Abstract
Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumors (PNETs) are very rare aggressive pediatric tumors characterized by the presence of poorly differentiated tumor cells. Despite formidable advances in targeted therapies and in the knowledge of the molecular make-up of these tumors, the development of curative therapies is still lagging. Therefore, the outcome for children affected with PNETs still remains dismal. Thus, it is critical to propel alternative therapeutic approaches to improve the survival and quality of life of these children. Delta-24-RGD is an oncolytic adenovirus engineered to have a tumor restricted replication and an expanded tropism to cancer cells. Altogether, these modifications result in a potent antitumor and lack of toxicity as shown by preclinical and clinical studies. In this work we describe the antitumor effect mediated by Delta-24-RGD in PNETs (PFSK-1 and SK-PN-DW cells), as well as a in a new unpublished cell line (PBT-25) that we have generated from a tumor biopsy. First, we demonstrated in vitro that Delta-24-RGD transduces efficiently PNET cells leading to an effective replication yielding high titers of new infectious particles when compared with other type of brain tumors such as glioma. Treatment with the virus in vitro resulted in an effective cell killing effect, obtaining IC50 values ranging from 7 to 18 MOIs. In vivo, Delta-24-RGD showed a safety profile since no signs of toxicity were observed upon its administration. Finally, the antitumor effect of Delta-24-RGD was assessed in vivo in two orthotopic models of sPNET. Delta-24-RGD treatment resulted in a significant increase in overall survival of the animals (19 and 21 days for PFSK-1 and SK-PN-DW, respectively) compared to vehicle treated animals (14 days) and led to long-term survivors free of disease. In vivo antitumor effect in PBT-25 is on-going. In summary, these results demonstrate the potential therapeutic benefit of Delta-24-RGD for the treatment of PNETs.