Full length articleDevelopment of efficient adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated gene delivery system with a phytoactive material for targeting human melanoma cells

•An emerging potential of cancer gene therapy strategies to design a powerful therapeutic system was exploited.•AAV-mediated gene transfer is a promising alternative therapeutic strategy to safety and delivery efficiency for fighting cancer.•An efficient AAV-mediated melanoma gene delivery system with a natural chemopreventive substance was developed.•[6]-gingerol treatment with introduction of the pro-apoptotic BIM gene exerts a synergistic effect in terms of inducing the apoptosis of melanoma cells.•A novel mechanism for close interaction with GAGs may be a key factor in enhancing apoptosis of melanoma cancer cells.

We exploited the emerging potential of gene therapy strategies to design a powerful therapeutic system that combines two key components-AAV vector and [6]-gingerol. In this study, we created an AAV2 construct expressing the proapoptotic protein BIM, which uses HSPG as its primary receptor, to target HSPG-overexpressing melanoma cells. This combination treatment showed promising results in vitro, inducing apoptosis in human melanoma cells. This new platform technology will make a significant contribution to numerous therapeutic applications, most notably for melanoma, including overcoming resistance to conventional anticancer therapies.