Scientists at Penn State College have found a virus that kills three different types of breast cancer, throughout different stages of cancer development, without causing subsequent disease. Adeno-associated virus type 2 (AAV2) is regularly contracted by humans, but does not cause disease. Instead, AAV2 has been shown to constantly kill cancer cells throughout the body.
The benefit to using AAV2 to kill breast cancer is that AAV2 can tackle the many stages breast cancer goes through. Normally breast cancer is difficult to treat because the multiple stages are affected by hormones, metastases, drug resistance, and potential toxicities. AAV2 is able to cut through all these barriers and go straight to the cancer cells. In laboratory tests, 100% of the cancer cells were destroyed by the virus within seven days. Scientists are now analyzing the virus’ pathology to develop medications to replicate this for clinical use.
Interested in teaching your students more about bioengineering? Check out SSR's Vol 40 DVD, episode: Bioengineering: Science by Design.
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