Natalie Raso - Weapons of Targeted Destruction: Using Viruses to Kill Cancer
     Successes and Failures

Project Information

Abstract

Project Summary

Background

Purpose

Scientific Thought

Hypotheses

Apparatus and Materials

Genetically Engineered KM110red Herpesvirus


Methodology

Procedure for Cell-Line Splitting

Procedure for KM110r Infection

Procedure for Immunofluorescent
Microscopy Imaging


Statistical Analyses

Proliferation Assay Analyzed Data

Major Results

Graphed Results

Discussion of Statistics

Controls and Variables

Conclusions

Discussion

Discussion of KM110r Efficacy

Successes and Failures

Sources of Error and Data

Limitations


Future Research

Applications

Glossary

Bibliography

Acknowledgements
 

Many aspects of this novel experimentation proved to be successful. KM110r efficacy was successfully explored through various findings. KM110r induced complete lysis in U2OS cells over the course of temperatures 34°C and 37°C, and successfully ignored hFOB cells over course of temperatures 34°C, 37°C and 39°C. Differentiation in the hFOB cells occurred, as reported[1], since visible morphological changes occurred. One such visible characteristic was the evidence of bone-forming nodules in the 39°C hFOB images. The temperature changes proved not only to be important for studying the changes induced in hFOB cells, but also caused significant growth pattern changes in U2OS cells. This finding highlighted the importance of physiological body temperature in administering KM110r effectively.

 

Although this experimentation generated extremely novel, successful, and valuable findings, not everything turned out as planned. The original hypotheses stated that hFOB cells would become permissive to KM110r due to genetic differentiation, and that this point would be identified and genetically analyzed. Had this been corroborated in the research, it would have determined why hFOB cells are able to ignore KM110r and why it would destroy genetically altered and cancerous cells. Such a finding would not substantiate KM110r as worthy of being developed into an oncolytic virus; however it would be an exceptionally useful tool to study differentiation. Nevertheless, identification of such a point did not occur since hFOB cells were not permissive to KM110r at any temperature. Therefore the reasons why KM110r is safe in normal cells and toxic in genetically altered cells could not be investigated, and KM110r was shown not to be a useful tool in studying differentiation. However the findings proved something much more promising—KM110r was able not only to ignore undifferentiated non-cancerous cells, but also differentiated, genetically altered non-cancerous cells. This finding strongly substantiates KM110r’s selectivity and worthiness of being developed into an oncolytic virus.



[1] Harris, S; Enger, RJ; Riggs, BL; Spelsburg, TC. 1995. Development and Characterization of a Conditionally Immortalized Human Fetal Osteoblastic Cell Line. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 10:178-186.