Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was found to kill human melanoma cells both in vitro and in animal models, says study.
"If it works as well in humans, this could confer a substantial benefit on patients afflicted with this deadly disease," says Anthony van den Pol, a researcher on the study. The research was published online ahead of print in the Journal of Virology.
Melanoma
Melanoma of the skin is a dangerous type of skin cancer that usually appears as a cancerous mole due to exposure to the sun's damaging UV rays.
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Most normal cells resist virus infection by activating antiviral processes that protect nearby cells. "The working hypothesis was that since many cancer cells show a deficient ability to withstand virus infection, maybe a fast-acting virus such as VSV would be able to infect and kill cancer cells before the virus was eliminated by the immune system," says van den Pol. And indeed, the virus was able to selectively infect multiple deadly human melanomas that had been implanted in a mouse model, yet showed little infectivity towards normal mouse cells, he says.
Many different mechanisms are involved in innate immunity, the type of immunity that combats viral infection. van den Pol plans to investigate which specific mechanisms are malfunctioning in cancer cells, knowledge that would be hugely beneficial both in understanding how cancer affects immunity, and in enhancing a virus' ability to target cancer cells, he says.
Melanoma is the most deadly skin cancer. Most melanomas are incurable once they have metastasized into the body. The incidence of melanoma has tripled over the last three decades, and it accounts for approximately 75 percent of skin cancer-related deaths.
Source: Eurekalert
Melanoma is the most deadly skin cancer. Most melanomas are incurable once they have metastasized into the body. The incidence of melanoma has tripled over the last three decades, and it accounts for approximately 75 percent of skin cancer-related deaths.
Source: Eurekalert
Study Links Skin Cancer to Future Risk of Other Cancers
White people who have non-melanoma skin cancer (types of skin cancer other than melanoma) be at increased risk of having other forms of cancer in the future, a new study reveals.
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Transcription Factors Linked to Skin Cancer Melanoma: ResearchAt the University of North Carolina, researchers have discovered that transcription factors regulating the levels of oxygen in the blood also play a role in the spread of the skin cancer melanoma. | Advertisement
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English-Speaking Hispanics in US Take Fewer Protections Against Skin Cancer Than Spanish-Speaking Hispanics
English-speaking Hispanics in the US were found to be more likely to put themselves at a risk for skin cancer compared to Spanish-speaking Hispanics.
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