To treat brain cancer, US researchers genetically edited a type of herpes virus (Herpes Simplex Virus, HSV) and injected the infectious agent into the tumor site. The experiment was successful and, according to the scientists, could be a promising treatment against glioblastoma in the future.
Published in scientific journal Clinical Cancer Researchthe study was developed by researchers at the Ohio State University (OSU) and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), both located in the United States.
What is glioblastoma?
It is worth explaining that glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a type of cancer and tends to evolve quickly, and the first symptoms can be headaches, nausea and personality changes. Depending on the condition, the patient may also suffer from loss of consciousness.
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Median patient survival is usually 12 to 15 months from initial diagnosis. In cases of recurrence, the average is 4 to 6 months. “Only 5% to 10% of patients live more than five years. It is practically fatal,” explains James Markert, a neurosurgeon at UAB, in a statement.
“Despite 50 to 60 years of research and advances in surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, we haven’t made much progress in terms of survival” of this type of cancer, adds the doctor.
How does herpes work against cancer?
In the study, the genetically edited version of herpes was named G207 and, according to the researchers, showed a promising alternative in the fight against glioblastoma. This is because the infectious agent was able to directly attack the tumor cells in the brain.
“There is something different in the defense of tumor cells against viruses, because the DNA changes that prevented the virus from being infectious in normal human cells were not present in the tumor cells”, explains neurosurgeon Markert. “As a result, the virus has become selective for infecting and killing tumor cells,” he adds.
Activation of the immune response
Normally, tumor cells go “unnoticed” by the immune system, which facilitates their proliferation. However, herpes, in addition to attacking these cells, managed to activate the body’s natural immune response against these “invaders”. Thus, the potential therapy has a dual role in controlling these tumors.
Clinical studies of potential therapy
After a preliminary clinical safety study, the researchers moved on to Phase 1B, where 6 volunteers over 18 years old and with a recurrence of glioblastoma were selected. After treatment with G207, it was possible to identify an improvement in the condition and the tumors “were full of immune cells”, explains Market.
The new evidence points to the possibility of using the immune system itself as a weapon against these potentially deadly brain tumors, explains William Cance of the American Cancer Society. Now, new studies must be carried out to evaluate, mainly, the effectiveness of the strategy.
