Christine E. Engeland - Oncolytic Viruses

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Anecdotal clinical reports of tumor remissions after viral infections laid the foundation for the field of oncolytic virotherapy. Advances in molecular virology, tumor biology, and immunology have enabled more refined studies of tumor-selective viruses. Concomitant with the resurgence of cancer immunotherapy and after the approval of Talimogene laherparepvec by the FDA and EMA, oncolytic virotherapy has gained unprecedented momentum. The field has flourished in recent years, yielding many notable preclinical studies and clinical trials. This book aims to provide a guide for basic virologists, translational researchers, and clinician scientists in the field by providing reference protocols from vector development to clinical translation.

The initial chapter provides an introductory review of the field, followed by a series of chapters describing virus modifications to enhance tumor specificity and anti-tumor efficacy. Reflecting the increasing interest in immunotherapeutic effects of oncolysis, a number of chapters address different strategies for immunomodulation and immunomonitoring. The third section of the book covers methodologies for different model systems to study oncolytic viruses, including mouse tumor models, patient-derived samples, and also mathematical modeling.

A number of virus platforms and approaches are represented, providing a survey of state-of-the-art methods for study of this unique treatment approach. Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all authors who have made this possible with their contributions. Hopefully this book will serve the research community as a useful resource to further enhance progress in the field of oncolytic virotherapy.