%0 Journal Article
%T Safety of non-replicative and oncolytic replication-selective HSV vectors.
%A Epstein AL
%A Rabkin SD
%J Trends Mol Med
%V 0
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 17
%M 38886138
%F 15.272
%R 10.1016/j.molmed.2024.05.014
%X Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a DNA virus and human pathogen used to construct promising therapeutic vectors. HSV-1 vectors fall into two classes: replication-selective oncolytic vectors for cancer therapy and defective non-replicative vectors for gene therapy. Vectors from each class can accommodate ≥30 kb of inserts, have been approved clinically, and demonstrate a relatively benign safety profile. Despite oncolytic HSV (oHSV) replication in tumors and elicited immune responses, the virus is well tolerated in cancer patients. Current non-replicative vectors elicit only limited immune responses. Seropositivity and immune responses against HSV-1 do not eliminate either the vector or infected cells, and the vectors can therefore be re-administered. In this review we highlight vectors that have been translated to the clinic and host-virus immune interactions that impact on the safety and efficacy of HSVs.