Molecular Virology
 

Oncolytic viruses have become an option for identification and destruction of otherwise unresectable tumours. Early detection of malignancies would improve diagnosis and assist the design of targeted therapy. Our aim is to develop viral-enhanced imaging platforms for detection of glioma micro-metastases and satellite tumours in preclinical models. We also seek to understand the immune mechanisms inhibitory for viral oncolytic activity and to engineer novel regulatable vectors, non-pathogenic for healthy tissues. Novel combinatory regimens are in development involving combinations of chemotherapy and replication-proficient oncolytic viruses effective in experimental models involving normal immunity.

The scientific work is carried out in A. I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Medicine (Kuopio, Finland) at the University of Eastern Finland. Institute has strong basis in molecular medicine of cardiovascular and neurological diseases and malignant glioma. It is one of the six Biocentres in Finland and one of the leading institutes in the world in developing and applying gene transfer techniques in studies of vascular gene transfer, therapeutic angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis and malignant glioma. We collaborate with research groups in Finland, Estonia, Canada and England, on alphavirus replication mechanisms, pathogenesis and oncolytic applications.

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