Treatment of Metastatic Neuroblastoma with Mesenchymal Stem Cell‐Based Oncolytic Virotherapy

Treating tumors with viruses, that is, oncolytic viruses, was originally suggested by the clinicians who witnessed tumor regression after spontaneous viral infections. An increased understanding of virology, as well as experience using viruses in cancer gene therapy, has prompted a new wave of oncolytic virotherapy. The use of virotherapy against neuroblastoma (NB) is an emerging field. The use of oncolytic adenoviruses in the clinic has been recently reported in sporadic cases of children with metastatic NB. Oncolytic adenovirus (ICOVIR-5) is used for treating four children with refractory metastatic NB, using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as the carrier for our oncolytic adenovirus. In the cases of oncolytic viruses, carrier cells can also protect the virus from inactivation by immune defense mechanisms. Cells can also serve as production factories to produce and correctly process these agents in their most physiological form.