Publications by authors named "Marcus M Spinelli"

Targeted antineoplastic immunotherapies have achieved remarkable clinical outcomes. However, resistance to these therapies due to target absence or antigen shedding limits their efficacy and excludes tumours from candidacy. To address this limitation, here we engineer an oncolytic rhabdovirus, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSVΔ51), to express a truncated targeted antigen, which allows for HER2-targeting with trastuzumab.

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Article Synopsis
  • Oncolytic virotherapy utilizes viruses like VSVΔ51 and HSV-1 to target cancer cells but faces challenges from the body's interferon response, which can create resistance in cancer cells.
  • Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is known for its anti-cancer effects and can enhance the effectiveness of these oncolytic viruses; a new analog, Tepilamide fumarate (TPF), is being tested for its potential in this area.
  • TPF demonstrated superior capabilities in increasing viral infection and destruction of resistant cancer cells compared to DMF, effectively targeting cancer while sparing healthy tissue, and showing promise in gene therapy as well.
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Background: The advancement of AAV vectors into clinical testing has accelerated rapidly over the past two decades. While many of the AAV vectors being utilized in clinical trials are derived from natural serotypes, engineered serotypes are progressing toward clinical translation due to their enhanced tissue tropism and immune evasive properties. However, novel AAV vectors require formulation and stability testing to determine optimal storage conditions prior to their use in a clinical setting.

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Background: Established mouse models of HER2+ cancer are based on the over-expression of rodent Neu/Erbb2 homologues, which are incompatible with human HER2 (huHER2) targeted therapeutics. Additionally, the use of immune-deficient xenograft or transgenic models precludes assessment of native anti-tumour immune responses. These hurdles have been a challenge for our understanding of the immune mechanisms behind huHER2-targeting immunotherapies.

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