[Figures are illustrated by me]
In this study, Rezaei’s group explored how viruses interact with host cells, focusing on the identification of viral genes that are essential for replication in normal cells but dispensable in cancerous ones. this study aimed to improve oncolytic viruses for cancer therapy by removing unnecessary or harmful viral genes and inserting immune-boosting transgenes. The researchers used the Sleeping Beauty transposon system and nanopore sequencing to identify stable insertion sites and dispensable genes in HSV-1 and vaccinia virus. Their strategy makes it faster and easier to design safer and more effective therapeutic viruses.