University of Oxford develops cancer-killing dual-action virus

New virus could be breakthrough in the treatment of cancer

Researchers have now succeeded in modifying a virus to kill carcinoma cells as well as certain neighboring cells, which are tempted to protect the cancer from the immune system and provide it with growth factors and nutrients. This could be a major breakthrough in the treatment of cancer.

Scientists at the internationally acclaimed University of Oxford transformed a virus to kill both cancer cells and neighboring cells, which are often involved in the spread of the dangerous disease. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Cancer Research".

Dual-action virus seems to be promising

The researchers said that this was the first time that cancer-associated fibroblasts in solid tumors had been targeted in this way. If further safety tests are successful, the so-called dual-action virus, which has been tested on human cancer samples and on mice, could be tested on people with carcinoma next year. At present, any therapy that kills the affected fibroblast cells can also kill fibroblasts throughout the body, such as the bone marrow and the skin, causing increased toxicity, the authors of the study explain.

How does the virus work??

In their study, the scientists used a virus called enadenotucirev, which has already been used in various clinical trials for the treatment of carcinomas. It has been modified to only infect cancer cells without affecting healthy cells. The experts added more genetic instructions to the virus, which made cancer-infected cells a protein called a bi-specific T-cell engager. The protein was designed to bind to two types of cells and hold them together. In this case, the virus was designed to bind to fibroblasts. In addition, it is also specifically attached to T cells, a type of immune cell responsible for killing defective cells. This caused the T cells to kill the attached fibroblasts.

Virus could enable treatment of resistant cancers

The virus acts on carcinomas, which are the most common type of cancer, and begins working in cells in the skin or in tissues that line or cover internal organs, such as the pancreas, large intestine, lungs, breast, ovaries, and prostate, the physicians explain. This innovative viral delivery system, targeting both the cancerous tissue and the surrounding protective tissue, could improve outcomes for patients whose cancers are resistant to current treatments, the experts explain.

Further research is needed

Further clinical trials will now be crucial to determine if the patient's immune system stimulation has no unintended consequences. The team tested the therapy on fresh human cancer samples taken from patients, including solid prostate cancer tumors that reflect the complex structure of true tumors. They also tested the virus on healthy human bone marrow samples and found that it does not cause toxicity or inappropriate T cell activation. Even if most cancer cells of a carcinoma are killed, fibroblasts can protect the remaining cancer cells and help them to recover and thrive, says study author Dr. Kerry Fisher from the Department of Oncology at the University of Oxford. So far, there has been no way to simultaneously kill both cancer cells and fibroblasts without damaging the rest of the body. The new technique of combating fibroblasts and simultaneously killing cancer cells with the virus could be an important step in reducing the suppression of the immune system in carcinomas and should set in motion the normal immune process, the expert adds. These viruses are already being tested on humans. Therefore, the physicians hope that the modified virus will move towards clinical trials next year to see if it is safe and effective in cancer patients. (As)