Fundamental research on oncolytic viral therapy strategies with enhanced antitumor immune activity

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K07213
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Tumor therapeutics
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: IWAI Miwako 東京大学, 医科学研究所, 技術専門員 (50396884)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 遺伝子治療 / ウイルス療法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

G47Δ is an oncolytic virus that can replicate selectively in and destroys only cancer cells, and provides high efficacy and effective antitumor immunity induction as well as high safety. In 2021, G47Δ was approved as a new drug for malignant glioma in Japan. G47Δ is effective against various types of cancer, and an expansion of applications is intended for cancer that is refractory to current standard therapies.
G47Δ exhibits specific antitumor immunity in the course of replication in cancer cells, and thus ast as an in situ cancer vaccine. In this study, we generated viruses that further enhances antitumor immunity using G47Δ as a backbone, and confirmed the enhancement of the therapeutic effect of newly constructed viruses.

Free Research Field

腫瘍治療学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

実用的なウイルス療法の開発にはがん細胞に対する強い抗腫瘍効果と同時に正常組織を傷害しないという安全性が重要になる。本研究は、既に治療薬として確立している第三世代 HSV-1 である G47Δ を基盤にしたものであり、安全性を担保し、かつ抗腫瘍免疫活性能を増強して治療効果を増強することで、臨床応用を視野に入れた様々な難治性がんへの適応拡大につながる。