Research shocker: genetically engineered viruses seek out, kill cancer
By Laura June 
posted July 20th 2010 10:21AM
posted July 20th 2010 10:21AM
New research at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Center seeks to turn the human body into a genetically engineered cancer-killing machine. The fact that the human body doesn't see cancer as a threat to be destroyed naturally is part of what makes treating it so difficult, so this research uses a harmless, HIV-like virus as the vehicle to direct T-cells (which fight disease) to lymphocytes, and simultaneously carry a reporter gene, which show up in positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, as you can see in the photographs above. So far the researchers have injected the cells into the bloodstreams of melanoma-infected mice, and they began to see evidence of their work within two or three days, and by ten days, it was obvious that in most cases, the cells were indeed fighting the cancer. The process, they admit, could take longer in human beings, and would require about one billion tumor seeking lymphocytes per person treated. They are currently working on creating a vehicle to safely direct the lymphocytes in the human body, and expect the human trial leg of the study to begin within one year.
I am Legend...
@Argonaut
The book, not the movie :P
@Argonaut immortality....
@KyleLipp
Nope, the movie. The book had nothing to do with a cancer-killing virus.
(Just watch the alternate ending and the movie suddenly makes tons of sense. The theatrical ending was made at the last minute due to poor audience reaction to the original, which is sad because the original ending was far better.)
@Argonaut
That's the first thing that came to mind. :/
@CaryHiroyuki Tagawa
same here. nice they are making headway though, cancer is a nasty beast that effects just about everyone in one way or another.
@Bryant
Yeah, the movie is about the engineered virus. I don't think we should be messing with this type of stuff. If it mutates, we could be creating some new incurable disease. The book was about vamps; that I don't mind as much.
@SoCoolCurt
"HIV-like virus as the vehicle"
and when i saw that at first glance i thought is was saying you get to trade cancer for AIDS lol
@Argonaut Exactly!
@Argonaut salsa or Mayo?
Don't scientists WATCH THESE MOVIES, for crying out loud? Shouldn't they know better?
@Argonaut
Because using the words "HIV like" can't possibly scare the ignorant masses.
And so it begins...
Brb, getting supplies and ammunition!
@tchalikias
Remember to aim for the head.
@Smart People Play Tuba
Double Tap FTW!
@tchalikias
In the head and not the chest,
Headshots are the very best!
@tchalikias
Guns? Your gonna die!
Chainsaws on the other hand, theyre made for killing zombies!
@chronic1 Dude. Uzi. Sorry but a chain saw is too damn slow for headshots. Plus it needs to be up close and personal, which means a hoard could overrun your position. Give me a gun with a high rate of fire, hollow point bullets, and a big clip and I'm good.
@tchalikias
Make sure to stock up on repellant, and by repellant I mean shotguns with large ammo capacity and flammables :-)
@tchalikias Edged weapons don't need reloading.
@John Doe High fire rate is good, full auto is bad. Take a breath, take your shot, make your kill.
Yee
And then we all turn into nocturnal mutants. Wasn't there a movie about this?!?
this is so amazing.
"the human body does not see cancerous cells as harmful" so what do we do? BAM! inspiration strikes and someone brings in viruses which want to destroy our body cells anyway! genius, i say!
i know it probably didn't happen as quickly as i am imagining but it is still s great development
@boxieblue
yes!
It's the magic bullet.
Is this thing funded by Apple per chance? :p
@MrJimlad Anyone else think that MrJimlad should be in initial tests with this virus even if he doesn't have cancer?
@John Doe
I am sure you can find a way to give him cancer, like having him put his balls in the microwave...like on South Park.
T-Cells??!? Really??!? C'mon..
Is this The Onion???!??!?
Oh man.. high five on the supplies and ammunition...
Resident Evil for sure.
@Leejin - oh, so the medically accepted moniker for a specific sub-variety of white blood cells is a joke, just because Resident Evil happened to call their imaginary apocalyptic drug the "T-Virus"? Really?
Well, just in case, I'm stocking up on ammo and supplies too! heh
@Leejin
...T-cells are a naturally occurring part of the human immune system that works in tandem with white blood cells to kill infections, viruses and whatnot.
@ballistic90
Wow, I bet you're the life of the party man.
I know it's a general term. Pardon me for trying to laugh at the internets. High five cancer killing virus!!
@Leejin I wonder if there will be a Movie about Trolls and Anons attacking people IRL... Shit's About To Get REAL.
@Leejin
Sorry broski, T lymphocytes wouldn't be as understood as T-Cell for the average bio-nerd. I get the RE ref. and yea RE FTW. However, when a breakthrough is of this magnitude is presented (to the general public even though the buzz about this crap has been exiting for ages) well bring out the vuvuzela it's time to party!!!!!
Also a subject like this is going to bring the nerds out of the woodworks and we'll want to correct everyone.
damn... i was hoping for nanobots....
@DrrtyMike
Seriously. Don't they make an aug canister for that stuff yet?
@benblake112
Command should not have left us to be surrounded.
Human trials of this type are already underway for pancreatic cancer.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/30/earlyshow/health/main6633634.shtml
@Ken J
in actuality the treatment i posted is a vaccine that trains the immune system to react to the cancer cells instead of a virus that actually kills the cancer cells
So how much longer before this "cure" goes haywire and zombifies all of us? Sounds intriguing until you calcula-aaaaaaaaaaa.. waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrraaaaaaaaa! neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeed yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa flaaaaaaaaaaaeeeeeessssssh uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmmm maaauuuuuuuaaaaaaaaaaa
braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaainssssssssssssssss
Poor Mice. =(
@Juggernaut408
you wouldn't be saying that if half of your family died from cancer.
@MrJimlad
Or if you currently have stage 3 cancer... And after multiple surgeries, countless MRI's, CT-scans, and X-rays, and you still have to go through a year of interferon therapy. After its all said and done you still have a 30% chance of not coming back within the next 15-20 years... And your only 29...
But hey... Save the mice, and let people like me die because you want to save a few mice... Its cool, I totally understand.
@3sheets
Yes we're sorry that you have cancer. Yes we can also be sorry for the mice. They have rough lives.
@MrJimlad
I'd still feel bad for the mice if your scenario were true.
Poor mice!
@DoctarPeppar
Why? It just got cured of cancer!
Give you aids to cure cancer.... Nice
As much as I hate most of the human race, I really don't want to be fighting them off in the streets while they try to devour my flesh.
wish they would tested on RATS