A harmless human virus, RT3D, has shown promise in boosting the effects of chemotherapy drugs in advanced head and neck cancer patients. In a Phase I/II trial, approximately one-third of patients experienced tumor shrinkage and disease stabilization.
A study published in Clinical Cancer Research examines the antitumor efficacy and safety of various combinations of reovirus and cyclophosphamide. The findings support investigation in human clinical trials to modulate, but not ablate, the immune system before systemic reovirus administration.
In the trial, three patients experienced significant partial responses to the combination treatment, with stable disease noted in several non-treated tumours. The treatment was well-tolerated, with mostly Grade 1 or 2 toxicities, and showed evidence of anti-tumour activity.
Reolysin works synergistically with standard anti-cancer drugs, providing stronger responses than either agent alone. It also primes patients' immune systems against their particular cancer, leading to additional cancer cell killing and long-term remissions.
Researchers at Oncolytics Biotech have developed a harmless virus that not only kills tumor cells but also primes the immune system to mount a powerful defense against cancer. Studies have shown that reovirus exposure can activate dendritic cells, which then educate natural killer cells and T cells to attack the tumor.