Breakthrough breakthrough virus allows new therapy for ovarian cancer

Virus attacks ovarian cancer without affecting healthy cells

A new method could revolutionize the treatment of ovarian cancer in the future. Researchers have now managed to train a virus to recognize and even destroy ovarian cancer cells.

The researchers at Cardiff University found in their current research that a virus is able to identify and destroy ovarian cancer cells. The physicians have published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Clinical Cancer Research".

An artificially created virus could truly revolutionize the treatment of ovarian cancer in the future. (Image: freshidea / fotolia.com)

Virus destroys harmful cancer cells

Reprogrammed viruses are already being used in gene therapy for the treatment of various diseases. The new virus can destroy harmful cells without affecting the healthy cells, the experts say. Cardiff University researchers hope that this new type of treatment could be used in the future for the treatment of other cancers such as breast, pancreatic, lung and oral cancer.

Programmed viruses often lead to unwanted side effects

In cancer treatment, previously programmed viruses were not able to selectively recognize only the cancer cells. In this case, then healthy cells are infected, resulting in undesirable side effects, explains Dr. med. Alan Parker from Cardiff University's school of medicine.

The virus was completely redesigned

An already well-studied virus was taken and then completely redesigned so that it could no longer attach to cells without cancer, the scientists explain. Instead, the so-called respiratory virus is looking for a specific marker protein called αvβ6 integrin, which is unique to certain cancer cells in order to penetrate it. Parker added.

Virus has potential to treat many cancers

The virus effectively recognized the cells of ovarian cancer and destroyed them after replicating and copying thousands of times. The newly formed virus copies then infect the adjacent cancer cells and repeat the cycle until the tumor is removed. This is an exciting advance that has real potential to treat many cancers, say the experts.

Transformed virus belonged to the adenoviruses

The reprogrammed virus comes from a group of viruses called as adenoviruses. The researchers say that the advantage of using these virus types is that the virus is relatively easy to manipulate and has already been used safely in cancer treatment.

Further research is needed

The study was conducted in a laboratory on ovarian cancer mice. The next step is to test the technique on other cancers before starting clinical trials in five years. Viruses are nature's nanotechnology and their ability to take over cells is an area of ​​growing interest in cancer research, the researchers explain. (As)