Clinical Trials with Oncolytic Measles Virus: Current Status and Future Prospects

Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2018;18(2):177-187. doi: 10.2174/1568009617666170222125035.

Abstract

Attenuated Edmonston lineage measles virus (MV-Edm) vaccine strains can preferentially infect and lyse a wide variety of cancer cells. Oncolytic MV-Edm derivatives are genetically engineered to express the human carcinoembryonic antigen (MV-CEA virus) or the human sodium iodide symporter (MV-NIS virus) and are currently being tested in clinical trials against ovarian cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, multiple myeloma, mesothelioma, head and neck cancer, breast cancer and malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors. This review describes the basic and preclinical data that facilitated the clinical translation of MV-Edm strains, and summarizes the clinical results of this oncolytic platform to date. Furthermore, we discuss the latest clinically relevant MV-Edm vector developments and creative strategies for future translational steps.

Keywords: Cancer gene therapy; MV-CEA; MV-NIS; measles virus clinical trials; oncolytic measles; virotherapy.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Clinical Trials as Topic*
  • Humans
  • Measles virus / genetics*
  • Neoplasms / genetics
  • Neoplasms / therapy*
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy*
  • Treatment Outcome