Ad AFP D55-IL-24

Ad AFP D55-IL-24 is a genetically engineered **oncolytic adenovirus** designed for targeted gene-virotherapy of cancer, especially **hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer)**. The vector is constructed by replacing adenoviral promoters with the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) promoter/enhancer for liver tumor specificity, and deleting regions E1B-55kDa to restrict replication to tumor cells. The adenovirus carries the **interleukin-24 (IL-24, also known as melanoma differentiation-associated gene 7, Mda-7)** gene, which has demonstrated tumor-suppressor properties—including induction of apoptosis, inhibition of angiogenesis, immune modulation, and increased chemosensitivity. IL-24 is delivered into tumor cells by viral infection, leading to selective killing of malignant cells without significant toxicity to normal cells. The vector has demonstrated potent antitumor effects in multiple cancer cell lines and animal models and is used as part of gene-virotherapy strategies, sometimes in combination with other genes such as SOCS3 or TRAIL for synergistic effects. Originally developed by researchers at the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Ad AFP D55-IL-24 is in the preclinical or early clinical development stage for liver cancer and potentially other solid tumors[1][5][6][7][9].