Advances in the Study of Antitumour Immunotherapy for Newcastle Disease Virus

Abstract

This article reviews the preclinical research, clinical application and development of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in the field of cancer therapy. Based on the distinctive antitumour properties of NDV and its positive interaction with the patient's immune system, this biologic could be considered a major breakthrough in cancer treatment. On one hand, NDV infection creates an inflammatory environment in the tumour microenvironment, which can directly activate NK cells, monocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells and promote the recruitment of immune cells. On the other hand, NDV can induce the upregulation of immune checkpoint molecules, which may break immune tolerance and immune checkpoint blockade resistance. In fact, clinical data have shown that NDV combined with immune checkpoint blockade can effectively enhance the antitumour response, leading to the regression of local tumours and distant tumours when injected, and this effect is further enhanced by targeted manipulation and modification of the NDV genome. At present, recombinant NDV and recombinant NDV combined with immune checkpoint blockers have entered different stages of clinical trials. Based on these studies, further research on NDV is warranted.

Combinatorial Approaches for Cancer Treatment Using Oncolytic Viruses: Projecting the Perspectives through Clinical Trials Outcomes

“…The following approaches were used to apply NDV for cancer treatment: NDV oncolysate vaccines [ 124 , 125 , 126 ]; autologous tumor cell vaccine (ATV-NDV) [ 127 , 128 , 129 ]; oncolytic NDV alone and in combination with durvalumab (NCT03889275, NCT04613492) [ 130 , 131 ]. …”

Molecular Mechanisms of Anti-Neoplastic and Immune Stimulatory Properties of Oncolytic Newcastle Disease Virus

“…At times of personalized and individualized medicine the concept of randomizedcontrolled clinical trials (RCTs) as exerted by big pharma companies in the last decades is being questioned and should be further discussed [166]. A comparative analysis of the side effects of systemic therapies revealed that cancer vaccines and OVs exert profoundly lower side effects than agents such as cytostatic drugs and SMIs [167]. The aspect of side effects, such as major adverse events (WHO grades 3-4) should in future be considered more seriously in the evaluation of RCTs [167].…”

Development and Scalable Production of Newcastle Disease Virus-Vectored Vaccines for Human and Veterinary Use

“…Lentogenic strains, such as LaSota or B1, show the lowest virulence in chicken [ 1 ] and have an extensive documented history of being safe in humans, as has been shown in clinical trials using NDV as an oncolytic agent [ 34 , 35 ]. More detailed information on such trials can be found in the most recent reviews on the oncolytic application of NDV [ 17 , 36 , 37 ]. Mesogenic and velogenic strains, on the other hand, are typically not used as vaccine vectors due to their virulence in chicken [ 1 ] and their status as a “Select Agent” in the United States [ 13 ].…”