Interplay between viral oncolysis and host immunity in Newcastle disease virus-based cancer therapy

Area of Science:

• Oncolytic Virotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Virology

Background:

• Oncolytic virotherapy is a novel cancer treatment approach.
• Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a promising oncolytic agent due to its tumor selectivity, broad tropism, and lack of pre-existing human immunity.
• NDV's tropism is linked to impaired type I interferon signaling in cancer cells.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the historical development of NDV as an oncolytic agent.
• To discuss the characteristics and anti-tumor mechanisms of NDV.
• To explore NDV's role in the cancer immunity cycle and its limitations in translational research.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on NDV in cancer therapy.
• Analysis of NDV's mechanisms of action, including direct lysis and induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD).
• Examination of genetically engineered NDV strains for enhanced therapeutic potential.

Main Results:

• NDV directly lyses tumor cells and induces ICD, releasing tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs).
• NDV activation of innate and acquired immunity contributes to anti-tumor responses.
• Genetically engineered NDV strains expressing immunostimulatory molecules show enhanced potential for remodeling the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Conclusions:

• NDV demonstrates significant potential as an oncolytic immunotherapeutic agent against cancer.
• Further research and development are needed to overcome translational delays for NDV in personalized and combination immunotherapy strategies.
• Engineered NDV strains offer promising avenues for improving cancer treatment outcomes.