Research And Grants

Intranasal Delivery of Oncolytic Virus in DMG

Pediatric high-grade gliomas are one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in children, and diffuse midline gliomas (DMGs) are the most rapidly fatal of these tumors. The infiltrative nature together with delicate tumor location in the brainstem precludes surgical resection, and the blood-brain barrier (BBB) prevents to deliver most drugs to the brain. To overcome this barrier, we will employ an innovative and effective delivery system, intranasal delivery (IND). IND is a practical, noninvasive method of bypassing the BBB to deliver drugs to the brain using unique anatomic (nerve) connection between nose to the brain, reducing unwanted systemic toxicity, and is amenable to convenient administration for patients. The novel altered cold-sore virus G207 has proven safe with evidence of responses and prolonged survival in children with high-grade gliomas. However, a key limitation of G207 is the use of intratumoral injection, which requires an invasive neurosurgical procedure and limits repeat injections, which would be beneficial for treating DMG and is made possible with IND. We will test the hypothesis that IND will facilitate giving repeated, maximum doses of G207 virus that can target DMG cells avoiding the need for invasive surgical procedures and without damaging healthy tissues.