Oncolytic Virotherapy is a form of immunotherapy that is now being tested on malignant brain tumors in children. Dr. Gregory Friedman is the principal investigator for the first-ever pediatric trial of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV G207) in children with recurrent or progressive brain cancers.The herpes virus, which typically causes cold sores, has been engineered to be safe for normal cells, but can infect and kill cancer cells and stimulate the patient's own immune system to attack the tumor; this provides a "one-two punch" at killing tumor cells. This Phase 1 clinical trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is testing the safety and reliability of the virotherapy.To maximize the benefit of this therapy, Dr. Friedman's lab focuses on determining mechanisms of therapeutic resistance by exploring the role of tumor genotype, phenotype, and microenvironment as well as cellular defense mechanisms so that newer viruses, novel combinations, and unique routes of virus delivery may be developed to circumvent resistance mechanisms.Here to discuss Oncolytic Virotherapy is Dr. Gregory Friedman. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at UAB and Children's Hospital of Alabama, and an Associate Scientist at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.For more information click here: Clinical Trial: HSV G207.
