Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 18, 2025
Evaluation of Biomarkers in Glioma by Immunohistochemistry on Paraffin-Embedded 3D Glioma Neurosphere Cultures
Published on: January 9, 2019
Personalizing Oncolytic Virotherapy for Glioblastoma: In Search of Biomarkers for Response
Eftychia Stavrakaki1, Clemens M F Dirven1, Martine L M Lamfers1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Brain Tumor Center, Erasmus University Medical Center, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Oncolytic virus (OV) treatment may offer a new treatment option for the aggressive brain tumor glioblastoma. Clinical trials testing oncolytic viruses in this patient group have shown promising results, with patients achieving impressive long-term clinical responses. However, the number of responders to each OV remains low. This is thought to arise from the large heterogeneity of these tumors, both in terms of molecular make-up and their immune-suppressive microenvironment, leading to variability in responses. An approach that may improve response rates is the personalized utilization of oncolytic viruses against Glioblastoma (GBM), based on specific tumor- or patient-related characteristics. In this review, we discuss potential biomarkers for response to different OVs as well as emerging ex vivo assays that in the future may enable selection of optimal OV for a specific patient and design of stratified clinical OV trials for GBM.
Insights
Personalized oncolytic virus (OV) therapy shows promise for glioblastoma (GBM) treatment. Identifying biomarkers and using ex vivo assays may improve patient selection for OV trials and enhance clinical responses.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Virology
- Immunology
Background:
- Oncolytic viruses (OVs) represent a potential novel therapeutic strategy for glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive brain tumor.
- Clinical trials have demonstrated promising long-term responses in some GBM patients treated with OVs.
- However, low response rates are a significant challenge, attributed to tumor heterogeneity and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review potential biomarkers for predicting response to OV therapy in GBM.
- To discuss emerging ex vivo assays for selecting optimal OVs for individual patients.
- To explore the design of stratified clinical trials for OV treatment in GBM.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of current research on OV therapy for glioblastoma.
- Analysis of potential predictive biomarkers for OV response.
- Evaluation of ex vivo assays for personalized OV selection.
Main Results:
- Tumor and patient-specific characteristics may serve as biomarkers for OV response.
- Ex vivo assays show potential for guiding OV selection and treatment strategies.
- Stratified clinical trials are crucial for optimizing OV therapy in GBM.
Conclusions:
- Personalized approaches, including biomarker identification and ex vivo assays, are essential for improving OV efficacy in GBM.
- Tailoring OV selection based on individual patient and tumor profiles can enhance treatment outcomes.
- Future research should focus on developing and validating these personalized strategies for clinical application in GBM treatment.
More Related Videos
09:02Author Spotlight: Innovative Cancer Therapies with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Glioblastoma Treatment
Published on: September 27, 2024
09:24Generation of Microtumors Using 3D Human Biogel Culture System and Patient-derived Glioblastoma Cells for Kinomic Profiling and Drug Response Testing
Published on: June 9, 2016
