Oncolytic virotherapy – Forging its place in the immunomodulatory paradigm for Multiple Myeloma

Abstract

The treatment focus for multiple myeloma (MM) has recently pivoted towards immune modulating strategies, with T-cell redirection therapies currently at the forefront of drug development. Yet, despite this revolution in treatment, MM remains without a sustainable cure. At the same time, tremendous advancement has been made in recombinant and gene editing techniques for oncolytic viruses (OV), which have increased their tumor specificity, improved safety, and enhanced the oncolytic and immunostimulatory potential. These breakthrough developments in oncolytic virotherapy have opened new avenues for OVs to be used in combination with other immune-based therapies such as checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR-T) and bispecific T-cell engagers. In this review, the authors place the spotlight on systemic oncolytic virotherapy as an adaptable immunotherapeutic for MM, highlight the unique mechanism of OVs in activating the immune-suppressive marrow microenvironment, and lastly showcase the OV platforms and the promising combination strategies in the pipeline for MM.

Keywords

• Oncolytic virus
• Virotherapy
• Multiple Myeloma
• Immunomodulation