New research from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York says that oncolytic viruses quickly infect and kill cancer stem cells, which may provide a treatment for tumors that are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation, particularly pancreatic cancer. Investigators led by Joyce Wong, MD, surgical researcher with Memorial Sloan Kettering cancer centre, investigated whether they could use oncolytic viruses, which are naturally occurring viruses that have been genetically engineered to be safe and express tracking genes, as a possible therapy against pancreatic cancer stem cells. These stem cells are thought to cause disease recurrence and metastasis, even after therapy, and oncolytic viruses may offer a new treatment strategy."What we learned is that oncolytic viruses have been engineered to selectively target cancer cells and have a low toxicity profile in animal studies," said Dr. Wong. "Targeting the cancer stem cell may enhance our ability to eradicate tumors and prevent future recurrence of disease."
Source:MedIndia
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