Oncotarget Strategies For Herpes Simplex Virus-1

Lumin Zhang1, Tsurumi Tatsuya, Yukihiro Nishiyama

  • 1Division of Liver Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA. lumin.zhang@mssm.edu.

Current Gene Therapy
|April 1, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) shows promise as an oncolytic virotherapy vector. Engineered HSV-1 viruses effectively target tumors and stimulate immune responses, with promising clinical trial results for various cancers.

Area of Science:

  • Oncolytic virotherapy
  • Viral oncology
  • Immunotherapy

Background:

  • Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) possesses a highly manipulable genome, making it an ideal candidate for oncolytic virotherapy.
  • Extensive research over two decades has led to the development and preclinical assessment of numerous oncolytic HSV-1 vectors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and summarize the fundamental strategies for constructing oncolytic HSV-1 viruses.
  • To discuss the diverse applications of these engineered viruses in cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on oncolytic HSV-1 development.
  • Analysis of preclinical and clinical trial data for HSV-1-based cancer treatments.

Main Results:

  • Oncolytic HSV-1 demonstrates efficient tumor cell infection and enhances anti-tumor immunity through innate and adaptive responses.
  • Phase I clinical trials for glioma, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma have yielded encouraging outcomes.
  • One oncolytic HSV-1, Oncovey, is undergoing Phase III clinical trials after FDA approval for comprehensive evaluation.

Conclusions:

  • The success of oncolytic HSV-1 in preclinical and clinical settings supports continued development of next-generation vectors.
  • Engineered HSV-1 holds significant potential for advancing cancer treatment strategies through oncolytic virotherapy.