Syrian hamster tumor model to study oncolytic Ad5-based vectors.

Oncolytic (replicating) adenovirus (Ad) vectors are emerging as a promising form of a cancer therapy agent. There has been a need for an appropriate animal model to study oncolytic Ad since human Ad -replication is usually species specific. We have shown that Syrian (golden) hamsters are an appropriate animal model to study human Ad5-based vectors. Syrian hamsters are immunocompetent, and they allow human Ad5 replication in normal tissues as well as in Syrian hamster cancer cells. The development of the Syrian hamster as a model to study oncolytic Ad vectors has opened avenues to explore the role of host immune response and preexisting immunity in Ad vector efficacy and toxicity/biodistribution following Ad vector administration. Since most of the normal tissues in the Syrian hamster are permissive for human Ad5 replication, Ad vectors can be studied in the context of orthotopic cancer model developed in Syrian hamsters.