Modulation of canine dendritic cells by tumor cells infected with Newcastle disease virus: a preliminary study of oncolytic therapy in veterinary medicine

Abstract

Progressively growing, visible tumors have evolved mechanisms to evade immune recognition and/or destruction. One approach to tumor immunotherapy is to modify tumor cells and provide "danger signals" such that they become more foreign to the host, increasing the quality and/or quantity of immune cells against the tumor. The ability of Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) to infect and modify cancer cells, along with its ability to provide "danger signals" to the immune system have been studied for decades in human patients. However, in Veterinary Medicine, immunotherapeutic interventions are rare and little is known about NDV's potential as a therapeutic agent. Therefore, the goals of this research project are: 1- to test NDV's ability to infect and replicate in canine malignant cells according to the expression of viral antigens on the cellular surface, and 2- to investigate the immunostimulatory effect of NDV based on the phenotypic profile of canine dendritic cells derived from monocytes (mo-DCs) co-cultivated with infected cancer cells. Dendritic cells are considered the most potent antigen presenting cells (APCs) and coordinate the adaptive immune response against the tumor. In summary, the purpose of this project is to apply well-established concepts in human oncology to investigate the potential of NDV as an adjuvant treatment for canine tumors. (AU)