INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF
CancerGenetics
Oncolytic viruses: harnessing viral power to combat cancer
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Ali Rezaei,1 Shirin Farivar,2,*
1. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
2. Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
- Introduction: Oncolytic viruses (OVs) show promise in cancer treatment by selectively infecting and lysing cancer cells. For instance, talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) has been approved for melanoma in the USA, Europe (2015), and Australia (2016), while Teserpaturev is used for treating R/R glioblastoma in Japan (2021). Both originated from the modified herpes simplex virus (HSV-1). These viruses not only target cancer cells but also stimulate innate and adaptive immune system responses, especially when they are combined with immune checkpoint inhibitor antibody therapy, making them effective dual-function therapies for cancer.
- Methods: A deep literature analysis, from sources including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus, was conducted to collect information on oncolytic viruses in cancer. Particular attention was paid to treatment strategies and diagnostic techniques. Overall, 9 different journal articles were studied to gather the required information about advances in cancer treatment with viruses.
- Results: OVs have come a long way in clinical tests, where they have caused many cancer tumors to decrease in size and made the immune system active. T-Vec is a particularly successful case, having received FDA approval. Furthermore, the trials and preclinical studies with various OVs engineered, such as HSV-1, H101, and echovirus, have shown increased tumor selectivity and immune responses, thus illustrating the potential of OVs to enhance cancer therapy results.
- Conclusion: Oncolytic viruses have made a significant advancement in cancer therapy through a direct lysis mechanism combined with an immune-boosting effect. OVs' future is in their continuous evolution and combination with other immunotherapies to improve patient outcomes and overcome current challenges like virus delivery, immune system interactions with the virus, safety, tolerability, and specificity. The field is on the verge of development with ongoing research that is expected to lead to new and even safer treatment options.
- Keywords: Oncolytic viruses, Cancer immunotherapy, Talimogene laherparepvec, Adenoviruses, Tumor lysis
