Oncolytic viruses are naturally occurring or genetically engineered viruses that can replicate preferentially in tumor cells and inhibit tumor growth. These viruses have been considered an effective anticancer strategy in recent years. They mainly function by direct oncolysis, inducing an anticancer immune response and expressing exogenous effector genes. Their multifunctional characteristics indicate good application prospects as cancer therapeutics, especially in combination with other therapies, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively understand the utility of oncolytic viruses in cancer therapeutics. Here, we review the characteristics, antitumor mechanisms, clinical applications, deficiencies and associated solutions, and future prospects of oncolytic viruses.

溶瘤病毒是天然或基因工程病毒，可以优先在肿瘤细胞中复制并抑制肿瘤生长。近年来，这些病毒被认为是一种有效的抗癌策略。它们主要通过直接溶瘤、诱导抗癌免疫反应和表达外源效应基因来发挥作用。它们的多功能特性表明作为癌症治疗剂具有良好的应用前景，特别是与其他疗法如放射疗法、化学疗法和免疫疗法相结合。因此，有必要全面了解溶瘤病毒在癌症治疗中的作用。在这里，我们回顾了溶瘤病毒的特征、抗肿瘤机制、临床应用、缺陷和相关解决方案以及未来前景。