Enhancing oncolytic virotherapy: Observations from a Voronoi Cell-Based model

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Oncolytic virotherapy utilizes genetically modified viruses for cancer treatment.
• Rapid decay of virus particles in vivo limits treatment efficacy.
• Novel strategies are needed to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate treatment perturbations for enhancing oncolytic virotherapy efficacy.
• To model virus-cancer cell interactions using a Voronoi Cell-Based Model (VCBM).
• To assess the impact of injection configuration and delayed infection on treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 2D agent-based Voronoi Cell-Based Model (VCBM).
• Simulation of oncolytic virus and cancer cell interactions.
• Analysis of treatment efficacy sensitivity to injection patterns and delayed viral infection (e.g., using alginate).

Main Results:

• Multiple off-center injections improve treatment efficacy across various tumor shapes (circular, rectangular, irregular).
• Delaying cancer cell infection allows for greater virus dissemination and enhanced therapeutic effect.
• Simulations demonstrated noticeable tumor size reduction with no increase in toxicity.

Conclusions:

• Strategic injection placement and controlled viral infection timing can significantly improve oncolytic virotherapy.
• The VCBM provides a valuable tool for optimizing cancer treatment strategies.
• These findings offer a pathway to more effective oncolytic virotherapy without altering its core principles.