Preclinical and clinical trials of oncolytic vaccinia virus in cancer immunotherapy: a comprehensive review

Cancer Biol Med. 2023 Aug 23;20(9):646-661. doi: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2023.0202.

Abstract

Oncolytic virotherapy has emerged as a promising treatment for human cancers owing to an ability to elicit curative effects via systemic administration. Tumor cells often create an unfavorable immunosuppressive microenvironment that degrade viral structures and impede viral replication; however, recent studies have established that viruses altered via genetic modifications can serve as effective oncolytic agents to combat hostile tumor environments. Specifically, oncolytic vaccinia virus (OVV) has gained popularity owing to its safety, potential for systemic delivery, and large gene insertion capacity. This review highlights current research on the use of engineered mutated viruses and gene-armed OVVs to reverse the tumor microenvironment and enhance antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo, and provides an overview of ongoing clinical trials and combination therapies. In addition, we discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks of OVV as a cancer therapy, and explore different perspectives in this field.

Keywords: Oncolytic virotherapy; arming strategy; engineered virus; oncolytic vaccinia virus.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy
  • Neoplasms* / therapy
  • Oncolytic Virotherapy*
  • Oncolytic Viruses* / genetics
  • Oncolytic Viruses* / metabolism
  • Tumor Microenvironment
  • Vaccinia virus / genetics
  • Vaccinia virus / metabolism

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 81830006) and the Science Technology Department of Zhejiang Province (Grant No. 2021C03117).