Oncolytic Viruses
1Genelux Corporation, San Diego Science Center, San Diego, CA 92163-3303 , USA
2Institute for Biochemistry, Virchow Center for Experimental Biomedicine, University of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
3Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA
4Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University Hospital, Tübingen, Germany
Oncolytic Viruses
Description
In USA, one in two men or one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer, and one in four Americans will die from the disease according to the American Cancer Society. Although the recent improvements in early detection, treatment, and palliative care have prolonged cancer patients' lives, current therapies are generally ineffective in treating patients with advanced cancer. The prognosis for these patients remains dismal. Thus, new treatments are urgently needed.
In recent years, oncolytic viruses have emerged as promising cancer therapeutic agents. Oncolytic viruses have been shown to be safe and effective against several types of human and animal cancers in animal models. Importantly, the results from numerous clinical trials indicate that oncolytic viruses are safe and a certain degree of therapeutic efficacy has been demonstrated in cancer patients. Presently, several oncolytic viruses are being tested in various phase III clinical trials. It is expected that oncolytic viruses will be approved by the US, European, and Japanese regulatory agencies for treating human malignancies in the near future.
We are particularly interested in manuscripts summarizing clinical trial data. Reviews that summarize the most recent developments and concepts in this field would also be of great interest. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
- Interactions of oncolytic viruses with components of the circulatory system (CD45+ lymphocytes, plasma, or lymph)
- Strategies to improve the systemic delivery efficiency of oncolytic viruses
- Targeting of cancer stem cells and circulating cancer cells
- Mechanisms of tumor-specific replication and tumor regression
- Interactions of oncolytic viruses with host immune responses
- Combination therapies with oncolytic virotherapy
- Strategies to improve tumor selectivity and antitumor efficacy of oncolytic viruses
- Clinical trials
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