Summary: | Nicolas AS Sokolowski,1 Helen Rizos,2 Russell J Diefenbach1 1Centre for Virus Research, Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, 2Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia Abstract: Oncolytic virotherapy exploits the properties of human viruses to naturally cause cytolysis of cancer cells. The human pathogen herpes simplex virus (HSV) has proven particularly amenable for use in oncolytic virotherapy. The relative safety of HSV coupled with extensive knowledge on how HSV interacts with the host has provided a platform for manipulating HSV to enhance the targeting and killing of human cancer cells. This has culminated in the approval of talimogene laherparepvec for the treatment of melanoma. This review focuses on the development of HSV as an oncolytic virus and where the field is likely to head in the future. Keywords: herpes simplex virus, cancer, immunity, combination therapy, oncolysis
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