Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 17, 2026

Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo
12:42

Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo

Published on: January 7, 2019

Vesicular stomatitis virus as a flexible platform for oncolytic virotherapy against cancer

Eric Hastie1, Valery Z Grdzelishvili1

  • 1Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC 28223, USA.

The Journal of General Virology
|October 12, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) shows promise as an oncolytic virus (OV) therapy for cancer. Its ability to target cancer cells, coupled with genetic modifications and ongoing clinical trials, highlights its therapeutic potential.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Oncology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Oncolytic virus (OV) therapy uses viruses to selectively destroy cancer cells.
  • Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), a negative-strand RNA virus, possesses inherent oncolytic properties.
  • Cancer cells often exhibit impaired antiviral responses, increasing susceptibility to VSV.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) as a potential oncolytic virus (OV) for cancer therapy.
  • To highlight the advantages of VSV, including its biology, genome, replication, and safety profile.
  • To discuss the engineering of VSV for enhanced efficacy and the exploration of combination therapies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of VSV's biological characteristics and its suitability as an oncolytic virus.
  • Analysis of genetic engineering strategies to improve VSV's oncoselectivity, safety, and immunogenicity.
  • Examination of preclinical data and ongoing clinical trials involving VSV.

Main Results:

  • VSV demonstrates inherent oncolytic capabilities due to cancer cell susceptibility.
  • VSV offers advantages such as cytoplasmic replication, lack of transformation risk, and no pre-existing immunity.
  • Engineered VSV strains show improved anti-cancer properties, and combination therapies are being investigated.

Conclusions:

  • VSV is a promising oncolytic virus candidate with a favorable profile for clinical application.
  • Ongoing research and clinical trials are advancing the use of VSV in cancer treatment.
  • VSV-based therapies, including combination approaches, hold significant potential for cancer management.

More Related Videos

Genome-wide RNAi Screening to Identify Host Factors That Modulate Oncolytic Virus Therapy08:51

Genome-wide RNAi Screening to Identify Host Factors That Modulate Oncolytic Virus Therapy

Published on: April 3, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand  RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer01:03

Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer

Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand  RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers01:51

Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers

Retroviruses are RNA viruses that have been shown to cause cancers in diverse species, including chickens, mice, cats, and monkeys. The RNA genomes of these viruses are first reverse-transcribed into single and then double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) copies. This dsDNA called proviral DNA then integrates into the host genome. Subsequently, the host cell transcribes the proviral DNA in concert with the chromosomal DNA. This leads to the production of viral RNA and proteins that assemble at the host...
Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers01:51

Mechanisms of Retrovirus-induced Cancers

Retroviruses are RNA viruses that have been shown to cause cancers in diverse species, including chickens, mice, cats, and monkeys. The RNA genomes of these viruses are first reverse-transcribed into single and then double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) copies. This dsDNA called proviral DNA then integrates into the host genome. Subsequently, the host cell transcribes the proviral DNA in concert with the chromosomal DNA. This leads to the production of viral RNA and proteins that assemble at the host...
Cancer Vaccines01:30

Cancer Vaccines

Cancer treatment vaccines are a rapidly evolving field that offers a promising approach to immunotherapy. Unlike traditional vaccines that prevent diseases, cancer treatment vaccines are designed to treat existing cancers by stimulating the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.
Cancer vaccines come in two categories: preventive (prophylactic) and treatment (active). Preventive vaccines, such as the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, protect against viruses that cause certain...
Cancer Therapies02:49

Cancer Therapies

Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...