Virus' New Prey, Cancer

INTRODUCTION:

Melanoma, a type of skin cancer, is one of the most common forms of skin cancer related to skin cancer related deaths. Over exposure to UV light is the cause of melanoma.  According to the National Cancer Institute approximately 74,000 Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma and nearly 10,000 will die from the disease in 2015. (B)

 

Cancer hunting virus preys on cancer creates a new era of treatment for patients world wide. This specific new virus could play a key role in patients diagnosed with cancer and having none of the extreme side effects that chemotherapy causes. Treatments for cancer such as chemotherapy are very difficult on the patients physically emotionally and spiritually.

 

Cancer cells are hard to kill off as they spread quickly throughout the body. Patients often lose hair, have internal bleeding due to chronic nausea, and some even death.The first FDA-approved oncolytic virus therapy, for the treatment of melanoma lesions in the skin and lymph nodes. This treatment targets cancer cells and only cancer cells (leaving the healthy cells alone). The treatment then stimulates the immune system to fight the cancer itself in which T-VEC or  talimogene laherparepvec, (under the brand name IMlygic) uses a modified virus to hunt cancer cells. (A)

 TREATMENT:

The treatment consists of a series of injections in the melanoma lesions. A modified form of the herpes virus is what is being injected into each tumor. The genetic code of the virus was taken from a cold sore of a BioVex employee and then modified to kill only cancer cells. There are two modes of action in which this specifically modified virus can perform. It can attack the cancer cells directly or it can trigger the body's immune system to attack rogue cells once the virus is detected. Once the initial injection is performed, the second is given to the patient 3 weeks later, next additional doses are administered every 2 weeks for at least 6 months. This treatment takes place until there are no remaining lesions to treat or unless another treatment is needed to be performed. (A)

RESEARCH:

Study of 436 participants with metastatic melanoma (in which their tumors were not viable for surgical removal) were used to study the safety and efficacy of Imlygic. Lesions in the skin or lymph nodes were treated with Imlygic or a similar therapy treatment for at least 6 months or until no lesions remained. The results concluded that 16.3% of those who recieved Imlygic had decrease in size of their skin and lymph node lesions lasting for a min of 6 months. Whereas, 2.1% of those who recieved comparative therapy. Unfortunately, Imlygic did not show overall survival or have an effect on melanoma which spread to the brain, bone, liver, lungs, or other internal organs. (B) 

Since Imlygic is a modified version of a live oncolytic herpes virus type of therapy, herpes virus infect is possible. Therefore, this form of treatment should not be given to those with suppressed immune systems or those who are pregnant. Side effects of Imlygic treatment include fatigue, chills, fever, nausea, flu-like symptoms, and pain at the injection site. (B)

 

The Mayo Clinical studied mice who developed large tumors and once injected with the virus were completely absent. Viruses can increase a patients lifespan and even cure diseases such as cancer in the future. Dramatic results are needed from such studies so that treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be replaced with less traumatic therapies such as T-VEC. (A)

 ALTERNATIVES:

Current Oncological treatments (i.e. chemotherapy, radiotherapy) not only kill cancer cells, however damage the rest of the body. Viruses, on the other hand, can be modified to attack only cancer cells so that patients suffer less and have side effects comparable to a flu's symptoms. Cancer-hunting viruses have long been researched, experimented with, and thought of by scientists, researchers, as well as physicians to treat cancer. (A)

 

CONCLUSION:

Imlygic is a significant step in the battle against cancer. Melanoma lesions that cannot be removed completely by surgery are injected with Imlygic, where it replicates inside cancer cells and causes the cells to rupture and die. (B) There is still much progress being made for Imlygic treatment as well as a current number of several similar treatments in their 3rd stage of clinical testing.

LINKS:

(A)http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/nov/02/fda-approval-imlygic-cancer-hunting-viral-treatment

(B)http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm469571.htm

(C)https://www.cancercommons.org/news/t-vecpembrolizumab-combination-demonstrates-safety-in-melanoma/
(D)https://animationscreencaps.com/brave-2012/

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