Cancer is a scary word that can easily give you goosebumps. We fear it, curse it and can do nothing but embrace a healthy way of life to prevent such a devastating disease, originated from an uncontrolled division of cells. There are more than a 100 types of cancer, each of which has a name, surname, multiple symptoms, ways of developing and impact on patients. Probably, nothing you are not acquainted with. What’s noteworthy, though, is that medical research keeps achieving scientific breakthroughs with promising outcomes for certain kinds of cancer.
One of the most significant advancements has to do with brain cancer, ‘ranked’ as one of the deadliest. To be more precise, efforts have been focused on a type of brain tumor named glioblastoma, considered to be highly malignant. As reported recently by CBS News, a group of researchers at Duke University has been using a modified polio virus (reengineered with common cold virus material) to attack the cancer, weaken it and even remove any trace of the illness. To do so, a team led by Dr. Matthias Gromeier started a series of clinical trials in which they infused this genetically engineered poliovirus, called PVS-RIPO, directly into the patients’ tumors.
This new therapy may not only allow the polio virus to kill the cancer cells, but also to awake the patients’ immune system so that it can fight the tumor. “All human cancers develop a shield of protective measures that make them invisible to the immune system. By infecting the tumor, we are actually removing this protective shield and enabling the immune system to attack”, Dr. Gromeier told CBS.
A ‘miracle’ that brought hope
Duke’s experiment, which was initially tested in primates, has become remarkable following Stephanie Lipscomb’s case. In 2011, being a 20-year-old student, Lipscomb sought medical help as she had been dealing with recurrent headaches… and it turned out that what was bothering her was a glioblastoma the size of a tennis ball. Doctors expected her to only have a few months to live but, fortunately, their prediction was not fulfilled.
Lipscomb first had 98% of the tumor removed, but in 2012 her cancer had come back. That was the moment when she decided to volunteer for Dr. Gromeier’s trial. Over the course of 21 months, Lipscomb’s tumor shrank until it totally disappeared, as an MRI showed in 2014.
In the last few days there has been much talk regarding Duke’s experiment since it has been given breakthrough status by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In other words, this may be a step forward for better cancer care.
However, this new therapy is still being perfected. Although the PVS-RIPO can’t reproduce in normal cells, thus mostly neutralizing the effects of the virus on people, there’s still risk for brain swelling, paralysis and muscle weakness, among other typical symptoms caused by polio. “I am optimistic that we have identified the right dose and the right way to use our virus to get an immune response strong enough to fight the tumor, but not so strong to harm the patient”, Gromeier stated.
The team at Duke hopes that the treatment could also work to battle other kinds of cancer. Only time will tell, but for now there are grounds for optimism!