Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

Handling of the Cotton Rat in Studies for the Pre-clinical Evaluation of Oncolytic Viruses
06:13

Handling of the Cotton Rat in Studies for the Pre-clinical Evaluation of Oncolytic Viruses

Published on: November 24, 2014

Significant antitumor activity of oncolytic adenovirus expressing human interferon-beta for hepatocellular carcinoma

Ling Feng He1, Jin Fa Gu, Wen Hao Tang

  • 1Laboratory of Cancer Therapy, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.

The Journal of Gene Medicine
|July 12, 2008
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

A new oncolytic adenovirus, ZD55-IFN-beta, enhances the antitumor activity of human interferon-beta (IFN-beta) by replicating within tumor cells. This novel therapy shows significant tumor cell killing with no observed toxicity in normal cells.

Area of Science:

  • Oncolytic virology
  • Gene therapy
  • Cancer research

Background:

  • Human interferon-beta (IFN-beta) shows antitumor activity but has limited therapeutic effects.
  • Conditionally replicative adenovirus ONYX-015 targets tumor cells but lacks sufficient potency for significant tumor regression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To construct a tumor-selective replicating adenovirus expressing IFN-beta to overcome limitations of existing therapies.
  • To evaluate the antitumor efficacy of the novel construct, ZD55-IFN-beta.

Main Methods:

  • Oncolytic adenoviruses were generated using homologous recombination.
  • IFN-beta expression was quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  • Antitumor efficacy was assessed in tumor cell lines and human hepatocellular carcinoma xenografts in mice.

Main Results:

  • ZD55-IFN-beta demonstrated significantly higher IFN-beta expression compared to Ad-IFN-beta due to vector replication.
  • ZD55-IFN-beta exhibited a potent cytopathic effect on tumor cells, approximately 100-fold greater than Ad-IFN-beta or ONYX-015.
  • No significant cytotoxic or apoptotic effects were observed in normal cells infected with ZD55-IFN-beta.

Conclusions:

  • The tumor-selective replicating vector significantly enhances the antitumor efficacy of IFN-beta through increased gene expression.
  • Oncolytic adenovirus expressing IFN-beta represents a promising novel strategy for cancer gene therapy.

More Related Videos

Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo12:42

Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo

Published on: January 7, 2019

Transarterial Administration of Oncolytic Viruses for Locoregional Therapy of Orthotopic HCC in Rats08:55

Transarterial Administration of Oncolytic Viruses for Locoregional Therapy of Orthotopic HCC in Rats

Published on: April 15, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis01:30

Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is indispensable for viral replication, as viruses lack the cellular machinery required for this process and must hijack the host's translational apparatus. In response, host cells deploy a critical innate immune defense involving interferons, specialized cytokines that play a central role in inhibiting viral propagation.Upon viral detection, infected cells release interferons that bind to receptors on adjacent uninfected cells, activating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and...
Inhibitors Of Virion Release01:25

Inhibitors Of Virion Release

Viral replication and dissemination rely on efficient mechanisms for host cell entry, genome replication, assembly, and release. Influenza viruses, such as types A and B, are negative-sense single-stranded RNA viruses with a segmented genome, that depend on two critical surface glycoproteins to carry out these processes: hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). HA initiates infection by binding to sialic acid residues on the surface of host epithelial cells, facilitating receptor-mediated...
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly01:19

Inhibitors of Virion Maturation and Assembly

As part of their replication cycle, certain viruses synthesize long precursor proteins called polyproteins within infected host cells. In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), two major polyproteins are produced: Gag and Gag-Pol. The Gag polyprotein supplies the structural components of the virus, while Gag-Pol includes essential viral enzymes such as reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease. After synthesis, these polyproteins move to the host cell membrane, where they assemble into an...
Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors01:22

Antiviral Nucleoside Inhibitors

Antiviral Nucleoside InhibitorsAntiviral nucleoside inhibitors are structural analogs of natural nucleosides that interfere with viral DNA or RNA synthesis. These compounds selectively target viral polymerases due to their resemblance to host nucleosides, thereby disrupting viral genome replication.Mechanism of Acyclovir ActionAcyclovir is a guanosine analog with a three-carbon acyclic side chain. It selectively targets herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2),...
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...