# Cancer therapy with a combination of oncolytic bacteria and virus to enhance targeted cell killing and anti-tumor immune responses

> **NIH NIH R21** · ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS · 2021 · $220,193

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States and worldwide. Appropriate activation of the
immune system and effective targeting of tumor cells are the primary hurdles to be overcome for successful
cancer immunotherapy. Microbes-based therapy was extensively studied recently to fill the critical unmet
needs of cancer patients, where the current treatment options have been exhausted. We have developed
genetically engineered Salmonella (GMS), which can actively search for cancer cells, induce tumor regression,
prolong survival time, and inhibit cancer metastasis in multiple mouse models. They can also eradicate
themselves from the host after treatment. Interestingly, Salmonella also processes multiple natural killer (NK)
cell stimulators. On the other hand, oncolytic viruses are new cancer immunotherapeutics and have been
approved to use in the clinic. Oncolytic Myxoma virus (MYXV) has been tested in multiple preclinical cancer
models and has demonstrated immune stimulating properties for cancer treatment. MYXV was able to bring
CD45+ leukocytes to the tumor bed. In addition, these large DNA viruses can be armed to express additional
immune activating molecules. In this study, we propose to explore a novel cancer treatment approach that
combines the targeted cancer cell killing ability of bacteria and immune stimulating abilities of both oncolytic
bacteria and viruses. Apart from the direct killing of cancer cells, improved GMS will stimulate NK cells and
MYXV will recruit other tumor-infiltrating leukocytes to activate the anti-tumor immune responses. In addition,
we will explore the transgene expressing armed MYXVs that will express cytokines and chemokines to recruit
more specific tumor-infiltrating leukocytes. The success of our efforts would turn microbes to appropriate onsite
attractors and activators of the immune system for effective cancer therapy to be successful and applicable
across a wide range of tumor types.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10128008
- **Project number:** 1R21CA249517-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Wei Kong
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $220,193
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-12-15 → 2022-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10128008

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10128008, Cancer therapy with a combination of oncolytic bacteria and virus to enhance targeted cell killing and anti-tumor immune responses (1R21CA249517-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10128008. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*