Demonstration of anti-tumor activity of oncolytic measles virus strains in a malignant pleural effusion breast cancer model

• Published in: Breast cancer research and treatment Vol. 122; no. 3; pp. 745 - 754
• Main Authors: Iankov, Ianko D, Msaouel, Pavlos, Allen, Cory, Federspiel, Mark J, Bulur, Peggy A, Dietz, Allan B, Gastineau, Dennis, Ikeda, Yasuhiro, Ingle, James N, Russell, Stephen J, Galanis, Evanthia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Boston : Springer US 01.08.2010; Springer US; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Apoptosis - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; Breast cancer; breast neoplasms; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - immunology; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Cancer patients; Cancer research; Cancer therapies; Cercopithecus aethiops; Comparative analysis; Dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Gene expression; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Health aspects; Humans; Infection; Mammary gland diseases; Measles; Measles - complications; Measles - immunology; Measles Vaccine - genetics; Measles Vaccine - immunology; Measles Vaccine - therapeutic use; Measles virus; Measles virus - genetics; Measles virus - immunology; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mice; Mice, Nude; Oncology; Oncolytic Virotherapy; Pleural effusion; Pleural Effusion, Malignant - genetics; Pleural Effusion, Malignant - immunology; Pleural Effusion, Malignant - therapy; Pleural effusions; Pneumology; Preclinical Study; Respiratory diseases; Respiratory system : syndromes and miscellaneous diseases; Survival Rate; Tumor Cells, Cultured; Tumors; Vaccines; Vero Cells; Virology; Virus Replication; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; Pleural effusion; Oncolytic virotherapy; Breast cancer; Measles virus; Antineoplastic agent; Breast disease; Respiratory disease; Virotherapy; Malignant tumor; Oncolytic virus; Malignant pleural effusion; Biological activity; Paramyxoviridae; Strain; Virus; Paramyxovirinae; Mammary gland diseases; Mononegavirales; Pleurisy; Morbillivirus; Pleural disease; Models; Cancer
• ISSN: 0167-6806; 1573-7217
• DOI: 10.1007/s10549-009-0602-z

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of malignant effusions in cancer patients. Pleural effusion indicates incurable disease with limited palliative treatment options and poor outcome. Here, we demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of measles virus (MV) vaccine strain derivative against malignant pleural effusion in an MDA-MB-231 xenograft model of advanced breast cancer. Both systemic intravenous (i.v.) and intrapleural (t.t.) administered virus caused massive infection and syncytia formation in the pleural tumor deposits. Intrapleural administration of 1.5 × 10⁶ plaque-forming units (PFU) total dose of MV significantly improved median survival by approximately 80% compared to the control animal group. Furthermore, we tested human dendritic cells as carriers for delivery of oncolytic MV infection to breast cancer pleural metastases. Carrier-delivered MV infection prevented accumulation of the pleural exudate and also significantly improved the survival of the treated mice. This is the first demonstration of the therapeutic potential of oncolytic virotherapy against malignant pleural effusions in a pre-clinical model of advanced breast cancer.