Oncolytic Virotherapy for Solid Tumors: Clinical Advances and Future Directions

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are naturally occurring or genetically engineered viruses that selectively replicate in and destroy tumor cells while sparing normal tissues. This review provides an overview of the biological basis of OV therapy, including mechanisms of tumor oncolysis and immune modulation. We further discuss current clinical applications, emerging combination therapies, and the development of next-generation viral platforms. Finally, we examine the major barriers to OV clinical translation and outline emerging strategies to overcome them. The increasing momentum in oncolytic virotherapy, driven by advances in synthetic biology and immuno-oncology, underscores its potential to become a cornerstone of next-generation cancer treatments.