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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Progress and challenges of mesenchymal stem cells as oncolytic virus delivery systems: A bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most-cited papers in the past ten years

Jing Jing Liu1 ,  Xiao Qi1 ,  Soo Young Hur2 ,  Paul Pollmächer3 ,  Zhi Ying He4* ,  Fang Li1*
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1 Department of Gynecology, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
3 Faculty of Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
4 Department of Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Medical Innovation Center and State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Diseases, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
CP, 026040004 https://doi.org/10.36922/CP026040004
Received: 19 January 2026 | Revised: 12 February 2026 | Accepted: 24 February 2026 | Published online: 8 April 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Oncolytic virotherapy has emerged as a promising approach to cancer treatment, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are increasingly recognized as effective carriers to enhance the delivery and efficacy of oncolytic viruses (OVs). This study explores the potential use of MSCs as carriers for OVs in targeted cancer therapy. MSCs are considered ideal delivery vehicles for OVs due to their immunomodulatory properties, inherent tumor-homing ability, and capacity to protect and transport therapeutic agents. Advances in genetic engineering have enhanced the interaction between MSCs and OVs, improving delivery efficiency and therapeutic outcomes in cancer treatment. This study conducted a bibliometric analysis of the 100 most-cited articles on both MSCs and OVs, using data from the Web of Science Core Collection database. It identified major trends, challenges, and research hotspots, highlighting significant progress in preclinical studies while noting ongoing issues related to delivery efficiency, virus modification, and tumor microenvironment optimization. The findings underscore the promise of MSCs as effective delivery systems for Ovs and outline emerging research areas, such as precise delivery methods and clinical applications, alongside current obstacles. As this field advances, it is expected to play a crucial role in the future of cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords
Mesenchymal stem cells
Oncolytic viruses
Drug delivery systems
Cancer immunotherapy
Bibliometric analysis
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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