Scientists record breakthrough in viral treatment of cancer

As our knowledge of science and the human body increases, doctors also have more tools to treat cancer. A relatively recent development in this area is the use of oncolytic viral therapy, which, as the name suggests, involves using a personalized virus to target tumors in the human body and then letting the body’s immune system take action.

As reported by Saima Sidik at Naturea group of doctors based largely at several medical institutions in Nanning, China, embarked on a study echoing the body’s behavior when it rejects a transplanted organ. According to Naturescientist Yongxiang Zhao was inspired by how the human immune system responds to transplanted pig organs. (Some successful xenotransplantations have occurred, but recently they have involved genetically modified organs.)

As the team describes in their recently published paper in the journal Cellthey sought to overcome two problems: “intravenous safety and the inherent lack of immunity.” In doing so, they used the Newcastle disease virus, modifying it and then testing its effects on monkeys. Once this work was completed, the researchers began clinical trials on humans.

Nature reports that of the 23 people in the initial clinical trial, the vast majority saw some effect — although the virus caused some tumors to stop growing and others to shrink. The scientists concluded that the virus “could serve as an anti-tumor drug with significant clinical translation potential for patients with advanced cancer.” For now, Sidik writes, the next step will involve more clinical trials on larger numbers of patients.