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Fischer J, Fedotova A, Jaki L, Sallard E, Erhardt A, Fuchs J, Ruzsics Z. Combining CRISPR-Cas-mediated terminal resolution with a novel genetic workflow to achieve high-diversity adenoviral libraries. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024; 32:101241. [PMID: 38585687 PMCID: PMC10995876 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
While recombinant adenoviruses (rAds) are widely used in both laboratory and medical gene transfer, library-based applications using this vector platform are not readily available. Recently, we developed a new method, the CRISPR-Cas9 mediated in vivo terminal resolution aiding high-efficiency rescue of rAds from recombinant DNA. Here we report on a genetic workflow that allows construction of bacterial artificial chromosome-based rAd libraries reconstituted using highly efficient terminal resolution. We utilized frequent, pre-existing genomic sequences to allow the insertion of a selection marker, complementing two selected target sites into novel endonuclease recognition sites. In the second step, this selection marker is replaced with a transgene or mutation of interest via Gibson assembly. Our approach does not cause unwanted genomic off-target mutations while providing substantial flexibility for the site and nature of the genetic modification. This new genetic workflow, which we termed half site-directed fragment replacement (HFR) allows the introduction of more than 106 unique modifications into rAd encoding BACs using laboratory scale methodology. To demonstrate the power of HFR, we rescued barcoded viral vector libraries yielding a diversity of approximately 2.5 × 104 unique rAds per cm2 of transfected cell culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Fischer
- Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ariana Fedotova
- Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lena Jaki
- Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Erwan Sallard
- Virology and Microbiology, Centre for Biomedical Education & Research (ZBAF), Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, 58453 Witten, Germany
| | - Anja Erhardt
- Virology and Microbiology, Centre for Biomedical Education & Research (ZBAF), Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, 58453 Witten, Germany
| | - Jonas Fuchs
- Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Zsolt Ruzsics
- Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
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Göttig L, Schreiner S. E4orf1: The triple agent of adenovirus - Unraveling its roles in oncogenesis, infectious obesity and immune responses in virus replication and vector therapy. Tumour Virus Res 2024; 17:200277. [PMID: 38428735 PMCID: PMC10937242 DOI: 10.1016/j.tvr.2024.200277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Human Adenoviruses (HAdV) are nearly ubiquitous pathogens comprising numerous sub-types that infect various tissues and organs. Among many encoded proteins that facilitate viral replication and subversion of host cellular processes, the viral E4orf1 protein has emerged as an intriguing yet under-investigated player in the complex interplay between the virus and its host. E4orf1 has gained attention as a metabolism activator and oncogenic agent, while recent research is showing that E4orf1 may play a more important role in modulating cellular pathways such as PI3K-Akt-mTOR, Ras, the immune response and further HAdV replication stages than previously anticipated. In this review, we aim to explore the structure, molecular mechanisms, and biological functions of E4orf1, shedding light on its potentially multifaceted roles during HAdV infection, including metabolic diseases and oncogenesis. Furthermore, we discuss the role of functional E4orf1 in biotechnological applications such as Adenovirus (AdV) vaccine vectors and oncolytic AdV. By dissecting the intricate relationships between HAdV types and E4orf1 proteins, this review provides valuable insights into viral pathogenesis and points to promising areas of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilian Göttig
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Sabrina Schreiner
- Institute of Virology, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany; Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany; Cluster of Excellence RESIST (Resolving Infection Susceptibility; EXC 2155), Hannover, Germany; Institute of Virology, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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Elsner L, Heimann L, Geisler A, Dieringer B, Knoch KP, Hinze L, Klingel K, Solimena M, Kurreck J, Fechner H. Fast Track Adaptation of Oncolytic Coxsackie B3 Virus to Resistant Colorectal Cancer Cells - a Method to Personalize Virotherapy. Biol Proced Online 2024; 26:11. [PMID: 38664647 PMCID: PMC11044309 DOI: 10.1186/s12575-024-00237-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The efficacy of oncolytic viruses (OV) in cancer treatment depends on their ability to successfully infect and destroy tumor cells. However, patients' tumors vary, and in the case of individual insensitivity to an OV, therapeutic efficacy is limited. Here, we present a protocol for rapid generation of tumor cell-specific adapted oncolytic coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) with enhanced oncolytic potential and a satisfactory safety profile. This is achieved by combining directed viral evolution (DVE) with genetic modification of the viral genome and the use of a microRNA-dependent regulatory tool. METHODS The oncolytic CVB3 variant PD-H was adapted to the refractory colorectal carcinoma cell line Colo320 through serial passaging. XTT assays and virus plaque assays were used to determine virus cytotoxicity and virus replication in vitro. Recombinant PD-H variants were generated through virus mutagenesis. Apoptosis was detected by Western blots, Caspase 3/7 assays, and DAPI staining. The therapeutic efficacy and safety of the adapted recombinant OV PD-SK-375TS were assessed in vivo using a subcutaneous Colo320 xenograft mouse model. RESULTS PD-H was adapted to the colorectal cancer cell line Colo320 within 10 passages. Sequencing of passage 10 virus P-10 revealed a heterogenous virus population with five nucleotide mutations resulting in amino acid substitutions. The genotypically homogeneous OV PD-SK was generated by inserting the five detected mutations of P-10 into the genome of PD-H. PD-SK showed significantly stronger replication and cytotoxicity than PD-H in Colo320 cells, but not in other colorectal carcinoma cell lines. Increase of apoptosis induction was detected as key mechanisms of Colo320 cell-specific adaptation of PD-SK. For in vivo safety PD-SK was engineered with target sites of the miR-375 (miR-375TS) to exclude virus replication in normal tissues. PD-SK-375TS, unlike the PD-H-375TS not adapted homolog suppressed the growth of subcutaneous Colo320 tumors in nude mice without causing any side effects. CONCLUSION Taken together, here we present an optimized protocol for the rapid generation of tumor cell-specific adapted oncolytic CVB3 based on the oncolytic CVB3 strain PD-H. The protocol is promising for the generation of personalized OV for tumor therapy and has the potential to be applied to other OV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie Elsner
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisanne Heimann
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anja Geisler
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Babette Dieringer
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Knoch
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden and German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Helmholtz Munich at University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Luisa Hinze
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Karin Klingel
- Cardiopathology, Institute for Pathology and Neuropathology, University Hospital Tuebingen, Liebermeisterstr. 8, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michel Solimena
- Paul Langerhans Institute Dresden and German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD e.V.), Helmholtz Munich at University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jens Kurreck
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henry Fechner
- Department of Applied Biochemistry, Institute of Biotechnology, Technische Universität Berlin, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
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Fischer J, Fedotova A, Bühler C, Darriba L, Schreiner S, Ruzsics Z. Expanding the Scope of Adenoviral Vectors by Utilizing Novel Tools for Recombination and Vector Rescue. Viruses 2024; 16:658. [PMID: 38793540 PMCID: PMC11125593 DOI: 10.3390/v16050658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Recombinant adenoviruses are widely used in clinical and laboratory applications. Despite the wide variety of available sero- and genotypes, only a fraction is utilized in vivo. As adenoviruses are a large group of viruses, displaying many different tropisms, immune epitopes, and replication characteristics, the merits of translating these natural benefits into vector applications are apparent. This translation, however, proves difficult, since while research has investigated the application of these viruses, there are no universally applicable rules in vector design for non-classical adenovirus types. In this paper, we describe a generalized workflow that allows vectorization, rescue, and cloning of all adenoviral species to enable the rapid development of new vector variants. We show this using human and simian adenoviruses, further modifying a selection of them to investigate their gene transfer potential and build potential vector candidates for future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Zsolt Ruzsics
- Institute of Virology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; (J.F.); (A.F.); (S.S.)
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Jung BK, An YH, Jang SH, Jang JJ, Kim S, Jeon JH, Kim J, Song JJ, Jang H. The artificial amino acid change in the sialic acid-binding domain of the hemagglutinin neuraminidase of newcastle disease virus increases its specificity to HCT 116 colorectal cancer cells and tumor suppression effect. Virol J 2024; 21:7. [PMID: 38178138 PMCID: PMC10768451 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02276-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oncolytic viruses are being studied and developed as novel cancer treatments. Using directed evolution technology, structural modification of the viral surface protein increases the specificity of the oncolytic virus for a particular cancer cell. Newcastle disease virus (NDV) does not show specificity for certain types of cancer cells during infection; therefore, it has low cancer cell specificity. Hemagglutinin is an NDV receptor-binding protein on the cell surface that determines host cell tropism. NDV selectivity for specific cancer cells can be increased by artificial amino acid changes in hemagglutinin neuraminidase HN proteins via directed evolution, leading to improved therapeutic effects. METHODS Sialic acid-binding sites (H domains) of the HN protein mutant library were generated using error-prone PCR. Variants of the H domain protein were screened by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using HCT 116 cancer cell surface molecules. The mutant S519G H domain protein showed the highest affinity for the surface protein of HCT 116 cells compared to that of different types of cancer cells. This showed that the S519G mutant H domain protein gene replaced the same part of the original HN protein gene, and S519G mutant recombinant NDV (rNDV) was constructed and recovered. S519G rNDV cancer cell killing effects were tested using the MTT assay with various cancer cell types, and the tumor suppression effect of the S519G mutant rNDV was tested in a xenograft mouse model implanted with cancer cells, including HCT 116 cells. RESULTS S519G rNDV showed increased specificity and enhanced killing ability of HCT 116 cells among various cancer cells and a stronger suppressive effect on tumor growth than the original recombinant NDV. Directed evolution using an artificial amino acid change in the NDV HN (S519G mutant) protein increased its specificity and oncolytic effect in colorectal cancer without changing its virulence. CONCLUSION These results provide a new methodology for the use of directed evolution technology for more effective oncolytic virus development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yong Hee An
- Libentech Co. LTD, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Hoon Jang
- Graduate School of Medical Science, College of medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Ju Jang
- Libentech Co. LTD, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seonhee Kim
- Libentech Co. LTD, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Jinju Kim
- Libentech Co. LTD, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jason Jungsik Song
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
- Institute for Immunology and Immunological Disease, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Hyun Jang
- Libentech Co. LTD, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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Sallard E, Schulte L, van den Boom A, Klimovitskii A, Knierer J, Hagedorn C, Knocks M, Zhang W, Kreppel F, Ehrhardt A, Ehrke-Schulz E. Development of oncolytic and gene therapy vectors based on adenovirus serotype 4 as an alternative to adenovirus serotype 5. J Gene Med 2024; 26:e3576. [PMID: 37580111 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adenoviral vectors are among the most frequently used vectors for gene therapy and cancer treatment. Most vectors are derived from human adenovirus (Ad) serotype 5 despite limited applicability caused by pre-existing immunity and unfavorable liver tropism, whereas the other more than 100 known human serotypes remain largely unused. Here, we screened a library of human Ad types and identified Ad4 as a promising candidate vector. METHODS Reporter-gene-expressing viruses representative of the natural human Ad diversity were used to transduce an array of muscle cell lines and two- or three-dimensional tumor cultures. The time-course of transgene expression was monitored by fluorescence or luminescence measurements. To generate replication-deficient Ad4 vector genomes, successive homologous recombination was applied. RESULTS Ad4, 17 and 50 transduced human cardiomyocytes more efficiently than Ad5, whereas Ad37 was found to be superior in rhabdomyocytes. Despite its moderate transduction efficiency, Ad4 showed efficient and long-lasting gene expression in papillomavirus (HPV) positive tumor organoids. Therefore, we aimed to harness the potential of Ad4 for improved muscle transduction or oncolytic virotherapy of HPV-positive tumors. We deleted the E1 and E3 transcription units to produce first generation Ad vectors for gene therapy. The E1- and E1/E3-deleted vectors were replication-competent in HEK293 cells stably expressing E1 but not in the other cell lines tested. Furthermore, we show that the Ad5 E1 transcription unit can complement the replication of E1-deleted Ad4 vectors. CONCLUSIONS Our Ad4-based gene therapy vector platform contributes to the development of improved Ad vectors based on non-canonical serotypes for a broad range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwan Sallard
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Lukas Schulte
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Alexander van den Boom
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Alexander Klimovitskii
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Julius Knierer
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Claudia Hagedorn
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Maximilian Knocks
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Wenli Zhang
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Florian Kreppel
- Institute for Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Anja Ehrhardt
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Eric Ehrke-Schulz
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
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7
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Effantin G, Hograindleur MA, Fenel D, Fender P, Vassal-Stermann E. Toward the understanding of DSG2 and CD46 interaction with HAdV-11 fiber, a super-complex analysis. J Virol 2023; 97:e0091023. [PMID: 37921471 PMCID: PMC10688334 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00910-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The main limitation of oncolytic vectors is neutralization by blood components, which prevents intratumoral administration to patients. Enadenotucirev, a chimeric HAdV-11p/HAdV-3 adenovirus identified by bio-selection, is a low seroprevalence vector active against a broad range of human carcinoma cell lines. At this stage, there's still some uncertainty about tropism and primary receptor utilization by HAdV-11. However, this information is very important, as it has a direct influence on the effectiveness of HAdV-11-based vectors. The aim of this work is to determine which of the two receptors, DSG2 and CD46, is involved in the attachment of the virus to the host, and what role they play in the early stages of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daphna Fenel
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
| | - Pascal Fender
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, CEA, IBS, Grenoble, France
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Zhu X, Fan C, Xiong Z, Chen M, Li Z, Tao T, Liu X. Development and application of oncolytic viruses as the nemesis of tumor cells. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1188526. [PMID: 37440883 PMCID: PMC10335770 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1188526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses and tumors are two pathologies that negatively impact human health, but what occurs when a virus encounters a tumor? A global consensus among cancer patients suggests that surgical resection, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and other methods are the primary means to combat cancer. However, with the innovation and development of biomedical technology, tumor biotherapy (immunotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, gene therapy, oncolytic virus therapy, etc.) has emerged as an alternative treatment for malignant tumors. Oncolytic viruses possess numerous anti-tumor properties, such as directly lysing tumor cells, activating anti-tumor immune responses, and improving the tumor microenvironment. Compared to traditional immunotherapy, oncolytic virus therapy offers advantages including high killing efficiency, precise targeting, and minimal side effects. Although oncolytic virus (OV) therapy was introduced as a novel approach to tumor treatment in the 19th century, its efficacy was suboptimal, limiting its widespread application. However, since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first OV therapy drug, T-VEC, in 2015, interest in OV has grown significantly. In recent years, oncolytic virus therapy has shown increasingly promising application prospects and has become a major research focus in the field of cancer treatment. This article reviews the development, classification, and research progress of oncolytic viruses, as well as their mechanisms of action, therapeutic methods, and routes of administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Zhu
- Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, China
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, New York Institute of Technology—Manhattan Campus, New York, NY, United States
| | - Chenyang Fan
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Medicine and Technology, School of Zunyi Medical University, Zunyi, China
| | - Zhuolong Xiong
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Mingwei Chen
- The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zesong Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Genitourinary Tumor, Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital(Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine), Shenzhen, China
| | - Tao Tao
- Department of Gastroenterology, Zibo Central Hospital, Zibo, China
| | - Xiuqing Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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Fakih M, Harb W, Mahadevan D, Babiker H, Berlin J, Lillie T, Krige D, Carter J, Cox C, Patel M, Parfitt L, Powell M, Rosen L. Safety and efficacy of the tumor-selective adenovirus enadenotucirev, in combination with nivolumab, in patients with advanced/metastatic epithelial cancer: a phase I clinical trial (SPICE). J Immunother Cancer 2023; 11:jitc-2022-006561. [PMID: 37094988 PMCID: PMC10151977 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2022-006561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Novel combination therapies to overcome anti-PD-1 resistance are required. Enadenotucirev, a tumor-selective blood stable adenoviral vector, has demonstrated a manageable safety profile and ability to increase tumor immune-cell infiltration in phase I studies in solid tumors. METHODS We conducted a phase I multicenter study of intravenous enadenotucirev plus nivolumab in patients with advanced/metastatic epithelial cancer not responding to standard therapy. Co-primary objectives were safety/tolerability and maximum tolerated dose and/or maximum feasible dose (MTD/MFD) of enadenotucirev plus nivolumab. Additional endpoints included response rate, cytokine responses, and anti-tumor immune responses. RESULTS Overall, 51 heavily pre-treated patients were treated, 45/51 (88%) of whom had colorectal cancer (35/35 patients with information available were microsatellite instability-low/microsatellite stable) and 6/51 (12%) had squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. The MTD/MFD of enadenotucirev plus nivolumab was not reached, with the highest dose level tested (1×1012 vp day 1; 6×1012 vp days 3 and 5) shown to be tolerable. Overall, 31/51 (61%) patients experienced a grade 3-4 treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE), most frequently anemia (12%), infusion-related reaction (8%), hyponatremia (6%), and large intestinal obstruction (6%). Seven (14%) patients experienced serious TEAEs related to enadenotucirev; the only serious TEAE related to enadenotucirev occurring in >1 patient was infusion-related reaction (n=2). Among the 47 patients included in efficacy analyses, median progression-free survival was 1.6 months, objective response rate was 2% (one partial response for 10 months), and 45% of patients achieved stable disease. Median overall survival was 16.0 months; 69% of patients were alive at 12 months. Persistent increases in Th1 and related cytokines (IFNγ, IL-12p70, IL-17A) were seen from ~day 15 in two patients, one of whom had a partial response. Among the 14 patients with matching pre-tumor and post-tumor biopsies, 12 had an increase in intra-tumoral CD8+ T-cell infiltration and 7 had increased markers of CD8 T-cell cytolytic activity. CONCLUSIONS Intravenously dosed enadenotucirev plus nivolumab demonstrated manageable tolerability, an encouraging overall survival and induced immune cell infiltration and activation in patients with advanced/metastatic epithelial cancer. Studies of next-generation variants of enadenotucirev (T-SIGn vectors) designed to further re-program the tumor microenvironment by expressing immune-enhancer transgenes are ongoing. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02636036.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwan Fakih
- City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Wael Harb
- Horizon Oncology Center, Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | | | - Hani Babiker
- University of Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Jordan Berlin
- Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lee Rosen
- UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
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10
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A Renaissance for Oncolytic Adenoviruses? Viruses 2023; 15:v15020358. [PMID: 36851572 PMCID: PMC9964350 DOI: 10.3390/v15020358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In the 1990s, adenovirus became one of the first virus types to be genetically engineered to selectively destroy cancer cells. In the intervening years, the field of "oncolytic viruses" has slowly progressed and culminated in 2015 with the FDA approval of Talimogene laherparepvec, a genetically engineered herpesvirus, for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. Despite the slower progress in translating oncolytic adenovirus to the clinic, interest in the virus remains strong. Among all the clinical trials currently using viral oncolytic agents, the largest proportion of these are using recombinant adenovirus. Many trials are currently underway to use oncolytic virus in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), and early results using oncolytic adenovirus in this manner are starting to show promise. Many of the existing strategies to engineer adenoviruses were designed to enhance selective tumor cell replication without much regard to interactions with the immune system. Adenovirus possesses a wide range of viral factors to attenuate both innate anti-viral pathways and immune cell killing. In this review, we summarize the strategies of oncolytic adenoviruses currently in clinical trials, and speculate how the mutational backgrounds of these viruses may impact upon the efficacy of these agents in oncolytic and immunotherapy. Despite decades of research on human adenoviruses, the interactions that these viruses have with the immune system remains one of the most understudied aspects of the virus and needs to be improved to rationally design the next generation of engineered viruses.
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11
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Sallard E, Zhang W, Aydin M, Schröer K, Ehrhardt A. The Adenovirus Vector Platform: Novel Insights into Rational Vector Design and Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Vaccine. Viruses 2023; 15:204. [PMID: 36680244 PMCID: PMC9862123 DOI: 10.3390/v15010204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The adenovirus vector platform remains one of the most efficient toolboxes for generation of transfer vehicles used in gene therapy and virotherapy to treat tumors, as well as vaccines to protect from infectious diseases. The adenovirus genome and capsids can be modified using highly efficient techniques, and vectors can be produced at high titers, which facilitates their rapid adaptation to current needs and disease applications. Over recent years, the adenovirus vector platform has been in the center of attention for vaccine development against the ongoing coronavirus SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 pandemic. The worldwide deployment of these vaccines has greatly deepened the knowledge on virus-host interactions and highlighted the need to further improve the effectiveness and safety not only of adenovirus-based vaccines but also of gene therapy and oncolytic virotherapy vectors. Based on the current evidence, we discuss here how adenoviral vectors can be further improved by intelligent molecular design. This review covers the full spectrum of state-of-the-art strategies to avoid vector-induced side effects ranging from the vectorization of non-canonical adenovirus types to novel genome engineering techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwan Sallard
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, 58453 Witten, Germany
| | - Wenli Zhang
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, 58453 Witten, Germany
| | - Malik Aydin
- Laboratory of Experimental Pediatric Pneumology and Allergology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research, School of Life Sciences (ZBAF), Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, 58455 Witten, Germany
| | - Katrin Schröer
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, 58453 Witten, Germany
| | - Anja Ehrhardt
- Virology and Microbiology, Center for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF), School of Medicine, Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, 58453 Witten, Germany
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12
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Effects of pre-existing anti-adenovirus antibodies on transgene expression levels and therapeutic efficacies of arming oncolytic adenovirus. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21560. [PMID: 36513733 PMCID: PMC9747716 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26030-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic adenoviruses (OAds), most of which are based on species C human adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) (OAd5), have recently received much attention as potential anticancer agents. High seroprevalence of anti-Ad5 neutralizing antibodies is a major hurdle for Ad5-based gene therapy. However, the impacts of anti-Ad5 neutralizing antibodies on OAd5-mediated transgene expression in the tumor and antitumor effects remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we examined the impact of anti-Ad5 neutralizing antibodies on the OAd5-mediated antitumor effects and OAd5-mediated transgene expression. The luciferase expression of OAd-tAIB-Luc, which contains the cytomegalovirus promoter-driven luciferase gene, was inhibited in human cultured cells in the presence of human serum. Although the inhibitory effects of human serum possessing the low anti-Ad5 neutralizing antibody titers were overcome by long-term infection, the in vitro tumor cell lysis activities of OAd-tAIB-Luc were entirely attenuated by human serum containing the high titers of anti-Ad5 neutralizing antibodies. OAd-tAIB-Luc-mediated luciferase expression in the subcutaneous tumors 3 days after administration and tumor growth suppression levels following intratumoral administration were significantly lower in mice possessing the high titers of anti-Ad5 neutralizing antibodies, compared to those in control mice. These results suggested that pre-existing anti-Ad5 antibodies attenuated both transgene expression and potential antitumor effects of OAd5 following intratumoral administration.
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13
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Oronsky B, Gastman B, Conley AP, Reid C, Caroen S, Reid T. Oncolytic Adenoviruses: The Cold War against Cancer Finally Turns Hot. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:4701. [PMID: 36230621 PMCID: PMC9562194 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14194701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses, colloquially referred to as "living drugs", amplify themselves and the therapeutic transgenes that they carry to stimulate an immune response both locally and systemically. Remarkable exceptions aside, such as the recent 14-patient trial with the PD-1 inhibitor, dostarlimab, in mismatch repair (MMR) deficient rectal cancer, where the complete response rate was 100%, checkpoint inhibitors are not cure-alls, which suggests the need for a combination partner like oncolytic viruses to prime and augment their activity. This review focuses on adenoviruses, the most clinically investigated of all the oncolytic viruses. It covers specific design features of clinical adenoviral candidates and highlights their potential both alone and in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in clinical trials to turn immunologically "cold" and unresponsive tumors into "hotter" and more responsive ones through a domino effect. Finally, a "mix-and-match" combination of therapies based on the paradigm of the cancer-immunity cycle is proposed to augment the immune responses of oncolytic adenoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anthony P. Conley
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | | | - Scott Caroen
- EpicentRx, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Tony Reid
- EpicentRx, Torrey Pines, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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14
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Yun CO, Hong J, Yoon AR. Current clinical landscape of oncolytic viruses as novel cancer immunotherapeutic and recent preclinical advancements. Front Immunol 2022; 13:953410. [PMID: 36091031 PMCID: PMC9458317 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.953410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses (OVs) have been gaining attention in the pharmaceutical industry as a novel immunotherapeutic and therapeutic adjuvant due to their ability to induce and boost antitumor immunity through multiple mechanisms. First, intrinsic mechanisms of OVs that enable exploitation of the host immune system (e.g., evading immune detection) can nullify the immune escape mechanism of tumors. Second, many types of OVs have been shown to cause direct lysis of tumor cells, resulting in an induction of tumor-specific T cell response mediated by release of tumor-associated antigens and danger signal molecules. Third, armed OV-expressing immune stimulatory therapeutic genes could be highly expressed in tumor tissues to further improve antitumor immunity. Last, these OVs can inflame cold tumors and their microenvironment to be more immunologically favorable for other immunotherapeutics. Due to these unique characteristics, OVs have been tested as an adjuvant of choice in a variety of therapeutics. In light of these promising attributes of OVs in the immune-oncology field, the present review will examine OVs in clinical development and discuss various strategies that are being explored in preclinical stages for the next generation of OVs that are optimized for immunotherapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chae-Ok Yun
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
- Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (HY-IBB), Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
- GeneMedicine CO., Ltd., Seoul, South Korea
| | | | - A-Rum Yoon
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
- Hanyang Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (HY-IBB), Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea
- *Correspondence: A-Rum Yoon,
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15
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Luo D, Wang H, Wang Q, Liang W, Liu B, Xue D, Yang Y, Ma B. Senecavirus A as an Oncolytic Virus: Prospects, Challenges and Development Directions. Front Oncol 2022; 12:839536. [PMID: 35371972 PMCID: PMC8968071 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.839536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses have the capacity to selectively kill infected tumor cells and trigger protective immunity. As such, oncolytic virotherapy has become a promising immunotherapy strategy against cancer. A variety of viruses from different families have been proven to have oncolytic potential. Senecavirus A (SVA) was the first picornavirus to be tested in humans for its oncolytic potential and was shown to penetrate solid tumors through the vascular system. SVA displays several properties that make it a suitable model, such as its inability to integrate into human genome DNA and the absence of any viral-encoded oncogenes. In addition, genetic engineering of SVA based on the manipulation of infectious clones facilitates the development of recombinant viruses with improved therapeutic indexes to satisfy the criteria of safety and efficacy regulations. This review summarizes the current knowledge and strategies of genetic engineering for SVA, and addresses the current challenges and future directions of SVA as an oncolytic agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dankun Luo
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Haiwei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Biotechnology, Harbin Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Wenping Liang
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Dongbo Xue
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Oncology, Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Biao Ma
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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16
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Naumenko VA, Stepanenko AA, Lipatova AV, Vishnevskiy DA, Chekhonin VP. Infection of non-cancer cells: A barrier or support for oncolytic virotherapy? MOLECULAR THERAPY - ONCOLYTICS 2022; 24:663-682. [PMID: 35284629 PMCID: PMC8898763 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses are designed to specifically target cancer cells, sparing normal cells. Although numerous studies demonstrate the ability of oncolytic viruses to infect a wide range of non-tumor cells, the significance of this phenomenon for cancer virotherapy is poorly understood. To fill the gap, we summarize the data on infection of non-cancer targets by oncolytic viruses with a special focus on tumor microenvironment and secondary lymphoid tissues. The review aims to address two major questions: how do attenuated viruses manage to infect normal cells, and whether it is of importance for oncolytic virotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor A. Naumenko
- V. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow 119034, Russia
- Corresponding author Victor A. Naumenko, PhD, V. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow 119034, Russia.
| | - Aleksei A. Stepanenko
- V. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow 119034, Russia
- Department of Medical Nanobiotechnology, N.I Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Anastasiia V. Lipatova
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Daniil A. Vishnevskiy
- V. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow 119034, Russia
| | - Vladimir P. Chekhonin
- V. Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Moscow 119034, Russia
- Department of Medical Nanobiotechnology, N.I Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow 117997, Russia
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17
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Cristi F, Gutiérrez T, Hitt MM, Shmulevitz M. Genetic Modifications That Expand Oncolytic Virus Potency. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:831091. [PMID: 35155581 PMCID: PMC8826539 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.831091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are a promising type of cancer therapy since they selectively replicate in tumor cells without damaging healthy cells. Many oncolytic viruses have progressed to human clinical trials, however, their performance as monotherapy has not been as successful as expected. Importantly, recent literature suggests that the oncolytic potential of these viruses can be further increased by genetically modifying the viruses. In this review, we describe genetic modifications to OVs that improve their ability to kill tumor cells directly, to dismantle the tumor microenvironment, or to alter tumor cell signaling and enhance anti-tumor immunity. These advances are particularly important to increase virus spread and reduce metastasis, as demonstrated in animal models. Since metastasis is the principal cause of mortality in cancer patients, having OVs designed to target metastases could transform cancer therapy. The genetic alterations reported to date are only the beginning of all possible improvements to OVs. Modifications described here could be combined together, targeting multiple processes, or with other non-viral therapies with potential to provide a strong and lasting anti-tumor response in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca Cristi
- Shmulevitz Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Tomás Gutiérrez
- Goping Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mary M. Hitt
- Hitt Laboratory, Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Mary M. Hitt, ; Maya Shmulevitz,
| | - Maya Shmulevitz
- Shmulevitz Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Mary M. Hitt, ; Maya Shmulevitz,
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18
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Feola S, Russo S, Ylösmäki E, Cerullo V. Oncolytic ImmunoViroTherapy: A long history of crosstalk between viruses and immune system for cancer treatment. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 236:108103. [PMID: 34954301 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.108103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cancer Immunotherapy relies on harnessing a patient's immune system to fine-tune specific anti-tumor responses and ultimately eradicate cancer. Among diverse therapeutic approaches, oncolytic viruses (OVs) have emerged as a novel form of cancer immunotherapy. OVs are a naturally occurring or genetically modified class of viruses able to selectively kill cancer cells, leaving healthy cells unharmed; in the last two decades, the role of OVs has been redefined to act beyond their oncolytic activity. Indeed, the immunogenic cancer cell death mediated by OVs induces the release of tumor antigens that in turn induces anti-tumor immunity, allowing OVs to act as in situ therapeutic cancer vaccines. Additionally, OVs can be engineered for intratumoral delivery of immunostimulatory molecules such as tumor antigens or cytokines to further enhance anti-tumor response. Moreover, OVs can be used in combination with other cancer immunotherapeutic approaches such as Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors and CAR-T cells. The current review first defines the three main mechanisms of action (MOA) of OVs currently used in cancer therapy that are: i) Oncolysis, ii) OV-induced cancer-specific immune activation, and iii) Exploiting pre-existing anti-viral immunity to enhance cancer therapy. Secondly, we focus on how OVs can induce and/or improve anti-cancer immunity in a specific or unspecific fashion, highlighting the importance of these approaches. Finally, the last part of the review analyses OVs combined with other cancer immunotherapies, revising present and future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Feola
- Laboratory of Immunovirotherapy, Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00790 Helsinki, Finland; TRIMM, Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - S Russo
- Laboratory of Immunovirotherapy, Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00790 Helsinki, Finland; TRIMM, Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - E Ylösmäki
- Laboratory of Immunovirotherapy, Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00790 Helsinki, Finland; TRIMM, Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - V Cerullo
- Laboratory of Immunovirotherapy, Drug Research Program, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5E, 00790 Helsinki, Finland; TRIMM, Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 8, 00290 Helsinki, Finland; iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine Flagship, University of Helsinki, Finland; Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology and CEINGE, Naples University Federico II, S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
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19
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Bots ST, Kemp V, Cramer SJ, van den Wollenberg DJ, Hornsveld M, Lamfers M, van der Pluijm G, Hoeben RC. Non-human primate adenoviruses of the Human Adenovirus B species are potent and broadly-acting oncolytic vector candidates. Hum Gene Ther 2021; 33:275-289. [PMID: 34861769 PMCID: PMC8972008 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2021.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of human adenoviruses (hAds) as oncolytic agents has demonstrated considerable potential. However, their efficacy in clinical studies is generally moderate and often varies between patients. This may, in part, be attributable to variable pre-existing neutralizing immunity in patients, which can impact the antitumor efficacy and lead to response heterogeneity. Our aim was to isolate new Ads for the development of oncolytic vectors with low prevalence of neutralizing immunity in the human population. To this end, we isolated a collection of new nonhuman primate (nhp) Ads from stool samples of four great ape species held captive. We elected 12 isolates comprising the broadest genetic variability for further characterization. For three new nhpAds, all classified as the human adenovirus B (HAdV-B) species, no neutralizing activity could be detected when exposed to a preparation of immunoglobulins isolated from a pool of >1,000 donors as a surrogate of population immunity. In addition, the nhpAds of the HAdV-B species showed enhanced oncolytic potency compared to nhpAds of the HAdV-C species as well as to human adenovirus type 5 (HAdV-C5) in vitro when tested in a panel of 29 human cancer cell lines. Next-generation sequencing of the viral genomes revealed higher sequence similarity between hAds and nhpAds of HAdV-B compared to HAdV-C, which might underlie the differences in oncolytic ability. As a proof-of-concept, the Rb-binding domain of the E1A protein of the gorilla-derived HAdV-B nhpAd-lumc007 was deleted, thereby creating a new oncolytic derivative, which demonstrated increased oncolytic potential compared to HAdV-C5. Collectively, our data demonstrate that nhpAds of the HAdV-B species can serve as an alternative for the development of potent oncolytic Ad vectors with limited pre-existing neutralizing immunity in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selas Tf Bots
- Leiden Universitair Medisch Centrum, 4501, Cell and Chemical Biology, Einthovenweg 20, Leiden, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands, 2300 RC;
| | - Vera Kemp
- Leiden Universitair Medisch Centrum, 4501, Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands;
| | - Steve J Cramer
- Leiden Universitair Medisch Centrum, 4501, Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands;
| | - Diana Jm van den Wollenberg
- Leiden University Medical Center, 4501, Cell and Chemical Biology, Einthovenweg 20, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands, 2300 RC;
| | - Marten Hornsveld
- Leiden Universitair Medisch Centrum, 4501, Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands;
| | - Martine Lamfers
- Erasmus Medical Center, Neurosurgery, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands;
| | - Gabri van der Pluijm
- Leiden Universitair Medisch Centrum, 4501, Urology, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands;
| | - Rob C Hoeben
- Leiden Universitair Medisch Centrum, 4501, Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands;
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20
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Moreno V, Barretina-Ginesta MP, García-Donas J, Jayson GC, Roxburgh P, Vázquez RM, Michael A, Antón-Torres A, Brown R, Krige D, Champion B, McNeish I. Safety and efficacy of the tumor-selective adenovirus enadenotucirev with or without paclitaxel in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: a phase 1 clinical trial. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:e003645. [PMID: 34893524 PMCID: PMC8666888 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-003645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Treatment outcomes remain poor in recurrent platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. Enadenotucirev, a tumor-selective and blood stable adenoviral vector, has demonstrated a manageable safety profile in phase 1 studies in epithelial solid tumors. METHODS We conducted a multicenter, open-label, phase 1 dose-escalation and dose-expansion study (OCTAVE) to assess enadenotucirev plus paclitaxel in patients with platinum-resistant epithelial ovarian cancer. During phase 1a, the maximum tolerated dose of intraperitoneally administered enadenotucirev monotherapy (three doses; days 1, 8 and 15) was assessed using a 3+3 dose-escalation model. Phase 1b included a dose-escalation and an intravenous dosing dose-expansion phase assessing enadenotucirev plus paclitaxel. For phase 1a/b, the primary objective was to determine the maximum tolerated dose of enadenotucirev (with paclitaxel in phase 1b). In the dose-expansion phase, the primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Additional endpoints included response rate and T-cell infiltration. RESULTS Overall, 38 heavily pretreated patients were enrolled and treated. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed at any doses. However, frequent catheter complications led to the discontinuation of intraperitoneal dosing during phase 1b. Intravenous enadenotucirev (1×1012 viral particles; days 1, 3 and 5 every 28-days for two cycles) plus paclitaxel (80 mg/m2; days 9, 16 and 23 of each cycle) was thus selected for dose-expansion. Overall, 24/38 (63%) patients experienced at least 1 Grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse event (TEAE); most frequently neutropenia (21%). Six patients discontinued treatment due to TEAEs, including one patient due to a grade 2 treatment-emergent serious AE of catheter site infection (intraperitoneal enadenotucirev monotherapy). Among the 20 patients who received intravenous enadenotucirev plus paclitaxel, 4-month PFS rate was 64% (median 6.2 months), objective response rate was 10%, 35% of patients achieved stable disease and 65% of patients had a reduction in target lesion burden at ≥1 time point. Five out of six patients with matched pre-treatment and post-treatment biopsies treated with intravenous enadenotucirev plus paclitaxel had increased (mean 3.1-fold) infiltration of CD8 +T cells in post-treatment biopsies. CONCLUSIONS Intravenously dosed enadenotucirev plus paclitaxel demonstrated manageable tolerability, an encouraging median PFS and increased tumor immune-cell infiltration in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02028117.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Moreno
- START Madrid-FJD, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria-Pilar Barretina-Ginesta
- Medical Oncology, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Girona, Spain
- Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI), Department of Medical Sciences, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Jesús García-Donas
- Medical Oncology, HM Hospitales Centro Integral Oncologico Clara Campal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gordon C Jayson
- Department of Medical Onclogy, The Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester, UK
- Division of Cancer Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Patricia Roxburgh
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Medical Oncology, Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK
| | - Raúl Márquez Vázquez
- Medical Oncology, Gynecologic Oncology Unit, MD Anderson Cancer Center Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Iain McNeish
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Medical Oncology, Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Glasgow, UK
- Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK
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21
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Concepts in Oncolytic Adenovirus Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms221910522. [PMID: 34638863 PMCID: PMC8508870 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic adenovirus therapy is gaining importance as a novel treatment option for the management of various cancers. Different concepts of modification within the adenovirus vector have been identified that define the mode of action against and the interaction with the tumour. Adenoviral vectors allow for genetic manipulations that restrict tumour specificity and also the expression of specific transgenes in order to support the anti-tumour effect. Additionally, replication of the virus and reinfection of neighbouring tumour cells amplify the therapeutic effect. Another important aspect in oncolytic adenovirus therapy is the virus induced cell death which is a process that activates the immune system against the tumour. This review describes which elements in adenovirus vectors have been identified for modification not only to utilize oncolytic adenovirus vectors into conditionally replicating adenoviruses (CRAds) that allow replication specifically in tumour cells but also to confer specific characteristics to these viruses. These advances in development resulted in clinical trials that are summarized based on the conceptual design.
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22
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A potential bat adenovirus-based oncolytic virus targeting canine cancers. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16706. [PMID: 34408176 PMCID: PMC8373906 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96101-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although a canine adenovirus (CAdV)-based oncolytic virus (OV) candidate targeting canine tumors has been reported, its oncolytic effect could be attenuated by CAdV vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies in dog patients. To circumvent this issue, we focused on the bat adenovirus (BtAdV) strain, which was previously isolated from healthy microbats. We previously showed that this virus replicated efficiently in canine cell lines and did not serologically cross-react with CAdVs, suggesting that it may offer the possibility of an OV candidate for canine tumors. Here, we tested the growth properties and cytotoxicity of the BtAdV Mm32 strain in a panel of canine tumor cells and found that its characteristics were equivalent to those of CAdVs. To produce an Mm32 construct with enhanced tumor specificity, we established a novel reverse genetics system for BtAdV based on bacterial artificial chromosomes, and generated a recombinant virus, Mm32-E1Ap + cTERTp, by inserting a tumor-specific canine telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter into its E1A regulatory region. The growth and cytotoxicity of this recombinant were superior to those of wild-type Mm32 in canine tumor cells, unlike in normal canine cells. These data suggest that Mm32-E1Ap + cTERTp could be a promising OV for alternative canine cancer therapies.
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Molinaro C, Martoriati A, Cailliau K. Proteins from the DNA Damage Response: Regulation, Dysfunction, and Anticancer Strategies. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:3819. [PMID: 34359720 PMCID: PMC8345162 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13153819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells respond to genotoxic stress through a series of complex protein pathways called DNA damage response (DDR). These monitoring mechanisms ensure the maintenance and the transfer of a correct genome to daughter cells through a selection of DNA repair, cell cycle regulation, and programmed cell death processes. Canonical or non-canonical DDRs are highly organized and controlled to play crucial roles in genome stability and diversity. When altered or mutated, the proteins in these complex networks lead to many diseases that share common features, and to tumor formation. In recent years, technological advances have made it possible to benefit from the principles and mechanisms of DDR to target and eliminate cancer cells. These new types of treatments are adapted to the different types of tumor sensitivity and could benefit from a combination of therapies to ensure maximal efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katia Cailliau
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8576-UGSF-Unité de Glycobiologie Structurale et Fonctionnelle, F-59000 Lille, France; (C.M.); (A.M.)
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24
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Atasheva S, Emerson CC, Yao J, Young C, Stewart PL, Shayakhmetov DM. Systemic cancer therapy with engineered adenovirus that evades innate immunity. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/571/eabc6659. [PMID: 33239388 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abc6659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Oncolytic virus therapy is a cancer treatment modality that has the potential to improve outcomes for patients with currently incurable malignancies. Although intravascular delivery of therapeutic viruses provides access to disseminated tumors, this delivery route exposes the virus to opsonizing and inactivating factors in the blood, which limit the effective therapeutic virus dose and contribute to activation of systemic toxicities. When human species C adenovirus HAdv-C5 is delivered intravenously, natural immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies and coagulation factor X rapidly opsonize HAdv-C5, leading to virus sequestration in tissue macrophages and promoting infection of liver cells, triggering hepatotoxicity. Here, we showed that natural IgM antibody binds to the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of the main HAdv-C5 capsid protein hexon. Using compound targeted mutagenesis of hexon HVR1 loop and other functional sites that mediate virus-host interactions, we engineered and obtained a high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy structure of an adenovirus vector, Ad5-3M, which resisted inactivation by blood factors, avoided sequestration in liver macrophages, and failed to trigger hepatotoxicity after intravenous delivery. Systemic delivery of Ad5-3M to mice with localized or disseminated lung cancer led to viral replication in tumor cells, suppression of tumor growth, and prolonged survival. Thus, compound targeted mutagenesis of functional sites in the virus capsid represents a generalizable approach to tailor virus interactions with the humoral and cellular arms of the immune system, enabling generation of "designer" viruses with improved therapeutic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Atasheva
- Lowance Center for Human Immunology, Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Corey C Emerson
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Jia Yao
- Lowance Center for Human Immunology, Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Cedrick Young
- Lowance Center for Human Immunology, Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Phoebe L Stewart
- Department of Pharmacology and Cleveland Center for Membrane and Structural Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Dmitry M Shayakhmetov
- Lowance Center for Human Immunology, Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. .,Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.,Emory Center for Transplantation and Immune-mediated Disorders, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.,Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Program, Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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25
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Huang Q, Cai WQ, Han ZW, Wang MY, Zhou Y, Cheng JT, Zhang Y, Wang YY, Xin Q, Wang XW, Peng XC, Xiang Y, Fang SX, Ma ZW, Xin HY, Cui SZ, Xin HW. Bispecific T cell engagers and their synergistic tumor immunotherapy with oncolytic viruses. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:2430-2455. [PMID: 34249409 PMCID: PMC8263669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor immunotherapy, especially T cell based therapy, is becoming the main force in clinical tumor therapies. Bispecific T cell engager (BiTE) uses the single chain variable fragments (scFv) of two antibodies to redirect T cells to kill target cells. BiTEs for hematologic tumors has been approved for clinical use, and BiTEs for solid tumors showed therapeutic effects in clinical trials. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) of the adenovirus expressing p53 and herpes simplex virus expressing GM-CSF was approved for clinical use in 2003 and 2015, respectively, while other OVs showed therapeutic effects in clinical trials. However, BiTE and Oncolytic virus (OV) have their own limitations. We propose that OV-BiTE has a synergistic effect on tumor immunotherapy. Feng Yu et al. designed the first OV-BiTE in 2014, which remarkably eradicated tumors in mice. Here we review the latest development of the structure, function, preclinical studies and/or clinical trials of BiTE and OV-BiTE and provide perspective views for optimizing the design of OV-BiTE. There is no doubt that OV-BiTE is becoming an exciting new platform for tumor immunotherapy and will enter clinical trial soon. Exploring the therapeutic effects and safety of OV-BiTE for synergistic tumor immunotherapy will bring new hope to tumor patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Huang
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
| | - Wen-Qi Cai
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
| | - Zi-Wen Han
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
| | - Mo-Yu Wang
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
| | - Jun-Ting Cheng
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Chun’an County First People’s Hospital (Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital Chun’an Branch)Hangzhou 311700, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ying-Ying Wang
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Gynaecology, Comprehensive Cancer Center, Hannover Medical SchoolD30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Qiang Xin
- Clinical Medicine Research Center, The Key Laboratory of Biological Cells of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, The Affiliated Hospital, Inner Mongolia Medical UniversityHohhot 010050, Inner Mongolia
| | - Xian-Wang Wang
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze University1 Nanhuan Road, Jingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
| | - Xiao-Chun Peng
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
| | - Ying Xiang
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
| | - Shu-Xian Fang
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhou 510095, China
| | - Zhao-Wu Ma
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
| | - Hong-Yi Xin
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Immunology Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Center for Life Sciences28 Medical Drive, #03-09, 117456, Singapore
| | - Shu-Zhong Cui
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical UniversityGuangzhou 510095, China
| | - Hong-Wu Xin
- Laboratory of Oncology, Center for Molecular Medicine, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Health Science Center, Yangtze UniversityJingzhou 434023, Hubei, China
- Lianjiang People’s HospitalGuangdong 524400, China
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Al-Zaher A, Domingo-Calap P, Sanjuán R. Experimental virus evolution in cancer cell monolayers, spheroids, and tissue explants. Virus Evol 2021; 7:veab045. [PMID: 34040797 PMCID: PMC8134955 DOI: 10.1093/ve/veab045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral laboratory evolution has been used for different applications, such as modeling viral emergence, drug-resistance prediction, and therapeutic virus optimization. However, these studies have been mainly performed in cell monolayers, a highly simplified environment, raising concerns about their applicability and relevance. To address this, we compared the evolution of a model virus in monolayers, spheroids, and tissue explants. We performed this analysis in the context of cancer virotherapy by performing serial transfers of an oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV-Δ51) in 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cells. We found that VSV-Δ51 gained fitness in each of these three culture systems, and that adaptation to the more complex environments (spheroids or explants) correlated with increased fitness in monolayers. Most evolved lines improved their ability to suppress β-interferon secretion compared to the VSV-Δ51 founder, suggesting that the selective pressure exerted by antiviral innate immunity was important in the three systems. However, system-specific patterns were also found. First, viruses evolved in monolayers remained more oncoselective that those evolved in spheroids, since the latter showed concomitant adaptation to non-tumoral mouse cells. Second, deep sequencing indicated that viral populations evolved in monolayers or explants tended to be more genetically diverse than those evolved in spheroids. Finally, we found highly variable outcomes among independent evolutionary lines propagated in explants. We conclude that experimental evolution in monolayers tends to be more reproducible than in spheroids or explants, and better preserves oncoselectivity. Our results also suggest that monolayers capture at least some relevant selective pressures present in more complex systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Al-Zaher
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, C/ Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, València 46980, Spain
| | - Pilar Domingo-Calap
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, C/ Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, València 46980, Spain
| | - Rafael Sanjuán
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology (I2SysBio), Universitat de València-CSIC, C/ Catedrático Agustín Escardino 9, València 46980, Spain
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Oncolytic Virotherapy for Cancer: Clinical Experience. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9040419. [PMID: 33924556 PMCID: PMC8069290 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9040419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses are a new class of therapeutics which are largely in the experimental stage, with just one virus approved by the FDA thus far. While the concept of oncolytic virotherapy is not new, advancements in the fields of molecular biology and virology have renewed the interest in using viruses as oncolytic agents. Backed by robust preclinical data, many oncolytic viruses have entered clinical trials. Oncolytic viruses that have completed some levels of clinical trials or are currently undergoing clinical trials are mostly genetically engineered viruses, with the exception of some RNA viruses. Reolysin, an unmodified RNA virus is clinically the most advanced oncolytic RNA virus that has completed different phases of clinical trials. Other oncolytic viruses that have been studied in clinical trials are mostly DNA viruses that belong to one of the three families: herpesviridae, poxviridae or adenoviridae. In this review work we discuss recent clinical studies with oncolytic viruses, especially herpesvirus, poxvirus, adenovirus and reovirus. In summary, the oncolytic viruses tested so far are well tolerated, even in immune-suppressed patients. For most oncolytic viruses, mild and acceptable toxicities are seen at the currently defined highest feasible doses. However, anti-tumor efficacies of oncolytic viruses have been modest, especially when used as monotherapy. Therefore, the potency of oncolytic viruses needs to be enhanced for more oncolytic viruses to hit the clinic. Aiming to achieve higher therapeutic benefits, oncolytic viruses are currently being studied in combination with other therapies. Here we discuss the currently available clinical data on oncolytic viruses, either as monotherapy or in combination with other treatments.
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Shin DH, Nguyen T, Ozpolat B, Lang F, Alonso M, Gomez-Manzano C, Fueyo J. Current strategies to circumvent the antiviral immunity to optimize cancer virotherapy. J Immunother Cancer 2021; 9:jitc-2020-002086. [PMID: 33795384 PMCID: PMC8021759 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2020-002086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer virotherapy is a paradigm-shifting treatment modality based on virus-mediated oncolysis and subsequent antitumor immune responses. Clinical trials of currently available virotherapies showed that robust antitumor immunity characterizes the remarkable and long-term responses observed in a subset of patients. These data suggest that future therapies should incorporate strategies to maximize the immunotherapeutic potential of oncolytic viruses. In this review, we highlight the recent evidence that the antiviral immunity of the patients may limit the immunotherapeutic potential of oncolytic viruses and summarize the most relevant approaches to strategically redirect the immune response away from the viruses and toward tumors to heighten the clinical impact of viro-immunotherapy platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Ho Shin
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Teresa Nguyen
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Bulent Ozpolat
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Frederick Lang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Marta Alonso
- Department of Pediatrics, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - Candelaria Gomez-Manzano
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Juan Fueyo
- Department of Neuro-Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA
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29
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Fisher K, Hazini A, Seymour LW. Tackling HLA Deficiencies Head on with Oncolytic Viruses. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:719. [PMID: 33578735 PMCID: PMC7916504 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of HLA (human leukocyte antigen) function is increasingly recognized as a common escape mechanism for cancers subject to the pressures exerted by immunosurveillance or immunotherapeutic interventions. Oncolytic viruses have the potential to counter this resistance by upregulating HLA expression or encouraging an HLA-independent immunological responses. However, to achieve the best therapeutic outcomes, a prospective understanding of the HLA phenotype of cancer patients is required to match them to the characteristics of different oncolytic strategies. Here, we consider the spectrum of immune competence observed in clinical disease and discuss how it can be best addressed using this novel and powerful treatment approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry Fisher
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK;
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30
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Bulcha JT, Wang Y, Ma H, Tai PWL, Gao G. Viral vector platforms within the gene therapy landscape. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021; 6:53. [PMID: 33558455 PMCID: PMC7868676 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-021-00487-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 468] [Impact Index Per Article: 156.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Throughout its 40-year history, the field of gene therapy has been marked by many transitions. It has seen great strides in combating human disease, has given hope to patients and families with limited treatment options, but has also been subject to many setbacks. Treatment of patients with this class of investigational drugs has resulted in severe adverse effects and, even in rare cases, death. At the heart of this dichotomous field are the viral-based vectors, the delivery vehicles that have allowed researchers and clinicians to develop powerful drug platforms, and have radically changed the face of medicine. Within the past 5 years, the gene therapy field has seen a wave of drugs based on viral vectors that have gained regulatory approval that come in a variety of designs and purposes. These modalities range from vector-based cancer therapies, to treating monogenic diseases with life-altering outcomes. At present, the three key vector strategies are based on adenoviruses, adeno-associated viruses, and lentiviruses. They have led the way in preclinical and clinical successes in the past two decades. However, despite these successes, many challenges still limit these approaches from attaining their full potential. To review the viral vector-based gene therapy landscape, we focus on these three highly regarded vector platforms and describe mechanisms of action and their roles in treating human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jote T Bulcha
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Pathophysiology, West China College of Basic medical sciences & Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Ma
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Phillip W L Tai
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- VIDE Program, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
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31
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Maemondo
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Allergy and Rheumatology, Iwate Medical University, Iwate, Japan
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Turkington CJR, Varadan AC, Grenier SF, Grasis JA. The Viral Janus: Viruses as Aetiological Agents and Treatment Options in Colorectal Cancer. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 10:601573. [PMID: 33489934 PMCID: PMC7817644 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.601573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, our understanding of the importance of microorganisms on and within our bodies has been revolutionized by the ability to characterize entire microbial communities. No more so is this true than in cases of disease. Community studies have revealed strong associations between microbial populations and disease states where such concomitance was previously absent from aetiology: including in cancers. The study of viruses, in particular, has benefited from the development of new community profiling techniques and we are now realising that their prominence within our physiology is nearly as broad as the diversity of the organisms themselves. Here, we examine the relationship between viruses and colorectal cancer (CRC), the leading cause of gastrointestinal cancer-related death worldwide. In CRC, viruses have been suggested to be involved in oncogenesis both directly, through infection of our cells, and indirectly, through modulating the composition of bacterial communities. Interestingly though, these characteristics have also led to their examination from another perspective—as options for treatment. Advances in our understanding of molecular and viral biology have caused many to look at viruses as potential modular biotherapeutics, where deleterious characteristics can be tamed and desirable characteristics exploited. In this article, we will explore both of these perspectives, covering how viral infections and involvement in microbiome dynamics may contribute to CRC, and examine ways in which viruses themselves could be harnessed to treat the very condition their contemporaries may have had a hand in creating.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ambarish C Varadan
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, United States
| | - Shea F Grenier
- Department of Biology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Juris A Grasis
- School of Natural Sciences, University of California Merced, Merced, CA, United States
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Baugh R, Khalique H, Seymour LW. Convergent Evolution by Cancer and Viruses in Evading the NKG2D Immune Response. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3827. [PMID: 33352921 PMCID: PMC7766243 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12123827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The natural killer group 2 member D (NKG2D) receptor and its family of NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs) are key components in the innate immune system, triggering NK, γδ and CD8+ T cell-mediated immune responses. While surface NKG2DL are rarely found on healthy cells, expression is significantly increased in response to various types of cellular stress, viral infection, and tumour cell transformation. In order to evade immune-mediated cytotoxicity, both pathogenic viruses and cancer cells have evolved various mechanisms of subverting immune defences and preventing NKG2DL expression. Comparisons of the mechanisms employed following virus infection or malignant transformation reveal a pattern of converging evolution at many of the key regulatory steps involved in NKG2DL expression and subsequent immune responses. Exploring ways to target these shared steps in virus- and cancer-mediated immune evasion may provide new mechanistic insights and therapeutic opportunities, for example, using oncolytic virotherapy to re-engage the innate immune system towards cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Leonard W. Seymour
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (R.B.); (H.K.)
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Flores EB, Bartee E. Decreasing the Susceptibility of Malignant Cells to Infection Does Not Impact the Overall Efficacy of Myxoma Virus-Based Oncolytic Virotherapy. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2020; 19:323-331. [PMID: 33335977 PMCID: PMC7720075 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2020.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Oncolytic virotherapy relies on the induction of anti-tumor immune responses to achieve therapeutic efficacy. The factors that influence the induction of these responses, however, are not well understood. To begin to address this lack of knowledge, we asked how decreasing the susceptibility of malignant cells to direct viral infection would impact the induction of immune responses and therapeutic efficacy caused by oncolytic myxoma virus treatment. To accomplish this, we used CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing to remove the essential sulfation enzyme N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase-1 from B16/F10 murine melanoma cells. This eliminates the negative cell surface charges associated with glycosaminoglycan sulfation, which reduces a cell’s susceptibility to infection with the myxoma virus by ∼3- to 10-fold. With the use of these cells as a model of reduced susceptibility to oncolytic infection, our data demonstrate that 3- to 10-fold reductions in in vivo infection do not hinder the ability of the oncolytic myxoma virus to induce anti-tumor immunity and do not lower the overall efficacy of localized treatment. Additionally, our data show that in mice bearing multiple distinct tumor masses, the choice to treat a less-susceptible tumor mass does not reduce the overall therapeutic impact against either the injected or noninjected lesion. Taken together, these data suggest that minor changes in the susceptibility of malignant cells to direct oncolytic infection do not necessarily influence the overall outcomes of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica B. Flores
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Eric Bartee
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- Corresponding author: Eric Bartee, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Molecular Medicine, Room 309A, Cancer Research Facility, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
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Hwang JK, Hong J, Yun CO. Oncolytic Viruses and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Preclinical Developments to Clinical Trials. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8627. [PMID: 33207653 PMCID: PMC7697902 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Immuno-oncology (IO) has been an active area of oncology research. Following US FDA approval of the first immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI), ipilimumab (human IgG1 k anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody), in 2011, and of the first oncolytic virus, Imlygic (talimogene laherparepvec), in 2015, there has been renewed interest in IO. In the past decade, ICIs have changed the treatment paradigm for many cancers by enabling better therapeutic control, resuming immune surveillance, suppressing tumor immunosuppression, and restoring antitumor immune function. However, ICI therapies are effective only in a small subset of patients and show limited therapeutic potential due to their inability to demonstrate efficacy in 'cold' or unresponsive tumor microenvironments (TMEs). Relatedly, oncolytic viruses (OVs) have been shown to induce antitumor immune responses, augment the efficacy of existing cancer treatments, and reform unresponsive TME to turn 'cold' tumors 'hot,' increasing their susceptibility to checkpoint blockade immunotherapies. For this reason, OVs serve as ideal complements to ICIs, and multiple preclinical studies and clinical trials are demonstrating their combined therapeutic efficacy. This review will discuss the merits and limitations of OVs and ICIs as monotherapy then progress onto the preclinical rationale and the results of clinical trials of key combination therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- June Kyu Hwang
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea; (J.K.H.); (J.H.)
| | - JinWoo Hong
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea; (J.K.H.); (J.H.)
- GeneMedicine Co., Ltd., 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea
| | - Chae-Ok Yun
- Department of Bioengineering, College of Engineering, Hanyang University, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea; (J.K.H.); (J.H.)
- GeneMedicine Co., Ltd., 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea
- Institute of Nano Science and Technology, 222 Wangsimni-ro, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04763, Korea
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Oncolytic Adenovirus in Cancer Immunotherapy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12113354. [PMID: 33202717 PMCID: PMC7697649 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor-selective replicating "oncolytic" viruses are novel and promising tools for immunotherapy of cancer. However, despite their first success in clinical trials, previous experience suggests that currently used oncolytic virus monotherapies will not be effective enough to achieve complete tumor responses and long-term cure in a broad spectrum of cancers. Nevertheless, there are reasonable arguments that suggest advanced oncolytic viruses will play an essential role as enablers of multi-stage immunotherapies including established systemic immunotherapies. Oncolytic adenoviruses (oAds) display several features to meet this therapeutic need. oAds potently lyse infected tumor cells and induce a strong immunogenic cell death associated with tumor inflammation and induction of antitumor immune responses. Furthermore, established and versatile platforms of oAds exist, which are well suited for the incorporation of heterologous genes to optimally exploit and amplify the immunostimulatory effect of viral oncolysis. A considerable spectrum of functional genes has already been integrated in oAds to optimize particular aspects of immune stimulation including antigen presentation, T cell priming, engagement of additional effector functions, and interference with immunosuppression. These advanced concepts have the potential to play a promising future role as enablers of multi-stage immunotherapies involving adoptive cell transfer and systemic immunotherapies.
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Cunliffe TG, Bates EA, Parker AL. Hitting the Target but Missing the Point: Recent Progress towards Adenovirus-Based Precision Virotherapies. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E3327. [PMID: 33187160 PMCID: PMC7696810 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12113327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
More people are surviving longer with cancer. Whilst this can be partially attributed to advances in early detection of cancers, there is little doubt that the improvement in survival statistics is also due to the expansion in the spectrum of treatments available for efficacious treatment. Transformative amongst those are immunotherapies, which have proven effective agents for treating immunogenic forms of cancer, although immunologically "cold" tumour types remain refractive. Oncolytic viruses, such as those based on adenovirus, have great potential as anti-cancer agents and have seen a resurgence of interest in recent years. Amongst their many advantages is their ability to induce immunogenic cell death (ICD) of infected tumour cells, thus providing the alluring potential to synergise with immunotherapies by turning immunologically "cold" tumours "hot". Additionally, enhanced immune mediated cell killing can be promoted through the local overexpression of immunological transgenes, encoded from within the engineered viral genome. To achieve this full potential requires the development of refined, tumour selective "precision virotherapies" that are extensively engineered to prevent off-target up take via native routes of infection and targeted to infect and replicate uniquely within malignantly transformed cells. Here, we review the latest advances towards this holy grail within the adenoviral field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alan L. Parker
- Division of Cancer and Genetics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4XN, UK; (T.G.C.); (E.A.B.)
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Hemminki O, Dos Santos JM, Hemminki A. Oncolytic viruses for cancer immunotherapy. J Hematol Oncol 2020; 13:84. [PMID: 32600470 PMCID: PMC7325106 DOI: 10.1186/s13045-020-00922-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the use of oncolytic viruses in cancer immunotherapy treatments in general, with a particular focus on adenoviruses. These serve as a model to elucidate how versatile viruses are, and how they can be used to complement other cancer therapies to gain optimal patient benefits. Historical reports from over a hundred years suggest treatment efficacy and safety with adenovirus and other oncolytic viruses. This is confirmed in more contemporary patient series and multiple clinical trials. Yet, while the first viruses have already been granted approval from several regulatory authorities, room for improvement remains. As good safety and tolerability have been seen, the oncolytic virus field has now moved on to increase efficacy in a wide array of approaches. Adding different immunomodulatory transgenes to the viruses is one strategy gaining momentum. Immunostimulatory molecules can thus be produced at the tumor with reduced systemic side effects. On the other hand, preclinical work suggests additive or synergistic effects with conventional treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In addition, the newly introduced checkpoint inhibitors and other immunomodulatory drugs could make perfect companions to oncolytic viruses. Especially tumors that seem not to be recognized by the immune system can be made immunogenic by oncolytic viruses. Logically, the combination with checkpoint inhibitors is being evaluated in ongoing trials. Another promising avenue is modulating the tumor microenvironment with oncolytic viruses to allow T cell therapies to work in solid tumors. Oncolytic viruses could be the next remarkable wave in cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Otto Hemminki
- Division of Urologic Oncology, Department of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. .,Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. .,Department of Urology, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - João Manuel Dos Santos
- Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Akseli Hemminki
- Cancer Gene Therapy Group, Translational Immunology Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. .,TILT Biotherapeutics Ltd, Helsinki, Finland. .,Helsinki University Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Center, Helsinki, Finland.
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O’Cathail SM, Davis S, Holmes J, Brown R, Fisher K, Seymour L, Adams R, Good J, Sebag-Montefiore D, Maughan T, Hawkins MA. A phase 1 trial of the safety, tolerability and biological effects of intravenous Enadenotucirev, a novel oncolytic virus, in combination with chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer (CEDAR). Radiat Oncol 2020; 15:151. [PMID: 32532291 PMCID: PMC7291514 DOI: 10.1186/s13014-020-01593-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chemoradiotherapy remains the standard of care for locally advanced rectal cancer. Efforts to intensify treatment and increase response rates have yet to yield practice changing results due to increased toxicity and/or absence of increased radiosensitization. Enadenotucirev (EnAd) is a tumour selective, oncolytic adenovirus which can be given intravenously. Pre-clinical evidence of synergy with radiation warrants further clinical testing and assessment of safety with radiation. METHODS Eligibility include histology confirmed locally advanced rectal cancer that require chemoradiation. The trial will use a Time-to-Event Continual Reassessment Model-based (TiTE-CRM) approach using toxicity and efficacy as co-primary endpoints to recommend the optimal dose and treatment schedule 30 patients will be recruited. Secondary endpoints include pathological complete response the neoadjuvant rectal score. A translational program will be based on a mandatory biopsy during the second week of treatment for 'proof-of-concept' and exploration of mechanism. The trial opened to recruitment in July 2019, at an expected rate of 1 per month for up to 4 years. DISCUSSION Chemoradiation with Enadenotucirev as a radiosensitiser in locally Advanced Rectal cancer (CEDAR) is a prospective multicentre study testing a new paradigm in radiosensitization in rectal cancer. The unique ability of EnAd to selectively infect tumour cells following intravenous delivery is an exciting opportunity with a clear translational goal. The novel statistical design will make efficient use of both toxicity and efficacy data to inform subsequent studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT03916510. Registered 16th April 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Séan M. O’Cathail
- Oxford Institute of Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LE UK
| | - Steven Davis
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LE UK
| | - Jane Holmes
- Centre for Statistical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LE UK
| | - Richard Brown
- PsiOxus Therapeutics, Barton Lane, Abingdon, OX14 3YS UK
| | - Kerry Fisher
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LE UK
| | - Leonard Seymour
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LE UK
| | | | - James Good
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2GW UK
| | | | - Tim Maughan
- Oxford Institute of Radiation Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7LE UK
| | - Maria A. Hawkins
- Department of Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, Oxford, UK
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40
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Barry MA, Rubin JD, Lu SC. Retargeting adenoviruses for therapeutic applications and vaccines. FEBS Lett 2020; 594:1918-1946. [PMID: 31944286 PMCID: PMC7311308 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Adenoviruses (Ads) are robust vectors for therapeutic applications and vaccines, but their use can be limited by differences in their in vitro and in vivo pharmacologies. This review emphasizes that there is not just one Ad, but a whole virome of diverse viruses that can be used as therapeutics. It discusses that true vector targeting involves not only retargeting viruses, but importantly also detargeting the viruses from off-target cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Barry
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Immunology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Rubin
- Virology and Gene Therapy Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Shao-Chia Lu
- Virology and Gene Therapy Graduate Program, Mayo Graduate School, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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41
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Chiu M, Armstrong EJL, Jennings V, Foo S, Crespo-Rodriguez E, Bozhanova G, Patin EC, McLaughlin M, Mansfield D, Baker G, Grove L, Pedersen M, Kyula J, Roulstone V, Wilkins A, McDonald F, Harrington K, Melcher A. Combination therapy with oncolytic viruses and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2020; 20:635-652. [PMID: 32067509 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2020.1729351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have dramatically improved the outcome for cancer patients across multiple tumor types. However the response rates to ICI monotherapy remain relatively low, in part due to some tumors cultivating an inherently 'cold' immune microenvironment. Oncolytic viruses (OV) have the capability to promote a 'hotter' immune microenvironment which can improve the efficacy of ICI.Areas covered: In this article we conducted a literature search through Pubmed/Medline to identify relevant articles in both the pre-clinical and clinical settings for combining OVs with ICIs and discuss the impact of this approach on treatment as well as changes within the tumor microenvironment. We also explore the future directions of this novel combination strategy.Expert opinion: The imminent results of the Phase 3 study combining pembrolizumab with or without T-Vec injection are eagerly awaited. OV/ICI combinations remain one of the most promising avenues to explore in the success of cancer immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Chiu
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Edward John Lloyd Armstrong
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Vicki Jennings
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Shane Foo
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Eva Crespo-Rodriguez
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Galabina Bozhanova
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | | | - Martin McLaughlin
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - David Mansfield
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Gabriella Baker
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Lorna Grove
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Malin Pedersen
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Joan Kyula
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Victoria Roulstone
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - Anna Wilkins
- Tumour Cell Biology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | | | - Kevin Harrington
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Alan Melcher
- Division of Radiotherapy and Imaging, The Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
- The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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Ricobaraza A, Gonzalez-Aparicio M, Mora-Jimenez L, Lumbreras S, Hernandez-Alcoceba R. High-Capacity Adenoviral Vectors: Expanding the Scope of Gene Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21103643. [PMID: 32455640 PMCID: PMC7279171 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21103643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptation of adenoviruses as gene delivery tools has resulted in the development of high-capacity adenoviral vectors (HC-AdVs), also known, helper-dependent or “gutless”. Compared with earlier generations (E1/E3-deleted vectors), HC-AdVs retain relevant features such as genetic stability, remarkable efficacy of in vivo transduction, and production at high titers. More importantly, the lack of viral coding sequences in the genomes of HC-AdVs extends the cloning capacity up to 37 Kb, and allows long-term episomal persistence of transgenes in non-dividing cells. These properties open a wide repertoire of therapeutic opportunities in the fields of gene supplementation and gene correction, which have been explored at the preclinical level over the past two decades. During this time, production methods have been optimized to obtain the yield, purity, and reliability required for clinical implementation. Better understanding of inflammatory responses and the implementation of methods to control them have increased the safety of these vectors. We will review the most significant achievements that are turning an interesting research tool into a sound vector platform, which could contribute to overcome current limitations in the gene therapy field.
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Expanding the Spectrum of Adenoviral Vectors for Cancer Therapy. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051139. [PMID: 32370135 PMCID: PMC7281331 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Adenoviral vectors (AdVs) have attracted much attention in the fields of vaccine development and treatment for diseases such as genetic disorders and cancer. In this review, we discuss the utility of AdVs in cancer therapies. In recent years, AdVs were modified as oncolytic AdVs (OAs) that possess the characteristics of cancer cell-specific replication and killing. Different carriers such as diverse cells and extracellular vesicles are being explored for delivering OAs into cancer sites after systemic administration. In addition, there are also various strategies to improve cancer-specific replication of OAs, mainly through modifying the early region 1 (E1) of the virus genome. It has been documented that oncolytic viruses (OVs) function through stimulating the immune system, resulting in the inhibition of cancer progression and, in combination with classical immune modulators, the anti-cancer effect of OAs can be even further enforced. To enhance the cancer treatment efficacy, OAs are also combined with other standard treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Adenovirus type 5 (Ad5) has mainly been explored to develop vectors for cancer treatment with different modulations. Only a limited number of the more than 100 identified AdV types were converted into OAs and, therefore, the construction of an adenovirus library for the screening of potential novel OA candidates is essential. Here, we provide a state-of-the-art overview of currently performed and completed clinic trials with OAs and an adenovirus library, providing novel possibilities for developing innovative adenoviral vectors for cancer treatment.
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Yousaf I, Kaeppler J, Frost S, Seymour LW, Jacobus EJ. Attenuation of the Hypoxia Inducible Factor Pathway after Oncolytic Adenovirus Infection Coincides with Decreased Vessel Perfusion. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E851. [PMID: 32244697 PMCID: PMC7225929 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12040851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The interplay between oncolytic virus infection and tumour hypoxia is particularly unexplored in vivo, although hypoxia is present in virtually all solid carcinomas. In this study, oncolytic adenovirus infection foci were found within pimonidazole-reactive, oxygen-poor areas in a colorectal xenograft tumour, where the expression of VEGF, a target gene of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), was attenuated. We hypothesised that adenovirus infection interferes with the HIF-signalling axis in the hypoxic tumour niche, possibly modifying the local vascular supply. In vitro, enadenotucirev (EnAd), adenovirus 11p and adenovirus 5 decreased the protein expression of HIF-1α only during the late phase of the viral life cycle by transcriptional down-regulation and not post-translational regulation. The decreasing HIF levels resulted in the down-regulation of angiogenic factors such as VEGF, coinciding with reduced endothelial tube formation but also increased T-cell activation in conditioned media transfer experiments. Using intravital microscopy, a decreased perfused vessel volume was observed in infected tumour nodules upon systemic delivery of EnAd, encoding the oxygen-independent fluorescent reporter UnaG to a tumour xenograft grown under an abdominal window chamber. We conclude that the attenuation of the HIF pathway upon adenoviral infection may contribute to anti-vascular and immunostimulatory effects in the periphery of established infection foci in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Yousaf
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (I.Y.); (S.F.)
| | - Jakob Kaeppler
- Mechanisms of Metastasis Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK;
| | - Sally Frost
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (I.Y.); (S.F.)
| | - Len W. Seymour
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (I.Y.); (S.F.)
| | - Egon J. Jacobus
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (I.Y.); (S.F.)
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Leung EY, Ennis DP, Kennedy PR, Hansell C, Dowson S, Farquharson M, Spiliopoulou P, Nautiyal J, McNamara S, Carlin LM, Fisher K, Davis DM, Graham G, McNeish IA. NK Cells Augment Oncolytic Adenovirus Cytotoxicity in Ovarian Cancer. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2020; 16:289-301. [PMID: 32195317 PMCID: PMC7068056 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2020.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses (OVs) can trigger profound innate and adaptive immune responses, which have the potential both to potentiate and reduce the activity of OVs. Natural killer (NK) cells can mediate potent anti-viral and anti-tumoral responses, but there are no data on the role of NK cells in oncolytic adenovirus activity. Here, we have used two different oncolytic adenoviruses-the Ad5 E1A CR2-deletion mutant dl922-947 (group C) and the chimeric Ad3/Ad11p mutant enadenotucirev (group B)-to investigate the effect of NK cells on overall anti-cancer efficacy in ovarian cancer. Because human adenoviruses do not replicate in murine cells, we utilized primary human NK cells from peripheral blood and ovarian cancer ascites. Our results show that dl922-947 and enadenotucirev do not infect NK cells, but induce contact-dependent activation and anti-cancer cytotoxicity against adenovirus-infected ovarian cancer cells. Moreover, manipulation of NK receptors DNAM-1 (DNAX accessory molecule-1) and TIGIT (T cell immunoreceptor with Ig and ITIM domains) significantly influences NK cytotoxicity against adenovirus-infected cells. Together, these results indicate that NK cells act to increase the activity of oncolytic adenovirus in ovarian cancer and suggest that strategies to augment NK activity further via the blockade of inhibitory NK receptor TIGIT could enhance therapeutic potential of OVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Y.L. Leung
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Institute of Infection, Inflammation and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Darren P. Ennis
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre and Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Philippa R. Kennedy
- Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Christopher Hansell
- Institute of Infection, Inflammation and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Suzanne Dowson
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Pavlina Spiliopoulou
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre and Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Jaya Nautiyal
- Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre and Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Sophie McNamara
- Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre and Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London, UK
| | | | | | - Daniel M. Davis
- Manchester Collaborative Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Gerard Graham
- Institute of Infection, Inflammation and Immunity, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Iain A. McNeish
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre and Division of Cancer, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College, London, UK
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46
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Pokrovska TD, Jacobus EJ, Puliyadi R, Prevo R, Frost S, Dyer A, Baugh R, Rodriguez-Berriguete G, Fisher K, Granata G, Herbert K, Taverner WK, Champion BR, Higgins GS, Seymour LW, Lei-Rossmann J. External Beam Radiation Therapy and Enadenotucirev: Inhibition of the DDR and Mechanisms of Radiation-Mediated Virus Increase. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:E798. [PMID: 32224979 PMCID: PMC7226394 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12040798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ionising radiation causes cell death through the induction of DNA damage, particularly double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) breaks. Evidence suggests that adenoviruses inhibit proteins involved in the DNA damage response (DDR) to prevent recognition of double-stranded viral DNA genomes as cellular dsDNA breaks. We hypothesise that combining adenovirus treatment with radiotherapy has the potential for enhancing tumour-specific cytotoxicity through inhibition of the DDR and augmentation of virus production. We show that EnAd, an Ad3/Ad11p chimeric oncolytic adenovirus currently being trialled in colorectal and other cancers, targets the DDR pathway at a number of junctures. Infection is associated with a decrease in irradiation-induced 53BP1 and Rad51 foci formation, and in total DNA ligase IV levels. We also demonstrate a radiation-associated increase in EnAd production in vitro and in a pilot in vivo experiment. Given the current limitations of in vitro techniques in assessing for synergy between these treatments, we adapted the plaque assay to allow monitoring of viral plaque size and growth and utilised the xCELLigence cell adhesion assay to measure cytotoxicity. Our study provides further evidence on the interaction between adenovirus and radiation in vitro and in vivo and suggests these have at least an additive, and possibly a synergistic, impact on cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzveta D. Pokrovska
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (T.D.P.); (E.J.J.); (S.F.); (A.D.); (R.B.); (K.F.); (W.K.T.); (J.L.-R.)
| | - Egon J. Jacobus
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (T.D.P.); (E.J.J.); (S.F.); (A.D.); (R.B.); (K.F.); (W.K.T.); (J.L.-R.)
| | - Rathi Puliyadi
- Tumour Radiosensitivity Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (R.P.); (R.P.); (G.R.-B.); (G.G.); (K.H.); (G.S.H.)
| | - Remko Prevo
- Tumour Radiosensitivity Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (R.P.); (R.P.); (G.R.-B.); (G.G.); (K.H.); (G.S.H.)
| | - Sally Frost
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (T.D.P.); (E.J.J.); (S.F.); (A.D.); (R.B.); (K.F.); (W.K.T.); (J.L.-R.)
| | - Arthur Dyer
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (T.D.P.); (E.J.J.); (S.F.); (A.D.); (R.B.); (K.F.); (W.K.T.); (J.L.-R.)
| | - Richard Baugh
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (T.D.P.); (E.J.J.); (S.F.); (A.D.); (R.B.); (K.F.); (W.K.T.); (J.L.-R.)
| | - Gonzalo Rodriguez-Berriguete
- Tumour Radiosensitivity Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (R.P.); (R.P.); (G.R.-B.); (G.G.); (K.H.); (G.S.H.)
| | - Kerry Fisher
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (T.D.P.); (E.J.J.); (S.F.); (A.D.); (R.B.); (K.F.); (W.K.T.); (J.L.-R.)
- PsiOxus Therapeutics Ltd., Abingdon OX14 3YS, UK;
| | - Giovanna Granata
- Tumour Radiosensitivity Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (R.P.); (R.P.); (G.R.-B.); (G.G.); (K.H.); (G.S.H.)
| | - Katharine Herbert
- Tumour Radiosensitivity Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (R.P.); (R.P.); (G.R.-B.); (G.G.); (K.H.); (G.S.H.)
| | - William K. Taverner
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (T.D.P.); (E.J.J.); (S.F.); (A.D.); (R.B.); (K.F.); (W.K.T.); (J.L.-R.)
| | | | - Geoff S. Higgins
- Tumour Radiosensitivity Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (R.P.); (R.P.); (G.R.-B.); (G.G.); (K.H.); (G.S.H.)
| | - Len W. Seymour
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (T.D.P.); (E.J.J.); (S.F.); (A.D.); (R.B.); (K.F.); (W.K.T.); (J.L.-R.)
| | - Janet Lei-Rossmann
- Anticancer Viruses and Cancer Vaccines Research Group, Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK; (T.D.P.); (E.J.J.); (S.F.); (A.D.); (R.B.); (K.F.); (W.K.T.); (J.L.-R.)
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47
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Leber MF, Hoyler B, Prien S, Neault S, Engeland CE, Förster JM, Bossow S, Springfeld C, von Kalle C, Jäger D, Bell JC, Ungerechts G. Sequencing of serially passaged measles virus affirms its genomic stability and reveals a nonrandom distribution of consensus mutations. J Gen Virol 2020; 101:399-409. [PMID: 32053093 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic virotherapy is an emerging treatment option for numerous cancers, with several virus families currently being evaluated in clinical trials. More specifically, vaccine-strain measles virus has arisen as a promising candidate for the treatment of different tumour types in several early clinical trials. Replicating viruses, and especially RNA viruses without proofreading polymerases, can rapidly adapt to varying environments by selecting quasispecies with advantageous genetic mutations. Subsequently, these genetic alterations could potentially weaken the safety profile of virotherapy. In this study, we demonstrate that, following an extended period of virus replication in producer or cancer cell lines, the quasispecies consensus sequence of vaccine strain-derived measles virus accrues a remarkably small number of mutations throughout the nonsegmented negative-stranded RNA genome. Interestingly, we detected a nonrandom distribution of genetic alterations within the genome, with an overall decreasing frequency of mutations from the 3' genome start to its 5' end. Comparing the serially passaged viruses to the parental virus on producer cells, we found that the acquired consensus mutations did not drastically change viral replication kinetics or cytolytic potency. Collectively, our data corroborate the genomic stability and excellent safety profile of oncolytic measles virus, thus supporting its continued development and clinical translation as a promising viro-immunotherapeutic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Felix Leber
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Clinical Cooperation Unit Virotherapy, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Cancer Therapeutics Program, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Birgit Hoyler
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Clinical Cooperation Unit Virotherapy, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Stefanie Prien
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Clinical Cooperation Unit Virotherapy, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Serge Neault
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Cancer Therapeutics Program, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Christine E Engeland
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Clinical Cooperation Unit Virotherapy, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Judith M Förster
- Heidelberg University, Faculty of Biosciences, Im Neuenheimer Feld 234, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Clinical Cooperation Unit Virotherapy, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sascha Bossow
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Springfeld
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christof von Kalle
- Sidra Medical and Research Center, Al Luqta Street, Education City, North Campus, 26999, Doha, Qatar.,Berlin Institute of Health and Charité, Universitätsmedizin, Anna-Louisa-Karsch-Straße 2, 10178 Berlin, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Division of Translational Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dirk Jäger
- Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - John C Bell
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Cancer Therapeutics Program, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Guy Ungerechts
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Cancer Therapeutics Program, 501 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L6, Canada.,Heidelberg University Hospital, Department of Medical Oncology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 460, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Clinical Cooperation Unit Virotherapy, Im Neuenheimer Feld 280, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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48
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Experimental Evolution Generates Novel Oncolytic Vesicular Stomatitis Viruses with Improved Replication in Virus-Resistant Pancreatic Cancer Cells. J Virol 2020; 94:JVI.01643-19. [PMID: 31694943 PMCID: PMC7000975 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01643-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based oncolytic viruses are promising agents against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, some PDAC cell lines are resistant to VSV. Here, using a directed viral evolution approach, we generated novel oncolytic VSVs with an improved ability to replicate in virus-resistant PDAC cell lines, while remaining highly attenuated in nonmalignant cells. Two independently evolved VSVs obtained 2 identical VSV glycoprotein mutations, K174E and E238K. Additional experiments indicated that these acquired G mutations improved VSV replication, at least in part due to improved virus attachment to SUIT-2 cells. Importantly, no deletions or mutations were found in the virus-carried transgenes in any of the passaged viruses. Our findings demonstrate long-term genomic stability of complex VSV recombinants carrying large transgenes and support further clinical development of oncolytic VSV recombinants as safe therapeutics for cancer. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) based oncolytic viruses are promising agents against various cancers. We have shown that pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell lines exhibit great diversity in susceptibility and permissibility to VSV. Here, using a directed evolution approach with our two previously described oncolytic VSV recombinants, VSV-p53wt and VSV-p53-CC, we generated novel oncolytic VSVs with an improved ability to replicate in virus-resistant PDAC cell lines. VSV-p53wt and VSV-p53-CC encode a VSV matrix protein (M) with a ΔM51 mutation (M-ΔM51) and one of two versions of a functional human tumor suppressor, p53, fused to a far-red fluorescent protein, eqFP650. Each virus was serially passaged 32 times (which accounts for more than 60 viral replication cycles) on either the SUIT-2 (moderately resistant to VSV) or MIA PaCa-2 (highly permissive to VSV) human PDAC cell lines. While no phenotypic changes were observed for MIA PaCa-2-passaged viruses, both SUIT-2-passaged VSV-p53wt and VSV-p53-CC showed improved replication in SUIT-2 and AsPC-1, another human PDAC cell line also moderately resistant to VSV, while remaining highly attenuated in nonmalignant cells. Surprisingly, two identical VSV glycoprotein (VSV-G) mutations, K174E and E238K, were identified in both SUIT-2-passaged viruses. Additional experiments indicated that the acquired G mutations improved VSV replication, at least in part due to improved virus attachment to SUIT-2 cells. Importantly, no mutations were found in the M-ΔM51 protein, and no deletions or mutations were found in the p53 or eqFP650 portions of virus-carried transgenes in any of the passaged viruses, demonstrating long-term genomic stability of complex VSV recombinants carrying large transgenes. IMPORTANCE Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based oncolytic viruses are promising agents against pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). However, some PDAC cell lines are resistant to VSV. Here, using a directed viral evolution approach, we generated novel oncolytic VSVs with an improved ability to replicate in virus-resistant PDAC cell lines, while remaining highly attenuated in nonmalignant cells. Two independently evolved VSVs obtained 2 identical VSV glycoprotein mutations, K174E and E238K. Additional experiments indicated that these acquired G mutations improved VSV replication, at least in part due to improved virus attachment to SUIT-2 cells. Importantly, no deletions or mutations were found in the virus-carried transgenes in any of the passaged viruses. Our findings demonstrate long-term genomic stability of complex VSV recombinants carrying large transgenes and support further clinical development of oncolytic VSV recombinants as safe therapeutics for cancer.
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49
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Taverner WK, Jacobus EJ, Christianson J, Champion B, Paton AW, Paton JC, Su W, Cawood R, Seymour LW, Lei-Rossmann J. Calcium Influx Caused by ER Stress Inducers Enhances Oncolytic Adenovirus Enadenotucirev Replication and Killing through PKCα Activation. Mol Ther Oncolytics 2019; 15:117-130. [PMID: 31890865 PMCID: PMC6931121 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses represent an emerging approach to cancer therapy. However, better understanding of their interaction with the host cancer cell and approaches to enhance their efficacy are needed. Here, we investigate the effect of chemically induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress on the activity of the chimeric group B adenovirus Enadenotucirev, its closely related parental virus Ad11p, and the archetypal group C oncolytic adenovirus Ad5. We show that treatment of colorectal and ovarian cancer cell lines with thapsigargin or ionomycin caused an influx of Ca2+, leading to an upregulation in E1A transcript and protein levels. Increased E1A protein levels, in turn, increased levels of expression of the E2B viral DNA polymerase, genome replication, late viral protein expression, infectious virus particle production, and cell killing during Enadenotucirev and Ad11p, but not Ad5, infection. This effect was not due to the induction of ER stress, but rather the influx of extracellular Ca2+ and consequent increase in protein kinase C activity. These results underscore the importance of Ca2+ homeostasis during adenoviral infection, indicate a signaling pathway between protein kinase C and E1A, and raise the possibility of using Ca2+ flux-modulating agents in the manufacture and potentiation of oncolytic virotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- William K. Taverner
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Egon J. Jacobus
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - John Christianson
- NDORMS, Botnar Research Centre, University of Oxford, Headington, Oxford OX3 7LD, UK
| | - Brian Champion
- PsiOxus Therapeutics, Ltd., Milton Park, Abingdon OX14 3YS, UK
| | - Adrienne W. Paton
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5005, Australia
| | - James C. Paton
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, Department of Molecular and Biomedical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide SA 5005, Australia
| | - Weiheng Su
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Ryan Cawood
- Oxford Genetics Ltd., Medawar Centre, Robert Robinson Avenue, Oxford OX4 4HG, UK
| | - Len W. Seymour
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Janet Lei-Rossmann
- Department of Oncology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
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50
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Gao J, Mese K, Bunz O, Ehrhardt A. State‐of‐the‐art human adenovirus vectorology for therapeutic approaches. FEBS Lett 2019; 593:3609-3622. [DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.13691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 11/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Gao
- Faculty of Health Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF) School of Human Medicine Institute of Virology and Microbiology Witten/Herdecke University Germany
| | - Kemal Mese
- Faculty of Health Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF) School of Human Medicine Institute of Virology and Microbiology Witten/Herdecke University Germany
| | - Oskar Bunz
- Faculty of Health Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF) School of Human Medicine Institute of Virology and Microbiology Witten/Herdecke University Germany
| | - Anja Ehrhardt
- Faculty of Health Centre for Biomedical Education and Research (ZBAF) School of Human Medicine Institute of Virology and Microbiology Witten/Herdecke University Germany
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