# Optimizing oncolytic virus therapy for glioblastoma

> **NIH NIH R61** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 2020 · $390,000

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 The overarching goal of this project is to identify a new lead oncolytic virus for the treatment of adult
glioblastoma (GBM). Oncolytic viral (OV) therapy is a promising biological therapy that preferentially targets
tumor cells for lytic destruction [1, 2]. Oncolytic HSV-1 (oHSV) derived virus that encodes for GM-CSF
(IMLYGIC®) has been recently approved for non-ressectable metastatic melanoma [3, 4]. In our past endeavors,
we have created and tested the therapeutic efficacy of oHSV armed with therapeutic transgenes. These viruses
have been created in rHSVQ1 (HSVQ): an HSV virus backbone that is deleted for both copies of the viral neuro-
virulence gene ICP34.5 and it contains a gene disrupting insertion in viral ICP6. This backbone has attenuations
identical to G207, a virus that has been tested and found to be safe in patients with GBM after intracranial
inoculation into the tumor or when given into the post resection tumor cavity [5, 7-10]. Here we will create a novel
dually armed oncolytic virus (that encode for therapeutic transgenes: Vstat120, PTENα or both) and then
compare the dually armed and single transgene armed viruses to identify an optimal vector for future IND guided
studies.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9998027
- **Project number:** 5R61NS112410-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Balveen Kaur
- **Activity code:** R61 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $390,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9998027

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9998027, Optimizing oncolytic virus therapy for glioblastoma (5R61NS112410-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9998027. Licensed CC0.

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