Introduction:

Oncolytic viruses are attenuated, mutated, or naturally ocurring viruses that specifically kill tumor cells without affecting normal cells. Intratumoral administration of the virus offers the opportunity to treat the primary tumor but not metastatic foci, which can be done through intravenous administration. However, its efficacy may be reduced by the presence of a pre-existing immune response in treated subjects.

Objective:

To present the techniques used to wrap and transport viruses in order to bypass the immune system before the virus reaches the tumor.

Materials and methods:

A narrative search of original and review literature was conducted in the PubMed, JSTOR and EBSCO databases on methods or techniques used for the treatment of cancer using oncolytic viruses.

Results:

The formation of nanocomplexes between oncolytic viruses and biopolymers -either by chemical binding or electrostatic interactions, or cell-derived microparticles, carrier cells, liposomes, ultrasound or combination therapies- is effective in preventing the host's immune response against the virus.

Conclusion:

Different methods that depend on the type of oncolytic virus have been developed to increase the efficacy of the therapeutic response. Controlled and specific-release virus delivery systems have been developed to avoid the immune response against them. However, due to the diversity of viruses, it should be borne in mind that the effectiveness of protection and transport methods depends on the biochemical characteristics of both the biomaterial and the virus.

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