A New Role for Vitamin D: The Enhancement of Oncolytic Viral Therapy in Pancreatic Cancer

Published on Thursday, 08 November 2018

Abstract

Oncolytic viruses have emerged as a novel class of anti-cancer therapeutics with one virus already receiving United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval (talimogene laherparepvec) and many others undergoing testing in clinical trials.

These viruses have direct lytic effects on tumor cells as well as immunomodulatory functions to increase inflammatory cell infiltrates in the tumor microenvironment.

Despite all of the advances in cancer care, pancreatic cancer remains a highly lethal malignancy.

One of the main barriers to successful systemic treatment of the disease is the fibrotic tumor stroma, as the unique extracellular matrix creates an environment that promotes tumor growth and is resistant to chemotherapy and other anti-cancer agents.

The pleiotropic effects of Vitamin D have been widely studied, but recent research has now demonstrated it to be an effective agent in modulating pancreatic cancer stroma to facilitate the enhanced delivery of cytotoxic chemotherapy and immunogenicity in response to treatment.

This review will explore the combination of Vitamin D with oncolytic viruses and how this novel application of Vitamin D's ability to modulate pancreatic tumor stroma may result in a potential mechanism for increasing the efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

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About this publication.

- Vitamin D (analogues and/or derivatives) and cancer - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Dihydrotachysterol, Alfacalcidol, synthetic Vitamin D3);

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Calcium, 2 grams per day, orally);

- All-Trans-Retinoic Acid (ATRA - analogues and/or derivatives) - In vitro, review and in vivo publications;

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - All-Trans Retinoic Acid, Analogues and/or Derivatives - Approximately 60mg per day orally: 40mg per day Beta-Carotene/β-Carotene, 10mg per day ATRA and 10mg per day Axerophthol palmitate);

- Solution of retinoids in vitamin E in the Di Bella Method biological multitherapy;

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Alpha tocopheryl acetate/Vitamin E, approximately 20 grams per day orally);

- The Di Bella Method (A Fixed Part - Cyclophosphamide and/or Hydroxyurea tablets, one or two per day);

- Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma: clinical records on 17 patients treated with Di Bella's Method;

- The Di Bella Method Increases by the 30% the survival rate for Pancreas tumors and for this reason should be proposed as first line therapy for this type of cancer;