Improving the effectiveness of oncolytic virotherapy: insights from mathematical modelling

Oncolytic viruses are viral particles that specifically infect cancer cells, while mostly preserving healthy tissues. Their use as cancer treatment has received considerable attention in recent years, but their clinical use still faces many challenges. Some of the main obstacles to the propagation of oncolytic viruses inside a tumour include clearance by the immune system, physical obstacles and inhibition of the infection in areas with low oxygen supply. All these dynamics are still poorly understood.The main aim of this thesis is to develop mathematical models to study spatial dynamics of infections by oncolytic viruses and obstacles to its diffusion.