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Reovirus: Rationale and clinical trial update
Rohit Lal1, Dean Harris, Sophie Postel-Vinay
1Drug Development Unit, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5PT, UK. Rohit.lal@gstt.nhs.uk
Current Opinion in Molecular Therapeutics
|October 7, 2009
Summary
Reovirus, an oncolytic virus therapy, shows a good safety profile in early cancer trials. Ongoing studies are evaluating its efficacy as a single agent and in combination with chemotherapy for advanced cancers.
Area of Science:
- Oncolytic virotherapy
- Cancer research
- Viral oncology
Background:
- Reovirus is an orphan virus causing subclinical illness.
- Preclinical studies demonstrate reovirus's novel anticancer mechanisms and specificity.
- Efficacy of reovirus in combination with chemotherapy and immunosuppressants has been observed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish the safety profile and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of reovirus.
- To investigate the anticancer activity and specificity of reovirus.
- To evaluate reovirus in combination therapies and as a single agent for cancer treatment.
Main Methods:
- Early-phase clinical trials administering reovirus intratumorally or intravenously.
- Preclinical studies defining mechanisms of action, antitumor specificity, and combination efficacy.
- Ongoing Phase II trials of Reolysin (injectable oncolytic reovirus) as a single agent and in combination with chemotherapy.
Main Results:
- Established safety profile and MTD of reovirus in patients with advanced cancers.
- Preclinical evidence supporting novel anticancer mechanisms and antitumor specificity.
- Ongoing clinical trials evaluating Reolysin in various treatment settings.
Conclusions:
- Reovirus demonstrates a favorable safety profile for cancer treatment.
- Preclinical data support reovirus's potential as an oncolytic agent.
- Further clinical trials are warranted to establish reovirus efficacy in specific cancer types and combinations.
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