Spatiotemporal spread of oncolytic virus in a heterogeneous cell population.

Comput Biol Med

Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA. Electronic address:

Published: December 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • * Researchers have developed a model using partial differential equations to analyze how viruses can be engineered to limit their spread specifically within tumors.
  • * The study indicates that oncolytic viruses with distinct infection and cell death rates for cancer vs. non-cancerous cells can effectively be contained, highlighting key thresholds that could lead to safer virus variants for cancer treatment.

Article Abstract

Oncolytic (cancer-killing) virus treatment is a promising new therapy for cancer, with many viruses currently being tested for their ability to eradicate tumors. One of the major stumbling blocks to the development of this treatment modality has been preventing spread of the virus to non-cancerous cells. Our recent ability to manipulate RNA and DNA now allows for the possibility of creating designer viruses specifically targeted to cancer cells, thereby significantly reducing unwanted side effects in patients. In this study, we use a partial differential equation model to determine the characteristics of a virus needed to contain spread of an oncolytic virus within a spherical tumor and prevent it from spreading to non-cancerous cells outside the tumor. We find that oncolytic viruses that have different infection rates or different cell death rates in cancer and non-cancerous cells can be made to stay within the tumor. We find that there is a minimum difference in infection rates or cell death rates that will contain the virus and that this threshold value depends on the growth rate of the cancer. Identification of these types of thresholds can help researchers develop safer strains of oncolytic viruses allowing further development of this promising treatment.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.109235DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

non-cancerous cells
12
spread oncolytic
8
oncolytic virus
8
tumor find
8
oncolytic viruses
8
infection rates
8
rates cell
8
cell death
8
death rates
8
virus
6

Similar Publications

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent and aggressive tumor. Sorafenib is the first-line treatment for patients with advanced HCC, but resistance to sorafenib has become a significant challenge in this therapy. Cancer stem cells play a crucial role in sorafenib resistance in HCC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

LAG3 plays a regulatory role in immunity and emerged as an inhibitory immune checkpoint molecule comparable to PD-L1 and CTLA-4 and a potential target for enhancing anti-cancer immune responses. We generated 3D cancer cultures as a model to identify novel molecular biomarkers for the selection of patients suitable for α-LAG3 treatment and simultaneously the possibility to perform an early diagnosis due to its higher presence in breast cancer, also to achieve a theragnostic approach. Our data confirm the extreme dysregulation of LAG3 in breast cancer with significantly higher expression in tumor tissue specimens, compared to non-cancerous tissue controls.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Sesamolin possesses limited aqueous solubility, a drawback for biological activity study in cancer cell models. This study aimed to enhance sesamolin's ability to fight cancer, as it is a bioactive compound with low water solubility found in sesame. We developed different Pickering emulsion delivery systems and tested their anticancer effects on various cancer cell types.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A hepatocellular carcinoma model with and without parenchymal liver damage that integrates technical and pathophysiological advantages for therapy testing.

Pharmacol Res

December 2024

Department of Dermatology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany; Department of Medicine II, Saarland University Medical Center, Saarland University, Kirrberger Strasse 100, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany. Electronic address:

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of primary liver cancer, with cirrhosis being its strongest risk factor. Interestingly, an increasing number of HCC cases is also observed without cirrhosis. We developed an HCC model via intrasplenic injection of highly tumorigenic HCC cells, which, due to cellular tropism, invade the liver and allow for a controllable disease progression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

m6A methylation profiling as a prognostic marker in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: insights from MeRIP-Seq and RNA-Seq.

Front Immunol

December 2024

Department of Radiation Oncology, Clinical Oncology School of Fujian Medical University, Fujian Cancer Hospital, Fuzhou, China.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a type of malignant tumors commonly found in Southeast Asia and China, with insidious onset and clinical symptoms. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification significantly contributes to tumorigenesis and progression by altering RNA secondary structure and influencing RNA-protein binding at the transcriptome level. However, the mechanism and role of abnormal m6A modification in nasopharyngeal carcinoma remain unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!