Characterization of a full-length infectious cDNA clone and a GFP reporter derivative of the oncolytic picornavirus SVV-001.

Seneca Valley virus (SVV-001) is an oncolytic picornavirus with selective tropism for a subset of human cancers with neuroendocrine differentiation. To characterize further the specificity of SVV-001 and its patterns and kinetics of intratumoral spread, bacterial plasmids encoding a cDNA clone of the full-length wild-type virus and a derivative virus expressing GFP were generated. The full-length cDNA of the SVV-001 RNA genome was cloned into a bacterial plasmid under the control of the T7 core promoter sequence to create an infectious cDNA clone, pNTX-09.

Review article: the extra-skeletal effects of vitamin D in chronic hepatitis C infection.

Background: Recent interest has focused on the extra-skeletal effects of vitamin D, in particular, in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Aims: To review data in the literature regarding the extra-skeletal effects of vitamin D in patients with chronic hepatitis C, with and without liver transplantation.

Methods: A Medline search was performed for relevant studies up to August 2011 using the terms 'vitamin D' 'chronic liver disease' and 'hepatitis C'.

Structural features of the Seneca Valley virus internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element: a picornavirus with a pestivirus-like IRES.

The RNA genome of Seneca Valley virus (SVV), a recently identified picornavirus, contains an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) element which has structural and functional similarity to that from classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and hepatitis C virus, members of the Flaviviridae. The SVV IRES has an absolute requirement for the presence of a short region of virus-coding sequence to allow it to function either in cells or in rabbit reticulocyte lysate. The IRES activity does not require the translation initiation factor eIF4A or intact eIF4G.

Phase I clinical study of Seneca Valley Virus (SVV-001), a replication-competent picornavirus, in advanced solid tumors with neuroendocrine features.

Purpose: Seneca Valley Virus (SVV-001) is a novel naturally occurring replication-competent picornavirus with potent and selective tropism for neuroendocrine cancer cell types, including small cell lung cancer. We conducted a first-in-human, first-in-class phase I clinical trial of this agent in patients with cancers with neuroendocrine features, including small cell lung cancer.

Experimental Design: Clinical evaluation of single intravenous doses in patients with cancers with neuroendocrine features was performed across five log-increments from 10(7) to 10(11) vp/kg.