British scientists have reported that "genetically modified herpes simplex virus can eliminate or shrink tumors in patients with deadly diseases." The scientists praised the "Trojan Horse" treatment, which employs the modified "herpes" virus to kill cancer cells, calling it "a marvel of genetic engineering," with early trials already extending the lives of patients.
The viral treatment is being tested in three hospitals in the UK by injecting RP2, a modified version of the herpes simplex virus (HSV), directly into patients' tumors to kill cancer. The modified virus attacks cancer in two ways: first, by invading cancer cells and causing them to explode, and then by stimulating cytotoxic T-cells in the immune system to kill the virus-infected cells.
The initial trial of RP2 yielded remarkable results, as three out of nine critically ill patients found their deadly tumors shrinking. Currently, only 16 people worldwide suffering from advanced cancers have been treated in phase one trials of RP2, but a new study aims to test it on 30 patients, 24 of whom have solid tumors.
Professor Hans Ulrich Lache, an interventional radiologist at the Christie Cancer Center in Manchester, who has injected the viral treatment into several trial patients, stated, "Larger and longer studies will be needed, but the injections could provide a lifeline for more people with advanced cancers."
This new procedure is called oncolytic virus therapy (OVT), a new type of immunotherapy for cancer that helps the immune system fight the disease. Scientists believe that "oncolytic viral therapy has the potential to change how many cancers are treated in the future." Dr. Sarah Falbion, an oncology consultant at the NHS Trust in Christie, noted, "We know how dangerous viruses can be, but thanks to new technologies and cancer scientists, viruses can also be used for good. The herpes virus that causes cold sores is genetically modified to enter the tumor and fight cancer like a Trojan horse."
