Characterization of NDV armed with GM-CSF for oncolytic therapy of feline lymphomas

• Grant number: 23/09122-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2023
• End date: November 29, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Heidge Fukumasu
• Grantee: Talita Gabriela Luna Alves
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/17056-3 - Precision Oncology in Feline Lymphoma: Advancing Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches through IgH Annotation and Immune Repertoire Analysis, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Lymphoma is one of the most frequent type of cancer in cats and the pursuit of alternatives therapies is necessary, given the considerable number of animals that presents tumor recurrence or does not respond to the conventional treatment, which is mostly chemotherapy, a kind of therapy that has many coleteral effects. Besides, the presentation of coleteral effects is commum in comparison with dogs, because of methabolic particularities that contribute with drug accumulation. A promising alternative to the treatment of lymophoma in cats are the oncolytic virus. They act selectively on cancer cells and, occasionally, stimulate a stronger immune response. We aim to develop and characterize a recombinant Newcastle Disease Virus armed with Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for its use as a oncolytic therapy in feline lymphomas. Analysis will be performed for the characterization of the virus, including the whole sequecing of the genome, expression of GM-CSF in cell cultures, egg infective dose (EID50),viral titration and immunofluorescence. Furthermore, the oncolytic effect will be evalueted in vitro in feline lymphoma cell lines and in cells isolated from health cats (PBMCs), through morphological evaluation, selectivity, citotoxicity, cell death and cell cycle analysis. Our results will potentially characterize NDV-CSF mechanisms in vitro and in feline lymphoma cells, generating evidence to support the iniciation of imunogenicity assays and clinical assays in animals.