The Role of CD4+⁺ T Cells in Oncolytic Virotherapy

We present a mathematical model to explore the role of CD4 T cells in oncolytic virotherapy. The model includes susceptible and infected tumor cell populations, a virus population, CD4 T cells, and the tumor suppressive cytokine IFN‐. Our model illustrates the impact of CD4 T cells on tumor cells through an indirect mechanism mediated by cytokines and considers the virus‐killing activity induced by cytokines. We analyze our model by applying both analytical and numerical methods. The model is validated using experimental data, and different dosing approaches are investigated to enhance therapeutic outcomes. Our study demonstrates that the cytokine‐mediated viral clearance, viral infectivity, T cells recruitment rate, virus burst size, and the loss rate of CD4 T cells due to interactions with tumor cells play crucial roles in determining treatment outcome with oncolytic virus therapy. Finally, ranges of parameter values were carefully investigated based on the experimental data.