Cancer gene therapy goes viral: viral vector platforms come of age

Abstract

Background Since the advent of viral vector gene therapy in 1990s, cancer treatment with viral vectors promised to revolutionize the field of oncology. Notably, viral vectors offer a unique combination of efficient gene delivery and engagement of the immune system for anti-tumour response. Despite the early potential, viral vector-based cancer treatments are only recently making a big impact, most prominently as gene delivery devices in approved CAR-T cell therapies, cancer vaccines and targeted oncolytic therapeutics. To reach this broad spectrum of applications, a number of challenges have been overcome – from our understanding of cancer biology to vector design, manufacture and engineering. Here, we take an overview of viral vector usage in cancer therapy and discuss the latest advancements. We also consider production platforms that enable mainstream adoption of viral vectors for cancer gene therapy. Conclusions Viral vectors offer numerous opportunities in cancer therapy. Recent advances in vector production platforms open new avenues in safe and efficient viral therapeutic strategies, streamlining the transition from lab bench to bedside. As viral vectors come of age, they could become a standard tool in the cancer treatment arsenal.

Generation of DNA Aptamers with Functional Activity in Mammalian Cells by Mimicking Retroviruses

“…To achieve this goal, the DNA aptamer expression system must overcome the barriers to cellular entry. It is well-known that viral vectors have been widely employed as delivery vehicles for the treatment of various diseases, including different types of cancers, due to their superior ability to enter cells, 33 and examples include retroviruses, 34 lentiviruses, 35 and adenoviruses. 36 Given the importance of long-term and stable expression of DNA aptamers in cells to achieve their functional activity, a lentiviral vector was selected to deliver the DNA aptamer expression system into cells.…”

Genome Engineering as a Therapeutic Approach in Cancer Therapy: A Comprehensive Review

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Proceedings of the Online Conference “Vaccines and Vaccination during and Post COVID Pandemics” (7–9 December 2022)

“…Thus, reprogramming the TME to an immune-responsive “hot” state could be vital to developing successful therapies. The use of viruses and viral vectors has been explored for this purpose in numerous preclinical and clinical trials [ 62 ]. There are several mechanisms behind virus antitumor activity—direct tumor destruction by oncolytic viruses, antiviral immunity induction of innate and adaptive immune responses against the tumor, and viral vector-encoded immune signaling molecule-driven TME reprogramming.…”