An intriguing new study in the journal The Prostate has found that certain measles virus vaccine derivatives may be an effective treatment for advanced prostate cancer. The findings show that this type of treatment (known as virotherapy) can effectively infect and kill prostate cancer cells. Impressively, in mice treated with the measles MV-CEA strain vaccine, the median survival time almost doubled and complete tumor regression was observed in 20 percent of treated animals.
"Based on our preclinical results as well as the safety of measles derivatives in clinical trials against other tumor types, these viral strains could represent excellent candidates for clinical testing against advanced prostate cancer, including androgen resistant tumors," said Evanthia Galanis, senior author of the study.
The measles vaccine strains also have an excellent safety record with millions of vaccine doses having been safely administered in over 40 years of use. To date, no significant toxicity from MV-CEA treatment of patients with other tumor types has been observed.
In related research, studies have demonstrated the therapeutic potency of MV-Edm vaccine derivatives against a variety of animal cancer models; including ovarian cancer, glioblastoma multiforme, breast cancer, multiple myeloma, lymphoma and hepatocellular carcinoma.
The new findings set the foundation for additional studies in preparation for using engineered measles strains in a clinical trial for the treatment of patients with advanced prostate cancer.
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Source: The Prostate
