Herpesvirus Vectors for Therapy of Brain Tumors
Kevin A Cassady , Jacqueline Nuss Parker*
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0011, USA
Abstract
Genetically modified, conditionally-replicating Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1) vectors for the
treatment of malignant glioma have provided encouraging results in the handful of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials
conducted to date. In recent years, a number of new strategies have been developed to improve anti-tumor activity of these
attenuated vectors, through either introduction of foreign gene inserts to enhance tumor killing through a variety of
mechanisms, or through combination with existing treatment regimens, including radiation and/or chemotherapeutics.
Another promising new approach has been the engineering of novel oncolytic HSV vectors that retain wildtype
replication, but are targeted to tumor cells through a variety of mechanisms. This review summarizes the latest advances
in herpesvirus-mediated oncolytic therapies from both preclinical results and clinical trials with oncolytic HSV vectors in
patients, and their implication for design of future trials.
Keywords:: Oncolytic HSV therapy, brain tumor, G207, HSV1716, M032, chimeric HSV, C134, R5141, rQNestin34.5, phase I trial, glioma, γ1(34.5)..
Article Information
Article History:
Received Date: 17/12/2009
Revision Received Date: 7/1/2010
Acceptance Date: 7/1/2010
Electronic publication date: 18/6/2010
Collection year: 2010
© Cassady and Parker; Licensee Bentham Open.
open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (
http: //creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
* Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0011, USA; Tel: 205-975-6549; Fax: 205-996-7881; E-mail: jparker@peds.uab.edu
Open Peer Review Details |
Manuscript submitted on 17-12-2009 |
Original Manuscript |
Herpesvirus Vectors for Therapy of Brain Tumors |