Dr Chmielowski on the Rationale for Investigating Oncolytic Viruses in Melanoma
Source: OncLive, January 2025
Bartosz Chmielowski, MD, PhD, health sciences clinical professor, medicine, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Sarcoma and Connective Tissue Medical Oncology, UCLA Health, discusses the rationale for investigating oncolytic viruses in melanoma.
Although the concept of oncolytic viruses is not entirely new, it represents an evolving approach in cancer therapy, Chmielowski begins. One oncolytic virus, talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC; Imylgic), has been FDA approved for the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma since 2015. T-VEC is administered via direct intratumoral injection, making it most suitable for patients with accessible lesions, such as those on the skin, in subcutaneous nodules, or within local lymph nodes, Chmielowski explains.
T-VEC is based on a modified herpes simplex virus designed to replicate selectively within the tumor microenvironment, Chmielowski details. Viral proliferation in tumor cells leads to localized tumor destruction, which in turn stimulates an inflammatory response, he says. This inflammation is characterized by cytokine release and, potentially, the release of tumor-associated antigens, which can enhance systemic antitumor immune responses, according to Chmielowski.