Un virus d'application plus générale et plus puissante.

(May 24, 2010) — Intravenous delivery of a cancer-targeting virus is successful in destroying cancer cells that have spread throughout the body, according to research to be presented at the American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy 13th Annual Meeting.

La livraison intraveineuse d'un virus ciblant le cancer a réussi à détruire les cellules cancéreuses qui se sont répandues dans tout le corps selon une étude à être présentée à la réunion de la société américaine de thérapie génique et cellulaire.

A recent study tested 23 patients with metastasized colorectal, skin, ovarian and lung cancers. Patients received a single intravenous treatment at one of five dose levels. In 75 percent of patients who received the highest doses, the therapy reached and replicated within tumors throughout the body, effectively stopping cancer growth. Some patients on the lower doses also saw disease stabilization.

Dans une étude récente sur 23 patients avec le cancer du . de la et de l' , les patients ont reçu une simple dose de traitement par intraveineuse de 5 différents niveaux . dans 75% des patients qui ont reçu les plus haute doses, la thérapie a atteint les tumeurs et s'est répliqué dans tout le corps en arrêtant effectivement le cancer. Quelques patients avec de plus petites doses ont aussi vu leur cancer se stabiliser.

All dose levels were well tolerated, with patients experiencing only mild side effects, such as flu-like symptoms.

seulement quelques petits effets secondaires légers.

“This is the first time that we’ve been able to treat patients intravenously and had proven success in targeting and destroying metastatic cancers in the body with an armed oncolytic virus product,” said David H. Kirn, MD. “This opens up a whole new world of systemic approaches to therapy.”

Cela ouvre un nouveau monde de thérapies

Gene therapy has been used before to fight cancer, but previous treatments were limited to localized tumors. Intravenous delivery allows for whole-body treatment.

Kirn said the study opens the door to retest existing genetic or protein treatments that had previously been limited to patients with localized tumors. Researchers will begin a Phase III trial later this year in patients with liver cancer.

Les chercheurs vont commencer une étude de phase III plus tars cette année pour les patiens avec le cancer du foie.

(May 18, 2010) — Researchers from the University of Helsinki, and Oncos Therapeutics, a biotech company developing new cancer therapeutics based on the next generation oncolytic viruses, published initial results from their Advanced Therapy Access Program in Cancer Research. The therapy program is based on scientific research at the University of Helsinki and serves as the foundation for ongoing clinical development.

Les chercheurs ont developpé des thérapies anti-cancer basées sur la prochaine génération de virus onclogiques

The results demonstrate an anti-tumor immunity of oncolytic viruses -- published for the first time in humans -- and indicate the strong efficacy of the next generation viruses against solid tumor cancers. As of today, 200 patients have been treated with oncolytic virus therapy in the company's Advanced Therapy Access Program.

Les résultats démontrent, pour la première fois chez l'humain, une immunité anti-tumeur et ils indiquent une grande efficacité de ces virus de deuxièem génération contre les tumeurs solides. 200 patients ont ét traitées dans les programme de la compagnie.

"This is the first time it has been shown in humans that oncolytic viruses can be used for the induction of anti-tumor immunity. The GMCSF -armed oncolytic adenovirus can mediate anti-tumor immunologic responses by recruiting natural killer cells and by the induction of tumor-specific cytotoxic T-cells," explains research professor Akseli Hemminki, the CSO and co-founder of Oncos.


"Anti-tumor immunity plays a major role in the strong efficacy results. We are starting clinical trials with CGTG-102, which is further improved compared of the virus described in this publication," comments Pekka Simula, the CEO and co-founder of Oncos.

L'immunité anti-tumeur joue un rôle important dans la forte efficacité. Nous sommes au début des essais avec CGTG-102 qui est une version amélioré du virus de l'étude.

The Cancer Research article reports strong safety and efficacy results in patients with advanced cancer progressing after available chemotherapy options. Out of the 15 radiologically evaluable patients 2 had complete responses (13%), 5 patients had stable disease (33 %) and 1 had a partial response (6 %). Therefore, the clinical benefit rate was 47% according to the RECIST criteria. Responses were frequently seen in both injected and non-injected tumors. The safety profile was favorable with no grade 4-5 side effects realized.


"It has been impressive to see how powerful and consistent the oncolytic adenovirus platform is for directing the body's own immune system against tumor cells" says Dr. Vincenzo Cerullo, the scientist who led the project at the University of Helsinki Cancer Gene Therapy Group (CGTG).

La compagnie Arks therapeutics attend la probation des Européens dans le deuxième trimestre de 2010 pour le médicament Cerepro basé sur l'adenovirus :

Citation :

"Ark has successfully pioneered the adenovirus platform to an approvable standard and we are now dealing with a final clinical issue, through the standard EMEA regulatory process. The trial endpoints and analyses used in Study 904 reflect the latest published recommendations from international expert working groups reviewing glioma trial design."

Le médicament est administré avant une opération du gliome du

ici

With nearly $1 million in government funding, University of Rochester scientists are testing a new innovation in biotherapy by altering a common childhood respiratory virus, the adenovirus, to destroy cancer cells.

Avec des fonds de 1 million de dollars, l'université de Rochester teste une innovation en biothérapie en altérant un virus commun pour la respiration d'un enfant. l'adeno virus dans le but de détruire les cellules cancéreuses.

Exploring the potential of biotherapy through oncolytic adenoviruses is a hot area in cancer research. The approach is analogous to the police employing a snitch to reach the bad guys: For years scientists have been engineering relatively benign viruses to selectively infiltrate and deliver genetic materials into more dangerous cells.

L'adeno virus est très à la mode dans la recherche sur le cancer. Pendant des années les scientifiques ont modifié des virus bénins pour infiltrer slectivement les cellules dangeureuses et leurs passer du matériel génétique.

However, the current generation of mutant viruses under study has limitations. So far, they are proving to be effective only in tumor cells that express certain proteins. The Rochester group designed an entirely new version of the adenovirus that might have broader, more powerful potential. The first experiments will be on pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest malignancies.

Toutefois la génération courante de virus mutant sous étude a ses limitations. Elles ne sont efficaces que dans certaines tumeurs dont les cellules expriment certaines protéines. LE groupe de Rochester a déssiné une toute nouvelle version de l'Adéno virus qui pourrait être plus générale et plus puissante. La première expérience sera sur un cancer du pancréas un des cancers les plus mortels.

"Our concept is very promising and we hope it will open the door to safer and more effective treatments," said Baek Kim, Ph.D., associate professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Rochester Medical Center and study co-investigator. "If this works, the most exciting part is that patients would be able to generate their own internal weapons to kill the malignant cells without having to endure a toxic element such as chemotherapy."


"Notre concept est très prometteur et nous espérons qu'il va nous ouvrir la porte pour des traitements plus sécuritaires et plus efficaces." a dit Baek Kim "Si ça marche, la partie la plus excitante est que les patients vont fabriquer eux-mêmes leurs propres armes pour tuer les cellules cancéreuses sans avoir à endurer une chimio."

Kim and co-investigator Stephen Dewhurst, Ph.D., senior associate dean for basic research at the University of Rochester, began looking at a novel approach to cancer treatment after investigating HIV/AIDS. Even though HIV and cancer are unrelated illnesses, they discovered a common link in the deadly efficiency of HIV cells and cancer cells.

Cancer cells are known to have a high concentration of dNTP, a building block of DNA. In fact, cancer cells require high dNTP concentrations in order to replicate their chromosomes fast enough to continually divide and invade the body. Two years ago, Dewhurst and Kim discovered that a driving force behind HIV's efficiency was also its unique ability to use dNTP to make DNA. Indeed, the DNA polymerase (an enzyme) of HIV allows the virus to infect cells within the immune system that lack dNTP.

Les cellules canécreuses sont connues pour avoir une grande concentration de dNTP, un élément constitutif de l'ADN. En fait les cellules cancéreuses ont besoins de hautes doses de dNTP pour répliquer leurs chromosomes et assez rapidement pour se diviser continuellement. VOici 2 ans Dewhurst et Kim ont découvert que la puissance derrière le HIV était aussi sa capacité d'utiliser le dNTP pour faire de l'ADN. LADN polymérase une protéine permet au HIV d'infecter le système immunitaire qui manque de dNTP.

They wondered if they could make a mutant form of HIV that could go head-to-head against cancer, binding to the dNTP and replicating only in malignant cells.

Ils se sont demandé s'il pouvait faire une forme mutante du HIV qui pourrait aller combattre le cancer pas-à-pas en se liant au dNTP et en se reproduisant seulement dans les cellules cancéreuses.

"This theory was a terrific but it had one big problem: you cannot test it in people because you cannot give people HIV," explained Kim. "So we had to find another route. That's when we came up with the idea of modifying the adenovirus with dNTP."

"Cette théorie était magnifique mais il y avait un gros problème : Vous ne pouvez pas donner le HIV aux gens" a expliqué KIM " Aussi, ils nous a fallu trouver un autre moyen et ce fut modifier l'adenovirus avec le dNTP.

Thus, the Rochester team set out to construct a new weapon. Their adenovirus vector contains mutant DNA polymerase (dNTP) that should activate only in cells with a high concentration of dNTP, such as cancer cells. Once the virus enters the cancer cell, it should also create new "soldiers" to destroy neighboring cancer cells while leaving normal cells alone, Kim said.

Ainsi l'équipe de Rochester s'est mis à la tâche de construire une nouvelle arme. Leur adenovirus contient de la polymérase d'ADN mutante quji devrait s'activer seulement en présence de beaucoup de dNTP comme dans les cellules cancéreuses . Une fois le virus entré dans la cellule cancéreuse, il crée aussi de nouveaux soldats pour détruire les cellules cancéreuses voisines et laisse celles avec des niveuax normaux de dNTP intactes.

When the job is done, the adenovirus should die out. Side effects should be minimal. Since the adenovirus does not contain toxic elements, the worst-case scenario would be that it would cause an infection in the body's healthy cells, producing flu-like symptoms that are treatable, Kim said.

Investigators are testing the concept in mice and in the laboratory with human pancreatic cancer cells. Pancreatic cancer was selected because of its poor prognosis and current lack of effective therapies. Although it accounts for only about two percent of new cancer cases diagnosed annually in the United States, it accounts for six percent of cancer deaths.

Les chercheurs sont présentement en train de tester le concept dans des souris et en laboratoire avec des cellules canécreuses de pancréas humain.