The article, 鈥�,鈥� explores a central challenge in the field: the same immune defenses that protect cells from viral infection can also influence whether a cancer-targeting virus succeeds as a therapy. Strong antiviral responses may stop a virus before it can spread through and destroy a tumor, while those same responses can help recruit immune cells, improve recognition of cancer cells and promote longer-lasting antitumor immunity.

Rather than simply maximizing viral replication or suppressing antiviral immunity, Roberts and Rivera-Serrano propose that effective therapies may depend on identifying a 鈥減roductive immune window鈥� in which enough viral replication occurs to kill tumor cells while preserving the immune activation needed to generate a broader anticancer response. The commentary highlights mammalian reovirus as an example of how viral genetics, tumor cell type and antiviral signaling may work together to determine therapeutic outcomes.

The topic directly complements Roberts鈥� ongoing undergraduate research in the Rivera-Serrano Lab. His project investigates whether targeting antiviral pathways, including type I interferon signaling and the antiviral protein PKR, can enhance the ability of reovirus to infect and kill human fibrosarcoma cells.

Roberts has received external funding for his research, recently completed Elon鈥檚 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience, and presented his research at the 2026 annual meeting of the American Society for Virology in Minneapolis. He will continue the project during his senior year as the Rivera-Serrano Lab works to better understand how the interactions between viruses, cancer cells and the immune system can inform the development of more effective oncolytic virus therapies.

Rivera-Serrano, Hutchinson and Roberts represented 福利亚洲国产精品 at the 45th annual meeting of the , held July 27鈥�30 at the University of Minnesota鈥揟win Cities.

Rivera-Serrano received a Teacher of Undergraduates Travel Award, while Hutchinson and Roberts each received Undergraduate Travel Awards. The awards supported their participation in the national meeting, where all three presented posters highlighting research conducted in the Rivera-Serrano Lab.

Rivera-Serrano presented 鈥淒evelopment of Laboratory Modules in Virology Suitable for the Undergraduate Classroom.鈥� The project focuses on developing accessible laboratory activities that allow undergraduate students to investigate fundamental concepts in virology, including viral infection, replication and interactions with host cells. The modules are designed particularly for institutions where opportunities to incorporate experimental virology into the undergraduate curriculum may be limited.

Hutchinson presented 鈥淩eovirus Reassortants Reveal Context-Dependent Oncolytic Phenotypes Across Epithelial Cancer Cell Lines.鈥� His poster highlighted findings from a recently published study examining how genetically diverse reoviruses infect and kill different epithelial cancer cell models. The work demonstrated that the anticancer properties of individual reovirus strains can vary depending on the type of cancer cell being studied, emphasizing the importance of both viral genetics and cellular context when identifying potential cancer-targeting viruses.

Roberts presented 鈥淭argeting Immune Pathways to Enhance the Oncolytic Potential of Reovirus Against Fibrosarcoma Cells.鈥� His research explores whether disrupting antiviral immune pathways within fibrosarcoma cells can improve the ability of reovirus to infect and kill the cancer cells. Roberts recently completed Elon鈥檚 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience under Rivera-Serrano鈥檚 mentorship and will continue his research during his senior year. Roberts鈥� project has received support from the North Carolina Academy of Sciences, North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU) and Elon鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Program. His recent聽NCICU Undergraduate Research Award application received the highest rating among the 2026 award recipients in recognition of the project鈥檚 scientific merit, feasibility and broader significance.

Participation in the ASV meeting provided Hutchinson and Roberts with opportunities to communicate their research to virologists from across the United States and abroad, receive feedback from experts in the field and learn about current advances in virology. The experience also reflects the Rivera-Serrano Lab鈥檚 commitment to involving undergraduate students in collaborative biomedical research and supporting their development as independent scientists.

The article, 鈥�,鈥� continues the Rivera-Serrano Lab鈥檚 work exploring the potential of reoviruses as cancer-targeting agents. The study examined a panel of genetically distinct reoviruses across three epithelial cancer cell models. The work found that different reovirus strains showed cell line-dependent patterns of infectivity and cancer cell killing, with some reassortant viruses showing enhanced activity compared with parental strains. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of reovirus-based cancer-targeting approaches may depend not only on viral genetics, but also on the specific cancer cell context.

Reoviruses are being studied as potential oncolytic agents, or viruses that preferentially infect and kill cancer cells. While much of the field has focused on one prototype strain, the Elon study highlights the importance of exploring broader reovirus genetic diversity. Because reoviruses contain segmented genomes, different strains can exchange genome segments through a process known as reassortment, generating viruses with new combinations of traits that may influence infection, replication and cytotoxicity.

The article reinforces the value of comparative screens in cancer virotherapy research. The study found that viral infectivity and cancer cell killing did not always fully overlap, suggesting that efficient infection alone does not necessarily predict how strongly a virus will reduce cancer cell viability. Instead, the findings point to a more complex relationship among viral entry, replication, antiviral responses and cell death pathways.

The project builds on ongoing research in Rivera-Serrano鈥檚 laboratory, where undergraduate students use cell biology, virology and immunology approaches to understand how viral genetics influence cancer cell susceptibility. Hutchinson, the article鈥檚 first author and Nursing major, contributed to experimental work and data analysis as part of his mentored research experience in the lab for three semesters and participation in Elon鈥檚 2025 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience.

Carter, who performed research as a visiting high school student in the summer of 2025, contributed to data analysis, highlighting the lab鈥檚 broader commitment to expanding access to biomedical research experiences beyond the undergraduate level. Dagli, who recently co-authored a related study in Virus Genes on reovirus reassortants with enhanced activity against fibrosarcoma cells, also contributed to the current work as part of the lab鈥檚 continuing effort to evaluate how viral genetic diversity shapes oncolytic potential.

The article shares findings from a two-year undergraduate research project led by Dagli while at Elon. The study聽identified聽genetically diverse聽reoviruses with enhanced oncolytic potential against fibrosarcoma, a type of cancer that arises in connective tissue. By focusing on viruses that preferentially infect and kill cancer cells, the work advances ongoing efforts to explore new strategies for cancer treatment.

Dagli completed four semesters of mentored research in Rivera-Serrano鈥檚 laboratory聽and聽participated聽in Elon鈥檚 Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in 2024. She received internal and external funding for her work and presented her research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Pittsburgh, the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists in Honolulu, and multiple local venues. She was selected as an Elon’s Provost Scholar, and received the Acorn to Oak Senior Award by the Biology Department in 2025 for her growth during her undergraduate years and contributions to the department.

Dagli聽is currently completing a postbaccalaureate research experience at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, where she is continuing to build聽expertise聽in virology and聽immunology research聽as she prepares for the next stage of her career as a health professional.聽Her聽current work includes HTLV聽(Human T-lymphotropic virus 1)-related diagnostic research under the mentorship of Steven Jacobson, allowing her to continue building聽expertise聽in virology and translational biomedical science.

This research has been supported by Elon鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Program (URP), including Grants-in-Aid support and Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) funds that supported the work of Charlotte Dagli 鈥�25, Ryder Hutchinson 鈥�28 and Alice Efremov 鈥�26, all of whom are co-authors on the research publication. Travel assistance for the conference was also provided by Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Biology Department Gift Fund.

Lab attendees included Ryder Hutchinson 鈥�28, Alice Efremov 鈥�26, Alex Roberts 鈥�27, Kalialani Choate 鈥�28 and Zach Stein 鈥�29. In addition to attending conference sessions and supporting the lab鈥檚 presentation, the trip served as the group鈥檚 first laboratory retreat, giving students an opportunity to strengthen connections as a research team through shared meals, informal mentoring and a visit to the Georgia Aquarium before returning to North Carolina.

Dagli presented the product of two years of research on the use of viruses to target and kill specific cancer cells. Her poster, titled “Oncolytic virotherapy and chemotherapeutic approaches against malignant fibrosarcoma,” explores the use of Reovirus as a therapeutic agent against a rare, soft tissue cancer that affects connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments. Her work demonstrates that certain variants of this virus,currently in clinical trials for common cancers such as breast and colorectal malignancies, are able to infect and kill human fibrosarcoma cells grown in vitro. In addition, she explored the potential of combining reovirus with common chemotherapeutic agents to maximize efficacy at minimal doses.

Rivera-Serrano also presented a poster, entitled “Development of Laboratory Modules in Virology Suitable for the Undergraduate Classroom.” His work is inspired by the American Society for Virology, which recently provided guidelines for lecture- and laboratory-based content for courses in virology. Despite the increasing rates of vaccine hesitancy, rampant misinformation related to infectious diseases and overall distrust in biomedical research, stand-alone courses that focus on the biology of viruses at the undergraduate level are uncommon across the globe. The research presented by Rivera-Serrano aims to develop laboratory activities for students at predominantly undergraduate institutions to better understand the unique biology of viruses and how these infectious agents interact with the host at the cellular level.

Dagli is the recipient of a 2024 Undergraduate Research Award from North聽Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU) and participated in Elon’s 2024 SURE program. Upon graduation, Charlotte聽will join the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD as part of their Postbaccalaureate Program (PBP). Their research was sponsored by an Elon’s Hultquist Faculty Research & Development Award and the Undergraduate Research Program. Both Dagli and Rivera-Serrano received Undergraduate Faculty Travel Grants, sponsored by AAI, to support travel costs.聽