Cancer is a very common problem as it affects many people every year. It needs early diagnosis and proper treatment. The current treatments are not effective for everyone and sometimes can’t stop uncontrolled cell growth. It increases the risk of death as cells of cancer tumors continuously grow. But researchers from Northwestern Medicine have recently revealed that a weakened virus can eliminate cancer in mice very effectively. They have also revealed that this virus is very effective so that mice treated with this virus do not get cancer again.
This research was recently published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Researchers used a virus known as lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). This virus was weakened by researchers by using molecular biology. Researchers injected this virus into tumors of mice with several cancers such as melanoma and colon cancer. They tracked them for some time to check how this virus works.
When researchers observed these mice carefully, they found that this virus made their tumors smaller and even reduced the risk of death. This virus worked very well and effectively reduced the risk of getting cancer again. Researchers also found that healthy mice treated with LCMV therapy were more resistant to developing tumors later on. This virus can effectively treat many types of cancer as it provides broader immune protection.
One of the researchers said that healthcare professionals currently use some viruses like herpes as they have the ability to destroy cancer cells. But they are not effective for everyone. It increases the risk of death for some people with weakened immune systems. It clearly shows that alternatives like LCMV are very important at this point in time.
The results of this study clearly show that LCMV therapy effectively destroys cancer tumors in mice. It also reduces the risk of death. So, researchers now want to test this LCMV therapy in dogs with Sarcoma. If they find positive effects, then they will start a clinical trial with humans.
Reference Link:
Young Rock Chung et al, An attenuated lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus vector enhances tumor control in mice partly via IFN-I, Journal of Clinical Investigation (2024).
