The role of TNF-α inhibitor in glioma virotherapy: A mathematical model

Abstract

Virotherapy, using herpes simplex virus, represents a promising therapy of glioma. But the innate immune response, which includes TNF-α produced by macrophages, reduces the effectiveness of the treatment. Hence treatment with TNF-α inhibitor may increase the effectiveness of the virotherapy. In the present paper we develop a mathematical model that includes continuous infusion of the virus in combination with TNF-α inhibitor. We study the efficacy of the treatment under different combinations of the two drugs for different scenarios of the burst size of newly formed virus emerging from dying infected cancer cells. The model may serve as a first step toward developing an optimal strategy for the treatment of glioma by the combination of TNF-α inhibitor and oncolytic virus injection.