E-Book

E-Book 3rd Congress

  • Oncolytic Viruses: Harnessing the Power of Viruses to Fight Cancer
  • Atefeh Bozorg Panah,1 Shaghayegh Yazdani,2,*
    1. Bachelor’s student, Microbiology group, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
    2. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.


  • Introduction: Cancer remains a formidable adversary, with a complex biology that often defies conventional treatments. In recent years, scientists have turned their attention to an unlikely weapon: viruses. Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are genetically engineered viruses that have been specifically designed to selectively infect and kill cancer cells. The concept of using viruses to combat cancer is not new. In the 1950s, a scientist named Dr. Chester Southam injected live herpes simplex virus into patients with melanoma, with some patients experiencing tumor shrinkage. However, these early experiments were limited by the lack of advanced genetic engineering techniques and a deeper understanding of cancer biology. Today, advances in molecular biology and virology have paved the way for the development of more sophisticated OVs. These engineered viruses are often derived from viruses that are naturally found in humans or animals, such as adenoviruses, herpesviruses, or measles viruses. Through genetic modifications, OVs can be equipped with tumor-specific targeting mechanisms, enhanced replication properties, and the ability to induce an anti-cancer immune response.
  • Methods: A thorough examination was conducted to comprehensively scrutinize the concept of "Oncolytic Viruses: Harnessing the Power of Viruses to Fight Cancer". This examination involved an in-depth literature search across PubMed, Google Scholar, and NCBI databases. The outcome of this search resulted in the discovery of 33 pertinent articles that were meticulously assessed and analyzed in order to acquire a more profound comprehension of this subject matter.
  • Results: The mechanism of action of OVs is multifaceted. Upon infection, OVs replicate within cancer cells, releasing viral particles that can further infect neighboring tumor cells. This process of intratumoral spread can lead to the destruction of large tumor masses. Additionally, OVs can induce cell death by activating apoptosis, a programmed cell death pathway. In addition to direct tumor killing, OVs can also exert their anti-cancer effects by activating the immune system. The release of viral antigens can trigger an immune response that targets both the infected cancer cells and other cancer cells nearby. This phenomenon is known as immunomodulation, and it is considered a key component of the overall therapeutic effect of OVs. OVs have demonstrated promising results in preclinical and clinical studies across a wide range of cancer types. In a clinical trial involving patients with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of brain cancer, an OV called ONYX-015 showed significant tumor shrinkage and prolonged survival rates. Despite the encouraging progress, challenges remain in the development and clinical application of OVs. One challenge is ensuring the specificity of OVs, as they should not target healthy cells. Additionally, the immune system can sometimes recognize OVs as foreign invaders and mount an immune response against them, limiting their effectiveness. Researchers are actively addressing these challenges by developing more targeted and immunomodulatory OVs. Additionally, combination therapies that combine OVs with other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, are being explored to enhance the overall efficacy of OV therapy.
  • Conclusion: The field of OV therapy is rapidly evolving, and there is growing optimism that these engineered viruses will play a significant role in the future of cancer treatment. As research continues to refine OVs and develop more effective combination therapies, OVs have the potential to revolutionize cancer treatment and improve the lives of cancer patients worldwid.
  • Keywords: Cancer, OV, Oncolytic Virus