Progress and Prospects in Oncolytic Virotherapy

A special issue of Viruses (ISSN 1999-4915). This special issue belongs to the section "Human Virology and Viral Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 997

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padova, Italy
Interests: virus–host interactions; viral vectors; oncovirotherapy; antiviral strategies

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Guest Editor
Gynaecological Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Interests: cancer immunology and immunotherapy; tumor antigens; drug repurposing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oncovirotherapy is a very promising strategy to tackle tumors based on viruses that either naturally or upon specific manipulations display direct cancer-cell-killing activity along with immunotherapeutic effects. Although a growing number of clinical studies clearly demonstrate the excellent safety profile of oncolytic viruses, to date, only the HSV-1 talimogene laherparepvec (T-Vec) has been approved in the USA and Europe for the treatment of unresectable melanoma. One of the reasons for the limited approval of oncolytic viruses can be found in their adoption as monotherapy in most of the clinical trials performed so far, often resulting in poor efficacy. This Special Issue aims to present readers with the latest developments and challenges in the field of oncolytic virus research. Additionally, we aim to evaluate the therapeutic possibilities of integrating oncovirotherapy with chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

Dr. Arianna Calistri
Dr. Sandra Tuyaerts
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • oncovirotherapy
  • chemotherapy
  • preclinical studies
  • clinical trials
  • combinatory strategy
  • safety profile
  • therapeutic efficacy
  • immunotherapy

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

15 pages, 2375 KiB  
Review
Zika Virus: A Neurotropic Warrior against High-Grade Gliomas—Unveiling Its Potential for Oncolytic Virotherapy
by María-Angélica Calderón-Peláez, Silvia Juliana Maradei Anaya, Ingrid Juliana Bedoya-Rodríguez, Karol Gabriela González-Ipuz, Daniela Vera-Palacios, Isabella Victoria Buitrago, Jaime E. Castellanos and Myriam L. Velandia-Romero
Viruses 2024, 16(4), 561; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16040561 - 03 Apr 2024
Viewed by 609
Abstract
Gliomas account for approximately 75–80% of all malignant primary tumors in the central nervous system (CNS), with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) considered the deadliest. Despite aggressive treatment involving a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical intervention, patients with GBM have limited survival rates of [...] Read more.
Gliomas account for approximately 75–80% of all malignant primary tumors in the central nervous system (CNS), with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) considered the deadliest. Despite aggressive treatment involving a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical intervention, patients with GBM have limited survival rates of 2 to 5 years, accompanied by a significant decline in their quality of life. In recent years, novel management strategies have emerged, such as immunotherapy, which includes the development of vaccines or T cells with chimeric antigen receptors, and oncolytic virotherapy (OVT), wherein wild type (WT) or genetically modified viruses are utilized to selectively lyse tumor cells. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that the Zika virus (ZIKV) can infect glioma cells and induce a robust oncolytic activity. Consequently, interest in exploring this virus as a potential oncolytic virus (OV) for high-grade gliomas has surged. Given that ZIKV actively circulates in Colombia, evaluating its neurotropic and oncolytic capabilities holds considerable national and international importance, as it may emerge as an alternative for treating highly complex gliomas. Therefore, this literature review outlines the generalities of GBM, the factors determining ZIKV’s specific tropism for nervous tissue, and its oncolytic capacity. Additionally, we briefly present the progress in preclinical studies supporting the use of ZIKV as an OVT for gliomas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress and Prospects in Oncolytic Virotherapy)
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