生物谷报道：本月9日，纽约路透社报道，据一项新的研究发现，一种经重组的病毒可杀死恶性胶质瘤
细胞，而不损害正常的细胞。
天然的水泡性口膜炎病毒（VSV）是包括脑神经胶质瘤在内的多种肿瘤细胞的有力杀手，但也具有致命作用。据发表在美国国立癌症研究所杂志上的研究结果称，用重组后的VSV感染14号恶性胶质瘤细胞株，可将其全部杀死，并且未感染对照组的正常细胞株。在携带有人恶性胶质瘤的老鼠被注入重组VSV后肿瘤细胞明显退化。在试剂经静脉注入后，注入活的变异的VSV的老鼠比注入灭活病毒的老鼠存活时间显著延长。
这项研究意味着变异的VSV可以经静脉注射而无需直接注入脑内，这为临床上治疗恶性胶质瘤提供了一种新的可能手段。同时，较之手术这种方法更为简单，而且如有必要，病人在只需在门诊多次接受注射。尽管如此，这项研究结果仍需进行进一步的评估方可应用于临床试验。
英文原文：
Modified virus kills brain cancer in mice
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - An engineered form of a virus can infect and kill malignant glioma cells while leaving normal cells unharmed, according to new research findings.
In its natural form, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) is a potent cancer-killer in a number of tumor cell types, including brain tumors called gliomas, but it can be lethal. "We engineered VSV to make it safer," Dr. Peter A. Forsyth, of the Clark Smith Integrative Brain Center at the University of Calgary, Canada, noted in comments to Reuters Health.
The researchers evaluated the susceptibility of 14 malignant glioma cell lines to infection and killing by the modified VSV. It infected and killed all 14 cell lines but had no effect in normal cell lines, the team reports in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
In mice carrying human malignant glioma, the tumor regressed markedly after it was injected with modified VSV. When the agent was given intravenously, mice treated with live mutant VSV survived significantly longer than those injected with dead virus.
This means, Forsyth pointed out, that mutant VSV "can be given intravenously rather than injected directly into the brain, so it's easier for patients than an operation and if needed it can be given several times as an outpatient."
Modified VSV "is promising in mice and we are excited about it," he told Reuters Health, "but we need to be cautious and continue to evaluate it before moving into a clinical trial."
