Virotherapy

Virotherapy is a treatment using biotechnology to convert viruses into therapeutic agents by reprogramming viruses to treat diseases by attacking the pathological cells. Virotherapy is a subfield of virology and is particularly useful in the treatment of cancer.

History

The concept of virotherapy was first mooted in the mid-20th century after spontaneous regression of cancers was seen following natural viral infections. The first clinical trials using virotherapy began in the 1990s.

Types of Virotherapy

There are three main types of virotherapy: oncolytic virotherapy, gene therapy, and viral immunotherapy.

Oncolytic Virotherapy

Oncolytic virotherapy involves the use of viruses that directly lyse (break down) cancer cells. This can be achieved by either modifying the virus or by selecting naturally occurring conditions under which only cancer cells are susceptible to the virus.

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy involves the use of viruses to deliver genes that can cure disease into cells. The viruses are often modified so they can't cause disease, and they're "packaged" with the therapeutic genes.

Viral Immunotherapy

Viral immunotherapy involves the use of viruses to stimulate the immune system to treat diseases, including cancer. The viruses act as adjuvants, boosting the immune response.

Clinical Applications

Virotherapy has been used in the treatment of various types of cancer, including melanoma, lung cancer, and brain cancer. The first oncolytic virus therapy to be approved by the FDA was T-VEC for the treatment of melanoma.

See Also

• Oncolytic virus
• Gene therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Cancer treatment

References

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