A new treatment for cancer treatment, treatment using herpes virus appeared

ByMr D Logan

Cold soresIt seems that herpes virus which is the cause of causing cancer may be useful for cancer treatment.

This is a London hospitalHead and neck cancerThe patient was used in parallel with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for 17 patients, and it was said that it was a genetically engineered herpes virus.

Details are as below.
BBC News - Herpes virus used to treat cancer

In the UK every year 8000 head and neck cancer patients occur. Dr. Kevin Harrington, a member of the Cancer Institute in London, said, "Current therapies are effective against early cancer, but many patients do not notice until cancer progresses." Description.

Genetically engineered herpes virus grows only in tumor cells of the cancer and does not affect normal cells. This herpesvirus kills tumor cells, produces proteins that activate immune functions, and also produces viral proteins that send danger signals to immune cells. At Royal Marsden Hospital, 93% of the 17 patients who received this virus injection had no metastasis after surgical resection of the cancer. In addition, it seems that the 2 - year survival rate after surgery has reached 82% (13 people). In this treatment, 2 out of 13 patients who received high-dose virus have been reported to have recurrent cancer, but experts say they have nothing to do with the safety of virus therapy.

Harrington said, "Of the patients who received standard chemotherapy and radiotherapy, 35 to 55% have relapsed within 2 years, and it is said that this result is very good, considering that." It was. Dr. is currently proceeding with virus therapy as a standard treatment for patients who have newly developed head and neck cancer.

Dr. Allison Ross, a spokesperson for cancer research, says that there is something to investigate to use this viral therapy in patients during treatment, and it is said that it will take a little more time, "This small study, As a weapon to fight cancer, it shows the possibility of a genetically modified virus. "

Regarding cancer treatment methods using herpes virus, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology's "Promotion of research for the development of innovative cancer treatment methodsIt has been mentioned as an issue in 2009, from 2009Clinical research started at the University of TokyoIt seems to be doing.