Glioma is a form of brain cancer, and patients suffering from this condition are usually limited to just three forms of treatment: chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. However, there is hope for a new and better form of treatment on the horizon, and this treatment is going to be centered on a virus.
A clinical trial is underway in which Toca 511, which is a retrovirus, is injected into the skull. The virus is known to transform cancer cells to magnify the effect of anti-cancerous drugs such as flucytosine. These anti-cancerous medications target and specifically kill the cancer cells that are infected by the virus. The trial is being performed by a team of scientists from the University of California in San Diego, and it aims at investigating the long-term effects of this virus for preventing the spread of cancer cells in the body, or even eliminating them.
Clark Chen, MD, PhD is a surgeon at the university and an author of the recently published paper. He has been involved in the study since it began, and he says that the virus ?may provide a way to destroy the cancer cells without disrupting delicate neurocircuitry.? Santosh Kesari, MD, PhD is the university director of neuro-oncology, and he says, ?I started this kind of research two decades ago, and to see a new technology like Toca 511 advance from bench to bedside completes the circle. This is the moment physician-researchers live for.?
Cancer studies performed in dogs and mice in the past have reported the positive effect of Toca 511 as well. It was found to have destroyed the tumors in a large percentage of the animals, and improve their survival rate. The complete financial details of the study were not made available, but it included Tocagen Corporation funds and National Institutes of Health public grants.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.Source: http://www.northdrugstore.com/news/2012/03/a-virus-to-treat-brain-cancer/
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