Disease Diagnosis and Therapy Using Viral Vectors

Dear Colleagues,

Gene therapy refers to the transmittance of genetic material into a patient to treat disease. Gene therapy can be classified based on the disease class (genetic disorders versus complex acquired disorders), the properties of the respective gene delivery vector (integrating versus nonintegrating), or whether the vehicle is administered ex vivo (within cultured cells obtained from the patient that are subsequently transplanted back) or in vivo (direct transfer into the patient). The transmitted gene is most often the normal counterpart of the mutated gene. In addition, detrimental gene expression can be suppressed through genome editing or RNA interference tools. Additionally, genome editing technology can be applied to correct the mutated gene at its precise location in the genome via homologous recombination using a donor template or through base editing, although this approach has not yet been implemented in clinical trials.

With the progress made in research and the recent widespread use of immunotherapy, novel therapies using oncolytic viruses are projected to open up new avenues for the treatment of cancer through the elimination of immune system suppression driven by tumors. Currently, a rising number of viruses are being developed and genetically engineered, and several virus vectors that are effective in eliciting the human immune system to eliminate tumor cells have been approved for clinical use. Although these viruses can slow tumor cell proliferation, expanding the available range of oncolytic viruses in cancer therapy is critical, considering the significance of their safety, therapeutic efficacy, and adverse side effects. Several oncolytic viruses such as adenovirus, herpes simplex virus, Newcastle disease virus, respiratory syncytial virus, reovirus, and measles virus have been used in anticancer gene therapy. These viral vectors combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, nanoparticles, and immunotherapy have been successful in preclinical studies and are increasingly being translated into clinical applications in several advanced solid tumors or cancers of the circulatory system. Vaccines based on adenoviruses have been generated for infectious diseases such as COVID-19, and their efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in clinical trials, leading to them being approved for clinical use. Viral vectors have been propitious in treating chronic diseases including hemophilia, muscular dystrophy, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and severe combined immunodeficiency. This has been demonstrated in preclinical investigations in several animal models. Virus-mediated gene therapy is increasingly being used in the treatment of neurological disorders, and patients with incurable brain diseases could benefit from this approach.

Engineered bacteriophages are more effective in the delivery of transgene gene expression within cancer cells compared to non-viral gene transfer approaches and are hence being used in the development of cancer vaccines. The high degree of stability and resistance of bacteriophages to diverse environmental conditions has led to the generation of virus-like particles (VLPs) that are capable of effectively delivering many drug cargo therapeutics into tumors via selective targeting. Phage therapy has been proven to be safe at clinical level in comparison to antibiotics as it causes no untoward anaphylaxis or adverse outcomes such as the incipience of multi-drug-resistant bacteria. For this Special Issue, we invite novel, interesting research and review articles addressing gene therapy using viral vectors in the diagnosis and treatment of the aforementioned diseases.

Published Papers (1 paper)