Cancer-fighting viruses can boost body’s immune response
- Posted By
10Pointer
- Categories
Science & Technology
- Published
1st Sep, 2022
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Context
A new study published in the Journal Cancer Cell suggests that the body’s immune capacity against cancer — to recognise and destroy cancer cells — can be boosted by using oncolytic viruses.
About
- Oncolytic viruses (OVs) are viruses that selectively target and kill cancer cells while sparing normal ones.
- The study notes that these viruses also enhance the immune system’s ability to recognise and terminate cancer cells.
- Although long theorised, the research into oncolytic virotherapy picked up only in the 1960s.
- Of late, there have been several trials looking at different viruses for cancer treatment.
- The latest study focused on the virus known as myxoma and it found that T-cells infected with myxoma virus can lead to a type of cancer cell death not previously observed.
About T Cells
- T cells are a part of the immune system that focuses on specific foreign particles.
- T cells circulate until they encounter their specific antigen and play a critical part in immunity to foreign substances.
- T cells can act as “killer cells”, attacking cells which have been infected with a virus or another kind of pathogen.
- They can also act as “helper cells” by supporting B cells to produce antibodies.
What is Cancer?
- It is a large group of diseases that can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, go beyond their usual boundaries to invade adjoining parts of the body and/or spread to other organs.
- The latter process is called metastasizing and is a major cause of death from cancer.
- A neoplasm and malignant tumor are other common names for cancer.
- Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women.
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What is Oncolytic Virotherapy?
Important Government Initiatives
- National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke
- National Cancer Grid
- National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
- International Agency for Research on Cancer
- National Cancer Awareness Day
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- Oncolytic viruses can kill cancer cells while keeping nearby healthy cells and tissues intact.
- Treatment in oncolytic virotherapy also exerts its effect by activating the antitumor immune response composed of immune cells such as natural malignant (NK) cells.
- Although sometimes they limit natural lethal oncolytic viruses, despite reasonable developments in the OV field in recent years, improvements are needed to address some of the challenges, including relatively weak therapeutic activity and means of effective systemic delivery.
