Project description:Previously we reported that a recombinant vaccinia virus (VACV) carrying a light-emitting fusion gene enters, replicates in, and reveals the locations of tumors in mice. A new recombinant VACV, GLV-1h68, as a simultaneous diagnostic and therapeutic agent, was constructed by inserting three expression cassettes (encoding Renilla luciferase-green fluorescent protein (RUC-GFP) fusion, b-galactosidase, and b-glucuronidase) into the F14.5L, J2R (encoding thymidine kinase, TK), and A56R (encoding hemagglutinin, HA) loci of the viral genome, respectively. Intravenous (i.v.) injections of GLV-1h68 (1 Ã 107 pfu/mouse) into nude mice with established (500 mm3) subcutaneous (s.c.) GI-101A human breast tumors were used to evaluate its toxicity, tumor targeting specificity and oncolytic efficacy. GLV-1h68 demonstrated an enhanced tumor targeting specificity and much reduced toxicity compared to its parental LIVP strains. The tumors colonized by GLV-1h68 exhibited growth, inhibition, and regression phases followed by tumor eradication within 130 days in 95% of the mice tested. Tumor regression in live animals was monitored in real time based on decreasing light emission, hence demonstrating the concept of a combined oncolytic virus-mediated tumor diagnosis and therapy system. Transcriptional profiling of regressing tumors based on a mouse-specific platform revealed gene expression signatures consistent with immune defense activation, inclusive of interferon stimulated genes (STAT-1 and IRF-7), cytokines, chemokines and innate immune effector function. These findings suggest that immune activation may combine with viral oncolysis to induce tumor eradication in this model, providing a novel perspective for the design of oncolytic viral therapies for human cancers. Objective: To determine the gene expression changes induced by GLV-1h68 vaccinia virus injection in mouse carrying human breast cancer implant and leading to tumor eradication. Methods: Gene expression was analyzed using oligonucleotide microarrays. Responsiveness to vaccina virus injection was assessed by toxicity and survival study, gene expression anaysis and tumor volume change. Result: The tumors colonized by GLV-1h68 exhibited growth, inhibition, and regression phases followed by tumor eradication within 130 days in 95% of the mice tested. Tumor regression in live animals was monitored in real time based on decreasing light emission, hence demonstrating the concept of a combined oncolytic virus-mediated tumor diagnosis and therapy system. Transcriptional profiling of regressing tumors based on a mouse-specific platform revealed gene expression signatures consistent with immune defense activation, inclusive of interferon stimulated genes (STAT-1 and IRF-7), cytokines, chemokines and innate immune effector function. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that immune activation may combine with viral oncolysis to induce tumor eradication in this model, providing a novel perspective for the design of oncolytic viral therapies for human cancers. Experiment Overall Design: tumor tissues 3 and 6 weeks post virus injection
Project description:Previously we reported that a recombinant vaccinia virus (VACV) carrying a light-emitting fusion gene enters, replicates in, and reveals the locations of tumors in mice. A new recombinant VACV, GLV-1h68, as a simultaneous diagnostic and therapeutic agent, was constructed by inserting three expression cassettes (encoding Renilla luciferase-green fluorescent protein (RUC-GFP) fusion, b-galactosidase, and b-glucuronidase) into the F14.5L, J2R (encoding thymidine kinase, TK), and A56R (encoding hemagglutinin, HA) loci of the viral genome, respectively. Intravenous (i.v.) injections of GLV-1h68 (1 × 107 pfu/mouse) into nude mice with established (500 mm3) subcutaneous (s.c.) GI-101A human breast tumors were used to evaluate its toxicity, tumor targeting specificity and oncolytic efficacy. GLV-1h68 demonstrated an enhanced tumor targeting specificity and much reduced toxicity compared to its parental LIVP strains. The tumors colonized by GLV-1h68 exhibited growth, inhibition, and regression phases followed by tumor eradication within 130 days in 95% of the mice tested. Tumor regression in live animals was monitored in real time based on decreasing light emission, hence demonstrating the concept of a combined oncolytic virus-mediated tumor diagnosis and therapy system. Transcriptional profiling of regressing tumors based on a mouse-specific platform revealed gene expression signatures consistent with immune defense activation, inclusive of interferon stimulated genes (STAT-1 and IRF-7), cytokines, chemokines and innate immune effector function. These findings suggest that immune activation may combine with viral oncolysis to induce tumor eradication in this model, providing a novel perspective for the design of oncolytic viral therapies for human cancers. Objective: To determine the gene expression changes induced by GLV-1h68 vaccinia virus injection in mouse carrying human breast cancer implant and leading to tumor eradication. Methods: Gene expression was analyzed using oligonucleotide microarrays. Responsiveness to vaccina virus injection was assessed by toxicity and survival study, gene expression anaysis and tumor volume change. Result: The tumors colonized by GLV-1h68 exhibited growth, inhibition, and regression phases followed by tumor eradication within 130 days in 95% of the mice tested. Tumor regression in live animals was monitored in real time based on decreasing light emission, hence demonstrating the concept of a combined oncolytic virus-mediated tumor diagnosis and therapy system. Transcriptional profiling of regressing tumors based on a mouse-specific platform revealed gene expression signatures consistent with immune defense activation, inclusive of interferon stimulated genes (STAT-1 and IRF-7), cytokines, chemokines and innate immune effector function. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that immune activation may combine with viral oncolysis to induce tumor eradication in this model, providing a novel perspective for the design of oncolytic viral therapies for human cancers. Keywords: Responsiveness to vaccina virus injection
Project description:Human melanoma tumor cells (HS294T) and monocytes (THP-1) were infected with a double deleted (-VGF, -TK) oncolytic vaccinia virus expressing human DAI (DNA-dependent activator of interferon-regulatory factors). Total RNA was collected and gene expresson profiles were determined with Agilent microarray. An oncolytic vaccinia virus that does not express DAI was used to control the effect of DAI and uninfected cells (PBS treated) were used to control the effect of virus infection. In oncolytic virotherapy the ability of the virus to activate the immune system against tumors is nowadays generally understood to be a key mechanism in full eradication of cancer and for long-term anti-tumor effects. We armed an oncolytic vaccinia virus with DAI to increase the immunogenicity and the vaccine potency of the virus. The aim of this study was to study if the expression of DAI by a replicating vaccinia virus would alter the gene expression profile of infected cells and to study what are the differentially expressed genes.
Project description:Oncolytic virotherapy is a unique and promising immunotherapy. In our prior study, a recombinant oncolytic vaccinia virus carrying IL-7 and IL-12 (hIL-7/mIL-12-VV) showed robust antitumor efficacy in both immunogenic CT26.WT and poorly immunogenic Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) within the treated tumors. However, the efficacy was limited in virus non-treated (distant) LLC tumors. Here we identified oxaliplatin as a powerful combination partner for an oncolytic vaccinia virus to achieve strong efficacy in the virus-injected tumors and the distant tumors. To understand the molecular mechanism of abscopal effect of hIL-7/mIL-12-VV in combination with oxaliplatin, we evaluated RNA-sequencing signatures in LLC tumors inoculated in immuno-comprobised mice.
Project description:Oncolytic virotherapy is a unique and promising immunotherapy. In our prior study, a recombinant oncolytic vaccinia virus carrying IL-7 and IL-12 (hIL-7/mIL-12-VV) showed robust antitumor efficacy in both immunogenic CT26.WT and poorly immunogenic Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) within the treated tumors. However, the efficacy was limited in virus non-treated (distant) LLC tumors. Here we identified oxaliplatin as a powerful combination partner for an oncolytic vaccinia virus to achieve strong efficacy in the virus-injected tumors and the distant tumors. To understand the molecular mechanism of abscopal effect of hIL-7/mIL-12-VV in combination with oxaliplatin, we evaluated RNA-sequencing signatures of LLC tumors on the virus non-treated side.
Project description:Oncolytic virotherapy is a unique and promising immunotherapy. In our prior study, a recombinant oncolytic vaccinia virus carrying IL-7 and IL-12 (hIL-7/mIL-12-VV) showed robust antitumor efficacy in both immunogenic CT26.WT and poorly immunogenic Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) within the treated tumors. However, the efficacy was limited in virus non-treated (distant) LLC tumors. Here we identified oxaliplatin as a powerful combination partner for an oncolytic vaccinia virus to achieve strong efficacy in the virus-injected tumors and the distant tumors. To understand the molecular mechanism of enhanced antitumor efficacy, we evaluated RNA-sequencing signatures in LLC tumors treated with oxaliplatin alone, hIL-7/mIL-12-VV alone and their combination.
Project description:Oncolytic virotherapy is a unique and promising immunotherapy. In our prior study, a recombinant oncolytic vaccinia virus carrying IL-7 and IL-12 (hIL-7/mIL-12-VV) showed robust antitumor efficacy in both immunogenic CT26.WT and poorly immunogenic Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) within the treated tumors. However, the efficacy was limited in virus non-treated (distant) LLC tumors. Here we identified oxaliplatin as a powerful combination partner for an oncolytic vaccinia virus to achieve strong efficacy in the virus-injected tumors and the distant tumors. To understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the improved abscopal effect of the combination treatment, distant LLC tumors were assessed via single cell RNA-sequencing.
Project description:Human melanoma tumor cells (HS294T) and monocytes (THP-1) were infected with a double deleted (-VGF, -TK) oncolytic vaccinia virus expressing human DAI (DNA-dependent activator of interferon-regulatory factors). Total RNA was collected and gene expresson profiles were determined with Agilent microarray. An oncolytic vaccinia virus that does not express DAI was used to control the effect of DAI and uninfected cells (PBS treated) were used to control the effect of virus infection. In oncolytic virotherapy the ability of the virus to activate the immune system against tumors is nowadays generally understood to be a key mechanism in full eradication of cancer and for long-term anti-tumor effects. We armed an oncolytic vaccinia virus with DAI to increase the immunogenicity and the vaccine potency of the virus. The aim of this study was to study if the expression of DAI by a replicating vaccinia virus would alter the gene expression profile of infected cells and to study what are the differentially expressed genes. Three-condition experiment: vvdd-tdTomato-hDAI vs. vvdd-tdTomato vs. PBS treated cells. 2 cell lines: HS294T tumor cells and THP-1 monocytes. 3 biological replicates of virus infected cells per cell line and 2 uninfected replicates per cell line. HS294T and THP-1 cells were treated with vvdd-tdTomato-hDAI or vvdd-tdTomato control virus, or with PBS only to have an uninfected control. 16 hours after infection total RNA was extracted and whole genome gene pfofiles were analyzed and differentially expressed genes determined.
Project description:Adoptive T-cell therapy or oncolytic virotherapy has made significant progress, but the efficacy was limited by the lack of infiltration into solid tumors when used alone. Here, an oncolytic virus (rVSV-LCMVG) was designed and combined with adoptively transferred T cells. By turning cold tumors hot, in B16 tumor-bearing mice, combination therapy showed superior antitumor effects than monotherapy, whether rVSV-LCMVG was administered intratumorally or intravenously. Combination therapy significantly increased cytokine and chemokine levels within tumors and sensitized refractory tumors by boosting T-cell recruitment, down-regulating the expression of PD1, and restoring effector-T cell function. To offer a combination therapy with greater translational value, mRNA vaccines were introduced to induce tumor-specific T cells instead of adoptively transferred T cells, and exhibited comparable amplified anti-tumor effects. This study proposed a rational combination therapy of oncolytic virus with adoptive T-cell transfer or mRNA vaccines encoding tumor-associated antigens, in terms of synergistic efficacy and mechanism.
Project description:Adoptive T-cell therapy or oncolytic virotherapy has made significant progress, but the efficacy was limited by the lack of infiltration into solid tumors when used alone. Here, an oncolytic virus (rVSV-LCMVG) was designed and combined with adoptively transferred T cells. By turning cold tumors hot, in B16 tumor-bearing mice, combination therapy showed superior antitumor effects than monotherapy, whether rVSV-LCMVG was administered intratumorally or intravenously. Combination therapy significantly increased cytokine and chemokine levels within tumors and sensitized refractory tumors by boosting T-cell recruitment, down-regulating the expression of PD1, and restoring effector-T cell function. To offer a combination therapy with greater translational value, mRNA vaccines were introduced to induce tumor-specific T cells instead of adoptively transferred T cells, and exhibited comparable amplified anti-tumor effects. This study proposed a rational combination therapy of oncolytic virus with adoptive T-cell transfer or mRNA vaccines encoding tumor-associated antigens, in terms of synergistic efficacy and mechanism.