Tumor-targeting viral therapy slows neuroblastoma, malignant peripheral nerve she...(V as rQT3. In laboratory studies involvi...)

Date:2/14/2008

V as rQT3. In laboratory studies involving human cancer cells and mice designed to develop neuroblastoma or peripheral nerve sheath tumors, rQT3 reduced new blood vessel development and increased toxicity to both kinds of tumor cells. In addition, rQT3 treatment resulted in longer life spans in mice compared to mouse models receiving just saline or other treatments.

Dr. Cripe said the researchers also discovered that rQT3 reduced the number of circulating endothelial progenitors (CEP). CEPs are derived from blood marrow and circulate in the blood. They have the ability to become cells that line blood vessels to promote blood flow.

Our findings suggest that therapeutic viruses can act systemically by limiting the mobilization and recruitment of bone-barrow derived progenitors, both CEPs and others, that contribute to the tumor microenvironment and growth, resulting in the restriction of new blood vessel growth that can feed tumors, Dr. Cripe said.

Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor cancer that begins in the sympathetic nervous system and most often strikes children younger than 5 years old. For children younger than 2, or those with a single mass tumor, the combination of surgery and chemotherapy has led to cure rates of 90 to 95 percent. In older children or those with metastatic disease, neuroblastoma is a much harder to fight. Tumor cells are often able to survive ordinary doses of chemotherapy and radiation, leading to relapses that are difficult to cure. During the last three decades, Cincinnati Childrens has been a leader in developing high-dose chemotherapy used in combination with bone marrow transplants and other drug treatments to help improve outcomes for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors are cancers affecting the connective tissue surrounding nerves. The first-line treatment is surgical removal with chemotherapy or radiotherapy used as auxiliary therapies.

'/>"/>

Contact: Nick Miller 513-803-6035 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Source:Eurekalert

4 GOOD

Page: 1 2
Related biology news :

1. Clearance of hepatitis C viral infection after liver transplantation
2. Feline virus, antiviral drug studied to understand drug resistance
3. Drug aimed at 2 bioterror agents blocks live viral infection, Weill Cornell team reports
4. A new radiation therapy treatment developed for head and neck cancer patients
5. St. Jude finds factors that accelerate resistance to targeted therapy in lymphoblastic leukemia
6. UC health news: molecular pathway may predict chemotherapy effectiveness
7. MIT works toward safer gene therapy
8. Intravenous gene therapy protects normal tissue of mice during whole-body radiation
9. Gene, stem cell therapy only needs to be 50 percent effective to create a healthy heart
10. Fourth Annual International Conference on Cell Therapy for Cardiovascular Diseases
11. Safe and effective therapy discovered for patients with protein-losing enteropathy