Emerging interplays between poxviruses and autophagy.

Poxviruses are large double-stranded DNA viruses that replicate exclusively in the cytoplasm. Their life cycle is closely associated with various membrane-related cellular processes. This review summarizes current findings on the complex interplay between poxviruses and autophagy, as well as the endo-lysosomal network. However, due to the large diversity of poxvirus species and the limited number of relevant studies, it remains challenging to draw definitive conclusions regarding the bidirectional regulatory relationship between poxviruses and the autophagy-lysosome system. In addition, poxviruses can serve as a promising platform for oncolytic virus development. Furthermore, we also highlight recent studies leveraging autophagy modulation to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of oncolytic poxviruses. Thus, elucidation of the interplay between poxviruses and autophagy-lysosome pathway will not only advance the understanding of virology and cell biology, but also facilitate the engineering of oncolytic poxviruses as innovative tools for cancer therapy.