Grant: Project Grant

Our research is focused on improving the efficacy of oncolytic viruses for breast cancer treatment. Oncolytic viruses are viruses that infect and kill cancers without damaging normal organs. They can be administered to cancer patients intravenously to kill both the primary tumor mass as well as metastatic disease. Oncolytic viruses are considered a promising treatment for breast cancer, the most common cancer amongst women. Breast cancers are often disseminated to several organs and there is an urgent need for new therapeutic options, notably for the most advanced and aggressive forms of the disease such as triple-negative breast cancer. The results obtained from the various clinical trials testing these viruses in patients show promising results, but not all patients enter remission after treatment. The ability to predict which patients would benefit from oncolytic viruses, and the creation of new viruses for which all breast cancers would be responsive, are priorities. In this project, we will identify which triple-negative breast cancer patients could benefit from oncolytic viruses and design improved viruses that will be more effective against all triple-negative breast cancers as well as other breast cancer types. Our findings will allow for a better selection of the patients to treat and the development of new oncolytic viruses will allow a wider range of breast cancer patients to benefit from the treatment.