Beyond cold to hot: oncolytic virotherapy as the next cornerstone of immuno-oncology

A Perspective article in Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology positions oncolytic viruses as a foundational immuno-oncology platform capable of systemic immune reprogramming to overcome the three key barriers limiting current immunotherapies: T-cell availability, activation, and tumour admission. The authors propose four developmental pillars for a new generation of oncolytic virotherapies designed to convert immunologically cold tumours into hot, immune-responsive microenvironments. The work synthesizes the mechanistic rationale for combining oncolytic viruses with existing immunotherapeutic modalities rather than presenting new clinical trial data.