Arenaviruses for use in the treatment and/or prevention of tumors and method for producing arenaviruses with (improved) tumor-regression properties.

Abstract

The invention relates to arenaviruses for use in the treatment and/or prevention of tumors and also a method for preparing arenaviruses with (improved) tumor-regressive properties.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . An arenavirus for use in the treatment and/or prevention of a tumor, wherein the arenavirus is free of genomic foreign RNA. 
     
     
         19 . The arenavirus of  claim 18 , wherein the arenavirus is a wild-type arenavirus. 
     
     
         20 . The arenavirus of  claim 18 , wherein the arenavirus is a natural mutant. 
     
     
         21 . The arenavirus of  claim 18 , wherein the arenavirus is prepared starting from the wild-type arenavirus by serial passage in host animals and/or host cells. 
     
     
         22 . The arenavirus of  claim 18 , wherein the tumor is selected from the group comprising or consisting of carcinoma, melanoma, blastoma, lymphoma and sarcoma. 
     
     
         23 . The arenavirus of 22, wherein the carcinoma is selected from the group comprising or consisting of anal carcinoma, bronchial carcinoma, lung carcinoma, endometrial carcinoma, gallbladder carcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, testicular carcinoma, colorectal carcinoma, laryngeal carcinoma, oesophogeal cancer, gastric carcinoma, breast carcinoma, renal carcinoma, ovarian carcinoma, pancreas tumor, pharyngeal carcinoma, prostate carcinoma, thyroid carcinoma, melanoma and cervical carcinoma. 
     
     
         24 . The arenavirus of  claim 22 , wherein the sarcoma is selected from the group comprising or consisting of angiosarcoma, chondrosar-coma, Ewing's sarcoma, fibrosarcoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, liposarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, neurogenic sarcoma, osteosarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. 
     
     
         25 . The arenavirus of  claim 18 , wherein the arenavirus is an Old World arenavirus, preferably selected from the group comprising or consisting of  Ippy  virus,  Lassa  virus, lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus,  Mobala  virus and  Mopeia  virus. 
     
     
         26 . The arenavirus of  claim 25 , wherein the arenavirus is lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus. 
     
     
         27 . The arenavirus of  claim 18 , wherein the arenavirus is a New World arenavirus, preferably selected from the group comprising or consisting of  Allpahuayo  virus,  Amapari  virus,  Bear Canyon  virus,  Chapare  virus,  Cupixi  virus,  Flexal  virus,  Guanarito  virus,  Junin  virus, Candid #1 (Candid No. 1),  Latino  virus,  Machupo  virus,  Oliveros  virus,  Parana  virus,  Pichinde  virus,  Pirital  virus,  Sabia  virus,  Tacaribe  virus,  Tamiami  virus and  Whitewater Arroyo  virus. 
     
     
         28 . The arenavirus of  claim 27 , wherein the arenavirus is a  Junin  virus, in particular the strain Candid #1. 
     
     
         29 . The arenavirus of  claim 27 , wherein the  Junin  virus, in particular the strain Candid #1, has a nucleic acid sequence, in particular an S-ribonucleic acid sequence or ambisense sequence according to SEQ ID No. 1 and a nucleic acid sequence, in particular an L-ribonucleic acid sequence or ambisense sequence according to SEQ ID No. 2. 
     
     
         30 . The arenavirus of  claim 27 , wherein the  Junin  virus, in particular the strain Candid #1, has a nucleic acid sequence, in particular an 5-ribonucleic acid sequence or ambisense sequence according to SEQ ID No. 3 and a nucleic acid sequence, in particular an L-ribonucleic acid sequence or ambisense sequence according to SEQ ID No. 4. 
     
     
         31 . A medicament for use in the treatment and/or prevention of a tumor, wherein the medicament comprises an arenavirus and preferably a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. 
     
     
         32 . An in vitro method for preparing an arenavirus with tumor-regressive or improved tumor-regressive properties, the method comprising the following steps:
 a) infecting dendritic cells or tumor cells with an arenavirus,   b) culturing the arenavirus in the infected den-dritic cells or infected tumor cells and;   c) isolating the cultured arenavirus or a subset of the cultured arenavirus from the infected dendritic cells or infected tumor cells.   
     
     
         33 . The in vitro method of  claim 32 , wherein the arenavirus is an arenavirus which has been subjected to a serial passage in host animals prior to carrying out step a). 
     
     
         34 . The in vitro method of  claim 32 , wherein the sequence of steps a) to c) is repeated once to 1000 times, particularly 10 times to 100 times, preferably 30 times to 60 times, wherein new tumor cells, preferably of the same type, are used for each repetition.