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Virotherapy as Gene Deliver for Anti-Cancer Therapy: A Review Article

Fakhren Nukha Zalfa1, Nurul Hikma Suciani1, Putu Ananda Arviana Dewi1

  • 1Department of Applied Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang City, Indonesia.

Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention : APJCP
|November 28, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Adenovirus (AdV) shows high efficiency for gene therapy, making it a promising candidate for cancer treatment. Further research is needed to optimize vector safety and specificity for improved therapeutic outcomes in virotherapy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Gene Therapy
  • Virology

Background:

  • Cancer remains a leading global cause of death, with conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy causing significant side effects.
  • Gene therapy offers a novel approach to cancer treatment by targeting cancer cells' genetics, potentially overcoming limitations of traditional methods.
  • Viral vectors, including retroviruses, Adenovirus (AdV), and Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV), are key tools in gene therapy and virotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • This review compares the efficacy of different viral vectors in virotherapy for cancer treatment.
  • To synthesize current knowledge on viral vector effectiveness in targeting cancer cells.
  • To evaluate Adenovirus (AdV) as a leading candidate for gene therapy applications.

Main Methods:

  • A narrative literature review and qualitative content analysis were performed.
  • Over 85 peer-reviewed articles published between 2016 and 2024 were systematically collected and analyzed.
  • Databases searched included ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, and Nature, using relevant keywords and Boolean operators.

Main Results:

  • Adenovirus (AdV) exhibits high transduction efficiency (up to 98% in hepatocellular carcinoma) and a large gene capacity (37 kb), infecting both dividing and non-dividing cells.
  • Retroviruses show 40%-60% transduction efficiency and integrate into the host genome, targeting only dividing cells.
  • Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) has a 30%-50% efficiency and a smaller gene capacity (4.8 kb), also demonstrating therapeutic potential.

Conclusions:

  • Different virotherapy agents possess unique mechanisms and varying efficacy against cancer cells.
  • Adenovirus (AdV) is identified as a strong candidate for gene therapy due to its efficiency and capacity.
  • Optimizing vector safety, specificity, and long-term outcomes is crucial for maximizing the therapeutic potential of virotherapy.
Keywords:
Adeno-Associated VirusAdenovirusViral Vectorcancerretrovirus

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