• Question: i know it's a bit werid, but, do you think it would be possible to use viruses as a weapon?

    Asked by shrike to Gioia on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Gioia Cherubini

      Gioia Cherubini answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Hi shrike,

      I’m sure I have already replied to this question, but I can’t find the answer anymore 🙁
      In principle, it is possible to use a virus to kill cancer, because there are ways to manipulate a virus so that it doesn’t replicate in normal cells anymore, but replicates in cancer cells, leading to their death.There is already one of these oncolytic (that is, a virus that kills cancer cells) that is commercially available in China, it’s called H101 and derives from Adenovirus. This is just to show you that the use of viruses to kill cancer is much more advanced than what one could think.
      However there is still a lot of work to do to improve these oncolytic viruses, because even if they are safe and they don’t give major side effects, they are not efficient enough at eradicating cancer.
      I’m working on a new version of an oncolytic adenovirus and so far the results on cultured cells have been positive, because the virus seems to be very specific at killing cancer cells. But I have much more work to do to confirm those data!

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