Praveen Bommareddy
Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, USA
Biography
Oncolytic viruses are native or modified viruses that directly kill tumor cells, but spare normal tissue, and promote host anti-tumor immunity. An oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) type 1 encoding human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), demonstrated significant clinical benefit in a randomized phase III clinical trial for patients with advanced melanoma leading to regulatory approval in 2015. In this review, we will describe the general characterization of herpes simplex viruses; and discuss methods for vector modification that can help limit viral pathogenicity and immunogenicity while promoting anti-tumor immunogenicity. We will also provide insight into general strategies for using oHSV agents in tumor immunotherapy regimens for the treatment of cancer and briefly review some of the current pre-clinical and clinical data emerging to support an important role for such agents in the treatment of cancer.
Abstract
Abstract : Oncolytic HSV-1 viruses as novel therapies for melanoma treatment