Oncolytic virotherapy as a novel strategy for pancreatic cancer.

We have developed a novel gene therapy that targets genetic alterations in pancreatic cancer using oncolytic replication-selective adenoviruses in tumor cells. E1B-55kDa-deleted adenovirus (AxE1AdB) can selectively replicate in TP53-deficient human cancer cells but not cells with functional TP53. Consecutive injection with AxE1AdB markedly inhibited the growth of human pancreatic tumors in severe combined immunodeficiency disease mice.

Gene therapy for pancreatic cancer targeting the genomic alterations of tumor suppressor genes using replication-selective oncolytic adenovirus.

In order to develop an effective therapeutic intervention for patients with pancreatic cancer, we examined the genetic alternations of pancreatic cancer. Based on these results, we are developing a new gene therapy targeting the genetic character of pancreatic cancer using mutant adenoviruses selectively replication-competent in tumor cells. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of 30% or more were observed on chromosome arms 17p (47%), 9p (45%), 18q (43%), 12q (34%), and 6q (30%).