Mechanisms and clinical effects of drugs based on oncolytic adenoviruses, herpes viruses, reoviruses and measles virus

Despite all the advances in pharmacology, many types of oncological diseases remain incurable. To that end, the demand for the development of new effective methods with high safety still exists. Based on mechanisms that differ from the action of current anticancer drugs, oncolytic viruses expand the possibilities of treating tumors of various localizations. In this review, recent scientific data on the general characteristics of oncolytic viruses are systematized. The factors providing the selectivity and the reasons limiting the efficacy of virotherapy are discussed. The influence of oncolytic viruses on antitumor immunity is considered. The mechanisms of action and the most prospective directions for the use of adenoviruses, herpesviruses, reoviruses and measles virus are analyzed.