The antitumor effects of Newcastle disease virus on glioma

Abstract

Glioma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor with a poor survival rate. In recent years, no significant progress has been made in the treatment of gliomas in contrast to the development of improved diagnosis via molecular typing. Newcastle disease virus (NDV), a negative-stranded RNA virus that exhibits oncolytic activity, has been investigated for its capacity to elicit antitumor activity in many types of cancers, including glioma. Therefore, application of oncolytic viruses, such as NDV, as a new treatment strategy to specifically target aberrant signaling in glioblastomas has brought new hope. For many years, NDV has been investigated for its in vivo and in vitro efficacy in the treatment of various tumor cells. Based on its safety in humans, specificity for tumor cells, and immunostimulatory properties, NDV represents a promising antitumor agent. In this review, we summarize the background of NDV and the antitumor mechanisms of NDV-mediated oncolysis, discuss the potential value and role of NDV in gliomas, and describe new advances and perspectives for future research.