Herpes kills cancer!

Go Science!


Herpes virus kills cancer in possible medical breakthrough

New research is the first positive, late-phase trial result for cancer “virotherapy,” the use of a virus to kill cancer cells.

By Haaretz May 27, 2015

A genetically modified strain of herpes, a virus that typically causes blisters around the mouth or in the genitals, can kill cancer cells and stop tumors from growing, according to new research.

The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology on Wednesday, is the first positive, late-phase trial result for cancer “virotherapy,” the use of a virus to kill cancer cells.

If approved, the drug used in the research could be widely available for cancer patients by next year, scientists predicted.

Unlike chemotherapy, which casts a wide net and kills all proliferating cells, viruses can be targeted against cancer cells, which could make them more effective in fighting the disease.

The method also appeals to researchers because it activates the immune system to fight cancer.

Crucially, the therapy has the potential to overcome cancer even when the disease has spread to organs throughout the body, offering hope in future to patients who have been faced with the bleakest prognosis.

The trial involved more than 400 patients with aggressive melanoma, a skin cancer. One in four patients responded to the treatment, and 16% were still in remission after six months. About 10% of the patients treated had “complete remission,” with no detectable cancer.

Importantly, all the patients had inoperable, relapsed or metastatic melanoma with no conventional treatment options available to them.

The herpes multiplies vigorously inside the cancer cells until they burst open, spilling the virus into the surrounding area, triggering a secondary immune reaction against the tumor.

“It’s like an unmasking of the cancer,” said Kevin Harrington, professor of biological cancer therapies at the Institute of Cancer Research London, who led the work.

“The patient’s immune system wakes up and attacks the cancer cells wherever they are in the body.”

Once the immune system has been nudged into action by the treatment, it appears to develop an enhanced ability to detect and attack cancer throughout the body. Scientists are not sure why this happens, but the latest trial confirmed the effect, showing that even secondary tumors that had not been infected by the virus shrank or disappeared.

The drug, called T-VEC, has been submitted to both the FDA and the European Medicines Agency. If approved, it could be available to U.S. patients by next year and in Europe soon afterwards. Similar treatments for head and neck cancers are in trial.

haaretz.com/life/science-medicine/1.658353

I’ve worked for big pharma, still do. It’s something like a billion dollar investment per drug before you even go to market. Plenty of drugs fail after such a big investment.

why shouldn’t they have the right to protect their investment?

Big Pharma gonna put herpes in the chemtrails

Can we get peds to treat it?

Big Pharma gonna put herpes in the chemtrails

Check out the recent Vice TV special episode Killing Cancer to really rock your brain on the current methods being used against various forms of Cancer that are also showing high success rates, including using the AIDS virus in much the same methodology this article talks about. Really cutting edge and promising work going on at the moment.

I don’t know anything about the source. Just before anyone starts talking about cold sores curing cancer, herpes, as I understand it, is more like a classification than a single virus. Herpes are viruses that live and lay dormant in nerve cells, I think. Still, fascinating stuff.

Who else read “Heppell cures cancer”?

Who else read "Heppell cures cancer"?

It was just you.

HR chick out our work will love this news

HR chick out our work will love this news

It’ll go much better than the last bit of news you gave her

I have good news and bad news for you… The bad news is that I gave you herpes… the good news is that is you have cancer…

I have good news and bad news for you.. The bad news is that I gave you herpes.. the good news is that is you have cancer...

lol

Sensational work. Good that it isn’t happening in the States, or else the medical industry there would probably shut it down, as there is so much money to be lost, if this cure takes off, as well as is projected here.

I get the feeling that the theory behind this experimentation started out as an excuse.

Sensational work. Good that it isn't happening in the States, or else the medical industry there would probably shut it down, as there is so much money to be lost, if this cure takes off, as well as is projected here.
Oh FFS. Yeah big pharma could shut it down.

Or they do what they do with every other new mode of treatment - buy the rights, and make money off it anyway.

Sensational work. Good that it isn't happening in the States, or else the medical industry there would probably shut it down, as there is so much money to be lost, if this cure takes off, as well as is projected here.
Oh FFS. Yeah big pharma could shut it down.

Or they do what they do with every other new mode of treatment - buy the rights, and make money off it anyway.

Tell me big business hasn’t killed off other great ideas in the past.

The words Big Pharma just make me think of anti vax morons.

I am sure if a cure is found, it would be worth plenty of money. I would imagine “Big Pharma” would be in a race to be the one who owned the rights to such a cure.

I work in healthcare and have to deal with some of these companies all the time.

Big pharma are a thing and they are jerks but not in the ways people think.
Wanna worry about something, worry about them lobbying the new Asian free trade thingummy so that medicines won’t go out of patent for decades, so we don’t get cheap off brands for decades.

They’ve been buying up anything they can make a buck off for probably a hundred years. Far harder work for less reward to kill an idea, than simply buying it.

Sensational work. Good that it isn't happening in the States, or else the medical industry there would probably shut it down, as there is so much money to be lost, if this cure takes off, as well as is projected here.
Oh FFS. Yeah big pharma could shut it down.

Or they do what they do with every other new mode of treatment - buy the rights, and make money off it anyway.

Tell me big business hasn’t killed off other great ideas in the past.

Nothing they can make money off.

The words Big Pharma just make me think of anti vax morons.

I am sure if a cure is found, it would be worth plenty of money. I would imagine “Big Pharma” would be in a race to be the one who owned the rights to such a cure.

Reminds me of my countery the other night, delish