Insights into oncovirus-driven tumor dynamics: a perspective from intravital imaging

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a critical determinant of cancer initiation, progression, and therapeutic response. It comprises not only tumor cells but also immune cells, stromal components, and vasculature that interact through complex molecular signaling networks. In cancers driven by oncoviruses, viral infection represents a unique biological factor that profoundly influences TME formation and remodeling, thereby shaping distinct features such as immune evasion, chronic inflammation, and stromal and vascular reprogramming. Conventional approaches provide valuable insights into the static composition of the TME, but are inherently limited in capturing dynamic cellular behaviors, including immune cell migration, spatiotemporal immune remodeling, and CD8⁺ T cell interactions with virally infected tumor cells over time, which are critical for understanding immune evasion and therapeutic responses in oncovirus-associated cancers. In this review, we briefly summarize virus-associated cancers and the mechanisms by which oncoviruses actively shape and regulate the TME. We further highlight the importance of intravital imaging as a powerful approach for directly visualizing the spatial and temporal dynamics of the TME in live animals and discuss how this technology can advance our understanding of oncovirus-driven TME remodeling and the development of effective anticancer therapeutic strategies.