Common Cold A Cure For Brain Tumors?

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. '"

Comments

Like sending soldiers into battle

[ObviousGuy]

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.

Is why we haven't been able to cure common cold

[shodson]

If we had cured the common cold we may not have stumbled upon this...

Re:Mice lifespan

[Ieshan]

"The animals lived 140 days -- we took the brains out at that point and found no tumors there," Lang said in a telephone interview. Normally, mice injected with human brain tumor cells die within 20 days."

They checked at 140 days for tumor tissue and didn't find any. Their normal lifespan might be longer, but it's significantly less if you kill them. =P

Diabetes Cured Too

[bill_mcgonigle]

Some scientists used a similar virus technique to insert a gene into mouse liver cells, convincing them to be pancreas cells and produce insulin, thereby curing their diabetes. Good stuff.

stone_count=1; dead_bird_count=2;

[Paddyish]

if RIAA/MPAA executives caught it, they just might shrivel up and die as well!

Science can be a beautiful thing...

Re:... and what if things go wrong?

[olman]

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