Oncolytics Biotech harnesses virus against brain tumors

The treatment contains a common virus called the reovirus which is able to replicate in cancer cells with an activated Ras pathway, without harming healthy cells. The Ras pathway is instrumental in transferring growth signals to the nucleus of a cell, telling the cell when and how to grow – much like an “on-off” switch.

“Because brain tumors are located at the control center for thought, emotion and movement, their effects can be devastating. The main objective in using Reolysin is to kill the tumor without harming any healthy brain mass,” says Dr Matthew Coffey, lead scientist of the study. “Earlier studies have suggested that there are no safety concerns in delivering Reolysin directly to the brain.” The University of Alabama study will use infusion pump technology to deliver Reolysin in increasing dosages to the tumor and the surrounding tissue bed.

A cell with an activated Ras Pathway, which has lost its ability to “turn off,” leads to uncontrolled cell growth. The virus in Reolysin is expected to invade Ras-activated cancer cells in the brain, where the virus is able to replicate until it kills the host tumor cell. When the cancer cell dies, thousands of progeny virus particles are released, which then proceed to infect and kill adjacent cancer cells.

The process is believed to continue until all cancer cells with activated Ras pathways have been infected and killed by the reovirus, and the company says this all happens without causing the nausea, hair loss and other side effects associated with radiation and chemotherapy.

According to the American Brain Tumor Association, each year, more than 190,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with a brain tumor. Of these, over 40,000 will have originated in the brain.