For youth passionate about medical science and research, this is a great read. Breakthroughs continue to be found...... Oncolytics Biotech Inc. is focused on the development of oncolytic viruses for use as cancer therapeutics. The Company’s lead product, REOLYSIN®, a proprietary formulation of the human reovirus, is currently in late stage (Phase III) clinical testing in head and neck cancers. REOLYSIN® has been utilized in nearly thirty clinical trials including translational, Phase I, Phase II (single arm and randomized), and Phase III studies in a broad range of cancer indications. The reovirus, or Respiratory Enteric Orphan virus, has been demonstrated to replicate specifically in tumor cells that have a constitutively activated Ras pathway. Activating mutations of Ras and mutations along the Ras pathway occur in approximately two-thirds of all tumors. Tumors bearing an activated Ras pathway are deficient in their ability to activate an anti-viral response mediated by the host cellular protein, PKR. Since PKR is responsible for preventing reovirus replication, tumor cells that lack the activity of PKR are susceptible to reovirus infection and eventual cell death. As normal cells do not possess Ras activation, these cells are able to thwart reovirus infection by the activity of PKR. In a tumor cell with an activated Ras pathway, the reovirus is able to freely replicate and kill the host tumor cell. Progeny virus particles are then able to infect and kill surrounding cancer cells. This cycle of infection, replication and cell death is believed to be repeated until there are no longer any tumor cells carrying an activated Ras pathway available.
Posted on: Thu, 24 Jul 2014 06:46:07 +0000
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