Kent Sepkowitz unpacks the news that scientists at the Mayo Clinic “had treated two adults with the blood cancer, multiple myeloma, by injecting them with mega-doses of genetically modified measles virus”:
Both patients had failed all other available therapies; with the new “oncolytic virus” treatment, each responded and one remains in remission nine months later.
In this study, the patients—neither with existing antibody to measles virus—received enormous doses of live measles virus infused directly into their vein—not given as a shot like a vaccine. Both became feverish and ill with the infusion, as expected, and both recovered. The measles virus was derived from the strain used in routine measles vaccine but had been carefully altered by scientists to enhance its tumor killing effects. It was still, however, a measles virus, capable of giving a person a measles-like illness. The choice of measles for the cancer was quite deliberate—this virus is known to seek out and attack a type of white blood cell that myeloma arises from. The investigators simply harnessed measles virus’ natural born killer tendency.
Adrianna McIntyre has more:
Measles isn’t the only virus used for this kind of therapy; different cancers will be more susceptible to different viruses. Usually when this therapy is attempted, the virus is injected at the tumor site. Myeloma isn’t isolated to tumors, though; the cancer also infects bone marrow itself. In this study, the vaccine was injected into the bloodstream, instead of directly into the tumor.
And this isn’t your garden-variety measles vaccine. The vaccine formulation used in this study contained 100 billion infectious units — 10,000 times the standard dose. And compared to cancer treatments that last months, this measles vaccine therapy only requires a one-time dose. “What we’re really excited about with this particular approach is that we believe it can become a single-shot cure,” said Dr. Stephen J. Russell, lead author on the study.
The Dish 