Viral Therapy Slows Pediatric Tumors in Mice
A laboratory-engineered virus cansuccessfully slow the growth of two types of hard-to-treat pediatrictumors without
harming healthy tissue, a new study shows.The targeted viral therapy, dubbed rQT3, slowed neuroblastoma andperipheral nerve sheath tumors in mice, according to findings published inthe Feb. 15 issue of Cancer Research. It also resulted in longerlife spans in the mice compared with ones receiving just saline or othertreatments for the tumors.Neuroblastoma is the most common solid cancer tumor in childhood, mostoften striking those under age 5. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumorsaffect the connective tissue surrounding nerves.Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center armed theoncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV)with a gene that steps up the body’swork to block enzymes that aid the development and progression of certaincancers. Previous studies had shown oHSV can infect and kill human cancercells without causing other harm or disease.”Malignant solid tumors are still very difficult to treat effectively,especially without causing harm to normal tissues, so we need to findinnovative therapeutic approaches,” Dr. Timothy Cripe, a physician andresearcher at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, said in aprepared statement. “In our study, this tumor-targeting viral therapyenhanced anti-tumor activity by stimulating multiple biological processes,including directly killing the cancer cells and reducing the formation ofblood vessels that fed the tumors. These data support continuingdevelopment and study of our tumor-targeted viral therapy to fightcancer.”The gene added to the virus carries instructions for a cancer-fightingprotein, human tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3). TIMP3blocks enzymes that aid the development and progression of cancer, calledmatrix of metalloproteinases (MMP).MMPs help break down molecules that are important for the structuralsupport and normal development of cells, organs and maintenance oftissues. However, when MMP activity becomes unbalanced, the enzyme plays awell-documented role in the formation of invasive and metastatic cancers,including pediatric neuroblastoma.The National Cancer Institute has more about childhood cancers.
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