Optimal Immunotherapy Interactions in Oncolytic Viral Therapy and Adopted Cell Transfer for Cancer Treatment with Saturation Effects

Scientists worldwide employ various cancer treatment methods, including Oncolytic Viral Therapy (OVT) and Adoptive Cell Transfer (ACT). In this study, we investigate the efficacy of combined therapies over short durations using optimal control theory strategies. We establish the existence of an optimal control pair and derive the necessary conditions. Using MATLAB, we conduct computational analyses and plot time series of susceptible tumour populations with and without therapy, as well as the behaviour of the control pair over time. This analysis identifies key parameters and dosages for effective cancer control. Our research aims to minimize the number of susceptible tumour cells and reduce therapy-related costs over the treatment period. We observe that combined therapy yields limited therapeutic outcomes compared to OVT and ACT alone. However, increasing the tumour-killing rate by immune cells enhances the effectiveness of both OVT and ACT therapies. This innovation holds promise for eliminating tumour cells using genetically modified viruses and immune cells.