sRRV-TK

sRRV-TK is an oncolytic gene therapy candidate that utilizes a stable replicating retroviral vector (RRV) to deliver the herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) suicide gene. Unlike conventional non-replicating vectors, the sRRV platform, derived from the amphotropic murine leukemia virus (MLV), is designed to selectively infect and propagate through rapidly dividing cancer cells, allowing for efficient and widespread gene delivery throughout a tumor mass. Once the HSV-TK gene is expressed within the malignant cells, the administration of a prodrug, typically ganciclovir (GCV), results in the conversion of the prodrug into a cytotoxic triphosphate metabolite. This metabolite acts as a chain terminator during DNA synthesis, leading to apoptosis in the infected cells and providing a potent bystander effect that eliminates neighboring uninfected tumor cells. Developed primarily by researchers at UCLA and the University of Miami, sRRV-TK has shown significant efficacy in preclinical models of glioblastoma and other solid tumors.

Other names

stable Replicating Retroviral Vector-Thymidine KinaseRRV-TKsRRV-HSV-TK