Retroviral replicating vector (tumor cell selective infection) (RRV)

The term "Tumor cell selective infection via retroviral replicating vector" does not refer to a specific molecular target such as a receptor, enzyme, or protein. Instead, it describes a therapeutic strategy that uses engineered replication-competent retroviruses—known as retroviral replicating vectors (RRVs)—to selectively infect and deliver genes into dividing tumor cells. These vectors exploit the fact that many cancer cells are actively proliferating while most normal adult tissues are quiescent. RRVs can persist in non-dividing/quiescent cells and resume their life cycle upon cell division, making them particularly attractive for targeting both rapidly and slowly proliferating tumors[1]. They have been used to deliver prodrug activator ("suicide") genes so that only infected tumor tissue is killed upon administration of the corresponding prodrug[3][5]. While highly promising as platforms for cancer gene therapy and oncolytic virotherapy, RRVs themselves are not molecular targets but rather vehicles/tools; thus this entry is not appropriate as a canonical drug target. > "The infectivity of certain retroviruses is limited to dividing cells...making them attractive tools for targeting cancer cell proliferation...oFV offers a promising new replication‐competent retroviral gene delivery platform..."[1] > "Retroviral replicating vectors (RRVs) selectively replicate and can specifically introduce prodrug‐activating genes into tumor cells."[5] Because this entry refers to an approach/tool rather than an individual molecule or receptor typically considered a drug target, it should be flagged as incorrect in the context of canonical molecular targets.

Other names

Replication-competent retroviral vectorOncolytic retrovirusTumor-selective retroviral vectorRetroviral gene delivery platform

Delivers therapeutic or suicide genes selectively to dividing tumor cells via viral replication[1][3][5]