Cancer may be the second leading cause of death, but it’s still something we don’t fully understand or have good prevention options against. That’s why many researchers are trying to develop oncolytic viruses, or viruses that target and destroy cancer cells without killing normal cells in the process. One such virus, Vaxinia, has finally proven successful enough to begin testing on humans, with the first person to receive the injection coming out of his coma just days ago.
Myths about cancer
One persistent myth about cancer is that it’s contagious—but there’s no truth to that. Despite what you may have heard, there isn’t a cancer virus, so being infected with HPV (human papillomavirus) or HVP (human herpes virus-8) won’t give someone else cancer. Another common belief is that it’s possible to tell if someone has cancer by looking at them. A person doesn’t have to have visible symptoms for their health care provider to diagnose them as having cancer; indeed, many cancers don’t cause any noticeable signs or symptoms until they’re at advanced stages.
How does it work?
The development of a vaccine is an extremely complex process and has been going on for centuries. It requires extensive research to develop a treatment that will successfully fight disease in its different forms. The main aim is to create an injection that can trigger specific cells in your body’s immune system (known as white blood cells) to recognize and kill cancerous cells. This was once thought impossible, but recent advances in science have meant that it could soon be a reality. To help understand how revolutionary these new discoveries are, we have put together some information on exactly how vaccines work, and how they might be used as a potential cancer cure.
What do we know so far?
The news that a cancer-killing virus has been developed is, at least in theory, pretty incredible. While only one human has been injected so far (and there’s no guarantee that it will actually cure anything), if tests go well and more are administered to humans with chronic diseases, then we could see big results fairly quickly. The good news is, millions of years of evolution have already prepared us for just such an attack on our cells. Sometimes cancerous tumors form when your body produces antibodies that cause a cell to grow out of control. As it happens, these antibodies exist as a result of bacteria or viruses growing inside you—they are nature’s way of trying to kill an infection.
Results of clinical trials
In clinical trials, researchers put new treatments to use and test their effectiveness on human volunteers, who are called study participants. The purpose of these trials is to assess what happens when you take a specific medical treatment—for example, a new drug or vaccine—and how it affects people in real-world situations. Usually, study participants volunteer for these clinical trials because they have an interest in science or medicine and want to contribute to finding out about a new way of treating disease. However, many people also volunteer simply because they want to participate in something bigger than themselves.
Where can you get it?
The Human Cancer virus Vaccine is currently going through human trials and if successful, it’ll be licensed as a preventative treatment. The vaccine is still in its trial phase, but clinical studies are expected to start soon. To receive updates on when trials are being launched, sign up here at their official website. On a final note: If you found any of these ideas helpful or useful please share it! After all that’s what makes us all grow together.