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Updated: Nov 26, 2025
Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo
Published on: January 7, 2019
Prospects for Using Expression Patterns of Paramyxovirus Receptors as Biomarkers for Oncolytic Virotherapy
Olga V Matveeva1, Svetlana A Shabalina2
1Sendai Viralytics LLC, 23 Nylander Way, Acton, MA 01720, USA.
Abstract:
The effectiveness of oncolytic virotherapy in cancer treatment depends on several factors, including successful virus delivery to the tumor, ability of the virus to enter the target malignant cell, virus replication, and the release of progeny virions from infected cells. The multi-stage process is influenced by the efficiency with which the virus enters host cells via specific receptors. This review describes natural and artificial receptors for two oncolytic paramyxoviruses, nonpathogenic measles, and Sendai viruses. Cell entry receptors are proteins for measles virus (MV) and sialylated glycans (sialylated glycoproteins or glycolipids/gangliosides) for Sendai virus (SeV). Accumulated published data reviewed here show different levels of expression of cell surface receptors for both viruses in different malignancies. Patients whose tumor cells have low or no expression of receptors for a specific oncolytic virus cannot be successfully treated with the virus. Recent published studies have revealed that an expression signature for immune genes is another important factor that determines the vulnerability of tumor cells to viral infection. In the future, a combination of expression signatures of immune and receptor genes could be used to find a set of oncolytic viruses that are more effective for specific malignancies.
Insights
Oncolytic virotherapy effectiveness relies on virus entry into cancer cells via specific receptors. Tumor cell receptor expression and immune gene signatures predict treatment success for measles and Sendai viruses.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Oncolytic virotherapy uses viruses to target and destroy cancer cells.
- Successful treatment requires efficient virus delivery, cell entry, replication, and progeny release.
- Host cell receptors play a crucial role in mediating virus entry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review natural and artificial receptors for measles virus (MV) and Sendai virus (SeV) as oncolytic agents.
- To discuss the impact of receptor expression levels on treatment efficacy.
- To explore the role of immune gene expression signatures in tumor cell vulnerability.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of published data on oncolytic paramyxoviruses (MV and SeV).
- Analysis of cell entry mechanisms and receptor usage (proteins for MV, sialylated glycans for SeV).
- Examination of receptor and immune gene expression in various malignancies.
Main Results:
- Measles virus (MV) utilizes protein receptors, while Sendai virus (SeV) uses sialylated glycans for cell entry.
- Receptor expression varies significantly across different cancer types.
- Low or absent receptor expression on tumor cells can impede successful virotherapy.
- Immune gene expression signatures also influence tumor cell susceptibility to viral infection.
Conclusions:
- Tumor cell receptor expression is a critical determinant for oncolytic virus efficacy.
- A combination of receptor and immune gene expression signatures may guide the selection of optimal oncolytic viruses for specific cancers.
- Personalized virotherapy approaches could be developed based on these predictive biomarkers.
