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Man's last stage oral cancer cured in a clinical trial using weakened herpes virus

Cancer research is perhaps the widest one across the world. In the latest news, a new cancer therapy makes use of the modified herpes virus to fight harmful cancer cells, causing them to explode, while alerting the immune system.

Kirti Pandey

Updated Oct 7, 2022, 22:04 IST

Mans last stage oral cancer cured in a clinical trial using weakened herpes virus

To get a near-death sentence overturned into cancer-free life is no mean feat and a 39-year-old UK resident Krzysztof Wojtkowski of west London is now proudly talking of a new cancer therapy that uses a modified herpes virus to attack tumour cells - curing him in the process.

According to a report in Business Insider, Krzysztof Wojtkowski was administered a drug called RP2 that completely obliterated his oral cancer. Krzysztof Wojtkowski reportedly told the BBC that he had cancer of the salivary glands that seemed to not respond to conservative anti-cancer treatment and had left him depressed.

That is when he learned about the experimental drug, which was available through a phase one safety trial at the Institute of Cancer Research in the UK. He is now cancer-free for two years and counting, he told the BBC.

Not a magic pill:

According to Business Insider, the clinical trial did not see a complete cure in all cases.

Though some patients saw their tumours shrink, most did not have any significant changes worth writing about back home. The RP2 trial drug caused mild side effects, such as tiredness.

How the virus therapy works:

A modified virus delivers a direct hit to the cancer cells. Simply put, the experimental therapy involves a weakened form of herpes simplex — the virus that causes cold sores — that has been modified to only infect tumours.

The viral therapy is engineered to selectively enter cancer cells and spare the normal cells.

The modified virus is injected directly into a tumour, while most other cancer drugs work systemically orally or through injections/IV.

Once it has infiltrated, the virus replicates itself until the cancer cell explodes.

The body's healthy and normal cells are not destroyed but the cancer cells are singled out and attacked.

The modified virus also instigates and rallies the immune system to attack what's left, lead researcher Kevin Harrington said in a news release.

Cancer treatment - new drug that uses herpes simplex virus — Cancer treatment breakthrough - A new drug that uses weakened and modified herpes simplex virus to target and destroy cancer cells. (Photo: Pixabay)

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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