Modified Herpes virus stops the spread of breast and ovarian tumors

[Tonington]

In mice. Not in clinical trials yet. Oncolytic viruses are a popular research topic these days:
Engineered oncolytic herpes virus inhibits ovarian and breast cancer metastases

"Numerous laboratories worldwide are using viruses as more specific weapons against cancer cells, called oncolytic viruses", says Campadelli-Fiume, Professor of Microbiology and Virology. "Safety concerns prevailed so far, and all oncolytic herpesviruses now in clinical trials are debilitated viruses, effective only against a fraction of tumors. We were the first to obtain a herpes virus reprogrammed to enter HER-2-positive tumor cells, unable to infect any other cell, yet preserves the full-blown killing capacity of the wild-type HSV".​

 

[SLM]

In mice. Not in clinical trials yet. Oncolytic viruses are a popular research topic these days:
Engineered oncolytic herpes virus inhibits ovarian and breast cancer metastases

"Numerous laboratories worldwide are using viruses as more specific weapons against cancer cells, called oncolytic viruses", says Campadelli-Fiume, Professor of Microbiology and Virology. "Safety concerns prevailed so far, and all oncolytic herpesviruses now in clinical trials are debilitated viruses, effective only against a fraction of tumors. We were the first to obtain a herpes virus reprogrammed to enter HER-2-positive tumor cells, unable to infect any other cell, yet preserves the full-blown killing capacity of the wild-type HSV".​

Interesting. In a sense fighting fire with fire, except it's a carefully controlled and modified fire that's being used as a weapon. Would the analogy of burning out a swath of land (to deplete the fuel source for a fire) to prevent forest fires from progressing further be an appropriate one?

 

[Tonington]

Well, the virus actually doesn't harm the surrounding of the tissue. It's a descriminant treatment. It only attacks cells expressing a specific protein, in this case a protein that is expressed by the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) gene mutation, which some cancers carry. Your analogy is actually closer to indescriminative therapies like radiation and many chemotherapeutants.

 

[petros]

Cells are neat in that the membrane runs the show in response to reactions from proteins and other molecular compunds. These herpes cells would run around flipping off switches in the cells that were tripped to mutate by another protein.

That's what I get out of it anyway and I'm just a rock guy.

 

[Tonington]

Sort of, there's also signalling between the cell interior and the extracellular environment that allows certain molecules across the membrane. This herpes virus only interacts with cells that express this specific surface protein, it's completely inert to all other cells. If the cells have this surface protein, the virus will attach using it's complimentary surface protein, and then enter the cell and do what herpes does. This is the kind of research being done these days with respect to cancer, even by pharmaceuticals, despite the conspiracy theories that proliferate like so many nasty microbes.

Very nice rock guy.

 

[petros]

Sort of, there's also signalling between the cell interior and the extracellular environment that allows certain molecules across the membrane. This herpes virus only interacts with cells that express this specific surface protein, it's completely inert to all other cells. If the cells have this surface protein, the virus will attach using it's complimentary surface protein, and then enter the cell and do what herpes does. This is the kind of research being done these days with respect to cancer, even by pharmaceuticals, despite the conspiracy theories that proliferate like so many nasty microbes.

Very nice rock guy.

The membrane is mind blowing.