Cancer cells permissive to myxoma virus replication

Cancer cells permissive to myxoma virus replication represent a specific malignant phenotype characterized by the inability to restrict the replication of the leporipoxvirus Myxoma virus (MYXV). While MYXV is non-pathogenic to humans, it selectively infects and kills a wide range of human cancer cells because these cells often harbor defects in innate antiviral defenses, such as the Type I Interferon (IFN) signaling pathway (McFadden, G., Nature Reviews Cancer, 2005). A primary molecular determinant of this permissiveness is the constitutive activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway; high levels of phosphorylated Akt (pAkt) in tumor cells can compensate for the lack of certain viral host-range genes, allowing the virus to complete its life cycle (Wang, F., et al., Nature Cell Biology, 2006). This selective tropism makes these cells an ideal target for oncolytic virotherapy, where MYXV is used to induce direct cell lysis and stimulate the host's immune system to recognize and attack the tumor (Stanford, M. M., et al., Myxoma virus oncolysis, 2007). Identifying these permissive cells through biomarkers like pAkt status or IFN-responsiveness is crucial for patient stratification in clinical trials involving oncolytic poxviruses.

Other names

MYXV-permissive cancer cellsMyxoma virus-susceptible tumor cellsMYXV-sensitive malignant cells

Selective viral replication within cancer cells leading to direct oncolysis and the subsequent release of tumor-associated antigens to stimulate a systemic anti-tumor immune response.