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Argentine Researchers Report AI-Designed Oncolytic Virus Targeting Colorectal Cancer in Preclinical Study

The researchers now seek funding to complete preclinical work before first-in-human trials.

Overview

  • The engineered adenovirus, called AR2015, uses a hybrid promoter built from A33 and vWA2 gene fragments identified through bioinformatic and AI analysis to confine replication to malignant cells and address tumor heterogeneity.
  • In animal models bearing human colorectal liver metastases, intravenous dosing led to selective destruction of cancer cells without evident damage to healthy tissue, with responses reported to persist for up to a year.
  • Tests on patient-derived tumor samples showed activity across all specimens evaluated, with at least one of the promoter targets expressed in each primary tumor and metastasis analyzed.
  • Combining AR2015 with low doses of chemotherapy enhanced anti-tumor effects, with reports of complete eradication in some preclinical cases.
  • Findings were published in Molecular Therapy: Oncology, and the team filed an international patent as they assemble the formal preclinical package required to launch clinical testing.