Virotherapy as Gene Deliver for Anti-Cancer Therapy: A Review Article

Zalfa, Fakhren Nukha; Suciani, Nurul Hikma; Dewi, Putu Ananda Arviana; Khusna, Anissafa Atul; Nurlita, Rima; Daniswara, Dion Bishma; Putri, Anisa Oktaviana; Artasasta, Muh. Ade

doi:10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.11.3895

Virotherapy as Gene Deliver for Anti-Cancer Therapy: A Review Article

Document Type : Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Authors

Department of Applied Science, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science, Universitas Negeri Malang, Malang City, Indonesia.

10.31557/APJCP.2025.26.11.3895

Abstract

This review identifies Adenovirus (AdV) as a leading candidate for gene therapy due to its high transduction efficiency and large gene-carrying capacity, supported by evidence of its progression to phase III clinical trials. However, the interpretation of findings is limited by variations in study designs, potential publication bias, and possible exclusion of relevant studies. As the field continues to evolve with new vector technologies, future research should focus on improving vector safety, specificity, and long-term outcomes to maximize the therapeutic potential of virotherapy. Objective: Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy are commonly used, but they have side effects and complications. Gene therapy, using viral vectors like retroviruses, Adenovirus (AdV), and Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV), offers a new approach to overcome these limitations by specifically targeting cancer cells’ genetics. This article was developed as a review to compare the effectiveness of different viruses in virotherapy for cancer treatment. Methods: This article employed a narrative literature review and qualitative content analysis to synthesize current knowledge on the topic. More than 85 peer-reviewed articles published between 2016 and 2024 were collected from databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, Scopus, and Nature. The search used relevant keywords with Boolean operators (AND, OR) to refine results. Articles were selected based on language (English), publication type (peer-reviewed), and relevance to the topic. The selected literature was analyzed to identify recurring patterns, key themes, and significant insights. Result: The research results indicate that viruses demonstrated vary levels of efficacy. Retroviruses have a 40%-60% transduction efficiency, can integrate into the host genome, and infect only dividing cells. Adenovirus (AdV) has a 98% efficiency in hepatocellular carcinoma and 70%-80% in other cancers, delivers genetic material without integration, infects both dividing and non-dividing cells, and has a gene capacity of 37 kb. Adeno-Associated Virus (AAV) has a 30%-50% efficiency, a gene capacity of 4.8 kb, and also shows therapeutic potential. Conclusion: Each virotherapy agent used in gene therapy exhibits varying efficacy against cancer cells, indicating specific mechanisms unique to each virotherapy agent.

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