Measles virus encoding the human thyroidal sodium iodide symporter or MV-NIS is an attenuated oncolytic Edmonston (Ed) strain of
measles virus
The measles virus (MV), with scientific name ''Morbillivirus hominis'', is a single-stranded, negative-sense, enveloped, non-segmented RNA virus of the genus ''Morbillivirus'' within the family ''Paramyxoviridae''. It is the cause of measles. H ...
.
MV-NIS will attach and fuse to host
tumor
A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
cell membranes. After fusion, MV-NIS has been observed to kill the tumor cells. Due to the unique properties of iodine uptake in these cells,
iodine 123
Iodine-123 (123I) is a radioactive isotope of iodine used in nuclear medicine imaging, including single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) or SPECT/CT exams. The isotope's half-life is 13.2232 hours; the decay by electron capture to tell ...
(I-123) may be used to image MV-NIS-infected tumor cells. Non-invasive imaging provides confirmation of targeted infection and allows for monitoring and visualization of treatment progression.
The human
CD46
CD46 complement regulatory protein also known as CD46 (cluster of differentiation 46) and Membrane Cofactor Protein is a protein which in humans is encoded by the ''CD46'' gene. CD46 is an inhibitory complement receptor.
Gene
This gene is fo ...
antigen
In immunology, an antigen (Ag) is a molecule, moiety, foreign particulate matter, or an allergen, such as pollen, that can bind to a specific antibody or T-cell receptor. The presence of antigens in the body may trigger an immune response.
...
is known to be the functional cellular receptor for Measles virus. This type 1 integral
membrane glycoprotein is a normal part of human tissue but may be overexpressed on some cancer cell types.
MV-NIS is the first targeted engineered virus therapy to have shown remission in published cancer clinical trials.
PET/CT Imaging
A few days after infection, the host animal may be injected with radioiodine which is then selectively captured by infected cells and tumors. Detailed images may then be created showing the location of these infections and the target sites for tumor reduction monitoring.
In the mouse model, non-invasive imaging and selective uptake have assisted in evidence for selective
prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is the neoplasm, uncontrolled growth of cells in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder. Abnormal growth of the prostate tissue is usually detected through Screening (medicine), screening tests, ...
treatment.
This imaging technique is an improvement over initial efforts to engineer a Measles virus to carry the soluble marker human
carcinoembryonic antigen
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) describes a set of highly-related glycoproteins involved in cell adhesion. CEA is normally produced in gastrointestinal tissue during fetal development, but the production stops before birth. Consequently, CEA is us ...
(CEA). The resultant strain, MV-CEA, could only be monitored by blood test which is not specific to areas of treatment.
See also
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Virotherapy
Virotherapy is a treatment using biotechnology to convert viruses into therapeutic agents by reprogramming viruses to treat diseases. There are three main branches of virotherapy: anti-cancer oncolytic viruses, viral vectors for gene therapy and ...
*
Oncolytic virus
An oncolytic virus is a virus that preferentially infects and kills cancer cells. As the infected cancer cells are destroyed by oncolysis, they release new infectious virus particles or virions to help destroy the remaining tumour. Oncolytic vi ...
References
External links
Remission of Disseminated Cancer After Systemic Oncolytic VirotherapyActive clinical trials for MV-NIS, National Cancer InstituteDisseminated multiple myeloma with oncolytic measles virus
discussion on Columbia University Professor Vincent Racaniello's "This week in virology" podcast.
Preclinical Pharmacology and Toxicology of Intravenous MV-NIS, an Oncolytic Measles Virus Administered With or Without CyclophosphamideOncolytic measles virus encoding thyroidal sodium iodide symporter for squamous cell cancer of the head and neck radiovirotherapy.Publications of Steven J. Russell
{{DEFAULTSORT:Measles virus encoding the human thyroidal sodium iodide symporter
Morbilliviruses
Virotherapy