ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN ADVANCES AND LIMITATIONS OF ONCOLYTIC VIROTHERAPY FOR THE TREATMENT OF GLIOBLASTOMA

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults, with therapeutic resistance associated with tumor heterogeneity, glioma stem cells, the immunosuppressive microenvironment, and the blood–brain barrier. Oncolytic virotherapy uses genetically modified viruses to selectively destroy tumor cells and stimulate antitumor immune responses. This study aimed to analyze the advances and limitations of oncolytic virotherapy as a therapeutic alternative for glioblastoma. A systematic review was conducted of articles published between 2021 and 2026 in PubMed and ScienceDirect, in Portuguese and English, addressing oncolytic virotherapy, precision medicine, and genetic engineering applied to GBM. The results highlighted advances in viral vector engineering and the development of combination therapies, particularly with immune checkpoint inhibitors, to enhance antitumor responses. The main limitations included difficulties in delivering vectors to tumor tissue due to the blood–brain barrier and molecular variability among patients, which compromises the consistency of immune responses. The study concluded that oncolytic virotherapy showed therapeutic potential, although its broader clinical application still depends on overcoming pharmacokinetic and immunological barriers.