Poxvirus used for delivery of stimulatory molecules to melanoma tumors.

2004 FEB 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Poxvirus vaccines are being used for local delivery of costimulatory molecules to melanoma tumors.

"The development of vaccines for melanoma has been accelerated by the identification of melanoma-associated antigens, a better understanding of basic immunologic principles, and the ability to construct complex vectors for immunization. The location and context in which T-cell priming occurs significantly influences the type and magnitude of immune response. Furthermore, there is a delicate balance between the generation of tumor-specific immunity and the emergence of tumor escape variants," scientists writing in the journal Seminars in Cancer Biology report.

"We have focused on the direct intra-tumoral delivery of poxvirus vaccines expressing costimulatory molecules as a strategy for overcoming local immunosuppression in the treatment of established melanoma," stated Heidi Horig and Howard L. Kaufmann at Columbia University in the United States. "Poxviruses provide potent danger signals and, in the presence of costimulation, local administration provides a mechanism to prime tumor-specific T-cell responses. The clinical application of this ...