Virus therapy prolongs the life of patients with brain cancer

Manipulated virus can prolong life for people with relapsed glioblastoma
The treatment of a so-called relapsing glioblastoma is usually extremely difficult. Researchers now found that experimental viral treatment prolongs the lives of patients with this difficult-to-treat brain cancer. So far, there have been very few treatments for this disease.

Scientists from the University of California and the Cleveland Clinic found out in their research that injecting a manipulated virus can prolong the lives of people with brain cancer. This viral treatment could give patients with the most aggressive brain tumor a few extra months or even years. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Science Translational Medicine".

Patients usually only live with brain cancer for a few months. A novel viral treatment now allows patients to live longer with no side effects. Some patients even lived more than two years longer. (Image: Photographee.eu/fotolia.com)

New treatment extends survival from 7.1 months to 13.6 months
For a so-called Phase 1 study, researchers injected some manipulated virus into some patients with relapsed glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive brain tumor. Through this viral treatment, survival increased in 43 patients of the study. Normally, patients still lived about 7.1 months if they did not take part in this new therapy. The viral treatment increased the survival time to an average of 13.6 months, explain the physicians.

New treatment can kill cancer cells and activate the immune system against cancer
For the first time, clinical data show that this treatment can be used to kill cancer cells and activate the immune system in combination with an antifungal drug, the experts explain. At the same time, healthy cells are spared, says the co-leader of the study. Timothy Cloughesy. The researcher is the director of the Neuro-Oncology Program at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Some patients lived for more than two years without side effects
This approach also has potential in other types of disease, such as metastatic colorectal cancer and breast cancer Cloughesy. Dr. Cloughesy is also a consultant to Tocagen, a biopharmaceutical company that has developed the therapy and funded most of the study. Some patients who received the experimental treatment lived more than two years with few side effects, the researchers report. Brain cancer is a deadly disease and there are very few treatment options. The survival period is usually only a few months, explains the co-author. Michael Vogelbaum from the Brain Tumor Neuro-Oncology Center at the Cleveland Clinic.

Genetic mutations transform Toca FC into anti-cancer drug Fluorouracil
In the new treatment so-called Toca 511 is infected. This in turn infects the actively dividing cancer cells, the researchers say. It also delivers a gene called cytosine deaminase to cancer cells. This will prepare the second step of the treatment. In the second phase, the patient then takes the antifungal Toca FC. The genetic changes induced by Toca 511 cause Toca FC to be converted to the anticancer drug fluorouracil (5-FU), the authors explain. This leads to a targeted death of the infected cancer cells and the cells, which help tumors to hide from the immune system, explains Dr. med. Bird tree. Healthy cells remained intact.

Purpose of a Phase 1 study
The purpose of a so-called Phase 1 study is to examine the safety and tolerability of a therapy or drug. Three successful study phases are usually required for a drug to be FDA approved. Food and Drug Administration receives. (As)