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Abstract: The article “Cationic liposome-mediated transfection of CD40 ligand gene inhibits hepatic tumor growth of hepatocellular carcinoma in mice” [doi:10. 1631/jzus.B0820178] by Jiang et al.(2009) in a recent issue of the Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE B was highly thought provoking. The authors have clearly demonstrated the efficacy of CD40 ligand gene therapy in inhibiting the growth of hepatocellular carcinomas. The findings of Jiang et al.(2009) are highly important as they further support and corroborate the rapidly expanding role of CD40 ligand gene therapy in the management of systemic malignancies besides hepatocellular carcinomas. For instance, CD40 ligand gene transfer into cutaneous dendritic cells attenuates tumor growth in dermatological malignancies such as squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (Tomihara et al., 2008). Similar attenuation of tumor growth in gastrointestinal tumors, such as pancreatic carcinomas, has been achieved following CD40 ligand gene therapy (Serba et al., 2008; Kuhlmann et al., 2008). CD40 ligand gene transfection by using adenoviruses has also been successfully used for regressing tumor growth in pulmonary carcinomas (Wu et al., 2007). CD40 ligand gene transfection has also been used in controlling tumor growth in other systemic malignancies. For instance, urological cancer cell lines, such as the TRAMP-C2 (prostate carcinoma) cell line, show attenuated tumor growth and size following CD40 ligand gene therapy (Dzojic et al., 2006). The above examples have clearly highlighted the importance of the findings of Jiang et al.(2009). Clearly, CD40 ligand gene therapy has a major role to play in the control and management of systemic malignancies and may prove to be a major tool in medicine.

[1] Dzojic, H., Loskog, A., Totterman, T.H., Essand, M., 2006. Adenovirus-mediated CD40 ligand therapy induces tumor cell apoptosis and systemic immunity in the TRAMP-C2 mouse prostate cancer model. Prostate, 66(8):831-838.

[2] Jiang, Y.F., Ma, J., He, Y., Zhang, Y.H., Xu, Y., Gong, G.Z., 2009. Cationic liposome-mediated transfection of CD40 ligand gene inhibits hepatic tumor growth of hepatocellular carcinoma in mice. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. B, 10(1): 7-13.

[3] Kuhlmann, K.F., Gouma, D.J., Wesseling, J.G., 2008. Adenoviral gene therapy for pancreatic cancer: where do we stand? Dig. Surg., 25(4):278-292.

[4] Serba, S., Schmidt, J., Wentzensen, N., Ryschich, E., Marten, A., 2008. Transfection with CD40L induces tumour suppression by dendritic cell activation in an orthotopic mouse model of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Gut, 57(3): 344-351.

[5] Tomihara, K., Kato, K., Masuta, Y., Nakamura, K., Uchida, H., Sasaki, K., Tanaka, T., Huang, J., Hiratsuka, H., Hamada, H., 2008. Gene transfer of CD40-ligand to dendritic cells stimulates interferon-gamma production to induce growth arrest and apoptosis of tumor cells. Gene Ther., 15(3):203-213.

[6] Wu, J.Q., Zhao, W.H., Li, Y., Zhu, B., Yin, K.S., 2007. Adeno-associated virus mediated gene transfer into lung cancer cells promoting CD40 ligand-based immunotherapy. Virology, 368(2):309-316.