smallpox virus-in phase I study very special results. In almost all patients the tumors were dwindling and it remained a virus engineered controllable and stable medication. Article posted 2 september 2011

2 september 2011: source: de Volkskrant and Nature. Thanks to Yuri

Canadian researchers have successfully manipulated a smallpox virus-JX-594-as directed medijcn applied in cancer patients with primary liver cancer. The virus cancer cells and kills them, exhorts the without affecting the healthy cells.

The so-called JX-594-virus, which was administered intravenously, spread into the bloodstream throughout the body and made tumor cells harmless. Except there were no other reported side effects what flu phenomena and the virus seems not to compromise the healthy cells but only to kill the cancer cells. The virus was removed from a vaccine against smallpox and so modified that it would detect and kill cancer cells. Of the 8 patients who got the full dose administered to the tumors are shrinking and proved at 6 patients the virus killed the cancer cells. Incidentally did to the study 23 patients with it. The study was designed to test the safety of the virus. All participating patients were incurable and all had already had many other treatments. Then this is of course a very special result. From the abstract published in Nature, I understand that there is a phase II/III study set up quickly.  Here the extended abstract of the study from Nature. Click here for the full study report

The Targeted Poxvirus JX-594 Demonstrates Oncolytic, Antitumoral, and Anti-HBV Antivascular Activities in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Source: Nature

Subject Category: Clinical Trials

Molecular Therapy (2008) 16 9, 1637 – 1642 doi: 10.1038/2008.143 Mt.

The Targeted Poxvirus JX-594 Demonstrates Oncolytic, Antitumoral, and Anti-HBV Antivascular Activities in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Ta-Chiang Liu1, Taeho Hwang Byeong-Ho Park2,3, John Bell and David Kirn1 H1

  1. 1JENNEREX Biotherapeutics, San Francisco, California, USA
  2. 2Department of Pharmacology, Pusan National University, Busan, South Korea
  3. 3Department of Radiology, Dong-A University, Busan, South Korea

Correspondence: David h. JENNEREX Biotherapeutics, Kirn, Market Street, Spear Tower, Suite One, San Francisco, California 94105, USA 2260. Email: dkirn@jennerex.com

The first two authors contributed equally to this work.

Received 10 April 2007; Accepted 16 June 2008; Published online 15 July 2008.

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Abstract

JX-594 is a poxvirus that is designed to eradicate cancer oncolytic targeted cells having cell-cycle defects, through replication, cell lysis, and spread within tumors; tumor vascular shutdown and oncolysis-induced granulocyte monocyte colony-immunostimulation are augmented by – stimulating factor (GM-CSF) transgenic expression. We have previously shown, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in animal models or, that is a promising anticancer agent JX-594. We tested JX-594 in three patients with advanced refractory hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC through intratumoral administration. JX-594 treatment was well-tolerated and resulted in all three patients antitumoral efficacy in, despite the presence of high levels of neutralizing antibodies. JX-594 replication, its release into the circulation, distant tumor targeting were demonstrated. JX-594 administration resulted in the induction of cytokines, and antivascular was associated with tumor vascular shutdown. We also showed, for the first time, that oncolytic virotherapy can suppress underlying HBV replication in HCC patients, and that tumor tissue could be the primary source of acute HBV replication and acute post-treatment HBV release. JX-594 treatment warrants further clinical testing in HBV-associated HCC; a Phase II trial is underway.  Read more in the full studyreport