Testing of prostate cancer biopsy specimens from metastatic sites for p53 protein accumulation and gene mutation may provide useful prognostic information and could influence the recommended course of treatment.

A new human diploid fibroblast-like cell line has been established from lung tissue of a female fetus. This has been frozen away in large quantity and characterized for use in research and related purposes. This is the first of a planned series of human cell lines to be established, characterized, and banked in large quantity in support of the National Institute on Aging research and general cell biology.

The primary safety concern for DNA vaccines is their potential to integrate into the host cell genome. We describe an integration assay based on purification of high-molecular-weight genomic DNA away from free plasmid using gel electrophoresis, such that the genomic DNA can then be assayed for integrated plasmid using a sensitive PCR method. The assay sensitivity was approximately 1 plasmid copy/µg DNA (representing ∼150,000 diploid cells). Using this assay, we carried out integration studies of three different plasmid DNA vaccines, containing either the influenza hemagglutinin, influenza matrix or HIV gag gene. Six weeks after intramuscular injection, free plasmid was detected in treated muscle at levels ranging from approximately 1,000 to 4,000 copies/µg DNA. At 6 months, the plasmid levels ranged between 200 and 800 copies/µg DNA. Gel purification of genomic DNA revealed that essentially all of the detectable plasmid in treated quadriceps was extrachromosomal. If integration had occurred, the frequency was ≤1–8 integrations per 150,000 diploid cells, which would be at least three orders of magnitude below the spontaneous mutation rate. Our results suggest that the risk of mutation due to integration of plasmid DNA vaccines following intramuscular injection is negligible.

Studies have been designed to examine the potential integration of DNA vaccines into the host cell genome. This is of concern because of the possibility of insertional mutagenesis resulting in the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes or the activation of oncogenes. The requirements for adequate testing were determined to be (1) a method to purify host cell genomic DNA from nonintegrated free plasmid, (2) a sensitive method to detect integrated plasmid in the purified genomic DNA, and (3) stringent methods to avoid contamination. These requirements were fulfilled by agarose-gel electrophoresis, the polymerase chain reaction, and separation of each activity with stringent handling procedures, respectively. An exploratory experiment was carried out in which mice were injected with 100 micrograms of vaccine plasmid DNA in each quadriceps. Examination of quadriceps and 12 other tissues at several time points failed to reveal any evidence of integration at a sensitivity level that could detect 1 to 7.5 integrations in 150,000 nuclei. A worst-case scenario determined that this would be at least 3 orders of magnitude below the spontaneous mutation frequency.