• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

An Arizona State University researcher is working on a virus that's harmless to humans, but kills cancer cells

  • Thread starter Deleted member 23850
  • Start date

Deleted member 23850

Oct 28, 2017
8,689
www.azcentral.com

An ASU researcher is working on a virus that's harmless to humans, but kills cancer cells

When ASU researcher Grant McFadden injected this virus into mice with brain cancer, 100% of the mice were cured.
www.azcentral.com

The ASU virologist grew interested in the myxoma virus because it is extremely deadly in European rabbits but virtually harmless in non-rabbit hosts — including humans. He wanted to figure out why.

So, he began testing its ability to infect lab-grown cells.

Along the way, he made a startling discovery.

"We accidentally stumbled upon the fact that if we take this virus and put it onto cancer cells … the virus treated them just like rabbit cells, it infected them, killed them, in a way that was really quite dramatic," McFadden said.

With those results, the idea to use the virus as a cancer treatment was born.

After several successful experiments in mice, McFadden co-founded a company in June 2019 to develop the virus into a type of cancer treatment known as virotherapy.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
 
DrEvil

DrEvil

Developer
Verified
Oct 25, 2017
2,628
Canada
It will be referred to in the future as COTTONTAIL-20.


But yes, if this actually works and is safe, that could be amazing.
 

Imperfected

Member
Nov 9, 2017
11,737
That would be such a remarkably clean answer to a lot of cancer cases if it actually works. Here's hoping.
 
Euron

Euron

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,772
When you tryna fight Covid but accidentally cure cancer

nah but this is great. Let's hope there's continued development here
 
Therion

Therion

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,105
Right now we could use a cancer that's harmless to humans but kills viruses, but let's take what we can get.
 
Kieli

Kieli

Self-requested ban
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
3,736
Cool if it pans out. Very unlikely and probably a solicitation/PR for funding the research. Not that solicitation for basic life science research is at all a bad thing.

I wish it was much better funded so profs dont need to waste time writing grants and underpaying PhDs and post-doctorals.
 
Wubby

Wubby

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,849
Japan!
I look forward to never hearing about this again after this post.

But seriously I do hope this could work and become a real cure for cancer.
 
AlexBasch

AlexBasch

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,307
Okay, that's cool and all but allow me to stock up un non-perishable groceries, water and a gun with a single bullet in case this turns people into sun-resisting vampires.

Seriously though, that would be pretty damn cool if it goes as planned.
 
HStallion

HStallion

Member
Oct 25, 2017
62,261
I will point out that using viruses to kill cancer is a pretty active field of study. I've seen a couple documentaries and news shows cover the topic. It's some really amazing stuff that has so much potential and it's crazy to see them using modified versions of some really dangerous viruses to in fact save lives. I think they were using polio and the HIV virus for example.
 
HStallion

HStallion

Member
Oct 25, 2017
62,261
Off topic but everyone should read the actual I Am Legend novel. It's incredible and makes the movie look like a joke. Hell, just read anything by Richard Matheson and thank me later.
 
cdyhybrid

cdyhybrid

Member
Oct 25, 2017
17,422
gLd3QBD.png


Let's do this
 

LOLDSFAN

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,037
Once injected, the virus will attack cancer cells, but it also has 80 genes that stimulate the human immune system, Potts said. This triggers a strong immune system response in which the body starts destroying both the virus itself and the nearby cancer cells.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah it would really suck if your body created antibodies for the virus before the cancer is completely gone. :/
 
Baccus

Baccus

Banned
Dec 4, 2018
5,307
If people stopped thinking of pop culture when actual real things happen in the real world that would be great.

Hope it works. Go for it doctor.
 
Dreams-Visions

Dreams-Visions

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
41,368
Miami, FL
I would assume many in the field are working on re-engineered and/or re-purposed viruses to kill bad things instead of the good ones.

Preeeeetty sure that's been a thing for a very long time, actually.
 
mreddie

mreddie

Member
Oct 26, 2017
44,002
Everyone already saying this is I Am Legend but really...

Lepus2-e1492692918581.jpg


It's Night of the Lepus.


Hope this is the big step on the cancerfight.
 
The Crimson Knight

The Crimson Knight

Member
Apr 11, 2020
252
mreddie said:
Everyone already saying this is I Am Legend but really...

Lepus2-e1492692918581.jpg


It's Night of the Lepus.


Hope this is the big step on the cancerfight.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Oh, holy cow. That film fascinated me as a kid. Also, big props to the virologist and their quest in turning their surprise into the foundations of a company that will hopefully have the means in good time to help a lot of people.
 
Zukuu

Zukuu

Member
Oct 30, 2017
6,809
Like hundreds of others. I feel these news about XYZ-treatment get spreaded way too early. I think it does more harm than good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.