Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.6
3.8
Journals
Viruses
Special Issues
Progress and Prospects in Oncolytic Virotherapy 2025–2026
share announcement

Progress and Prospects in Oncolytic Virotherapy 2025–2026

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 2026 | Viewed by 5785

Editors

Dr. Arianna Calistri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Interests: virus–host interactions; viral vectors; oncovirotherapy; antiviral strategies
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sandra Tuyaerts

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Gynaecological Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Interests: cancer immunology and immunotherapy; tumor antigens; drug repurposing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

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

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

20 pages, 2657 KB  
Article
Enhanced Antitumor Activity and Induction of Immunogenic Cell Death in NUT Carcinoma Cells by Combining Oncolytic Viruses with the Dual Inhibitor NEO2734
by Fiona D. Nitschke, Julia Beil, Irina Smirnow, Andrea Schenk, Mary E. Carter, Ulrich M. Lauer and Linus D. Kloker
Viruses 2026, 18(2), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18020267 - 20 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1315
Abstract
NUT carcinoma (NC) is a rare exceptionally aggressive malignancy, defined by NUTM1 gene translocations, most commonly generating a BRD4::NUTM1 fusion that results in a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Oncolytic virotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for NC, and [...] Read more.
NUT carcinoma (NC) is a rare exceptionally aggressive malignancy, defined by NUTM1 gene translocations, most commonly generating a BRD4::NUTM1 fusion that results in a poor prognosis and limited therapeutic options. Oncolytic virotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy for NC, and the dual bromodomain and extra-terminal domain (BET) and p300/CBP inhibitor NEO2734 has demonstrated potent antiproliferative activity. To investigate multimodal therapeutic approaches that combine epigenetic modulation with immunogenic and cytotoxic effects of oncolytic viruses (OVs), we evaluated two recombinant OVs, including the herpes simplex virus talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) and a measles vaccine virus (MeV-GFP), in combination with NEO2734 in four distinct NC cell lines. Viability assays revealed enhanced tumor cell reduction with all combinations, including synergistic effects with T-VEC combinations. Cell cycle analysis showed G1 arrest with NEO2734 alone, whereas its combination with T-VEC resulted in S-phase broadening and reduced G2-phase populations, consistent with replicative stress and increased cytotoxicity. Evaluation of immunogenic cell death (ICD) markers displayed elevated ATP and HMGB1 levels and increased surface calreticulin with T-VEC and NEO2734 combinations. Overall, these findings indicate that combining OVs with BET/p300 inhibitors elicits potent antitumor responses, supports synergistic interactions and immunogenicity, and warrants further investigation in multimodal therapeutic strategies for NC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress and Prospects in Oncolytic Virotherapy 2025–2026)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

37 pages, 1436 KB  
Review
Oncolytic Virotherapy and Immunogenic Cell Death: Mechanisms, Platforms, and Clinical Translation
by Hiroyuki Inoue
Viruses 2026, 18(4), 461; https://doi.org/10.3390/v18040461 - 13 Apr 2026
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2187
Abstract
Oncolytic viruses represent a paradigm-shifting approach to cancer immunotherapy, functioning as in situ vaccines that convert immunologically “cold” tumors into “hot” tumors through induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD). Despite the clinical success of checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed [...] Read more.
Oncolytic viruses represent a paradigm-shifting approach to cancer immunotherapy, functioning as in situ vaccines that convert immunologically “cold” tumors into “hot” tumors through induction of immunogenic cell death (ICD). Despite the clinical success of checkpoint inhibitors targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4), many patients exhibit primary or acquired resistance due to insufficient tumor immunogenicity and exclusion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Oncolytic viruses address this limitation by selectively replicating in tumor cells, inducing robust ICD characterized by four cardinal hallmarks: calreticulin exposure, ATP secretion, HMGB1 release, and type I interferon production. This review systematically examines the molecular mechanisms underlying virus-induced ICD, compares DNA virus platforms (Vaccinia, HSV-1, Adenovirus) with RNA virus platforms (Coxsackieviruses A21, A11, and B3), and analyzes clinical trial data demonstrating synergistic efficacy when combined with checkpoint inhibitors. Notably, RNA viruses generate higher type I interferon responses compared to DNA viruses, correlating with superior clinical outcomes. Coxsackievirus A21 combined with pembrolizumab achieved a 47% objective response rate in melanoma in the CAPRA trial, representing notable efficacy exceeding either monotherapy. Coxsackievirus A11 demonstrates exceptional selectivity for thoracic cancers through ICAM-1-dependent receptor tropism and potent immunogenic cell death induction. Japanese researchers have pioneered microRNA-targeted Coxsackievirus B3, achieving cardiac safety attenuation while preserving complete oncolytic potency and ICD-inducing capacity. This comprehensive analysis synthesizes molecular mechanisms, platform comparisons, clinical efficacy data, and translational challenges to guide future development of oncolytic virotherapy as a cornerstone of cancer immunotherapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Progress and Prospects in Oncolytic Virotherapy 2025–2026)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop