Yahoo Story about Virus that kills cancer cells

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

I found this story today about a virus that they found that will

kill cancer cells. They are still in research on it but lets hope

that they don't drop the ball on what could be a major breakthrough

in cancer prevention.

Dan

Here's the story in its entirety:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A common virus that is harmless to people can

destroy cancerous cells in the body and might be developed into a new

cancer therapy, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

The virus, called adeno-associated virus type 2, or AAV-2, infects an

estimated 80 percent of the population.

" Our results suggest that adeno-associated virus type 2, which

infects the majority of the population but has no known ill effects,

kills multiple types of cancer cells yet has no effect on healthy

cells, " said Craig Meyers, a professor of microbiology and immunology

at the Penn State College of Medicine in Pennsylvania.

" We believe that AAV-2 recognizes that the cancer cells are abnormal

and destroys them. This suggests that AAV-2 has great potential to be

developed as an anti-cancer agent, " Meyers said in a statement.

He said at a meeting of the American Society for Virology that

studies have shown women infected with AAV-2 who are also infected

with a cancer-causing wart virus called HPV develop cervical cancer

less frequently than uninfected women do.

AAV-2 is a small virus that cannot replicate itself without the help

of another virus. But with the help of a second virus it kills cells.

For their study, Meyers and colleagues first infected a batch of

human cells with HPV, some strains of which cause cervical cancer.

They then infected these cells and normal cells with AAV-2.

After six days, all the HPV-infected cells died.

The same thing happened with cervical, breast, prostate and squamous

cell tumor cells.

All are cancers of the epithelial cells, which include skin cells and

other cells that line the insides and outsides of organs.

" One of the most compelling findings is that AAV-2 appears to have no

pathologic effects on healthy cells, " Meyers said.

" So many cancer therapies are as poisonous to healthy cells as they

are to cancer cells. A therapy that is able to distinguish between

healthy and cancer cells could be less difficult to endure for those

with cancer. "

AAV-2 is being studied intensively as a gene therapy vector -- a

virus modified to carry disease-correcting genes into the body. Gene

therapy researchers favor it because it does not seem to cause

disease or immune system reaction on its own.

[Guest guest]

Dan, Thank you for the info. I am hoping they hurry this one along.

We need to save a lot of lives. Ingrid

> Hi Everyone,

> I found this story today about a virus that they found that will

> kill cancer cells. They are still in research on it but lets hope

> that they don't drop the ball on what could be a major breakthrough

> in cancer prevention.

>

> Dan

>

> Here's the story in its entirety:

>

> WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A common virus that is harmless to people

can

> destroy cancerous cells in the body and might be developed into a

new

> cancer therapy, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.

>

> The virus, called adeno-associated virus type 2, or AAV-2, infects

an

> estimated 80 percent of the population.

>

> " Our results suggest that adeno-associated virus type 2, which

> infects the majority of the population but has no known ill

effects,

> kills multiple types of cancer cells yet has no effect on healthy

> cells, " said Craig Meyers, a professor of microbiology and

immunology

> at the Penn State College of Medicine in Pennsylvania.

>

> " We believe that AAV-2 recognizes that the cancer cells are

abnormal

> and destroys them. This suggests that AAV-2 has great potential to

be

> developed as an anti-cancer agent, " Meyers said in a statement.

>

> He said at a meeting of the American Society for Virology that

> studies have shown women infected with AAV-2 who are also infected

> with a cancer-causing wart virus called HPV develop cervical cancer

> less frequently than uninfected women do.

>

> AAV-2 is a small virus that cannot replicate itself without the

help

> of another virus. But with the help of a second virus it kills

cells.

>

> For their study, Meyers and colleagues first infected a batch of

> human cells with HPV, some strains of which cause cervical cancer.

>

> They then infected these cells and normal cells with AAV-2.

>

> After six days, all the HPV-infected cells died.

>

> The same thing happened with cervical, breast, prostate and

squamous

> cell tumor cells.

>

> All are cancers of the epithelial cells, which include skin cells

and

> other cells that line the insides and outsides of organs.

>

> " One of the most compelling findings is that AAV-2 appears to have

no

> pathologic effects on healthy cells, " Meyers said.

>

> " So many cancer therapies are as poisonous to healthy cells as they

> are to cancer cells. A therapy that is able to distinguish between

> healthy and cancer cells could be less difficult to endure for

those

> with cancer. "

>

> AAV-2 is being studied intensively as a gene therapy vector -- a

> virus modified to carry disease-correcting genes into the body.

Gene

> therapy researchers favor it because it does not seem to cause

> disease or immune system reaction on its own.