Viral lysis of malignant cells

"Viral lysis of malignant cells" refers to the process by which **oncolytic viruses**—either natural or genetically engineered—infect, replicate within, and ultimately destroy cancer cells. This lytic effect often involves recognition of cell-surface molecules that are overexpressed or uniquely present on cancer cells (e.g., CD46 for measles virus, JAM-A for reovirus, ICAM-1 for coxsackievirus, EGFR for vaccinia virus), followed by viral replication and release, culminating in tumor cell lysis. In addition to direct cytotoxicity, this process releases tumor antigens and initiates immune responses against remaining cancer cells. The selectivity for cancer over normal tissues comes from the unique biology of tumor cells and can be increased by engineering the viruses to recognize tumor-specific markers or evade antiviral defenses selectively lost in malignant cells. While this is a promising therapeutic approach, the term itself should not be confused with a traditional molecular target or receptor and is best understood as a therapeutic mechanism rather than a discrete entity[1][2][3].

Direct lysis of tumor cells by viral infection, Induction of immunogenic cell death, Bystander effect via inflammatory cytokine release