Adenoviruses exhibit their favourable safety profile of oncolytic therapy because they only cause negligible flu-like symptoms and cannot integrate their genomes into the host cell chromosomes.

Adenoviruses are non-enveloped viruses with a linear double stranded DNA genome. They possess unique spikes and fiber structures that aid in attachment to the host cell via the receptor on the sur-face of the host cell. Once infected the virus utilises the cell to replicate itself and spread (tumour lysis).

The therapeutic effects of oncolytic Ads are initiated from a small number of infected cancer cells from which the progeny viruses are released to further infect adjacent cancer cells within tumours.