Science, Vol 252, Issue 5007, 854-856
Copyright © 1991 by American Association for the Advancement of Science
Experimental therapy of human glioma by means of a genetically engineered virus mutant
RL Martuza,
A Malick,
JM Markert,
KL Ruffner,
and
DM Coen
Molecular Neurogenetics Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, Charlestown 02129.
Malignant gliomas are the most common malignant brain tumors and are almost always fatal. A thymidine kinase-negative mutant of herpes simplex virus-1 (dlsptk) that is attenuated for neurovirulence was tested as a possible treatment for gliomas. In cell culture, dlsptk killed two long-term human glioma lines and three short-term human glioma cell populations. In nude mice with implanted subcutaneous and subrenal U87 human gliomas, intraneoplastic inoculation of dlsptk caused growth inhibition. In nude mice with intracranial U87 gliomas, intraneoplastic inoculation of dlsptk prolonged survival. Genetically engineered viruses such as dlsptk merit further evaluation as novel antineoplastic agents.
