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 3518

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

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Keywords

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

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 14024 KiB  
Article
Tepilamide Fumarate as a Novel Potentiator of Virus-Based Therapy
by Akram Alwithenani, Rozanne Arulanandam, Boaz Wong, Marcus M. Spinelli, Andrew Chen, Glib Maznyi, Victoria H. Gilchrist, Tommy Alain and Jean-Simon Diallo
Viruses 2024, 16(6), 920; https://doi.org/10.3390/v16060920 - 5 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1117
Abstract
Oncolytic virotherapy, using viruses such as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSVΔ51) and Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1) to selectively attack cancer cells, faces challenges such as cellular resistance mediated by the interferon (IFN) response. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis [...] Read more.
Oncolytic virotherapy, using viruses such as vesicular stomatitis virus (VSVΔ51) and Herpes Simplex Virus-1 (HSV-1) to selectively attack cancer cells, faces challenges such as cellular resistance mediated by the interferon (IFN) response. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and psoriasis and is recognized for its anti-cancer properties and has been shown to enhance both VSVΔ51 and HSV-1 oncolytic activity. Tepilamide fumarate (TPF) is a DMF analog currently undergoing clinical trials for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of TPF in enhancing the effectiveness of oncolytic viruses. In vitro, TPF treatment rendered 786-0 carcinoma cells more susceptible to VSVΔ51 infection, leading to increased viral replication. It outperformed DMF in both increasing viral infection and increasing the killing of these resistant cancer cells and other cancer cell lines tested. Ex vivo studies demonstrated TPF’s selective boosting of oncolytic virus infection in cancer cells without affecting healthy tissues. Effectiveness was notably high in pancreatic and ovarian tumor samples. Our study further indicates that TPF can downregulate the IFN pathway through a similar mechanism to DMF, making resistant cancer cells more vulnerable to viral infection. Furthermore, TPF’s impact on gene therapy was assessed, revealing its ability to enhance the transduction efficiency of vectors such as lentivirus, adenovirus type 5, and adeno-associated virus type 2 across various cell lines. This data underscore TPF’s potential role in not only oncolytic virotherapy but also in the broader application of gene therapy. Collectively, these findings position TPF as a promising agent in oncolytic virotherapy, warranting further exploration of its therapeutic potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress and Prospects in Oncolytic Virotherapy)
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Review

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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 - 3 Apr 2024
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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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