Intravenous injection of oncolytic picornavirus SVV-001 prolongs animal survival in a panel of primary tumor-based orthotopic xenograft mouse models of pediatric glioma

Abstract

BackgroundSeneca Valley virus (SVV-001) is a nonpathogenic oncolytic virus that can be systemically administered and can pass through the blood-brain barrier. We examined its therapeutic efficacy and the mechanism of tumor cell infection in pediatric malignant gliomas.MethodsIn vitro antitumor activities were examined in primary cultures, preformed neurospheres, and self-renewing glioma cells derived from 6 patient tumor orthotopic xenograft mouse models (1 anaplastic astrocytoma and 5 GBM). In vivo therapeutic efficacy was examined by systemic treatment of preformed xenografts in 3 permissive and 2 resistant models. The functional role of sialic acid in mediating SVV-001 infection was investigated using neuraminidase and lectins that cleave or competitively bind to linkage-specific sialic acids.ResultsSVV-001 at a multiplicity of infection of 0.5 to 25 replicated in and effectively killed primary cultures, preformed neurospheres, and self-renewing stemlike single glioma cells derived from 4 of the 6 glioma models in vitro. A single i.v. injection of SVV-001 (5 × 1012 viral particles/kg) led to the infection of orthotopic xenografts without harming normal mouse brain cells, resulting in significantly prolonged survival in all 3 permissive and 1 resistant mouse models (P