TITLE:
Oncoselectivity in Oncolytic Viruses against Colorectal Cancer
AUTHORS:
Steven J. Conrad, Karim Essani
KEYWORDS:
Colorectal Cancer, Replication-Competent Oncolytic Virus, Oncoselectivity, Virotherapy
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Cancer Therapy,
Vol.5 No.13,
November
6,
2014
ABSTRACT: In humans colorectal cancer (CRC) is a
significant cause of morbidity and mortality. New treatment options are
urgently needed to supplement existing therapies. Replication-competent
oncolytic viruses (RCOVs) for the treatment of cancerous tumorsin vivois a relatively new
therapeutic modality with great but largely unrealized potential against CRC.
In the context of oncolytic virus safety, oncoselectivity is an important
criterion. It is at the conceptual intersection of viral replication strategy
and tumor cell biology that RCOVs acquire their oncoselectivity, and thus their
safety. Every aspect of tumor molecular biology which distinguishes it from
normal, non-neoplastic cells is a potential target for exploitation. In the
first section of this review we will provide an explanation of some of the
successful and widely used strategies for improving oncoselectivity in
wild-type viruses to make them more suitable as RCOVs. In the second section we
will describe some of the characteristics of CRC biology which can be exploited
to provide oncoselectivity against CRC. Throughout the review examples of
successfully-engineered RCOVs which embody the approach or strategy under
discussion are noted. By showing what has been done, we hope to highlight what
is possible and what remains to be done to generate oncoselective RCOVs for use
against CRC in humans.