Oncolytic virotherapy in glioblastoma treatment: progress and challenges in clinical research (literature review)

Glial tumors comprise about 60 % of primary malignant brain tumors, and 70 % of them show morphological signs of high-grade cancer (High Grade Gliomas iii, iV WHO 2016) [1, 2]. Despite a significant technical pre- and intraoperative progress as well as advances in radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the overall median survival is very low, being less than 20 months [3] and less than 12 months in patients with relapse [4]. Recent studies have shown that chemo- and radioresistance is due to the existence of cancer stem cells [5, 6]. Poor treatment outcomes require the development and implementation of new approaches to the treatment of high-grade gliomas. in recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the development of immunotherapeutic treatment approaches, including the development of oncolytic virotherapy. Tropism to target cancer cells, as well as various viral vectors, has been developed using methods of genetic engineering; synergism of viruses and adjuvant therapy has been studied. Despite extensive experimental studies of the mechanism of oncolysis [1], there are only a few reports on Phase i-ii clinical trials. This review considers the most successful applications of oncolytic viruses in relation to glioblastoma in animal models and their translation into clinical practice in patients.