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IBEC Seminar: Ernesto Mejías
Wednesday, February 21 @ 12:00 pm–1:30 pm
Vaccinia in & as next-gen oncolytic virotherapy: exploiting the synergy between oncolysis and chemotherapy
Dr Ernesto Mejías Pérez Ramón y Cajal researcher Instituto Maimonides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Universidad de Córdoba. Dpto. de Biología Celular, Fisiología e Inmunología
In the fight against cancer, conventional treatments fall short of healthcare expectations. Oncolytic virotherapy is a versatile and robust alternative. With exceptional immunogenic features, Vaccinia virus (VACV) is a standout oncolytic vector whose anti-tumor ability is usually enhanced by gene deletions for better safety and heterologous genes insertions for improved cytotoxicity. Yet, VACV’s translation to effective anti-tumor treatments suffers from major shortcomings that warrant immediate solutions, among those the limited efficacy as a standalone treatment need to be overcome.
To tackle this challenge head-on, my laboratory is focused on developing next-generation synergistic therapeutic strategies towards strengthening the anti-tumor effects of the oncolytic virotherapy based on Vaccinia virus by boosting the infection efficacy and triggering a strong chemosensitization upon nucleoside analog treatment. This approach builds on the unique multifaceted role that SAMHD1 has at the interface oncolysis:chemotherapy.
