Vaccinia (Smallpox) for the Treatment of Ovarian Cancer—Turning an Old Foe Into a Friend?
Mené sur 27 patientes atteintes d'un cancer de l'ovaire résistant ou réfractaire aux sels de platine (âge médian : 62 ans ; durée médiane de suivi : 47 mois), cet essai non randomisé de phase II évalue l'efficacité, du point de vue du taux de réponse objective et de la survie sans progression, et la toxicité de l'olvimulogène nanivacirepvec (un virus oncolytique) suivi d'un doublet de chimiothérapie à base de sels de platine avec ou sans bévacizumab, après l'échec de 2 à 9 lignes thérapeutiques
Historical cases of impressive, albeit brief, tumor regression in the setting of natural virus infections have spurred the hope for genetically modified viruses as oncolytic therapy. Oncolytic viruses are of interest not only for their potential to infect tumor cells and by excessive viral replication that induces direct tumor cell death, but also for their ability to trigger tumor-directed immune activation for lasting tumor control. Such effects have been successfully shown in several tumor models. Initially limited to naturally occurring, mainly unattenuated viruses, such as West Nile, mumps, and hepatitis B, the recent advances in genetic engineering now allow for specific gene insertions and deletions to narrow viral infection selectively to tumor tissues and reduce viral shedding to other organs.
JAMA Oncology , éditorial, 2022