Cancer stem cells: the final frontier for glioma virotherapy

Cancer stem cells (CSC) are a very small subset of all cancer cells and possess characteristics very similar to normal stem cells, in particular, the capacity for self-renewal, multipotency and relative quiescence. These chemo- and radiation resistant cells are responsible for maintaining tumor volume leading to therapy failure and recurrence. In glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), the most common primary intracranial malignancy, glioma stem cells have been implicated as one of the key players in treatment failure. Many novel treatment modalities are being investigated to specifically target this small group of cells. In this review, we shed light on one such targeted therapy, specifically, oncolytic virotherapy, and review the literature to highlight the advances and challenges in designing effective oncolytic virotherapy for glioma stem cells.