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Published on: September 1, 2018
Clinical trials of viral therapy for malignant gliomas
David E Piccioni1, Santosh Kesari
1Department of Neurosciences, Moores Cancer Center, Translational Neuro-Oncology Laboratories, 3855 Health Sciences Dr. #0819, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Abstract:
Despite recent scientific advances in the understanding of the biology of malignant gliomas, there has been little change in the overall survival for this devastating disease. New and innovative treatments are under constant investigation. Starting in the 1990s, there was an interest in using viral therapeutics for the treatment of malignant gliomas. Multiple strategies were pursued, including oncolytic viral therapy, enzyme/pro-drug combinations and gene transfer with viral vectors. Multiple Phase I and II trials demonstrated the safety of these techniques, but clinically showed limited efficacy. However, this led to a better understanding of the pitfalls of viral therapy and encouraged the development of new approaches and improved delivery methods. Here we review the prior and ongoing clinical trials of viral therapy for gliomas, and discuss how novel strategies are currently being utilized in clinical trials.
Insights
Viral therapy shows promise for malignant gliomas, despite early efficacy challenges. Ongoing research and novel strategies are improving treatment approaches for this brain tumor.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Virology
- Cancer Therapeutics
Background:
- Malignant gliomas have a poor prognosis despite advances in understanding their biology.
- Viral therapeutics emerged as a potential treatment strategy for malignant gliomas in the 1990s.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the history and current status of viral therapy clinical trials for gliomas.
- To discuss novel strategies and improved delivery methods in ongoing viral therapy research.
Main Methods:
- Review of Phase I and II clinical trials investigating viral therapies for gliomas.
- Analysis of different viral therapeutic strategies, including oncolytic virotherapy and gene transfer.
Main Results:
- Early viral therapy trials demonstrated safety but limited clinical efficacy.
- These studies provided crucial insights into the challenges and limitations of viral treatments.
Conclusions:
- Despite initial efficacy limitations, viral therapy research for gliomas continues to evolve.
- Novel strategies and improved delivery methods are being explored in current clinical trials for better outcomes.
