Varicella-Zoster Virus

Soto, Norberto E.; Straus, Stephen E.

doi:10.1016/b0-12-226870-9/01320-4

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…HSVs (HSV-1 and HSV-2) and varicella zoster virus (VZV) as the agent of herpes zoster infection, are members of the same family of alpha-herpesviruses and share a similar structure and pathogenic behavior. 24 As the diversity of cancer treatment modalities continues to expand, the emerging application of oncolytic virotherapy, with more than 200 OVs currently under investigation, is anticipated to play an important role in cancer eradication. 25 Like immunotherapy, selective OVs are tumor agnostic.…”

Section: Therapeutic Advances In Medical Oncologymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Serendipitous synergism – an exceptional response to treatment with pembrolizumab in the course of a natural immunovirotherapy: a case report and review of the literature

Khoury

Burcher

et al. 2022

Ther Adv Med Oncol

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Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are the current guideline recommended treatment for many malignancies considered to be terminal. Despite considerable advances, their utility remains limited, and the field requires synergistic partners to further improve outcomes. Oncolytic viruses (OV) are emerging as contenders for the role of the synergistic agent of choice due to their multi-mechanistic effect on activating the tumor ‘cold’ immune microenvironment. Herpes simplex virus 1, a naturally selective OV, is the most advanced virotherapeutic compound in clinical applications for use in combination with ICI. We here present the case of a 72 year-old patient with a heavily pre-treated, advanced maxillary sinus squamous cell cancer with distant metastases who developed complete response (CR) with only three administrations of a programmed death 1 inhibitor after treatment interference by a severe herpes zoster infection, based on the related alpha-herpesvirus varicella zoster virus (VZV). This exceptional response has been followed and confirmed with imaging studies over more than 5 years. Although the patient had several favorable predictors for response to immunotherapy, we reason that the exceptional response may in part be secondary to the serendipitous VZV infection. Documented cases of cancer patients that achieved CR after few administrations of treatment with ICI are rare, with most reporting follow up of just over 1 year or less. In this case, it is conceivable that the interference of the infection with VZV, soon after the start of immunotherapy with ICI, led to a lasting antitumor immunity and sustained CR. This hypothesis is supported by the concept of ‘oncolytic immunotherapy’ which is reviewed in this manuscript. In addition, persistence of a TP53 mutation found in a liquid biopsy, despite clinical and radiologic remission, is discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Therapeutic Advances In Medical Oncologymentioning

confidence: 99%