Oncolytic viruses in cutaneous oncology: Mechanisms, clinical applications, and future directions.

Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are a rapidly expanding class of anti-neoplastic management options that utilize the innate infectivity of either native or modified viruses to preferentially lyse malignant cells while sparing healthy ones. Some OVs naturally target antigens within a tumor micro-environment, while others are re-oriented to identify specific targets via deletion of or addition to their existing genetic makeup. This chapter focuses on OVs in cutaneous oncology, providing an overview of their molecular mechanisms, clinical applications across a variety of disease states, and future directions for the field.