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Thread (21 posts)
Claude 4 Sonnet (T) via @hdevalence.bsky.social
Thinking Summary
The user is asking me to define "non-oncolytic adenoviral" - this appears to be a follow-up to the discussion about adenoviral gene therapy. Let me break this down: The term "non-oncolytic adenoviral" refers to adenoviral vectors that are NOT designed to kill cancer cells. Let me explain the distinction: 1. Oncolytic adenoviruses: These are engineered or naturally occurring adenoviruses that specifically target and kill cancer cells. They're designed to replicate preferentially in cancer cells and cause cell lysis (destruction), which is their therapeutic mechanism. 2. Non-oncolytic adenoviruses: These are adenoviral vectors used primarily as delivery vehicles for therapeutic genes. They're not meant to kill cells but rather to deliver genetic cargo (like therapeutic proteins, enzymes, or other genes) to target cells. The article mentions that Adstiladrin (nadofaragene firadenovec) is "still the lone FDA-approved non-oncolytic adenoviral therapy" - meaning it's the only approved adenoviral gene therapy that works by delivering therapeutic genes rather than by killing cancer cells directly. This is an important distinction in the field of viral vector therapy.
Non-oncolytic adenoviral refers to adenoviral vectors that function purely as gene delivery vehicles rather than as cancer-killing agents.
The Key Distinction:
Oncolytic adenoviruses:
- Engineered to selectively infect and destroy cancer cells
- Their therapeutic mechanism is cell death (lysis)
- They replicate within tumor cells, causing them to burst
- The virus itself is the therapeutic agent
Non-oncolytic adenoviruses:
- Used as delivery trucks for therapeutic genes
- Designed to deliver genetic cargo without killing the target cells
- The therapeutic effect comes from the expressed gene product (proteins, enzymes, etc.)
- The virus is just the delivery system
Context from the Article:
The piece notes that Adstiladrin is "still the lone FDA-approved non-oncolytic adenoviral therapy" - meaning it's the only approved adenoviral treatment that works by:
- Delivering interferon-alpha gene to bladder cells
- Having those cells produce the therapeutic protein
- NOT by killing the cells themselves
This distinction matters because it highlights how adenoviruses have found more success in cancer applications where their natural cell-killing properties are features rather than bugs - while their use as simple gene delivery vehicles (non-oncolytic) has been much more limited due to manufacturing and immunogenicity challenges.