A cancer patient who was deemed incurable has been cured using genetically modified herpes viruses. The man has been cancer-free for two years. Scientists at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) in London treated a cancer patient in an early clinical trial with genetically modified herpes viruses. The patient, Krzysztof Wojkowski, was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer in 2017. Despite being operated on and treated multiple times, the cancer continued to grow. In the Phase 1 safety study, Wojkowski received the experimental drug RP2, which contains a modified herpes virus that attacks tumor cells. After receiving injections every two weeks for five weeks, Wojkowski’s cancer was completely eliminated, and he has been cancer-free for two years.
The experimental therapy is based on a weakened form of the herpes simplex virus (HSV), which is the virus that usually causes cold sores. The ICR scientists modified the virus’s genes so that it selectively enters cancer cells while ignoring normal cells. Unlike most other cancer drugs that work systemically, the modified herpes virus only attacks the tumor directly. The drug RP2 causes a “double blow” against cancer cells. When the virus infiltrates the cancer cell, it replicates until the cell explodes. Additionally, the modified virus triggers the immune system to attack the remains of the cancer cells. The study shows that a genetically modified cancer-destroying virus can execute a double blow against tumors.
The study’s results are promising, with high response rates and only mild side effects observed. Further studies will investigate the effect of genetically modified herpes viruses on different cancer patients. The positive interim results suggest that modified viruses could be a new treatment option for many patients, including those who have not responded to other forms of immunotherapy. The results have been described as “exciting” and “promising” by experts in the field.
