VVΔTKΔN1L

VVΔTKΔN1L is an engineered oncolytic vaccinia virus (VV) characterized by the double deletion of the thymidine kinase (TK) and N1L genes. The deletion of the TK gene enhances tumor selectivity by restricting viral replication to dividing cancer cells with high nucleotide pools, while the deletion of the N1L gene (a viral immunomodulatory protein) promotes the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the recruitment of natural killer (NK) cells. This specific viral backbone is frequently armed with therapeutic transgenes, most notably Interleukin-12 (IL-12), to further stimulate a potent systemic anti-tumor immune response. It has been investigated primarily as a neoadjuvant therapy to prevent post-surgical recurrence and metastasis in solid tumors, including head and neck cancer.

Other names

VV-deltaTK-deltaN1LVV-deltaTK-deltaN-1LVV-deltaTK-deltaN 1LTK/N1L-deleted vaccinia virus