<p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">A new type of cancer therapy that uses a common virus to infect and destroy harmful cells is showing big promise in early human trials, say UK scientists.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">One patient's cancer vanished, while others saw their tumours shrink.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The drug is a weakened form of the cold sore virus - herpes simplex - that has been modified to kill tumours.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Larger and longer studies will be needed, but experts say the injection might ultimately offer a lifeline to more people with advanced cancers.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Krzysztof Wojkowski, a 39-year-old builder from west London, is one of the patients who took part in the ongoing phase one safety trial, run by the Institute of Cancer Research and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">He was diagnosed in 2017 with cancer of the salivary glands, near the mouth. Despite surgery and other treatments at the time, his cancer continued to grow.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">"I was told there was no options left for me and I was receiving end-of-life care. It was devastating, so it was incredible to be given the chance to join the trial."</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">A short course of the virus therapy - which is a specially modified version of the herpes virus which normally causes cold sores - appears to have cleared his cancer.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">"I had injections every two weeks for five weeks which completely eradicated my cancer. I've been cancer-free for two years now."</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">The injections, given directly into the tumour, attacks cancer in two ways - by invading the cancerous cells and making them burst, and by activating the immune system.</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">About 40 patients have tried the treatment as part of the trial. Some were given the virus injection, called RP2, on its own. Others also received another cancer drug - called nivolumab - as well.</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The findings, presented at a medical conference in Paris, France, show:</span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>&lt;&gt;Three out of nine patients given RP2 only, which included Krzysztof, saw their tumours shrink</b></span><br></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><b>&lt;&gt;Seven out of 30 who had combined treatment also appeared to</b>&nbsp;<b>benefit</b></p><p style="text-align: justify; "><b>&lt;&gt;Side effects, such as tiredness, were generally mild</b></p><p style="text-align: justify; ">Source: BBC</p><p style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">bnbd24/kh</span><br></p>