Historical! For the first time, an anti-cancer virus has been injected into a human being

According to Público, cancer deaths have increased by 20% worldwide in the space of a decade. Therefore, and because the search for a cure has been relentless, this news of the first patient being injected with a virus that aims to eliminate the problem should be welcomed with open arms.

Although this is a clinical trial of an experimental process, it is a solution that could show promise.

All over the world, millions and millions of people are subjected to treatments that weaken them and do not always save them. However, despite the frightening numbers, there is no known cure, there are only ways to prevent the occurrence of various cancers.

Now, for the first time, an experimental cancer-killing virus has been administered to a human patient. This solution comes as a hope that the tests will conclude that this method is effective in fighting cancerous tumors in the human body.

The possible drug called CF33-hNIS (or Vaxinia), is an oncolytic, that is, a virus genetically engineered to selectively infect and kill cancer cells while avoiding healthy cells.

According to Science Alert, this modified virus works by duplicating cells. In other words, the injected cell bursts and causes the release of thousands of new virus particles that act as antigens, stimulating the immune system to attack nearby cancer cells.

Despite previous animal research showing that the drug can harness the immune system to hunt down and destroy cancer cells, no human trials have been performed. So far.

Clinical trial has already begun that will determine if cancer-killing virus is safe

Researchers at the City of Hope Cancer Research and Care Center in Los Angeles, in collaboration with Australian biotechnology company Imugene, announced the first clinical trial in human patients.

Our previous research has shown that oncolytic viruses can stimulate the immune system to respond and kill cancer, as well as stimulate the immune system to be more responsive to other immunotherapies.

We believe CF33-hNIS has the potential to improve outcomes for our patients.

Said Daneng Li, oncologist and principal investigator at City of Hope.

Daneng Li, oncologist and principal investigator at City of Hope

The potential of this virus will depend on whether it is safe to inject into people, and the first phase of the clinical trial is focusing on exactly that aspect: the safety and tolerability of the drug.

The goal is for the trial to bring together 100 participants, who are adult patients, with metastases or advanced solid tumors, who have already tried at least two courses of standard treatment. Once enrolled, patients will receive a low dose of the experimental treatment.

If the results are positive and the virus is considered safe for this purpose, further testing will be done to study how it combines with pembrolizumab, an antibody treatment used in cancer immunotherapy.

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