Viral warfare! Front-line defence and arming the immune system against cancer using oncolytic vaccinia and other viruses

摘要

Background: Despite mankind's many achievements, we are yet to find a cure for cancer. We are now approaching a new era which recognises the promise of harnessing the immune system for anti-cancer therapy. Pathogens have been implicated for decades as potential anti-cancer agents, but implementation into clinical therapy has been plagued with significant drawbacks. Newer 'designer' agents have addressed some of these concerns, in particular, a new breed of oncolytic virus: JX-594, a genetically engineered pox virus, is showing promise.