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Common Cold A Cure For Brain Tumors?

Posted by timothy on from the blesshoo dept.

JackMonkey writes "According to this article at CNN, scientists have genetically engineered a cold virus to kill inoperable brain tumors in mice. 'The effects were so stunning that the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are rushing to test the approach in people with brain tumors. If it works, it will be the first treatment for malignant glioma, the deadliest form of brain cancer. '"

8 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. Like sending soldiers into battle by ObviousGuy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Those rats are poor little creatures indeed, taking brain tumors for mankind and being dissected after 140 days of life. But like the dying soldier on the battlefield, their deaths have meaning and significance.

    I certainly hope this treatment works without problems, but that it is being reported by CNN doesn't really give me much confidence.

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  2. In all seriousness by littlerubberfeet · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Research into the common cold has skyrocketed due to SARS. How is this related? Is it at all?

    If researchers are finding benefits to viral infections, is there a benefit to SARS? how about Polio, Smallpox, or any of the other diseases we have wiped out? Does AIDS have an intrinsic benefit?

    I am not advocating research into the above points, but am merely interested in benefits to supposedly harmfull viruses.

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  3. ... and what if things go wrong? by |_uke · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Don't get me wrong here. I am all for genetic engineering... but I have play devils advocate for a moment here...

    IANAS but they are takeing a cold virus... and makeing it kill BAD brain tissue? What happens if the virus ends up killing normal brain tissue for some reason? Mutation or oversight on their part?

    Not that I am saying this could or would happen... but what if? Especially if this thing managed to spread much like SARS has been doing?

    It would be pretty damn scary if the next plague was caused by people having their brains eaten away =)

    Of course, then again... Benificial genetically modified virii are probably very much our future. Could you imagine one day going in for innoculations... where the innoculation is a host of ACTIVE virii designed with keeping specific things in check? (Cancer and etc.) Or even more interesting... becomeing innoculated just by hanging out with a friend who went in for the shots? LOL

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    1. Re:... and what if things go wrong? by olman · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you're already dying out of the brain tumor, are you going to give a damn?

    2. Re:... and what if things go wrong? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
      If you're already dying out of the brain tumor, are you going to give a damn?

      Would you object to catching if from someone being treated for brain tumor who just happened to sneeze on you?

  4. Re:Mice lifespan by VersedM · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Normal lifespan for the mice used in research is between one and two years.

  5. Re:quick cure for cancer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    And step 4 is the step that can best be summarized as "add magic here."

  6. Re:well F*uck by turgid · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Sorry to hear about your dad. My grandmother died in the same way. It's a terrible fact of life that as things progress, there are things which if only we'd know about them sooner, things would be different. Although this can't bring back our relatives, it is a glimmer of hope for the future, for those who have or are going to develop brain tumours, and maybe even other kinds of tumour. Hindsight can be cruel, but this offeres hope too.

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