Scientists Try Injecting Tumor-Fighting Viruses Coated in Magnets Made By Soil Bacteria
To attack tumors, the Guardian reports, "scientists are developing magnetically guided microscopic projectiles that can be injected into patients' blood." The project — led by researchers at Sheffield University — builds on progress in two key medical fields. The first involves viruses that specifically attack tumours.... After infection with an oncolytic virus, a cancer cell will burst open and die. The US Food and Drug Administration has already approved the use of T-Vec, a modified herpes simplex virus that infects and kills tumour cells and is now being used to treat people with certain types of melanoma, a skin cancer. Unfortunately, the viruses soon get attacked by the body's immune system. So the scientists want to coat the viruses with magnetic particles, so that magnets (outside a patient's body) can quickly guide those viruses where they're needed. And to accomplish this they're using a soil bacteria which is known to make magnets to align with Earth's own magnetic field. "The essence of this approach is straightforward," one of the project's leaders explains to the Guardian. "We are using bugs as drugs.... we have found bacteria do a better job of manufacturing them than we could." Having developed the technology, the Sheffield team is now working to ensure they can manufacture sufficient supplies so that clinical trials on humans can begin soon. To date, trials have focused on animal models. "These early tests have been very encouraging and we now need to take the next steps to bring this technique to a state where it can be administered to humans — hopefully in a few years' time." Thanks to Slashdot reader Falconhell for sharing the article!
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