Host signaling responses to reovirus infection

Mammalian reovirus is a non-enveloped double-stranded RNA virus. Although isolated from respiratory and enteric tracts, reovirus is rarel linked to human disease and is thus regarded as benign. Recently, reovirus was found to preferentially kill many types of cancer cells, raising the prospect of using reovirus as a cancer therapy reagent. Studies in reovirus biology reveal that Ras signaling in host cells provides advantages for reovirus replication in transformed cells overnormal cells.Further studies of reovirus oncolysis show that three distinct steps of oncolytic reovirus replication are enhanced by Ras activation: virion uncoating, progeny virus infectivity and reovirus-triggered apoptosis.Identifying the role of downstream effectors in reovirus oncolysis will further reveal howreovirus takes advantages of host cell signaling and will better define the differences between normal and cancer cells.Fully understanding reovirus and host cell interactions will also enable us to better apply reovirus as an anti-cancer reagent.