Harnessing Nature's Trojan Horses: The Application of Oncolytic Viruses in Cancer Treatment

Sunday - May 21 2023, 21:11 UTC - 1 year ago

Cancers are challenging diseases to cure due to various factors, including mutation and interactive environment with other cells. New treatments such as immunotherapy, targeted therapies and personalized medicine are developed, including the use of modified 'Trojan Horse' viruses. These oncolytic viruses can specifically target and destroy cancer cells, inducing cell death or disabling cancer pathways, while leaving healthy tissues unharmed. Additionally, they can be used alongside other treatments, such as chemotherapy, and can also trigger a localized anti-tumor response. However, more research is still needed to determine their effectiveness and safety for clinical use.

For likely all of human history, we have been fighting cancer and viruses that have led to the premature death of countless millions of our species. For most of that time, our bodies have relied on the immune system to fight these scourges. But, it turns out, we may have been missing a trick.Much like fighting on two fronts in a war, the answer could be to devise a way for two of our enemies to fight each other, not just us .

And this perfectly summarizes a new and promising area of cancer research, modified cancer hunter-killer viruses. But first, let's see why it is taking so long to develop a cure for the former enemy, cancer.Why are cancers so hard to cure?Cancers are challenging to cure for several reasons. Firstly, cancer is not a single disease but a collection of more than 100 different types of diseases, each with its unique causes, characteristics, and behaviors .

Additionally, some cancer cells can mutate quickly, making them resistant to treatments. With each division and growth, these cells can accumulate more mutations, making them increasingly difficult to manage.Cancers also often involve a complex interplay with their surrounding environment, including blood vessels, immune cells, and other non-cancerous cells. This interaction can make it difficult for treatments to specifically target cancer cells without damaging healthy tissue .

Additionally, many cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, can have significant side effects, limiting their use and effectiveness, especially in people with co-morbidities. Sometimes, these side effects can be so severe that they prevent further treatment or severely reduce a patient's quality of life.Detecting cancer early is vital for effective treatment, too. Still, some cancers may be hard to diagnose in their early stages since they may not display any visible symptoms or be situated in an area easy to image .

By the time they are detected, they may have already spread, making them more difficult to treat. Additionally, a single tumor may have various subpopulations of cancer cells with distinct genetic and molecular profiles that respond differently to treatment. As a result, treatment may eliminate some cancer cells while others continue to grow.Despite these challenges, progress is being made in cancer research, and new treatments are continually being developed .

Advances in immunotherapy, targeted therapies, and personalized medicine are all promising avenues for future cancer treatments. One such treatment is using “nature’s Trojan Horses;” viruses.How can viruses be used to fight cancer?And viruses can indeed be thought of as “Trojan Horses” of a kind. Viruses have evolved strategies to “disguise” themselves or hijack cellular machinery to reproduce and spread within the host organism .

This can make them difficult to recognize and eliminate, allowing them to spread infections and diseases.Since they are so good at attacking cells, researchers have been exploring ways to harness the “Trojan Horse-like” properties of certain viruses to treat diseases, such as using modified viruse to target and kill cancer cells.This approach, referred to as oncolytic, or cancer-killing, viruses, are viruses modified to specifically target and destroy cancer cells, while leaving healthy cells unharmed .

This makes them a potential new option for treating many different types of cancer, and they may even be used alongside other treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. Oncolytic viruses are made up of both genetic material from viruses combined with genetic material from cancer cells. They can target cancer cells in various ways, such as disabling cancer pathways or inducing cell death .

Oncolytic viruses can be given orally, injection into a tumor, or directly injected into the bloodstream. Research is ongoing to determine the most effective way to use oncolytic viruses for cancer treatment.Some oncolytic viruses can help boost the immune system's response to cancer as well. They can trigger a localized anti-tumor response, which is especially useful for brain tumors. As a result, oncolytic viruses are being studied for their potential to improve outcomes for patients with difficult to treat cancers .

Moreover, oncolytic viruses can be tailored to target specific types of cancer, making them a promising option for personalized medicine.Overall, oncolytic viruses have huge potential for the treatment of cancer and could become an important new treatment tool in the fight against this deadly disease. Thanks to advancements in medical science, researchers can now design viruses to specifically target and fight cancer cells .

However, more research is needed to determine their safety and effectiveness, before they can be used in the clinic. While there is still much to learn, advances in this field hold much promise for the future of cancer treatment.