How can they prevent this virus from evolving to replicate in non-cancerous cells? I wonder if that's why they started with a benign virus like herpes.
I think it is simultaneously amazing and scary that the FDA is starting to approve self replicating organisms in therapies.
Bacteriophages are a promising replacement for antibiotics. I wonder if they can follow a similar regulatory path.
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How can they prevent this virus from evolving to replicate in non-cancerous cells? I wonder if that's why they started with a benign virus like herpes.
Very cool, but slightly scarey at the same time.
They are using poliovirus here:
http://www.cancer.duke.edu/btc/modules/research3/index.php?i...
They did investigate the genetic stability of their engineered virus:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2881183/
Reminds me of the start of the movie I am Legend...
I think it is simultaneously amazing and scary that the FDA is starting to approve self replicating organisms in therapies. Bacteriophages are a promising replacement for antibiotics. I wonder if they can follow a similar regulatory path.
Live-virus vaccines are already a thing; in some sense this is just a new application of them as far as the FDA is concerned.
I'm not sure I would call herpes a benign virus. There are strains that will kill you.