Synthetic Virology

What has actually flown over the heads of the majority, is the fact that since 2002, brilliant scientists and genetic engineers alike have utilized their knowledge on viruses and DNA to engineer viruses to work for the betterment of mankind. How are they able to accomplish this? This question can be answered by delving deeper into the field of Synthetic Virology.

Now the basic definition of a virus is a non-living, microscopic agent that acts like a parasite and requires a living host to multiply. It does so by releasing its DNA or RNA into the cell, compromising the cell’s genetic material and interfering with body system functions. While right to disparage these viruses for what they are, it is equally as important to recognize a valuable insight hidden in plain sight: viruses are efficient ways of interacting with and manipulating genetic systems. These synthetic viruses that the genetic engineers produce don't harm, but rather, combat diseased cells in the human body without harming healthy cells. Take cancer for example. Cancer is not a sickness that one catches; it is a disease caused by a genetic mutation in a person’s DNA that allows for cells to grow uncontrollably, resulting in tumor development. These tumors interfere with body system functions and thus,  the body slowly deteriorates. Globally, this disease produces a death toll of approximately 10 million annually, and it is saddening how even those who lead the healthiest lifestyles fall into cancer’s fatal grasp. 

The Oncolytic Virus, which was first tested all the way back in 1992, works as an injected virus that interacts with cancerous cells and destroys them by releasing immunologically strong genetic material into these cells, omitting any healthy tissue that comes across their way. This type of treatment is referred to as Virotherapy, and while not yet completely FDA approved (with the exception of T-vec, which is a synthetic virus that helps cease the development of melanomas or dangerous tumors in the body), many scientists see a bright future in this approach to combating cancer with synthetic viruses. It is also important to consider that the Oncolytic Virus is but one of the many synthetic viruses engineered by genetic scientists in today’s world. There have been several other researches conducted by specialists in the field to find ways to use these synthetic viruses to aid individuals with immunological imbalances.

Synthetic Virology has not only come to serve as a solution to countless medical problems that have been fussed over for generations, but has also proven a significant message. The effectiveness of these viruses isn’t 100%, but like with every other invention of mankind, we will witness the day where this field has potential to help humankind.

References:

tenOever, Benjamin R. “Synthetic Virology: Building Viruses to Better Understand Them.” Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, vol. 10, no. 11, Dec. 2019, p. a038703, https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a038703. 

Cancer Research Institute. “Oncolytic Virus Therapy - Cancer Research Institute.” Cancer Research Institute, 11 June 2025, www.cancerresearch.org/immunotherapy-by-treatment-types/oncolytic-virus-therapy.

Azad, Taha, et al. “Synthetic Virology Approaches to Improve the Safety and Efficacy of Oncolytic Virus Therapies.” Nature Communications, vol. 14, no. 1, May 2023, p. 3035. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-38651-x.

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