Opportunities and challenges in the clinical application of anticancer virotherapy

Area of Science:

• Oncolytic virotherapy
• Cancer immunotherapy
• Tumor microenvironment modulation

Background:

• Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are a promising therapeutic class with multiple anti-tumor mechanisms.
• Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) was the first approved OV for melanoma in 2015.
• Clinical adoption of OV therapy faces challenges, yet new opportunities are emerging.

Purpose of the Study:

• Review recent challenges and lessons learned from T-VEC clinical trials and real-world data.
• Explore novel strategies to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of OVs.
• Discuss the potential of OVs for personalized cancer treatment.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of clinical trials and real-world data on Oncolytic Virus (OV) therapy.
• Analysis of T-VEC's performance and clinical adoption barriers.
• Exploration of emerging strategies for enhancing OV therapeutic activity.

Main Results:

• OVs exhibit versatile anti-tumor activities: direct lysis, transgene expression, and immune stimulation.
• Multiple novel OVs show promising early clinical data.
• OVs can be tailored for personalized cancer treatment based on tumor and patient characteristics.

Conclusions:

• Oncolytic viruses are versatile cancer therapeutics with potential for personalized medicine.
• Addressing clinical adoption challenges is key to maximizing OV therapy benefits.
• Continued research into novel strategies will enhance OV efficacy and broaden their application.