Skin cancer therapy using genetically modified herpes virus

British scientists have recently discovered a new therapy to treat skin cancer using genetically modified herpes virus. Clinical trials have shown positive results.

Illustration photo. (Source: MSN)

According to a study published in the American journal Clinical Oncology, scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research in London injected T-VEC into 436 randomly selected patients with malignant tumors. The drug was injected every two weeks for up to 18 months.

As a result, 1/4 of patients responded positively to the drug; 10% of patients were completely remitted, with no cancer cells found, and 16% of patients continued to be in remission after 6 months.

Meanwhile, 163 patients with stage 3 and early stage 4 skin cancer treated with T-VEC lived for 41 months, nearly double the survival time of 66 patients with lower-stage skin cancer treated with control therapy.

Professor Kevin Harrington, head of the research team, said this treatment attacks cancer cells from both directions, the virus directly kills cancer cells while promoting the immune system to fight cancer cells.

In particular, this therapy has the potential to destroy cancer cells even when the disease has spread to internal organs; this brings hope to patients who are no longer able to be treated.

The drug T-VEC, developed by the American company Amgen, has now been submitted to the US and European pharmaceutical regulatory agencies for approval.

In this drug, the herpes virus - the virus that can infect or cause cold sores on the skin - has two key genes removed to prevent it from affecting normal cells in the body.

Every year more than 13,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with malignant skin cancer and 88% of patients only survive more than 5 years after being diagnosed./.

According to Vietnamplus