Oncolytic alphavirus SFV-VA7 efficiently eradicates subcutaneous and orthotopic human prostate tumours in mice

: Martikainen M, Ruotsalainen J, Tuomela J, Härkönen P, Essand M, Heikkilä J, Hinkkanen A

Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

: 2017

: British Journal of Cancer

: BRITISH JOURNAL OF CANCER

: BRIT J CANCER

: 117

: 1

: 51

: 55

: 5

: 0007-0920

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/bjc.2017.151

Background: Despite recent therapeutic and diagnostic advances, prostate cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men in the Western world. Oncolytic viruses that replicate selectively in tumour cells represent a novel treatment candidate for these malignancies.Methods: We analysed infectivity of avirulent Semliki Firest virus SFV-VA7 in human prostate cancer cell lines VCaP, LNCaP and 22Rv1 and in nonmalignant prostate epithelial cell line RWPE-1. Therapeutic potency of SFV-VA7 was evaluated in subcutaneous and orthotopic mouse LNCaP xenograft models.Results: SFV-VA7 infected and killed the tested human prostate cancer cell lines irrespective of their hormone response status, while the nonmalignant prostate epithelial cell line RWPE-1 proved highly virus resistant. Notably, a single peritoneal dose of SFV-VA7 was sufficient to eradicate all subcutaneous and orthotopic LNCaP tumours.Conclusions: Our results indicate that SFV-VA7 is a novel, promising therapeutic virus against prostate cancer warranting further testing in early clinical trials.