Mesothelioma Virotherapy (Virotherapy)
Mesothelioma virotherapy is a new therapy that has shown promise in treating malignant pleural mesothelioma along with standard cancer treatments like chemotherapy. Viruses found in nature or altered in a lab are used in virotherapy to find and kill cancer cells without harming healthy cells.
Mesothelioma Virotherapy: Definition and Applications
 |
| Mesothelioma Virotherapy: How It Works & Possible Side Effects |
Mesothelioma virotherapy uses viruses found in nature or that have had their genes changed in a lab to find and kill cancerous mesothelial cells without hurting healthy cells.
Mesothelioma virotherapy is also known as:
Mesothelioma oncolytic virotherapy Mesothelioma oncolytic virus therapy Mesothelioma treatment with viruses
Oncolytic refers to the process of absorbing or eliminating tumours.
Scientists have known for a long time about the possibility of using viruses to kill cancerous cells, but they lacked the tools to test their theory. Doctors first noticed that some cancer patients got better after getting a virus, even if it was only for a short time.
Today, virotherapy is a leading treatment used to stop the spread of mesothelioma, a rare and incurable cancer caused by asbestos. Researchers and Mesothelioma Hope are hopeful that virotherapy will one day be used to cure patients with mesothelioma and other deadly types of cancer.
Different Types of Viruses Used to Treat Mesothelioma
Oncolytic viruses are viruses that have been genetically modified to attack cancer cells. These viruses can also be made to work again by the immune system. Oncolytic viruses make proteins called interferons that tell cancer cells to die. This causes the cancer cells to die.
There are a number of different types of viruses that are currently being tested as oncolytic viruses, and the results have all been different.
The vaccinia virus is a type of oncolytic virus that was created to treat smallpox. Using the core of this virus, scientists have been able to change it so that it can be used in a recent clinical trial to test its effects on mesothelioma.
The measles virus has been studied by the Mayo Clinic as a potential oncolytic virus for the treatment of ovarian cancer. Because of its success, doctors have implemented this virus into virotherapy trials for mesothelioma.
The herpes virus has also been changed to attack mesothelioma cells. Patients with pleural mesothelioma who cannot be operated on are currently being tested for HSV1717.
In addition to virotherapy, scientists are looking into how viruses can be used in gene therapy and immunotherapy to treat people with mesothelioma. Some researchers think that virotherapy is a kind of immunotherapy, but others think that more research is needed to find out how viruses fight cancer.
How Does Virotherapy Function?
Virotherapy works by injecting a virus into the body. This virus triggers a response in the body that fights the cancer.
Some oncolytic viruses, according to research, work by making the body's immune system attack cancer cells. The virus then infects a cancer cell and copies itself until the cancerous cell bursts (oncolysis).
During the process of replication, dying cancer cells release tumour antigens and other substances that help the immune system recognise the cancer. This warning can cause the immune system to attack tumour cells nearby or in other parts of the body.
The majority of the time, virotherapy is administered by injection into the tumour. Melanoma and brain tumours are both examples of this.
Pleural mesothelioma starts in the lining of the lungs (the pleura), so giving the virus to these patients is easy.
What Virotherapy Can Do for Mesothelioma?
Like other new treatments for mesothelioma, virotherapy only affects cancer cells. The healthy cells then work with the virus to restore the immune system and fight off cancer in the body.
Virotherapy also increases the effects of chemotherapy and radiation, which usually harm healthy cells. Virotherapy functions as a natural defence system that targets not only cancer cells but also other pathogens in the area.
Doctors say that virotherapy has three main benefits:
directly affects tumour cells
By only focusing on cells with pathogens, healthy cells can stay whole.
Preserves and boosts the immune system, triggering a viral antitumor response to kill any remaining cancer cells.
Patients with advanced or untreatable mesothelioma can benefit from virotherapy as well. Patients in these situations benefit greatly from its minimal side effects.
One of the few treatments that can help patients with advanced-stage mesothelioma live longer is virotherapy, which has antitumor effects that stop mesothelioma from spreading.
The Most Recent Developments in Mesothelioma Virotherapy
To use in oncolytic viral therapy for mesothelioma, oncology researchers keep testing new viruses. The different kinds of diseases that can be changed and given to patients might one day be a big step forward in how this aggressive type of cancer is treated.
Currently, HSV (herpes simplex virus) and oncolytic measles viruses are being evaluated and modified to treat pleural mesothelioma. Early clinical trials studying both are ongoing. These virus treatments are injected intrapleurally (into the chest cavity).
Researchers are looking for the best way to administer the measles virus to mesothelioma cells. They are also assessing the measles virus's safety and any potential side effects.
Mesothelioma Virotherapy Research: The Future
In order for doctors to find the most effective mesothelioma treatments, ongoing clinical trials are paving the way for understanding and changing virotherapy treatment. A search of the clinicaltrials.gov database in December 2022 turned up five clinical trials for virotherapy to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Oncolytic viruses are currently being studied in conjunction with other more traditional cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy drugs like cisplatin.
To boost the immune response to cancer, they are also considering combining virotherapy and immunotherapy. Studies are also looking into how virotherapy could be used to treat lung cancer and metastatic pleural effusions, among many other types of cancer.
Which patients will benefit most from virotherapy is being studied by some scientists. The discovery of biomarkers can assist doctors in choosing patients who are most likely to gain from novel treatments like virotherapy.
Virotherapy Side Effects
Because there are few side effects, virotherapy has been praised as being highly tolerable for the majority of cancer patients.
An inflammatory response to the treatment is typically the most severe side effect. Other possible side effects of virotherapy include flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, nausea, and aches and pains in the muscles.
Investigating Mesothelioma Virotherapy
Virotherapy is an emerging mesothelioma treatment with the potential to extend patient survival. It is one of the most promising treatments for mesothelioma because it can pick out and kill tumour cells.
Virus therapy is currently being tested on mesothelioma patients in clinical trials. For more information on virotherapy and other emerging mesothelioma treatments.
FAQs about Mesothelioma Virotherapy
Is virotherapy for mesothelioma a successful treatment?
For some patients, mesothelioma virotherapy may be a good option. By changing the way different kinds of viruses work, doctors can help the body fight cancer and help patients live longer. Virus therapy is currently only available for mesothelioma patients through clinical trials. Find out if your doctor is participating in a clinical trial for mesothelioma virotherapy.
What is the most effective method of treating mesothelioma?
The best way to treat mesothelioma depends on a number of things, such as the type of mesothelioma a patient has, how far along the disease is, and how healthy the patient is overall. The main method of treating mesothelioma is chemotherapy. It might help relieve symptoms and, at least temporarily, shrink or slow the growth of the cancer. But researchers are looking into new ways to treat mesothelioma, like virotherapy and immunotherapy. They hope that these new treatments will help find a cure for this dangerous disease. Your doctor can assist you in developing the best mesothelioma treatment strategy for you.
What is the most recent treatment for mesothelioma?
Scientists are looking into some interesting ways to treat mesothelioma, such as virotherapy. Mesothelioma virotherapy works by using viruses to find and kill cancer cells while avoiding healthy cells. Gene therapy is another method of treatment. Mesothelioma gene therapy adds new genes to cancer cells to make them easier to kill. These and other cutting-edge mesothelioma treatments are currently being tested in clinical trials.