We have previously shown that the growth of human tumor xenografts in immunodeficient mice can be efficiently suppressed upon infection with the autonomous parvovirus H -1 or with cytokine -transducing derivatives thereof. To further evaluate the benefits of implementing parvoviruses in cancer gene therapy, we have created a new recombinant vector, MVMp / IP -10, transducing the immunoactive, antiangiogenic chemokine IP -10, and used this virus to treat syngeneic tumors grown in immunocompetent mice. Intratumoral / intraperitoneal administration of only 3Â10 7 replication units of MVMp / IP -10 per animal strongly inhibited the progression of established H5V cell -induced vascular tumors, a highly malignant mouse model for human cavernous hemangioma and Kaposi's sarcoma. Retardation of recurrent tumor growth and suppression of life -threatening metastatic dissemination to internal organs were accompanied by a striking delay in hemangioma -associated mortality. Parental MVMp did not have a significant effect under these conditions up to the dose of 10 10 infectious units / animal, but had strong antihemangiosarcoma activity when used to infect H5V cells ex vivo prior to implantation. In all cases, virus therapy was very well tolerated. Virus -induced suppression of hemangiosarcoma was dependent on host T cells and associated with intratumoral persistence of IFN -expressing cytotoxic lymphocytes, and led to the reduced expression of hepatic plasminogen activator inhibitor -1 ( PAI -1 ), a metastasis -linked marker. This proof of principle study demonstrates that MVMp / IP -10 can aid the treatment of vascular tumors and that autonomous parvovirus -based vectors can be considered potent tools for cancer gene therapy purposes.