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Written By: Editorial Team | Published : May 16, 2014 4:39 PM IST
A 49-year-old US woman with advanced bone marrow cancer called multiple myeloma is effectively cancer-free after receiving an experimental trial that injected her a single dose of an engineered measles vaccine, a study said. The patient, with tumors all over her body, including a three-cm-diametre one on her forehead, experienced complete remission of myeloma and has been clear of the disease for over six months, Xinhua reported citing the study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
A second patient, a 65-year-old woman, did not respond as well to the virus treatment that is selectively toxic to myeloma plasma cells, researchers said. However, high-tech imaging studies 'provided a clear proof' that the intravenously administered virus specifically targeted the sites of tumor growth. The researchers said the trial is a 'proof of concept' that virotherapy, destroying cancer with a virus that infects and kills cancer cells but spares normal tissues, can be effective against the deadly cancer multiple myeloma. 'This is the first study to establish the feasibility of systemic oncolytic virotherapy for disseminated cancer,' Mayo Clinic hematologist Stephen Russell, first author of the paper and co-developer of the therapy, said in a statement. (Read: Now a drug to protect unvaccinated people from measles)
'These patients were not responsive to other therapies and had experienced several recurrences of their disease.' Virotherapy has a history dating back to the 1950s, according to the Mayo Clinic, and thousands of cancer patients have been treated with a host of various viruses. 'However, this study provides the first well-documented case of a patient with disseminated cancer having a complete remission at all disease sites after virus administration.' It was noted that both patients were studied at the highest possible dose of the therapy. Both women also had limited previous exposure to measles, and therefore fewer antibodies to the virus, and essentially had no remaining treatment options. The researchers said their next step is to see if the measles vaccine works in a larger number of patients. They also want to test the effectiveness of the virotherapy in combination with radioactive therapy in a future study. (Read: Polio conquered, measles next on target list)
What is measles?
Measles is caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family. The measles virus normally grows in the cells that line the back of the throat and lungs. Measles is a human disease and is not known to occur in animals.
Accelerated immunization activities have had a major impact on reducing measles deaths. From 2001 to 2011 more than one billion children aged 9 months to 14 years who live in high risk countries were vaccinated against the disease. Global measles deaths have decreased by 74% from 535 300 in 2000 to 139 300 in 2010.
What are the signs and symptoms of measles?
The first sign of measles is usually a high fever, which begins about 10 to 12 days after exposure to the virus, and lasts four to seven days. A runny nose, a cough, red and watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks can develop in the initial stage. After several days, a rash erupts, usually on the face and upper neck. Over about three days, the rash spreads, eventually reaching the hands and feet. The rash lasts for five to six days, and then fades. On average, the rash occurs 14 days after exposure to the virus (within a range of seven to 18 days).
Severe measles is more likely among poorly nourished young children, especially those with insufficient vitamin A, or whose immune systems have been weakened by HIV/AIDS or other diseases.
Most measles-related deaths are caused by complications associated with the disease. Complications are more common in children under the age of five, or adults over the age of 20. The most serious complications include blindness, encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling), severe diarrhoea and related dehydration, ear infections, or severe respiratory infections such as pneumonia. As high as 10% of measles cases result in death among populations with high levels of malnutrition and a lack of adequate health care. People who recover from measles are immune for the rest of their lives.
People who recover from measles are immune for the rest of their lives. (Read: Measles: All you need to know)
With inputs from IANS
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