Virus combination effective against deadly brain tumor, Moffitt Cancer Center study shows

A combination of the myxoma virus and the immune suppressant rapamycin can kill glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and deadliest malignant brain tumor, according to Moffitt Cancer Center research. Peter A. Forsyth, M.D., of Moffitt’s Neuro-Oncology Program, says the combination has been shown to infect and kill both brain cancer stem cells and differentiated compartments of glioblastoma multiforme. The finding means that barriers to treating the disease, such as resistance to the drug temozolomide, may be overcome. The study, by Forsyth and colleagues in Canada, Texas and Florida, appeared in a recent issue of Neuro-Oncology. “Although temozolomide improves survival for patients with glioblastoma multiforme, drug resistance is a significant obstacle,” said Forsyth, the study lead author. “Oncolytic viruses that infect and break down cancer cells offer promising possibilities for overcoming resistance to targeted therapies.” The authors note that oncolytic viruses have the potential to provoke a multipronged attack on a tumor, with the...