Seyed Mobin Mousavi Ghomi - Basic and Molecular Epidemiology of Gastrointestinal Disorders Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnolog
Seyed Reza Mohebbi - Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Seyed Masoud Hosseini - Department of Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Shabnam Kazemian - Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Reza Zali - Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases Research Center, Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVESColorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer globally and a leading cause of death. In ۲۰۱۸, there were ۱.۸ million cases and ۸۸۰,۷۹۲ deaths, with a rising prevalence among those under ۵۰. Conventional therapies like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are considered the gold standard. However, additional alternative methods such as Gene-targeted therapy, oncolytic viruses (OVs) offer potentially effective tumor treatment approaches that might shrink tumors and activate anti-tumor host immune responses.MATERIALS AND METHODSCommon databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus were used for the literature search on oncolytic viral therapy.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONResults from preclinical and clinical investigations focused on the OVs as a possible new therapy option for CRC. These studies have shown that OVs might cause tumor regression, increase survival time, and activate anti-tumor immune responses. OVs have occasionally demonstrated success in individuals who had previously failed other medications, indicating that they might be able to overcome resistance to conventional therapies. However, more study is required to determine the patient categories most likely to benefit from this course of treatment and to optimize the use of OVs in CRC. Currently, poxviruses, reoviruses, herpes simplex viruses (HSV), and adenoviruses are the most frequently employed viruses in experimental cancer research. As a result, OVs offer a potential useful method for undoing the immunosuppression of the tumor microenvironment and making the tumor susceptible to immune checkpoint blockage. Additionally, transgenes may be added to the OV genome via viral genome engineering methods, where the expression of virally encoded genes can immunomodulate tumors.CONCLUSIONA potential new method for the treatment of CRC is the use of OVs. In comparison to conventional cancer treatments, OVs have several benefits, including the capacity to specifically target cancer cells while sparing healthy cells and the potential to elicit systemic anti-tumor immune responses. However, there are drawbacks to using OVs, and further investigation is required to maximize their effectiveness in CRC treatment. In general, using OVs may revolutionized cancer treatment and enhance outcomes for CRC patients.

Oncolytic viruses, Colorectal cancer, Gene therapy, Anti-tumor immune responses