Brain cancer virus

2001/05/23 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Mikrobiologia
• Medikuntza

The hybrid virus is effective against the type of cancer called glioma, so it is an important news, as it is the most widespread among brain cancers and so far was deadly. This is because it is a glia cell cancer that, as a brain support, is distributed throughout the organ. Therefore, surgical removal is not possible and is also not possible with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Researchers at Duke University of North Carolina found that the polio virus enters the cell thanks to the CD155 protein and that glioma cells also produce this protein. Thus, the polio virus mixed with that of the cataract and, according to studies carried out in the mouse, they showed that it was able to attack the glioma. For this they had to genetically transform mice because the brain of mice does not produce CD155 proteins by itself. Therefore, they introduced the virus into the spinal cord of these mice and, with a single dose, managed to completely eliminate glioma for the eighth day.

In addition, primates are used in humans to investigate polio. Common polio viruses affect motor neurons in the central nervous system, causing paralysis and in some cases death. However, in tests with hybrid viruses, primates suffered no harm.

Now, Duke University has received the National Cancer Institute grant for the preparation of a prototype virus for clinical testing in humans.