TY - JOUR
T1 - Virotherapy Research in Germany
T2 - From Engineering to Translation
AU - Ungerechts, Guy
AU - Engeland, Christine E.
AU - Buchholz, Christian J.
AU - Eberle, Jürgen
AU - Fechner, Henry
AU - Geletneky, Karsten
AU - Holm, Per Sonne
AU - Kreppel, Florian
AU - Kühnel, Florian
AU - Lang, Karl Sebastian
AU - Leber, Mathias F.
AU - Marchini, Antonio
AU - Moehler, Markus
AU - Mühlebach, Michael D.
AU - Rommelaere, Jean
AU - Springfeld, Christoph
AU - Lauer, Ulrich M.
AU - Nettelbeck, Dirk M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2017.
PY - 2017/10/1
Y1 - 2017/10/1
N2 - Virotherapy is a unique modality for the treatment of cancer with oncolytic viruses (OVs) that selectively infect and lyse tumor cells, spread within tumors, and activate anti-tumor immunity. Various viruses are being developed as OVs preclinically and clinically, several of them engineered to encode therapeutic proteins for tumor-targeted gene therapy. Scientists and clinicians in German academia have made significant contributions to OV research and development, which are highlighted in this review paper. Innovative strategies for "shielding," entry or postentry targeting, and "arming" of OVs have been established, focusing on adenovirus, measles virus, parvovirus, and vaccinia virus platforms. Thereby, new-generation virotherapeutics have been derived. Moreover, immunotherapeutic properties of OVs and combination therapies with pharmacotherapy, radiotherapy, and especially immunotherapy have been investigated and optimized. German investigators are increasingly assessing their OV innovations in investigator-initiated and sponsored clinical trials. As a prototype, parvovirus has been tested as an OV from preclinical proof-of-concept up to first-in-human clinical studies. The approval of the first OV in the Western world, T-VEC (Imlygic), has further spurred the involvement of investigators in Germany in international multicenter studies. With the encouraging developments in funding, commercialization, and regulatory procedures, more German engineering will be translated into OV clinical trials in the near future.
AB - Virotherapy is a unique modality for the treatment of cancer with oncolytic viruses (OVs) that selectively infect and lyse tumor cells, spread within tumors, and activate anti-tumor immunity. Various viruses are being developed as OVs preclinically and clinically, several of them engineered to encode therapeutic proteins for tumor-targeted gene therapy. Scientists and clinicians in German academia have made significant contributions to OV research and development, which are highlighted in this review paper. Innovative strategies for "shielding," entry or postentry targeting, and "arming" of OVs have been established, focusing on adenovirus, measles virus, parvovirus, and vaccinia virus platforms. Thereby, new-generation virotherapeutics have been derived. Moreover, immunotherapeutic properties of OVs and combination therapies with pharmacotherapy, radiotherapy, and especially immunotherapy have been investigated and optimized. German investigators are increasingly assessing their OV innovations in investigator-initiated and sponsored clinical trials. As a prototype, parvovirus has been tested as an OV from preclinical proof-of-concept up to first-in-human clinical studies. The approval of the first OV in the Western world, T-VEC (Imlygic), has further spurred the involvement of investigators in Germany in international multicenter studies. With the encouraging developments in funding, commercialization, and regulatory procedures, more German engineering will be translated into OV clinical trials in the near future.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85030320551&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/hum.2017.138
DO - 10.1089/hum.2017.138
M3 - Article
C2 - 28870120
AN - SCOPUS:85030320551
SN - 1043-0342
VL - 28
SP - 800
EP - 819
JO - Human Gene Therapy
JF - Human Gene Therapy
IS - 10
ER -