Designer virus fights cancer

A DESIGNER virus which helps the immune system clear out cancer has been created by scientists.

The new therapy capitalises on the body’s ability to quickly spot a virus.

Scientists from Switzerland’s University of Basel inserted cancer proteins inside an artificial virus so that when the immune system recognises it, it also hunts down cancer in the body with the same proteins. The technique could, in theory, be used to fight any type of cancer. Scientists could take proteins from a patient’s own tumour, place it in the virus and inject it into the body to trigger a strong immune response.

In mice, the treatment has been shown to bring remission and researchers are keen to move to human trials.

The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.