Completed Cancer Infection & Immunity

Oncolytic adenoviral gene therapy for ovarian cancer

Funder MRC (part of UKRI)
Recipient organisation Queen Mary University of London
Funding £1.7M
Period Sept 2007 — Sept 2012

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

A genetically modified common cold virus is being turned into a weapon that selectively destroys ovarian cancer cells while leaving healthy tissue unharmed. Ovarian cancer is often diagnosed late and frequently returns after initial treatment, leaving women with limited options. Standard chemotherapy drugs like paclitaxel can slow the disease, but tumours eventually become resistant. The virus, dl922-947, is an altered adenovirus that replicates inside cancer cells until they burst, but cannot multiply in normal human cells. This research addresses three gaps: why the virus works better when combined with paclitaxel, whether other chemotherapy drugs could partner with it, and how the immune system reacts to the virus in the abdominal cavity where ovarian cancer grows. If successful, this work could lead to a new class of treatments that combine viral therapy with existing chemotherapy, potentially extending survival or delaying relapse for women with recurrent ovarian cancer. The researchers are also studying gene expression patterns in resistant versus sensitive cancer cells to understand why some tumours evade the virus, which could guide future patient selection for therapy. A clinical trial in women with recurrent disease is scheduled to begin in 2009.

View original technical description
We are trying to develop new treatments for ovarian cancer using oncolytic viruses. These are common viruses that are altered so that they destroy cancer cells by multiplying within them, but cannot multiply within normal human tissues. Our virus, dl922-947, is derived from an adenovirus, which is very common in the UK population and, under most circumstances, causes only a ‘flu-like illness, even in its natural, active state. Our research has shown that dl922-947 has considerable potential as a treatment for ovarian cancer. A trial in women with recurrent ovarian cancer will commence in 2009. We now wish to improve the anti-cancer effect of dl922-947. Our results suggest that dl922-947 can work well in partnership with paclitaxel, a chemotherapy drug commonly used in ovarian cancer, but we wish to understand why, and whether other chemotherapy drugs may also combine well. We also want to understand how the immune system responds to dl922-947 in the abdominal cavity, where ovarian cancer grows. Finally, we will explore why some ovarian cancer cells do not respond well to dl922-947, by studying the patterns of gene expression in sensitive and resistant cells, especially genes that control cell division. Ultimately, this research could lead to more effective treatments for women with ovarian cancer.

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Researchers

Iain McNeish (Principal Investigator)

Related Research

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OCTAVE - Ovarian Cancer Trial with an Enhanced Group B Oncolytic Adenovirus
Immunotherapy of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer using Autologous Gamma Delta T-cells
A novel platform for arming of candidate oncolytic viruses targeting immunologically cold metastatic ovarian cancer

Original classification

Fellowship

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