Innovations in Oncolytic Virotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a prevalent malignant disease, ranking as the sixth most common cancer globally, with approximately 950,000 new cases and 480,000 fatalities annually. The current standard treatments for advanced HNC, including surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, offer limited success, with 5-year overall survival rates ranging from only 20% to 35%. Traditional methods, while being central to cancer management, are often insufficient when managing advanced stages or recurrent cases. Although immunotherapy, involving immune checkpoint inhibitors and adoptive cell transfers, has shown promise, resistance remains a critical issue. In recent years, oncolytic virotherapy (OVT) has emerged as a cutting-edge approach, utilizing oncolytic viruses (OVs) to selectively target and destroy tumor cells, offering a new ray of hope for HNC patients.The intriguing concept of using viruses to combat tumor cells was first articulated in the 1990s, leading to the formal identification of oncolytic viruses. The advent of molecular biology techniques significantly accelerated progress in the field, ushering in a new era of research. Presently, several experimental studies and clinical trials are exploring the potential of OVs, with two oncolytic viruses having successfully entered the cancer therapy market. Ongoing studies are honing in on optimizing OVs to enhance anti-tumor immune responses and improve safety and efficacy profiles, highlighting both the advancements made and the remaining gaps in OVT.This Research Topic aims to spotlight advancements in oncolytic virotherapy for head and neck cancer, concentrating on the modulation of the immune microenvironment and immune cell dynamics. Key objectives include the identification and development of novel or engineered oncolytic viruses for HNC treatment. Researchers are encouraged to explore combined therapeutic approaches leveraging OVs to maximize safety and therapeutic efficacy.To gather further insights into the oncolytic virotherapy scope within HNC and other solid tumors, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• The discovery and application of novel oncolytic viruses• Engineering oncolytic viruses to enhance anti-tumor immune responses• Tumor selectivity advancements through genetic engineering• Innovations in delivery systems for oncolytic virotherapy• Combination therapies with oncolytic viruses and immunotherapies in HNC• Integration of oncolytic viruses with other adjuvant therapies• Clinical studies and trials of oncolytic virotherapy for HNCPlease note, manuscripts focused solely on bioinformatics analyses without accompanying experimental validation are out of scope for this Research Topic and will not be accepted. Topic editors: Peng Qu, Yafeng He, Keqiang Chen, Jiaqiang Huang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/73824/innovations-in-oncolytic-virotherapy-for-head-and-neck-cancer