Researchers from SciLifeLab and Uppsala University have investigated if immunotherapy could potentially be used as a treatment for Multiple myeloma, a type of cancer that affects the plasma cells. The study was published in Nature Cancer Gene Therapy.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer form that affects plasma cells and is characterized by dysregulation in the immune system. MM is usually treated with immunomodulating agents which brings the overall survival to a median of 6 years, but the disease is still incurable.

In a recent study, Led by Angelica Loskog (SciLifeLab/Uppsala University), researchers investigated whether they could treat MM by using an oncolytic virus (LOAd) – a genetically modified adenovirus that can replicate inside and kill tumor cells as well as stimulate the immune system and block the tumors own immune evading properties.

The oncolysis – the process where the replicated virus particles destroy the cancer cell – is restricted to cells with a dysregulated retinoblastoma protein pathway, which is frequently observed in MM.

To evaluate the effectiveness of LOAd a panel of MM cell lines were analyzed (ANBL-6, L363, LP-1, OPM-2, RPMI-8226, and U266-84). Quantitative PCR and viability assay was then used to confirm that all cells were sensitive to infection, subsequently leading to viral replication and oncolysis.

In conclusion, LOAd viruses could potentially be used as a new and effective treatment in regards to MM therapy.