INA of LX2/XVir

Glioblastomas (GBM) are difficult to treat and deadly brain tumors and may infiltrate the whole brain. Cancer killing (oncolytic) viruses have been used to treat GBMs. However, oncolytic virotherapy needs surgery as the viruses have to be injected directly into the tumor. We used human cells that we loaded with the oncolytic virus XVir-N-31. Virus-loaded cells were applied into the noses of GBM-mice by a non-surgical method, were rapidly transported towards the brain tumor and also to invaded GBM cells located far away from the original tumor. In the brain these shuttle cells released XVir-N-31 which then infects and kills the cancer cells. In consequence, mice that received XVir-N-31 loaded shuttle cells via the nose showed a delayed tumor growth and better survival. In addition, if the intranasal delivery was combined with an intratumoral injection of XVir-N-31, 25% of mice did not show any tumors and survived long time.