Recent advances in targeting cancer stem cells using oncolytic viruses

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Paramyxoviruses for Tumor-targeted Immunomodulation: Design and Evaluation Ex Vivo
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Published on: January 7, 2019

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You-Ni Zhang1,2,3, Shi-Bing Wang3, Shu-Shu Song2,3

  • 1Clinical Laboratory, Tiantai People's Hospital of Zhejiang Province (Tiantai Branch of Zhejiang People's Hospital), Taizhou, 317200, China.

Biotechnology Letters
|March 14, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) offer a novel antitumor strategy by selectively killing cancer cells and targeting cancer stem cells. This approach enhances treatment efficacy, particularly for resistant cancers, and can be combined with traditional therapies.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Virology
  • Cancer Stem Cell Biology

Background:

  • Oncolytic virotherapy utilizes viral replication to induce cancer cell death and stimulate anti-tumor immune responses.
  • Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are implicated in tumor metastasis and resistance to conventional therapies.
  • Targeting CSCs is crucial to prevent tumor recurrence and poor prognosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the oncolytic activity of various oncolytic viruses (OVs) against different types of cancer stem cells.
  • To discuss the synergistic effects of combining OVs with traditional therapies for chemo- and radiotherapy-resistant CSCs.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of oncolytic virotherapy studies.
  • Analysis of OV mechanisms targeting cancer stem cells.
  • Evaluation of combination therapies involving OVs and conventional treatments.

Main Results:

  • Oncolytic viruses demonstrate efficacy in targeting and eliminating cancer stem cells across various cancer types.
  • Engineered OVs with inserted anticancer genes show augmented oncolytic capacity.
  • Combination strategies involving OVs and traditional therapies can overcome resistance in cancer stem cells.

Conclusions:

  • Oncolytic virotherapy presents a promising strategy for eradicating cancer stem cells, a key factor in tumor progression and treatment resistance.
  • The combination of oncolytic viruses with conventional therapies offers a synergistic approach to combat chemo- and radiotherapy-resistant cancers.
Keywords:
Antitumor immunityCancerCancer stem cellsOncolytic virusVirotherapy

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