Scientists have successfully injected a human patient with a "cancer-killing virus," following studies that demonstrated its ability to reduce malignant tumors in animals. Specifically, the "CF33-hNIS" virus, also known as Vaxinia, has been genetically modified to selectively infect and kill cancer cells while preserving healthy cells.
The Vaxinia drug can activate the patient's immune system and increase the level of a protein called PD-L1 present in tumors, making immunotherapy more effective against cancer. The first phase of the clinical trial aims to recruit 100 cancer patients with malignant tumors across approximately 10 trial sites in the United States and Australia to receive a dose of Vaxinia.
Once the safety of Vaxinia is established, some participants will also receive an immunotherapy drug that enhances the immune system's ability to combat cancer-causing cells. According to the Daily Mail, the Cancer Research and Care Center in Los Angeles and the Imugene biotechnology company will oversee the first human trial.
The virus works by entering cells and replicating within them, which ultimately leads to the explosion of the infected cell, releasing thousands of new viral particles that stimulate the immune system to attack nearby cancer cells. Previous tests conducted on animals showed that a dose of Vaxinia was capable of reducing the size of tumors in colorectal, lung, breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers.
