Oncolytic viruses are biologic agents able to selectively infect and destroy cancer cells while sparing the normal ones. Furthermore, they also stimulate the host immune system to combat the tumor growth and to promote tumor removal. This review thoroughly describes different types of viruses developed for targeting specific cancers, as well as the strategies to improve the efficacy and safety of oncolytic virotherapy. It also explores how their potential as anticancer agents may be enhanced through combination with other traditional therapies, such as chemotherapy or more recent approaches, such as checkpoint inhibitors. There are many oncolytic viruses currently being tested in clinical trials for the treatment of various types of cancer, suggesting that this approach could become the near future of the oncology field.
Keywords: cancer; combination therapy; genetic engineering; oncolytic viruses.
© 2019 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.