A group of scientists in the United Kingdom have recorded a significant breakthrough in the search for answers to the cure and treatment of cancer in patients using virus therapy that attacks cancerous cells in the body of infected patients.
WHAT WE KNOW
Scientists in the United Kingdom are working on a new type of cancer therapy using a common virus to infect and destroy harmful cells that can become or are already cancerous.
The therapy is said to have given early signs of hope following years of research and medical trials.
The report say one of the patient had his cancer vanished, while the cancer tumour in other patients shrinked significantly after the application of the virus treatment.
The modified drug to kill tumours is said to be a weakened form of the cold sore virus known as herpes simplex.
However, an expanded and extended studies is required. Nonetheless, experts already believe that the injection may ultimately offer a lifeline to people with advanced cancers.
NOTABLE QUOTES
39 years old Krzysztof Wojkowski, one of the trial patient at the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“I was told there was no options left for me and I was receiving end-of-life care. It was devastating, so it was incredible to be given the chance to join the trial.”
“I had injections every two weeks for five weeks which completely eradicated my cancer. I’ve been cancer-free for two years now.”
Lead researcher Prof Kevin Harrington said,
“It is rare to see such good response rates in early stage clinical trials, as their primary aim is to test treatment safety, and they involve patients with very advanced cancers for whom current treatments have stopped working,”
“I am keen to see if we continue to see benefits as we treat increased numbers of patients.”
“It’s had other modifications to the virus so that when it gets into cancer cells it effectively signs their death warrant.”
Dr Marianne Baker, from Cancer Research UK, said, “Scientists discovered that viruses could help to treat cancer 100 years ago, but it’s been challenging to harness them safely and effectively.
“This new viral therapy shows promise in a small-scale early trial – now we need more studies to find out how well it works.
“Research suggests that combining multiple treatments is a powerful strategy, and virus therapies like this one could become a part of our toolkit for beating cancer.”
BACKGROUND
Scientists have previously used virus to cure cancer tumours. There had been the cold-virus-based therapy called T-Vec used for advanced skin cancer and approved by NHS.
As far back as a century ago, scientists had found out that viruses could help treat cancer, hence this current research and new therapy for cancer treatment in the UK.
COMMENTARY
Cancer is such a terrible thing that have killed most of the people whose body cell became cancerous, especially in developing nations where healthcare is generally poor or even absent for cases like cancer.
As research and findings are made, one can only hope that the health care system here improves and those in authority are willing to make such available to citizens when cures are found.
