Oncolytic viruses as experimental treatments for malignant gliomas: using a scourge to treat a devil.

Abstract

The concept of oncolytic viral therapy has a century-old history, but only within the last 20 years have oncolytic viruses been considered for the treatment of brain cancers. Viruses such as herpes, measles, and vaccinia have all been known to cause devastating cases of neurological disease in humans, yet these 'scourges' are now being harnessed in such a way that they prove very useful as cancer therapeutics. There have been 8 formal clinical trials and 3 case studies using oncolytic viruses to treat malignant glioma patients. Although some success has been reached with oncolytic therapy, overall it has fallen short of expectations. In this review we analyze the results of these trials and bring to light some of the limitations and pitfalls of this therapy, as well as present some promising preclinical work that has been proposed to circumvent such problems.

• Authors: Franz J Zemp, Juan Carlos Corredor, Xueqing Lun, Daniel A Muruve, Peter A Forsyth
• Journal: Cytokine & growth factor reviews (Cytokine Growth Factor Rev) 2010 Apr-Jun Vol. 21 Issue 2-3 Pg. 103-17 ISSN: 1879-0305 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 20483653 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Topics

• Brain Neoplasms (genetics, immunology, therapy)
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Genetic Vectors
• Glioma (genetics, immunology, therapy)
• Humans
• Immunity, Innate
• Oncolytic Virotherapy
• Oncolytic Viruses (genetics, physiology)
• Signal Transduction (physiology)