DOSE-DEPENDENT REGRESSION OF HELA CELL-DERIVED TUMORS IN SCID MICE AFTER PARVOVIRUS H-1 INFECTION

Parvoviruses of rodents are endowed with oncosuppressive properties. i n particular, parvoviral infections protect host animals from spontane ous and chemical-or virus-induced tumour initiation in laboratory anim als. The present study was undertaken to substantiate the capacity of parvovirus H-1 to inhibit therapeutically the growth of established tu mours originating from human carcinoma cells implanted in recipient mi ce. To this end, quickly growing s.c. carcinomas were established by i njection of human cervical carcinoma cells (HeLa) into immunodeficient (SCID) mice. Tumour-bearing mice subsequently were inoculated with H- 1 at various multiplicities of infection. H-1 virus infection led to r egression of tumours, the onset and efficiency of which were dose-depe ndent. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.