A treatment for leukemia has been developed by a research team from the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, the Ottawa Hospital, and the University of Ottawa.
The treatment consists of a virus that is injected into the bloodstream and deteriorates the cancer cells to the point where they blow up “like popcorn,” according to hematologist David Conrad, the senior co-author of the study.
So far, the treatment has a 60 per cent cure rate in mice with three doses. Eighty per cent of those cured survived long-term, according to a study published in the Blood Cancer Journal.
According to Conrad, this treatment is very safe compared to most treatments, which cause significant collateral damage.
“It is safe because only cancerous cells are vulnerable to the toxic potential this agent carries . . . normal cells in the body that become exposed to [the agent] recognize that this is not a sustained threat, so healthy tissue is not destroyed,” Conrad said.
According to the study, the team used ultra-violet light to disable the virus’ ability to spread.
The treatment will also be able to help patients who are suffering from advanced stages of leukemia. So far, Conrad said few side effects have been found.
“The minor side effects observed at the higher doses we have explored are transient and easily treated with hydration,” Conrad said, adding that the treatment could reach clinical trials in two years.
