Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 20, 2025

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

10.0K

Efficacy and Safety of Oncolytic Viruses in Randomized Controlled Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Zengbin Li1,2, Zeju Jiang1, Yingxuan Zhang1

  • 1Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China.

Cancers
|June 4, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Oncolytic virotherapy shows promise, with DNA viruses and intratumoral injections improving objective response rates. However, severe adverse events were more frequent, and overall survival benefits were limited to specific treatments like talimogene laherparepvec.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Virology
  • Immunotherapy

Background:

  • Oncolytic virotherapy utilizes viruses to selectively destroy cancer cells and stimulate anti-tumor immune responses.
  • Clinical efficacy of oncolytic viruses (OVs) is variable, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a meta-analysis evaluating the efficacy and safety of oncolytic virotherapy.
  • To identify factors influencing treatment outcomes in patients receiving OVs.

Main Methods:

  • A systematic search of Cochrane Library, PubMed, and EMBASE databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to January 31, 2020.
  • Extraction of data on objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse events (AEs) from 11 included studies.
  • Subgroup analyses based on virus type (DNA vs. RNA) and administration route (intratumoral vs. intravenous).

Main Results:

  • Oncolytic DNA viruses and intratumoral injections significantly improved ORR (OR = 4.05; p = 0.0002).
  • Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) was the only OV to significantly prolong OS (HR = 0.79; p = 0.04).
  • No significant improvement in PFS was observed across all OVs (HR = 1.00; p = 0.96).
  • Severe adverse events (grade ≥3) were more common in the OV group (39%) compared to controls (27%) (RR = 1.44; p = 0.0006).

Conclusions:

  • Oncolytic virotherapy, particularly with DNA viruses administered intratumorally, demonstrates potential for improving cancer treatment response.
  • While T-VEC shows survival benefits, the overall efficacy and safety profile require careful consideration due to increased severe adverse events.
  • Further RCTs are warranted to validate these findings and optimize oncolytic virus therapy.
Keywords:
adverse eventsefficacymeta-analysisoncolytic virotherapyoncolytic virusessystematic review

More Related Videos

Ex Vivo Infection of Live Tissue with Oncolytic Viruses12:08

Ex Vivo Infection of Live Tissue with Oncolytic Viruses

Published on: June 25, 2011

13.0K
Transarterial Administration of Oncolytic Viruses for Locoregional Therapy of Orthotopic HCC in Rats08:55

Transarterial Administration of Oncolytic Viruses for Locoregional Therapy of Orthotopic HCC in Rats

Published on: April 15, 2016

9.8K

Related Concept Videos

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...
9.7K
Clinical Trials: Overview01:11

Clinical Trials: Overview

Clinical development focuses on how the drug will interact with the human body and encompasses four key phases of clinical trials, each serving a specific purpose in assessing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. These phases overlap and build upon one another. Phase I involves a small group of healthy volunteers (typically 20-80 individuals) or, in cases where significant toxicity is expected, patients with the targeted disease, such as cancer or AIDS. The volunteers are tested for...
4.4K
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...
6.7K
Tumor Immunotherapy01:27

Tumor Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment that boosts or manipulates the immune system to fight diseases, including cancer. For instance, by stimulating an immune response through vaccinations against viruses that cause cancers, like hepatitis B virus and human papillomavirus, these diseases can be prevented. Nonetheless, some cancer cells can avoid the immune system due to their rapid mutation and division. The immune response to many cancers involves three phases: elimination, equilibrium, and escape.
1.6K
Clinical Trials01:16

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
10.1K
Treatment Resistant Cancers02:56

Treatment Resistant Cancers

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. A cancer cell is genetically unstable and hence can mutate faster. They can also modify their microenvironment and escape immune surveillance. The difficulties in treating cancer are further compounded by the emergence of rapid resistance to anticancer drugs. The most common ways to attain resistance in cancer cells include alteration in drug transport and metabolism, modification of drug target, elevated DNA damage response, or...
3.6K