Combination Reovirus and Radiation Therapy Used to Fight Cancer

UK researchers have just published results of their study evaluating combination treatment strategies of a reovirus and radiation in human and murine tumor cells in vitro and in vivo.

The study, conducted by Dr. Kevin Harrington and his research team at the Institute of Cancer Research (London, UK), examined enhanced in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity of combined reovirus and radiotherapy, and was published online in the February 1, 2008, issue of the journal Clinical Cancer Research.

The effect of different schedules of reovirus (called Reolysin) and radiotherapy on viral replication and cytotoxicity was tested in vitro, and the combination was assessed in three tumor models in vivo. The results demonstrated that combining reovirus and radiotherapy significantly increased cancer cell killing both in vitro and in vivo, particularly in cell lines with moderate susceptibility to reovirus alone.

"Dr. Harrington's work demonstrates convincingly that Reolysin works to enhance the effects of radiation therapy,” said Dr. Matt Coffey, chief scientific officer of Oncolytics Biotech, Inc. (Calgary, Canada), the developer of the reovirus. "The results of this preclinical research provided strong support for the combination Reolysin and radiation clinical trials we are conducting in the UK. To date, we have successfully completed enrolment in a phase Ia/Ib combination Reolysin and radiation trial and are currently enrolling patients in a phase II trial using this combination.”


Related Links:
Institute of Cancer Research
Oncolytics Biotech