Stacy Erholtz, 49, battled multiple myeloma for ten years and had previously received every type of chemotherapy drug available without result. “The idea here is that a virus can be trained to specifically damage a cancer and to leave other tissues in the body unharmed,” said the lead study author, Dr. Stephen Russell. The virus is stimulating the patient’s immune system, helping it recognize any recurring cancer cells. The Mayo Clinic conducted the clinical trial last year using virotherapy (as it is called the new form of treatment). Other patients’ cancers did not respond to the treatment and the scientists believe this is directly linked to the size of the vaccine dose administrated.
Mayo researchers are also testing the measles virus’s effectiveness at fighting ovarian, brain, head and neck cancers and mesothelioma. Patients interested in the upcoming clinic trial using measles vaccines to treat cancer can inquire to http://www.mayo.edu/research/clinical-trials/contact.
