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Updated: Oct 30, 2025

Growth, Purification, and Titration of Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus
Published on: May 13, 2021
Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus-Based Therapies for Cancer
Norah Aldrak1, Sarah Alsaab1,2, Aliyah Algethami1
1Center of Excellence for Biomedicine, Joint Centers of Excellence Program, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
Abstract:
With the increased worldwide burden of cancer, including aggressive and resistant cancers, oncolytic virotherapy has emerged as a viable therapeutic option. Oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) can be genetically engineered to target cancer cells while sparing normal cells. This leads to the direct killing of cancer cells and the activation of the host immunity to recognize and attack the tumor. Different variants of oHSV have been developed to optimize its antitumor effects. In this review, we discuss the development of oHSV, its antitumor mechanism of action and the clinical trials that have employed oHSV variants to treat different types of tumor.
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