MicroRNAs and oncolytic viruses

Abstract

MicroRNAs regulate gene expression in mammalian cells and often exhibit tissue-specific expression patterns. Incorporation of microRNA target sequences can be used to control exogenous gene expression and viral tropism in specific tissues to enhance the therapeutic indices of oncolytic viruses expressing therapeutic transgenes. Continued development of this targeting strategy has resulted in the generation of unattenuated oncolytic viruses with enhanced potency, broad species-tropisms and reduced off-target toxicities in multiple-tissues simultaneously. Furthermore, oncolytic viruses have been used to enhance the delivery, duration and therapeutic efficacy of microRNA-based therapeutics designed to either restore or inhibit the function of dysregulated microRNAs in cancer cells. Recent efforts focused on combining oncolytic virotherapy and microRNA regulation have generated increasingly potent and safe cancer therapeutics.