Replication-competent herpes virus NV1020 as direct treatment of pleural cancer in a rat model

Objective: Innovative treatments are needed for metastatic disease involving the pleura. NV1020 is a novel, multimutated, replication-restricted herpes simplex virus under investigation for its ability to selectively kill tumors by means of direct cell lysis. This study examines NV1020 in a rat model of pleura-based lung cancer. Methods: Cytotoxicity and viral proliferation were evaluated in vitro by exposure of the human non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549 to virus. NV1020 was also tested in an in vivo pleura-based cancer model established by injecting 1 X 10(7) A549 cells into the thoracic cavity of nude rats. Intrapleural treatments (1 X 10(7) viral particles) were given 3 hours or 3 days after tumor injection to model treatment of microscopic or macroscopic disease (n = 8-9/group). Tumor burden was assessed at 5 weeks. NV1020 infection and dissemination within the thoracic cavity was determined by means of immunohistochemistry. Results: In vitro, at multiplicities of infection (viral particles per tumor cell) of 0.01, 0.1, and 1.0, cell killing of A549 by NV1020 was 66%, 90%, and 97%, respectively, at 7 days after infection. Viral burst occurred by day 2. Intrapleural treatment was effective for both the microscopic (P <.001) and macroscopic (P <.05) in vivo tumor models. Virus was detectable by means of immunohistochemistry in tumors but not in adjacent normal intrathoracic tissues. Conclusions: NV1020 is not only highly cytotoxic to the human. lung cancer line A549 in vitro but can be delivered in a clinically relevant fashion to safely and effectively treat pleura-based tumor in vivo in a rat model.