Chicken Virus Kills Prostate Cancer

Scientists have found a new way to target and kill human prostate cancer without the side effects that come with hormone treatment and chemotherapy by genetically modifying the chicken virus Newcastle disease.

Newcastle disease is bad news for chickens and other birds, domestic and wild, but new research suggests the virus may become an effective treatment for prostate cancer.

Scientists have noted the anti-cancer properties of Newcastle disease since the 1950′s.  Virologist Elankumaran Subbiah at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine have modified the virus; “We modified the virus so that it replicates only in the presence of an active prostate-specific antigen and, therefore, is highly specific to prostate cancer,” Subbiah told Virginia Tech News.

“The recombinant virus efficiently and specifically killed prostate cancer cells, while sparing normal human cells in the laboratory, but it would take time for this to move from the discovery phase to a treatment for prostate cancer patients.”
- Elankumaran Subbiah

People that have come into contact with birds that have the Newscastle disease virus have been shown to have mild conjunctivitis and flu-like symptoms but it doesn’t pose a serious health threat to human health.
Earlier human clinical trials for other types of cancer with naturally occurring Newscastle disease virus required several injections of the virus in large quantities for success.
Subbiah believes that the modified virus would be able to eliminate prostate cancer in much lower doses as it would seek out metastatic prostate cancer cells and remove them.

“the recombinant virus will be extremely safe and can be injected intravenously or directly into the tumour,”
- Elankumaran Subbiah

About 1 in 6 men will develop prostate cancer.  The study claims this treatment can kill prostate cancer cells of all kinds, including hormone-resistant cancer cells.

“We are looking for commercial entities that are interested in licensing the technology for human clinical trials and treatment. Newcastle disease virus has yet to be tested as a treatment for prostate cancer in patients.”
- Elankumaran Subbiah

Subbiah and his collaborators published their results in the April issue of the Journal of Virology.

Source:  http://www.nbcnews.com/id/7681252/ns/health-cloning_and_stem_cells/t/scientists-create-animals-are-part-human/#.UfJMLFMmwTh