression-free survival, and is therefore critically

important. Melanoma antigen selleck chemicals gene-A3 (MAGE-A3) is a cancer-testis antigen. Its expression in normal tissues is limited to the testes but it is found at high levels in various tumors [5–7]. Indeed, immunotherapeutic trials targeting MAGE peptides have achieved encouraging results in patients with metastatic melanoma [8–10]. However, there is currently limited evidence implicating MAGE-A3 activity in cancer progression. Other MAGE-A gene members, such as MAGE-A4, have been reported to promote apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer [11], and MAGE-D1 may be a novel endogenous inhibitor of angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo [12]. The putative functions dipyridamole of MAGE family members highlight the importance

of their detailed characterization with regard to cancer progression. Calreticulin (CALR) is an abundant 46-kDa Ca2+- binding protein which was first located in the endoplasmic reticulum [13, 14], but is also found at the cell surface and nucleolus [15, 16]; it performs a variety of functions within the cell [17–19]. Although the role of CALR in normal cellular functions and embryogenesis is well-established, the parts it plays in human carcinogenesis are poorly understood [20]. It has been reported to act as an endothelial cell inhibitor of tumor growth and its chaperone effect in cancer vaccines was also shown [21, 22]. Recently, the repressive effect of CALR on tumor invasion, including that of the prostate [23], has become a popular field of research. Adenovirus-based transfer of a gene into cells causes a transient spike in the levels of the protein the gene encodes. The technique reduces the possibility of experimental error to some extent.