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Victorio CBL, Novera W, Ganasarajah A, Ong J, Thomas M, Wu J, Toh HSY, Sun AX, Ooi EE, Chacko AM. Repurposing of Zika virus live-attenuated vaccine (ZIKV-LAV) strains as oncolytic viruses targeting human glioblastoma multiforme cells. J Transl Med 2024; 22:126. [PMID: 38308299 PMCID: PMC10835997 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-04930-4] [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: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common malignant primary brain cancer affecting the adult population. Median overall survival for GBM patients is poor (15 months), primarily due to high rates of tumour recurrence and the paucity of treatment options. Oncolytic virotherapy is a promising treatment alternative for GBM patients, where engineered viruses selectively infect and eradicate cancer cells by inducing cell lysis and eliciting robust anti-tumour immune response. In this study, we evaluated the oncolytic potency of live-attenuated vaccine strains of Zika virus (ZIKV-LAV) against human GBM cells in vitro. Our findings revealed that Axl and integrin αvβ5 function as cellular receptors mediating ZIKV-LAV infection in GBM cells. ZIKV-LAV strains productively infected and lysed human GBM cells but not primary endothelia and terminally differentiated neurons. Upon infection, ZIKV-LAV mediated GBM cell death via apoptosis and pyroptosis. This is the first in-depth molecular dissection of how oncolytic ZIKV infects and induces death in tumour cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Bianca Luena Victorio
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore, 169857.
| | - Wisna Novera
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore, 169857
| | - Arun Ganasarajah
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore, 169857
| | - Joanne Ong
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore, 169857
| | - Melisyaa Thomas
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore, 169857
| | - Jonas Wu
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore, 169857
| | - Hilary Si Yin Toh
- Laboratory of Human Neural Models, Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore, 169857
| | - Alfred Xuyang Sun
- Laboratory of Human Neural Models, Neuroscience and Behavioural Disorders Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore, 169857
| | - Eng Eong Ooi
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Disease, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore, 169857
| | - Ann-Marie Chacko
- Laboratory for Translational and Molecular Imaging, Cancer and Stem Cell Biology Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore, 169857.
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Research, National Cancer Centre, Singapore, Singapore, 169610.
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Mazar J, Brooks JK, Peloquin M, Rosario R, Sutton E, Longo M, Drehner D, Westmoreland TJ. The Oncolytic Activity of Zika Viral Therapy in Human Neuroblastoma In Vivo Models Confers a Major Survival Advantage in a CD24-dependent Manner. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2024; 4:65-80. [PMID: 38214542 PMCID: PMC10775766 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-23-0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial tumor, accounting for 15% of all childhood cancer-related deaths. The long-term survival of patients with high-risk tumors is less than 40%, and MYCN amplification is one of the most common indicators of poor outcomes. Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus associated with mild constitutional symptoms outside the fetal period. Our published data showed that high-risk and recurrent neuroblastoma cells are permissive to ZIKV infection, resulting in cell type-specific lysis. In this study, we assessed the efficacy of ZIKV as an oncolytic treatment for high-risk neuroblastoma using in vivo tumor models. Utilizing both MYCN-amplified and non-amplified models, we demonstrated that the application of ZIKV had a rapid tumoricidal effect. This led to a nearly total loss of the tumor mass without evidence of recurrence, offering a robust survival advantage to the host. Detection of the viral NS1 protein within the tumors confirmed that a permissive infection preceded tissue necrosis. Despite robust titers within the tumor, viral shedding to the host was poor and diminished rapidly, correlating with no detectable side effects to the murine host. Assessments from both primary pretreatment and recurrent posttreatment isolates confirmed that permissive sensitivity to ZIKV killing was dependent on the expression of CD24, which was highly expressed in neuroblastomas and conferred a proliferative advantage to tumor growth. Exploiting this viral sensitivity to CD24 offers the possibility of its use as a prognostic target for a broad population of expressing cancers, many of which have shown resistance to current clinical therapies. SIGNIFICANCE Sensitivity to the tumoricidal effect of ZIKV on high-risk neuroblastoma tumors is dependent on CD24 expression, offering a prognostic marker for this oncolytic therapy in an extensive array of CD24-expressing cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Mazar
- Nemours Children's Hospital, Nemours Parkway, Orlando, Florida
- Burnett School of Biological Sciences, The University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida
| | | | | | - Rosa Rosario
- Nemours Children's Hospital, Nemours Parkway, Orlando, Florida
| | - Emma Sutton
- Nemours Children's Hospital, Nemours Parkway, Orlando, Florida
| | - Matthew Longo
- Nemours Children's Hospital, Nemours Parkway, Orlando, Florida
- Burnett School of Biological Sciences, The University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida
| | - Dennis Drehner
- Nemours Children's Hospital, Nemours Parkway, Orlando, Florida
| | - Tamarah J. Westmoreland
- Nemours Children's Hospital, Nemours Parkway, Orlando, Florida
- Burnett School of Biological Sciences, The University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida
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3
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Zhou C, Chen Q, Chen Y, Qin CF. Oncolytic Zika Virus: New Option for Glioblastoma Treatment. DNA Cell Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1089/dna.2022.0375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease, Department of Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease, Department of Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Cheng-Feng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
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4
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Gospel of malignant Glioma: Oncolytic virus therapy. Gene 2022; 818:146217. [PMID: 35093451 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Glioma accounts for nearly 80% of all intracranial malignant tumors. It is a major challenge to society as it is causes to impaired brain function in many patients. Currently, gliomas are mainly treated with surgery, postoperative radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, the curative effects of these treatments are not satisfactory. Oncolytic virus (OV) is a novel treatment which works by activating the immune functions and inducing apoptosis of tumor cells. The OV propagates indefinitely in the host cell, eventually leading to the death of host cell. Subsequently, a large number of antigens and signal molecules are released which exert antitumor immunity. Several preclinical and clinical studies have shown that G207, DNX2401, Zika and other viruses have important roles in malignant tumors. For example, these viruses can reduce the growth of tumor cells without causing severe complications. However, the known OVs have not been clearly classified. Herein, we divided OVs into neurotropic and non-neurophilic OVs based on whether the OVs are naturally neurotropic or not. The therapeutic effects of each group were compared. Finally, challenges encountered in the clinical application of OVs in the treatment of malignant gliomas were summarized.
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Francipane MG, Douradinha B, Chinnici CM, Russelli G, Conaldi PG, Iannolo G. Zika Virus: A New Therapeutic Candidate for Glioblastoma Treatment. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10996. [PMID: 34681654 PMCID: PMC8537796 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222010996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive among the neurological tumors. At present, no chemotherapy or radiotherapy regimen is associated with a positive long-term outcome. In the majority of cases, the tumor recurs within 32-36 weeks of initial treatment. The recent discovery that Zika virus (ZIKV) has an oncolytic action against GBM has brought hope for the development of new therapeutic approaches. ZIKV is an arbovirus of the Flaviviridae family, and its infection during development has been associated with central nervous system (CNS) malformations, including microcephaly, through the targeting of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs). This finding has led various groups to evaluate ZIKV's effects against glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), supposedly responsible for GBM onset, progression, and therapy resistance. While preliminary data support ZIKV tropism toward GSCs, a more accurate study of ZIKV mechanisms of action is fundamental in order to launch ZIKV-based clinical trials for GBM patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Giovanna Francipane
- Fondazione Ri.MED, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (M.G.F.); (B.D.); (C.M.C.)
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, USA
| | - Bruno Douradinha
- Fondazione Ri.MED, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (M.G.F.); (B.D.); (C.M.C.)
- Department of Research, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico—Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione (IRCCS ISMETT), 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.R.); (P.G.C.)
| | - Cinzia Maria Chinnici
- Fondazione Ri.MED, 90133 Palermo, Italy; (M.G.F.); (B.D.); (C.M.C.)
- Department of Research, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico—Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione (IRCCS ISMETT), 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.R.); (P.G.C.)
| | - Giovanna Russelli
- Department of Research, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico—Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione (IRCCS ISMETT), 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.R.); (P.G.C.)
| | - Pier Giulio Conaldi
- Department of Research, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico—Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione (IRCCS ISMETT), 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.R.); (P.G.C.)
| | - Gioacchin Iannolo
- Department of Research, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico—Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione (IRCCS ISMETT), 90127 Palermo, Italy; (G.R.); (P.G.C.)
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Brettschneider EES, Terabe M. The Role of NKT Cells in Glioblastoma. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071641. [PMID: 34208864 PMCID: PMC8307781 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma is an aggressive and deadly cancer, but to date, immunotherapies have failed to make significant strides in improving prognoses for glioblastoma patients. One of the current challenges to developing immunological interventions for glioblastoma is our incomplete understanding of the numerous immunoregulatory mechanisms at play in the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment. We propose that Natural Killer T (NKT) cells, which are unconventional T lymphocytes that recognize lipid antigens presented by CD1d molecules, may play a key immunoregulatory role in glioblastoma. For example, evidence suggests that the activation of type I NKT cells can facilitate anti-glioblastoma immune responses. On the other hand, type II NKT cells are known to play an immunosuppressive role in other cancers, as well as to cross-regulate type I NKT cell activity, although their specific role in glioblastoma remains largely unclear. This review provides a summary of our current understanding of NKT cells in the immunoregulation of glioblastoma as well as highlights the involvement of NKT cells in other cancers and central nervous system diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E. S. Brettschneider
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Masaki Terabe
- Neuro-Oncology Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-240-760-6731
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Nair S, Mazzoccoli L, Jash A, Govero J, Bais SS, Hu T, Fontes-Garfias CR, Shan C, Okada H, Shresta S, Rich JN, Shi PY, Diamond MS, Chheda MG. Zika virus oncolytic activity requires CD8+ T cells and is boosted by immune checkpoint blockade. JCI Insight 2021; 6:144619. [PMID: 33232299 PMCID: PMC7821591 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.144619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a fatal human cancer in part because GBM stem cells are resistant to therapy and recurrence is inevitable. Previously, we demonstrated Zika virus (ZIKV) targets GBM stem cells and prevents death of mice with gliomas. Here, we evaluated the immunological basis of ZIKV-mediated protection against GBM. Introduction of ZIKV into the brain tumor increased recruitment of CD8+ T and myeloid cells to the tumor microenvironment. CD8+ T cells were required for ZIKV-dependent tumor clearance because survival benefits were lost with CD8+ T cell depletion. Moreover, while anti–PD-1 antibody monotherapy moderately improved tumor survival, when coadministered with ZIKV, survival increased. ZIKV-mediated tumor clearance also resulted in durable protection against syngeneic tumor rechallenge, which also depended on CD8+ T cells. To address safety concerns, we generated an immune-sensitized ZIKV strain, which was effective alone or in combination with immunotherapy. Thus, oncolytic ZIKV treatment can be leveraged by immunotherapies, which may prompt combination treatment paradigms for adult patients with GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharmila Nair
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Luciano Mazzoccoli
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Arijita Jash
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Jennifer Govero
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Sachendra S Bais
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Tong Hu
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Camila R Fontes-Garfias
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Chao Shan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Hideho Okada
- Department of Neurological Surgery and.,Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sujan Shresta
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jeremy N Rich
- Division of Regenerative Medicine, Department of Medicine, and.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Pei-Yong Shi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and.,Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics and Sealy Center for Vaccine Development, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Michael S Diamond
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.,Department of Pathology & Immunology.,Department of Molecular Microbiology.,The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology & Immunotherapy Programs, and
| | - Milan G Chheda
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.,Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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