Oncolytic viral therapy (OVT)

Oncolytic viral therapy is a promising treatment modality that uses replication-competent lytic viruses to selectively target and destroy tumor cells while sparing normal cells. These viruses can be naturally occurring or genetically engineered to enhance their tumor selectivity and oncolytic activity. The selectivity is achieved through various mechanisms, including exploitation of defective interferon signaling pathways in tumor cells, modification of viral coat proteins to target tumor-specific receptors, and placing essential viral genes under the control of tumor-specific promoters. Oncolytic viruses mediate tumor cell destruction through two main mechanisms: direct lysis of infected cells and indirect augmentation of host antitumor immunity. The viruses can also be armed with therapeutic transgenes to enhance their efficacy. This approach offers a unique opportunity for tumor targeting with reduced side effects compared to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Other names

Viral oncotherapyOncolytic virotherapyOncolytic viral therapyTumor-selective viral therapy

Direct oncolysis of infected tumor cells Exploitation of defective interferon signaling pathways in tumor cells Targeting of tumor-specific receptors or molecular pathways Stimulation of systemic antitumor immune responses Induction of immunogenic cell death