FEBRUARY 1, 2015

BIOTECH TODAY

Biotech
Today
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BIOTECHNOLOGY:
ENGINEERING THE FUTURE

Using Viruses to Treat Cancer

Alright folks, the field of biotechnology has reached a new age. In a recent
and, because of the press lack coverage, seemingly unnoticed development,
scientists have begun trials to treat cancer cells with viruses. The cancers
treated range from thyroid cancer to melanoma (skin cancer) and the
companies and organizations taking part in this revolutionary treatment
method include the Mayo Clinic, Amgen (a biotech giant) and Oncolytics

[S]cientists have
begun trials to treat
cancer cells with
viruses.

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FEBRUARY 1, 2015

BIOTECH TODAY

Biotech, a company that specifies in the treatment of cancers. All

of these companies are trying different approaches to obtain
success via different viruses, different pathways and etiologies
for cancer, and different ways of administering the medicine.

Mayo Clinic

Some of the
viruses being used
to kill cancer cells:

The Mayo Clinic, a non profit hospital based in the U.S., is one of
the pioneers using oncolytic viruses. Their novel approach to
treating cancer comes in the form of an oncolytic adenovirus,
ONYX-411, that targets large amounts of a cell cycle starter, E24.
Because cancer cells have more E24 than normal cells, the
adenovirus effectively targets them. In fact, the virus uses the E24
to replicate itself inside the cancer cell, successfully destroying it
when the cell lyses and the new viruses burst out of the cell,
continuing the process until it kills all the cancer cells it can reach.
The ONYX-411 virus can target several different types of human
cancers including thyroid cancer. The virus has not undergone
human trials as of yet, but many preliminary tests in human cells
show that it suppresses tumor growth and does not destroy
normal cells.

Amgen
Amgens efforts to treat cancer have yielded in a slightly different
result: a cancer-fighting vaccine called T-Vec. In a study done in
early 2014, almost 66% of the tumors injected with the vaccine
shrank 50% or more. Of the tumors that shrank, half of them
disappeared from view entirely.
The virus talimogene laherparepvec is engineered to target cancer
cells and promote a white-blood cell growth factor, bringing in the
immune system to fight the cancer as well. After the study in 2014,
Amgen banked a significant amount of money and resources on
the project, now considered one of the big biotech's top
prospects.

Oncolytics Biotech
Oncolytics Biotech, a small biotechnology company in Calgary,
Canada, is in the human-trial stage of its viral treatment,
REOLYSIN. REOLYSIN is a solution made of the Orthoreovirus, a
relatively harmless virus that causes mild flulike symptoms.
Orthoreovirus works by targeting cells with an active Ras pathway.
If a mutation occurs in the pathway, cell growth can go insane,
which is essentially what cancer is: insane cell growth. Because
most cancer cells have an active Ras pathway, the reovirus can

(top) An adenovirus like

ONYX-411, the oncolytic
virus being experimented
with at the Mayo Clinic,
(middle) Amgens talimogene laherparepvec (AKA
T-Vec), (bottom) and the
type of Orthoreovirus used
by Oncolytics Biotech

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FEBRUARY 1, 2015

BIOTECH TODAY

help suppress cancer growth by its specific targeting and eminent destruction of such cells. In the
most recent human trial, it was shown that the virus significantly helped shrink or get rid of cancer
cells in most patients.

VIRUSES ARENT ALL BAD

Citations:
Thagard, P. (2002). Curing cancer? Patrick Lee's path to the reovirus treatment.
International Studies in Philosophy of Science, 16, 179-193. http://
cogsci.uwaterloo.ca/Articles/Lee.html
Reddi, H. V., P. Madde, and Et.al. "Cancer Gene Therapy." Nature.com. Nature
Publishing Group, 5 Jan. 2008. Web. 01 Feb. 2015. <http://www.nature.com/cgt/
journal/v15/n11/full/cgt200844a.html>.
Carrol, John. "Amgen's Viral Cancer Vaccine T-Vec Tackles Melanoma Tumors in
PhIII." FierceBiotech. Fiercebiotech.com, n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2015. <http://
www.fiercebiotech.com/story/amgens-viral-cancer-vaccine-t-vec-tacklesmelanoma-tumors-phiii/2014-03-15>.
"ViralZone: Orthoreovirus." ViralZone: Orthoreovirus. Viralzone.org, n.d. Web. 01
Feb. 2015. <http://viralzone.expasy.org/all_by_species/105.html>.
"Oncolytics Biotech Inc. Announces Additional Data from REO 018 Randomized
Study of REOLYSIN in Head and Neck Cancers." Oncolytics Biotech Inc.
Oncolytics Biotech Inc., 4 Aug. 2014. Web. 01 Feb. 2015. <http://
www.oncolyticsbiotech.com/news/press-release-details/2014/Oncolytics-BiotechInc-Announces-Additional-Data-from-REO-018-Randomized-Study-of-REOLYSINin-Head-and-Neck-Cancers/default.aspx>.

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