Oncolytic Virus Therapy: Dynamite for Cancer Cells

This video is part of the Cancer Research Institute’s series “Immunotherapy: 5 Ways to Stop Cancer.” For more information on treating cancer with immunotherapy, visit http://www.cancerresearch.org. A virus to cure cancer? It’s possible! Some viruses can infect cancer cells specifically, and cause them to burst. These are known as oncolytic viruses. One promising oncolytic virus therapy is called T-VEC, and is currently in late-stage clinical testing for melanoma. Update: On October 27, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first oncolytic virus therapy, talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC, or Imlygic®) for the treatment of some patients with metastatic melanoma that cannot be surgically removed.