An oncolytic virus is a virus that preferentially infects and lyses cancer cells; these have obvious functions for cancer therapy, both by direct destruction of the tumour cells, and, if modified, as vectors enabling genes expressing anticancer proteins to be delivered specifically to the tumor site.
Most current oncolytic viruses are engineered for tumour selectivity, though there are a few naturally occurring ones such as the Seneca Valley virus.
Read more about Oncolytic Virus: History, Possible Applications
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