HeLa.S3

Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus Harboring Aphrocallistes vastus Lectin Inhibits the Growth of Cervical Cancer Cells Hela S3

Aphrocallistes vastus lectin (AVL) is a C-type marine lectin produced by sponges. The previous study demonstrated that genes encoding AVL enhanced the cytotoxic effect of oncolytic vaccinia virus (oncoVV) in a variety of cancer cells. In this study, the inhibitory effect of oncoVV-AVL on Hela S3 cervical cancer cells, a cell line with spheroidizing ability, was explored.

To compare the oncogenic properties of Hela and Hela S3 cells, a tumor sphere formation assay was conducted. Hela S3 cells continuously formed spheres through multiple passages, while Hela cells did not (Fig. 1a, b). Sphere-forming activity is indicative of cellular stemness. Given the stemness of Hela S3 cells in vitro, they were selected for further study. An MTT assay was performed to assess the cytotoxic effects of oncoVV-AVL on Hela S3 and Hela cells. Cells were infected with oncoVV or oncoVV-AVL, and viability was measured at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h (Fig. 2a, b). OncoVV-AVL exhibited significantly higher cytotoxicity in a dose- and time-dependent manner compared to oncoVV, indicating that AVL enhances the cytotoxicity of the oncolytic vaccinia virus. Flow cytometry was used to confirm the cytotoxic effects of oncoVV-AVL on Hela S3 cells by detecting apoptotic/dead cells infected with oncoVV or oncoVV-AVL (Fig. 2c). OncoVV-AVL induced higher cytotoxicity than oncoVV and PBS controls. However, there was no significant difference in the percentage of Annexin V-FITC positive apoptotic cells among the groups, suggesting that AVL promotes nonapoptotic cell death induced by oncolytic vaccinia viruses.