Oncolytic Viruses: The Next Major Breakthrough in Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are emerging as a promising new class of therapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer. Using a “killer to kill a killer” [1] that’s the strategy behind using viruses to kill cancer cells. The first evidence of the ability of oncolytic viruses to kill cancer cells has been documented a century ago but it’s only recently that clinical trials demonstrated the effectiveness of OVs in humans with recent US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of an oncolytic virus in advanced melanoma [2]. Oncolytic viruses open a new era in cancer treatment. This short article provides a comprehensive overview of Oncolytic viruses, their use as cancer therapeutic agents and discusses the future and the challenges in the development of oncolytic viruses as a new therapeutic approach in cancer treatment.