Systemic therapy of myeloma xenografts by an attenuated measles virus

Blood. 2001 Oct 1;98(7):2002-7. doi: 10.1182/blood.v98.7.2002.

Abstract

Conditionally replicating viruses are promising agents for the treatment of malignancy. Here it is shown that the live attenuated Edmonston-B vaccine strain of measles virus (MV-Edm) replicates selectively in human myeloma cells and has potent antitumor activity. In vitro, replication of MV-Edm was restricted in phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) but proceeded efficiently in a panel of 6 myeloma cell lines-ARH-77, RPMI 8226, JJN-3, MM1, KAS-6/1, and KMS-11-and in primary myeloma cells isolated by CD138 sorting from the bone marrow aspirates of 6 patients. MV-Edm infection induced potent cytopathic effects in these myeloma cells, resulting in the formation of multinucleated syncytia that eventually became nonviable. In contrast, syncytial formation in PHA-stimulated PBLs was minimal after MV-Edm infection. In vivo, MV-Edm was antitumorigenic and inhibited the establishment of myeloma cells as xenografts in immunocompromised mice. When injected directly into ARH-77 myeloma xenografts in the mice, MV-Edm caused complete regression of these xenografts. MV-Edm administered intravenously into the tail veins of mice also showed significant antineoplastic activity against established RPMI 8226 and ARH-77 xenografts. In particular, the ARH-77 myeloma xenografts were exquisitely sensitive to MV-Edm therapy, and tumors in all mice regressed completely. In light of its selectivity for myeloma cells and its potent antineoplastic activity against myeloma xenografts in vivo, MV-Edm merits further development for the treatment of multiple myeloma.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Injections, Intravenous
  • Measles Vaccine / administration & dosage
  • Measles virus / physiology
  • Mice
  • Multiple Myeloma / therapy*
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Transplantation, Heterologous*
  • Vaccines, Attenuated / administration & dosage*
  • Virus Replication

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Measles Vaccine
  • Vaccines, Attenuated