Title:New Generation of Oncolytic Herpes Virus
Volume: 11
Issue: 3
Author(s): Hiroshi Fukuhara and Tomoki Todo
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Clinical trial, G47Δ, genetically engineered, herpes simplex virus, HSV-1, oncolytic virus.
Abstract: Oncolytic virus therapy has recently been recognized as a promising new treatment
option for cancer. The strategy is to use genetically engineered or naturally occurring
viruses that selectively replicate in and kill cancer cells, without harming normal cells. Herpes
simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) has been well studied and has many advantages for the
use in cancer therapy, making it the mainstay of current clinical trials of oncolytic virus therapy. Numerous
preclinical and clinical studies of oncolytic HSV-1 have demonstrated its safety and antitumor efficacy, the
latter of which is mainly attributable to its direct cytocidal effect. However, recent studies have also suggested
that oncolytic HSV-1 elicits host antitumor immunity and induces immunogenic cancer cell death, thus offering
possibilities for multifaceted strategies by focusing on enhancement of host anticancer immunity. In this
review, we summarize the history and current status of preclinical and clinical studies of oncolytic virus therapy
using HSV-1.
