Stamp out common virus to beat brain cancer

May 27, 2008 | Source: Nature

Duke University Medical Center treated brain tumors known as glioblastomas by taking white blood cells from 21 patients, exposing them to parts of the cytomegalovirus (often found in these cancers), and injecting the cells back into the patients. Their preliminary results suggest that this technique is safe and effective.

(Getty)

(Getty)

“Because the immune system kills both the virus and the cell it resides in, we are hoping that we will be able use this vaccine to kill the tumor cells that standard therapy can’t reach,” explains Duke oncologist Duane Mitchell.