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Study: Parvovirus therapy offers complete regression of malignant brain tumors

March 07, 2017

Rommelaere's colleague, J-rg Schlehofer, adds two more qualities that could be decisive for therapy of glioblastomas, in particular: "Parvoviruses pass the blood brain barrier so that they can be administered via the blood stream. In addition, they reproduce in cancer cells, which is particularly important for successful treatment of glioblastoma with its diffuse growth. Thus, the second generation viruses reach and eliminate even those cancer cells that have already settled at some distance from the primary tumor."

Parvovirus therapy to be tested in clinical trial

The promising results in the animal model have encouraged the DKFZ scientists, jointly with Dr. Karsten Geletneky of the Neurosurgery Department of Heidelberg University, to plan a clinical trial on the treatment of advanced glioblastomas. Glioblastoma is considered the most threatening type of brain tumor; only about half of those affected survive the first year after diagnosis. Even innovative drugs that have been made available recently can prolong survival only marginally. Therefore, new treatment approaches for this type of cancer are urgently needed.

Preparing such a trial is a tremendous effort. Thus, large amounts of virus have to be produced under controlled conditions for toxicological tests. Therefore, even a large institute like DKFZ could not afford financing a transfer of these results into clinical practice. Continuation of viral therapy development was made possible only by funds from Munich-based company Oryx. The company aims to provide funds for the development of therapeutically effective substances into clinically applicable drugs in an early stage.

Many of the required toxicological data have already been obtained and submitted to the drug approval authority by the researchers so that they expect to be able to admit the first patients to the trial by the end of the year. In addition, DKFZ and Oryx have recently signed another agreement: Oryx will also get involved in the development of a parvovirus therapy against pancreatic cancer.

Source: Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres