Oncolytic virus VG161 brings new hope for advanced HCC

Yunxin Hong , Xiaohong Cui , Renan Chang , Shishengnan Song , Lu Qian , Huilin Zhu , Letao Tan , Zixu Hong , Mingxun Yi , Yi Zhou , Haijian Zhang

Hepatoma Research ›› 2025, Vol. 11 : 22

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Hepatoma Research ›› 2025, Vol. 11:22 DOI: 10.20517/2394-5079.2025.34
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Oncolytic virus VG161 brings new hope for advanced HCC

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Abstract

The study titled “Oncolytic virus VG161 in refractory hepatocellular carcinoma” presents a promising advancement in third-line therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). VG161, derived from an oncolytic herpes simplex virus, is engineered to express interleukin (IL)-12, IL-15, IL-15R, and a fusion protein that blocks the programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) pathway. In the multicenter phase 1 clinical trial, VG161 exhibited both strong efficacy and safety. This paper summarizes the study’s findings, discusses potential limitations, and proposes directions for future research.

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Advanced HCC / oncolytic virus / TME

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Yunxin Hong, Xiaohong Cui, Renan Chang, Shishengnan Song, Lu Qian, Huilin Zhu, Letao Tan, Zixu Hong, Mingxun Yi, Yi Zhou, Haijian Zhang. Oncolytic virus VG161 brings new hope for advanced HCC. Hepatoma Research, 2025, 11: 22 DOI:10.20517/2394-5079.2025.34

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