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Editor's Corner

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The image illustrates immunohistochemical staining of reovirus proteins in venous endothelial cells from paraffin sections of the tails of SCID/NOD mice treated with oncolytic reovirus strain Dearing 3 in an anti-breast cancer therapy model. These mice show a curious predisposition for dry gangrene of the distal extremities (Black Foot syndrome), arising late in the course of the anti-cancer biotherapy. In these animals, reovirus shows a remarkable predilection to actively infect venous and lymphatic endothelial cells, often sparing arterial endothelium. Other targets for infection include the myocardium and skeletal muscle cells, though usually not smooth muscle cells. Loken and colleagues propose that the synergy between venous vasculitis and cardiomyopathy, both secondary to reovirus infection, explains the pathophysiology of the Black Foot syndrome.