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Selective oncolytic activity of newcastle disease virus in equine sarcoid primary cells: a preclinical investigation.
Abstract: Equine sarcoids are the most common skin tumors in horses and are characterized by local invasiveness, high recurrence rates, and inconsistent responses to current therapies. Oncolytic virotherapy represents a promising alternative approach that exploits defects in antiviral signaling pathways in tumor cells. Newcastle disease virus (NDV), an avian paramyxovirus that is nonpathogenic in mammals, has demonstrated tumor-selective activity in several species; however, its effects on equine sarcoids have not been previously investigated. In this study, primary cell cultures derived from equine sarcoid tumors were established to evaluate the selective cytotoxicity of NDV. Sarcoid tissues from six horses generated thirteen primary sarcoid cultures, while three primary equine fibroblast cultures served as non-tumor controls. Bovine papillomavirus (BPV) DNA was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cells were infected with a green fluorescent protein-expressing Newcastle disease virus (NDV-GFP), and cell viability was measured after seventy-two hours using a metabolic viability assay. Sarcoid cultures exhibited significantly greater sensitivity to viral infection than normal fibroblasts, with substantially lower half-maximal inhibitory concentrations. Viral infectivity, quantified by fluorescence intensity, correlated with increased susceptibility to virus-induced cytotoxicity. Notably, the oncolytic activity of Newcastle disease virus was observed in both bovine papillomavirus-positive and bovine papillomavirus-negative sarcoid cultures. These findings demonstrate that NDV-GFP induces stronger cytotoxic effects in equine sarcoid cells than in normal fibroblasts, supporting its potential as a novel therapeutic strategy in equine oncology.
© 2026. The Author(s).
Publication Date: 2026-08-26 PubMed ID: 42649358PubMed Central: 12126799DOI: 10.1007/s11626-026-01231-6Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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Overview
- This study explores the potential of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) as a selective oncolytic agent targeting equine sarcoid tumor cells, demonstrating greater effectiveness in killing tumor cells compared to normal fibroblasts.
Background
- Equine sarcoids are the most frequent skin tumors in horses, known for:
- Local invasiveness
- High recurrence rates
- Variable responses to existing treatments
- Oncolytic virotherapy utilizes viruses that preferentially infect and kill cancer cells by exploiting innate immune or antiviral pathway defects in these cells.
- Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is an avian virus that does not cause disease in mammals but has demonstrated tumor-selective killing activity in other species.
- The effects of NDV on equine sarcoids had not been studied prior to this research.
Objectives
- To evaluate the selective cytotoxic effect of NDV on primary cells derived from equine sarcoid tumors.
- To compare viral susceptibility and cytotoxicity in sarcoid cells versus normal equine fibroblasts.
- To investigate whether BPV (bovine papillomavirus) status influences NDV’s oncolytic activity on sarcoid cells.
Methods
- Sample Collection and Cell Culture:
- Obtained sarcoid tumor tissues from six horses, producing thirteen primary sarcoid cell cultures.
- Established three primary equine fibroblast cultures as non-tumor controls.
- Viral Detection:
- Detected the presence of BPV DNA in tumor cultures using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), since BPV is linked to sarcoid development.
- Infection and Viability Assays:
- Infected all cell cultures with NDV engineered to express green fluorescent protein (NDV-GFP) to track infection.
- Measured cell viability 72 hours post-infection using a metabolic assay to determine cytotoxic effects.
- Assessed viral infectivity by quantifying GFP fluorescence intensity.
Results
- Sarcoid-derived cells showed significantly greater sensitivity to NDV infection than normal fibroblasts, with considerably lower IC50 values (the virus concentration needed to inhibit cell viability by 50%).
- Levels of viral infectivity, as indicated by GFP fluorescence, correlated positively with the susceptibility of cells to NDV-induced cytotoxicity.
- Notably, NDV’s oncolytic effect was observed in both BPV-positive and BPV-negative sarcoid cultures, indicating the virus’s killing ability does not depend on BPV status.
Conclusions and Implications
- This study demonstrates that NDV selectively induces stronger cytotoxic effects in equine sarcoid tumor cells compared to normal fibroblasts, emphasizing its potential tumor selectivity.
- The findings suggest NDV could serve as a promising new therapeutic approach for equine sarcoid tumors, which are difficult to treat with current options.
- Since NDV is nonpathogenic in mammals, it presents a safe candidate for further preclinical and eventual clinical development in equine oncology.
- Future work could explore the mechanisms underlying NDV’s selectivity and optimal delivery methods to maximize therapeutic efficacy in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Rosim DF, Rochetti AL, Xavier PLP, Qazi TJ, Pimentel ECC, da Matta Santos A, Strefezzi RF, Massoco CO, Dória RGS, Fukumasu H.
(2026).
Selective oncolytic activity of newcastle disease virus in equine sarcoid primary cells: a preclinical investigation.
In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11626-026-01231-6 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Laboratory of Comparative and Translational Oncology (LOCT), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Pirassununga, 13635-900, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Comparative and Translational Oncology (LOCT), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Pirassununga, 13635-900, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Comparative and Translational Oncology (LOCT), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Pirassununga, 13635-900, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Comparative and Translational Oncology (LOCT), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Pirassununga, 13635-900, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Comparative and Translational Oncology (LOCT), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Pirassununga, 13635-900, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Comparative and Translational Oncology (LOCT), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Pirassununga, 13635-900, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Comparative and Translational Oncology (LOCT), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Pirassununga, 13635-900, Brazil.
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering (FZEA), University of São Paulo (USP), Pirassununga, SP, 13635-900, Brazil.
- Laboratory of Comparative and Translational Oncology (LOCT), Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Av. Duque de Caxias Norte 225, Pirassununga, 13635-900, Brazil. fukumasu@usp.br.
Grant Funding
- D21EQ-8150 / Morris Animal Foundation
- 2022/09378-5 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: All animal procedures were conducted in compliance with current animal welfare regulations and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the University of São Paulo (Approval No. FZEA-USP CEUA#6925080119 and CEUA#2172090119). Written informed consent was obtained from horse owners prior to sample collection. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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