Oncolytic virus

An oncolytic virus is a virus that preferentially infects and kills cancer cells. As the infected cancer cells are destroyed by oncolysis, they release new infectious virus particles or virions to help destroy the remaining tumour. Oncolytic viruses are thought not only to cause direct destruction of the tumour cells, but also to stimulate host anti-tumour immune responses.

The potential of viruses as anti-cancer agents was first realised in the early twentieth century, although coordinated research efforts did not begin until the 1960s. A number of viruses including adenovirus, reovirus, measles, herpes simplex, Newcastle disease virus and vaccinia have now been clinically tested as oncolytic agents. Most current oncolytic viruses are engineered for tumour selectivity, although there are naturally occurring examples such as reovirus and the senecavirus, resulting in clinical trials.

The first oncolytic virus approved by a national regulatory agency is genetically not modified ECHO-7 strain enterovirus RIGVIR, approved in Latvia in 2004 for treatment of skin melanoma. Later (in 2015 and 2016 respectively) it was also approved in Georgia (country) and Armenia. In 2005 Chinese company, Shanghai Sunway Biotech registered an oncolytic adenovirus, a genetically modified adenovirus named H101. It gained regulatory approval in 2005 from the CFDA, for the treatment of head and neck cancer. The drug talimogene laherparepvec (OncoVex, T-VEC) was the first oncolytic herpes virus ( a modified herpes simplex virus), approved for use by the USFDA and by the EMA in the EU in 2015 for the treatment of advanced inoperable melanoma. In a combined decision, members of the FDA's Oncology Drug Advisory Committee and Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee voted 22-1 to recommend approval of the oncolytic immunotherapy.

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