Tis10-iCasp3

Tis10-iCasp3 is an experimental gene therapy construct designed for the targeted treatment of bladder cancer, specifically transitional cell carcinoma. The therapy employs a suicide gene approach, where an inducible caspase-3 (iCasp3) gene is placed under the control of the Tis10 promoter, a sequence derived from the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene which is selectively overexpressed in malignant bladder tissue. Delivered intravesically as a plasmid complexed with poly(ethylenimine) (PEI), the construct ensures that the inactive pro-caspase-3 protein is produced primarily within cancer cells. Therapeutic activity is initiated by the administration of AP20187, a small-molecule chemical inducer of dimerization (CID), which facilitates the dimerization and activation of iCasp3, triggering the apoptotic cascade and cell death. In preclinical models, this system has demonstrated significant anti-tumor activity, including reduced tumor volume and inhibition of angiogenesis, offering a potential localized treatment that spares healthy bladder tissue.

Other names

Tis10-iCasp3 plasmidTis-10-iCasp3 plasmidTis 10-iCasp3 plasmidCox2-iCasp3Cox-2-iCasp3Cox 2-iCasp3Tis10-iCasp3/PEI