LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists have developed a genetically modified virus that can kill cancer cells and destroy hiding places, The Sun reported.
The developed virus targets both cancer cells and those that are deceived and turns to protect cancer from immune attack.
The role of fibroblasts in protecting different types of organs together, but can be kidnapped by cancer cells to help in the growth and spread of tumors and evade treatment.
The virus, developed by scientists at the University of Oxford, attacks cancer of the sarcoinoma, the most common type of cancer, and starts in cells that make up the skin or tissue lining of internal organs, such as the liver or kidneys.
Currently, any treatment that kills "deceptive" fibroblasts can also kill fibroblasts throughout the body, such as those found in bone marrow and skin.
So the researchers used a virus called adenovirus to deal with these cells, which is currently undergoing clinical trials.
Scientists have worked on designing this virus to attack only cancer cells, avoiding healthy cells.
"Even when you kill most cancer cells in sarcaroma, fibroblasts can protect the remaining cancer cells and help them recover and thrive," said lead researcher Professor Kerry Fisher of the Department of Oncology at the University of Oxford.
"So far, there has been no way to kill both cancer cells and fibroids that protect them at the same time, without harming the rest of the body."
"Our new approach to targeting fibroblasts at the same time as killing cancer cells can be an important step towards minimizing the immune system inhibition of cancers while initiating natural immunity."
Viral therapy has been tested on samples from human and mouse cancers, and the tests are expected to begin on patients with saracenoma early next year.
