RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Therapeutic targeting of the RB1 pathway in retinoblastoma with the oncolytic adenovirus VCN-01 JF Science Translational Medicine FD American Association for the Advancement of Science SP eaat9321 DO 10.1126/scitranslmed.aat9321 VO 11 IS 476 A1 Pascual-Pasto, Guillem A1 Bazan-Peregrino, Miriam A1 Olaciregui, Nagore G. A1 Restrepo-Perdomo, Camilo A. A1 Mato-Berciano, Ana A1 Ottaviani, Daniela A1 Weber, Klaus A1 Correa, Genoveva A1 Paco, Sonia A1 Vila-Ubach, Monica A1 Cuadrado-Vilanova, Maria A1 Castillo-Ecija, Helena A1 Botteri, Gaia A1 Garcia-Gerique, Laura A1 Moreno-Gilabert, Helena A1 Gimenez-Alejandre, Marta A1 Alonso-Lopez, Patricia A1 Farrera-Sal, Marti A1 Torres-Manjon, Silvia A1 Ramos-Lozano, Dolores A1 Moreno, Rafael A1 Aerts, Isabelle A1 Doz, François A1 Cassoux, Nathalie A1 Chapeaublanc, Elodie A1 Torrebadell, Montserrat A1 Roldan, Monica A1 König, Andrés A1 Suñol, Mariona A1 Claverol, Joana A1 Lavarino, Cinzia A1 Carmen de, Torres A1 Fu, Ligia A1 Radvanyi, François A1 Munier, Francis L. A1 Catalá-Mora, Jaume A1 Mora, Jaume A1 Alemany, Ramón A1 Cascalló, Manel A1 Chantada, Guillermo L. A1 Carcaboso, Angel M. YR 2019 UL http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/11/476/eaat9321.abstract AB Eyes afflicted by chemoresistant retinoblastoma may need to be surgically removed to prevent life-threatening metastasis. To develop alternative treatments for retinoblastoma, Pascual-Pasto et al. investigated the oncolytic adenovirus VCN-01, which targets cells with dysregulated RB1. They found that VCN-01 can lyse even chemoresistant patient samples in vitro and was effective in mouse xenograft models. VCN-01 was safe in mice and juvenile rabbits. Initial results from the first pediatric retinoblastoma patients treated with intravitreous VCN-01 showed viral replication in tumor cells and no systemic inflammation. These encouraging results support the development of this oncolytic virus to be used for retinoblastoma therapy.Retinoblastoma is a pediatric solid tumor of the retina activated upon homozygous inactivation of the tumor suppressor RB1. VCN-01 is an oncolytic adenovirus designed to replicate selectively in tumor cells with high abundance of free E2F-1, a consequence of a dysfunctional RB1 pathway. Thus, we reasoned that VCN-01 could provide targeted therapeutic activity against even chemoresistant retinoblastoma. In vitro, VCN-01 effectively killed patient-derived retinoblastoma models. In mice, intravitreous administration of VCN-01 in retinoblastoma xenografts induced tumor necrosis, improved ocular survival compared with standard-of-care chemotherapy, and prevented micrometastatic dissemination into the brain. In juvenile immunocompetent rabbits, VCN-01 did not replicate in retinas, induced minor local side effects, and only leaked slightly and for a short time into the blood. Initial phase 1 data in patients showed the feasibility of the administration of intravitreous VCN-01 and resulted in antitumor activity in retinoblastoma vitreous seeds and evidence of viral replication markers in tumor cells. The treatment caused local vitreous inflammation but no systemic complications. Thus, oncolytic adenoviruses targeting RB1 might provide a tumor-selective and chemotherapy-independent treatment option for retinoblastoma.