Using Oncolytic Viruses in Cancer Immunity and Immunotherapy: Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Gastric Cancer, and Colorectal Cancer

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are viruses that infect and kill cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue, making them a promising therapeutic option in cancer immunotherapy. Oncolytic virotherapy' ability to induce both direct tumour cell lysis and a robust immune response has sparked significant interest in the treatment of cancers such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), gastric cancer (GC), and colorectal cancer (CRC). Here's a summary of how OVs are being investigated in these cancers.

In clinical trials for HCC, oncolytic viruses such as adenovirus, herpes simplex virus (HSV), and vesicular stomatitis virus have demonstrated promise. These viruses selectively infect cancer cells due to the tumor's distinct environment, such as altered receptor expression or the presence of specific genetic mutations. In addition to direct lysis of HCC cells, OVs activate the immune system by releasing tumour antigens, which can recruit immune cells to overcome the immunosuppressive microenvironment of HCC.

Oncolytic viruses such as HSV, adenovirus, and Coxsackievirus A21 have been studied in both preclinical/clinical settings for treating GC. Viral vectors can also be designed to deliver therapeutic genes (i.e., cytokines or immune modulators) directly to the tumour site, thereby boosting the immune response.

Adenovirus, reovirus, and adenovirus have been engineered to target/kill CRC cells. OVs can activate both innate and adaptive immune responses, including dendritic cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes), and natural killer cells that attack remaining cancer cells. Another anti-tumor strategy being investigated in CRC is the viral delivery of therapeutic genes (i.e., pro-apoptotic factors or immune-stimulating cytokines).

This Research Topic will convene an expert panel to discuss the latest advancements in the use of OVs in combination with other therapies for HCC, GC, and CRC. We aim to better understand how OVs target and kill tumour cells while stimulating the immune system in CRC, GC, and HCC treatment; evaluate the efficacy and investigate the barriers to successful virotherapy for these tumours and potential solutions; and promote expert networking for upcoming collaborative studies. We invite submissions of original research, reviews, mini-reviews, methods, case reports, and perspective articles that cover the following topics:
 OV biology, immune responses, and the unique challenges posed by each cancer type.
 Tumour microenvironment and tumour immune evasion mechanisms.
 Current scientific discoveries and clinical trials.
 Synergistic OVs combination with existing therapies (i.e., chemotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors)
 Effectiveness of these treatments and results.
 Innovations in OV engineering, delivery methods, and patient selection, with a particular emphasis on overcoming resistance and their effects on treatment.
 Ethical, economic, and regulatory issues of OVs' promise and challenges in cancer treatment.
 Future of personalised and combination therapies

Please note that Prof. Antonio G. Solimando has received speaker honoraria from Sanofi, Amgen, and AstraZeneca; he has also participated on advisory boards for Pfizer and Menarini; he received travel support for educational purposes from Janssen Cilag. Also note that manuscripts consisting solely of bioinformatics or computational analysis of public genomic or transcriptomic databases which are not accompanied by robust and relevant validation (clinical cohort or biological validation in vitro or in vivo) are out of scope for this Research Topic.