Antitumor effect of sFlt-1 gene therapy system mediated by Bifidobacterium Infantis on Lewis lung cancer in mice

Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase receptor (sFlt-1) is a soluble form of extramembrane part of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) that has antitumor effects. Bifidobacterium Infantis is a kind of non-pathogenic and anaerobic bacteria that may have specific targeting property of hypoxic environment inside of solid tumors. The aim of this study was to construct Bifidobacterium Infantis-mediated sFlt-1 gene transferring system and investigate its antitumor effect on Lewis lung cancer (LLC) in mice. Our results demonstrated that the Bifidobacterium Infantis-mediated sFlt-1 gene transferring system was constructed successfully and the system could express sFlt-1 at the levels of gene and protein. This system could not only significantly inhibit growth of human umbilical vein endothelial cells induced by VEGF in vitro, but also inhibit the tumor growth and prolong survival time of LLC C57BL/6 mice safely. These data suggest that Bifidobacterium Infantis-mediated sFlt-1 gene transferring system presents a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer.