Viruses are one of humanity’s oldest enemies, as made evident by the pandemic. The advances in healthcare, however, have allowed us to take advantage of some of the characteristics that make them potential hazards to benefit humanity. An example of this is a recent phase I clinical trial assessing the effectiveness of a cancer-killing virus , RP2. RP2 is a genetically modified herpes simplex type 1 virus (HSV-1) that expresses an anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte protein 4 (CTLA-4) antibody.
It is designed to directly destroy tumors while also eliciting an anti-tumor immune response. The study was presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology annual meeting this year. Study overview Study type : Open-label, multicenter, phase I trial Participants : 37 patients with advanced cancers unresponsive to current treatments Intervention group : RP2 group (n = 7); RP2 and nivolumab…
