# Impact of extracellular potassium on oncolytic therapy

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · 2022 · $177,066

## Abstract

Project Summary: Oncolytic virotherapy (OV) uses replication competent viruses as cancer therapeutics.
Unfortunately, many of the potential molecular mechanisms which mediate the intratumoral replication of these
viruses' remain incompletely understood. For example, it has recently been demonstrated that the extracellular
space within solid tumors contains high concentrations of potassium ions (K+) due to their release from necrotic
cells. The potential impact of this elevated extracellular [K+] on oncolytic infection, however, has never been
studied. In the current proposal we present new preliminary data demonstrating that the elevated levels of
extracellular K+ previously observed in solid tumors are not detrimental to the overall health of malignant cells
but can significantly inhibit the replication of oncolytic myxoma virus. We therefore hypothesize that elevated
intratumoral [K+] represents a novel ionic factor restricting oncolytic infection in vivo. To test this hypothesis, we
present the current proposal which will: elucidate the mechanism through which high extracellular [K+]'s inhibit
myxoma virus replication (Aim 1), study the impact of high intratumoral [K+]'s on oncolytic myxoma replication
and persistence in vivo (Aim 2), and develop a K+ resistant recombinant myxoma virus construct (Aim 3). This
work will not only enhance the clinical translation of oncolytic myxoma virus but also elucidate a completely
novel mechanism impacting the replication of oncolytic viruses.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10347566
- **Project number:** 1R21CA268163-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Eric Carter Bartee
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $177,066
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10347566

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10347566, Impact of extracellular potassium on oncolytic therapy (1R21CA268163-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10347566. Licensed CC0.

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