Novel Therapies in Glioblastoma Treatment: Review of Glioblastoma; Current Treatment Options; and Novel Oncolytic Viral Therapies

Abstract

One of the most prevalent primary malignant brain tumors is glioblastoma (GB). About 6 incidents per 100,000 people are reported annually. Most frequently, these tumors are linked to a poor prognosis and poor quality of life. There has been little advancement in the treatment of GB. In recent years, some innovative medicines have been tested for the treatment of newly diagnosed cases of GB and recurrent cases of GB. Surgery, radiotherapy, and alkylating chemotherapy are all common treatments for GB. A few of the potential alternatives include immunotherapy, tumor-treating fields (TTFs), and medications that target specific cellular receptors. To provide new multimodal therapies that focus on the molecular pathways implicated in tumor initiation and progression in GB, novel medications, delivery technologies, and immunotherapy approaches are being researched. Of these, oncolytic viruses (OVs) are among the most recent. Coupling OVs with certain modern treatment approaches may have significant benefits for GB patients. Here, we discuss several OVs and how they work in conjunction with other therapies, as well as virotherapy for GB. The study was based on the PRISMA guidelines. Systematic retrieval of information was performed on PubMed. A total of 307 articles were found in a search on oncolytic viral therapies for glioblastoma. Out of these 83 articles were meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, reviews, and systematic reviews. A total of 42 articles were from the years 2018 to 2023. Appropriate studies were isolated, and important information from each of them was understood and entered into a database from which the information was used in this article. One of the most prevalent malignant brain tumors is still GB. Significant promise and opportunity exist for oncolytic viruses in the treatment of GB and in boosting immune response. Making the most of OVs in the treatment of GB requires careful consideration and evaluation of a number of its application factors.

Keywords: glioblastoma; malignant brain tumor; nanoparticles; neurosurgery; oncolytic viruses for treatment of glioblastoma; treatment of glioblastoma; viruses.

Figure 1

The molecular process behind using the oncologic virus for glioblastoma treatment. The oncolytic virus is introduced into glioblastoma cells, which causes lysis and the release of transgenic products. Neighboring glioblastoma cells get infected, leading to antigen presentation on dendritic cells and further leading to the formation of tumor + virus-specific CD8+T cells. T-cell migration and attacking of specific tumor + virus cells occurs.