Grant: Project Grant

Could ingesting a virus clear malignant cells in the digestive tract? Could this virus prevent cancer progression in the colon in the form of polyps and act as an anti-cancer vaccine? We believe that the gastroenteric Reovirus can do all that. REOvirus (Respiratory Enteric Orphan), is a virus originally isolated from the respiratory and enteric tract of humans, but is classified as an orphan virus because it has not been associated with any known human disease. The natural cycle of Reovirus is to propagate and spread through the oral-fecal route of mammals, which is how this virus has evolved on this planet for millions of years. While Reovirus is a common non-pathogenic virus, it can replicate and destroy (lyse) cancer cells with high efficiency. There have been numerous clinical trials using Reovirus injected intratumourally or intravenously. While colon cancer cells are known to be very sensitive to Reovirus oncolysis, most surprisingly the oral administration route of oncolytic Reovirus has not been thoroughly investigated. We propose that ingesting Reoviruses can be developed as a treatment or preventive measure for colorectal cancer and recurrences. Furthermore, we will modify the virus to expose colon cancer antigens to improve its anti-tumour efficacy. In addition, in combination with other immunotherapeutic agents, we anticipate long-time cure will be obtained with this unique and safe approach.