Chemotherapeutic Agent Reduces Resistance to Virus Therapy in Brain Tumor Patients

In a recent study published in the journal Cancer Research, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers, in conjunction with researchers from the University of Calgary, have found that the common chemotherapeutic agent, cyclophosphamide, can help improve the success of oncolytic virus therapy in patients with malignant gliomas. Oncolytic virus therapy is an innovative therapeutic approach that uses viruses to target and kill cancer cells. These viruses can be modified to allow them to target specific cancer cells or to deliver therapy-modifying genes. Preclinical studies of oncolytic virus therapy in malignant gliomas are promising; however, a potential problem with this approach is that the body’s own immune system can recognize the virus and clear the infection, resulting in reduced therapeutic effects. During this study, researchers used a mouse model with an intact immune system to mimic what would occur in humans to determine how the immune system clears the oncolytic virus. Researchers believed that blocking the resident and infiltrating immune cells in the brain may allow the oncolytic virus to kill the malignant glioma cells. To test this hypothesis, mice were treated with the oncolytic virus and the immunosuppressive drug, cyclophosphamide. Results of the study showed that this combination treatment significantly blocked the influx of immune cells and resulted in increased survival. To read more about this study, click here.