Use the POLIO VIRUS to prolong the life of patients with a type of brain cancer

20% of the patients who underwent the first tests remained alive three years later, compared to only 4% of those who did not receive this treatment

Of all varieties of brain tumours, glioblastoma is one of the most common and also of the most malignant. But now, researchers at the Duke cancer Institute have developed a new type of therapy that could lengthen the lives of patients with this type of cancer. And the results of the first essays are quite hopeful.
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The therapy uses a modified version of the polio virus, which has eliminated its ability to cause the disease, but can infect tumor cells causing an immune response. Of the 60 patients who were sometieorn to the tests, 20% remained alive three years later, compared to only 4% of those who composed the control group that was not subjected to this treatment.

The figure is low, but it seems high compared to normal survival rates for glioblastoma cases. It is estimated that those who die for this type of cancer, survive half a year and a half to the initial diagnosis, and a year in cases of recurrence of the tumor.

However, more experiments need to be done, among other things to adjust the dose, since in some cases patients who received the modified polio virus had side effects such as brain swelling and seizures. Moreover, researchers still have to look for an answer to a crucial question: why has it only worked with 20% of the volunteers and not the rest?

Source: ScienceAlert.