Virus shows promise for fighting brain cancer

A common virus appears to have potent anti-cancer effects against a type of brain cancer, scientists said on Tuesday.

On average, people with malignant gliomas survive one year. The highly aggressive and invasive form of brain cancer is resistant to all available treatments.

Now researchers at the University of Calgary and the Alberta Cancer Board have found a virus commonly found in humans that can infect and destroy tumours in test tube studies and in mice.

The virus is called a reovirus, short for Respiratory Enteric Orphan. "A single injection of virus makes tumours shrink and go away," says cancer researcher Dr. Peter Forsyth of the University of Calgary's Faculty of Medicine .

"It looks like it leaves normal cells intact. And the mice stay healthy. It doesn't get any better than that."

Clinical trials to come

In an editorial that accompanies the study, Dr. Matthias Gromeier of Duke University writes that the results are encouraging but clinical studies are important to verify the anti-cancer ability of a virus.

Clinical trials in humans are needed because the virus interacts with not only the cancer cells but also human ones.

Brain cancer patient Alasdair Nairn was at the announcement. He doesn't think the three to five year timespan will help him.

It does look promising for people who may be diagnosed with cancer in the future. Clinical trials involving humans should start in the next six months.

The study appears in the June 20 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute .