DDLSS Richard Vile "Oncolytic Viruses as Lymphoeditors in Cancer Immunotherapy"

Richard Vile, Ph.D., and his research team develop experimental cancer therapies, all based on stimulating antitumor immune responses. Dr. Vile's research combines in vivo and in vitro assays, but predominantly focuses in murine immune-competent models and syngeneic tumors. Although his team has a major interest in melanoma, they also have models of prostate cancer, glioma and brain metastases, and can be applied across tumor sites. All of this work is intended to help patients with cancer. Dr. Vile's team deliberately focuses on developing therapies that can be rapidly taken to clinical trials. Accordingly, the team works closely with the Mayo Clinic team, as well as those at other U.S. hospitals and worldwide, and have been directly involved in clinical trials of several oncolytic viruses. An ongoing clinical trial for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma is being performed at Mayo Clinic in Arizona with a VSV the team designed to express interferon. Internationally, Dr. Vile's research lab has strong links with researchers in the UK and other countries, to test OV in patients with a range of cancers.