Virotherapy

Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy Safe and Tolerable in Children With Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors
Oncolytic Virus Immunotherapy Safe and Tolerable in Children With Relapsed or Refractory Solid Tumors 1024 683 Lauren Dembeck

The overall survival rates for children with childhood cancers is now over 80%; however, for children with relapsed and refractory tumors, the survival rates remain low. “For example, children with relapsed or refractory neuroblastoma have a five-year survival of less than ten percent,” explains Keri A. Streby, MD, director of the Neuroblastoma Program in the…

Engineered Viruses Help the Immune System Target Cancer Cells
Engineered Viruses Help the Immune System Target Cancer Cells 1024 623 Lauren Dembeck

The seemingly unlikely “partnership” leads to strong antitumor responses in pediatric tumor models. A recent study from researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, published in the Journal for Immuno Therapy of Cancer, describes how a type of viroimmunotherapy activates the immune system to preferentially target tumor cells. “Pediatric tumor typically lack neoantigens – new proteins that…

Study Supports Virotherapy as a Potential Treatment for Brain Tumors
Study Supports Virotherapy as a Potential Treatment for Brain Tumors 1024 575 Nationwide Children's

A new study provides additional evidence of the efficacy of virotherapy for glioblastoma, the deadliest type of brain tumor. The research findings, published in Clinical Cancer Research, indicate that an oncolytic herpes simplex virus, G207, appears to boost immune response and that this is associated with better overall survival for patients with glioblastoma. The study,…

The First Study of Oncolytic HSV-1 in Children and Young Adults With Cancer Indicates Safety and Tolerability
The First Study of Oncolytic HSV-1 in Children and Young Adults With Cancer Indicates Safety and Tolerability 1024 575 Abbie Miller

The phase 1 trial shows safety and tolerance of HSV1716 in the pediatric population; evidence of viral replication in the blood and acute inflammation on PET/CT scans suggest a phase 2 trial for dosage and efficacy is warranted. HSV1716 – an oncolytic herpes simplex virus-1 – has been studied in adults via injection into the…

A Watershed Moment for Cancer Virotherapy
A Watershed Moment for Cancer Virotherapy 150 150 Timothy Cripe, MD, PhD

A recent decision may define the future of virotherapy’s role in the clinical treatment of cancer. At 4:50 pm on Wednesday, April 29 2015, the votes were cast: 22 in favor, 1 against. With this overwhelming majority, an advisory committee sent a clear message to the FDA recommending the first marketing approval for a live virus cancer…