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Oncolytics Biotech is studying a virus that hitch-hikes through the body on certain blood cells, camouflaged from the immune system. Is it just me, or does this sound kinda dangerous? That is, engineering a virus specifically to evade the immune system. As long as it stays un-mutated, fine. But what if a mutation occurs that results in it becoming a deadly disease, with the bonus of being "camouflaged from the immune…
Oncolytics Biotech is studying a virus that hitch-hikes through the body on certain blood cells, camouflaged from the immune system. Is it just me, or does this sound kinda dangerous? That is, engineering a virus specifically to evade the immune system. As long as it stays un-mutated, fine. But what if a mutation occurs that results in it becoming a deadly disease, with the bonus of being "camouflaged from the immune…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talimogene_laherparepvec
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpesviridae#Immune_system_ev...
They altered it to make it less virulent to normal cells and more lethal to cancer cells.
Oncolytics Biotech is studying a virus that hitch-hikes through the body on certain blood cells, camouflaged from the immune system. Is it just me, or does this sound kinda dangerous? That is, engineering a virus specifically to evade the immune system. As long as it stays un-mutated, fine. But what if a mutation occurs that results in it becoming a deadly disease, with the bonus of being "camouflaged from the immune…
It seems dangerous to me as well, but I should point out that viruses don't typically do that - they are either dangerous or not. They might change how infectious, or which species they target, but it rare to go from harmless to dangerous.
It's also not in their interest to be dangerous, it's better for them to simply be infectious without causing serious illness.
Oncolytics Biotech is studying a virus that hitch-hikes through the body on certain blood cells, camouflaged from the immune system. Is it just me, or does this sound kinda dangerous? That is, engineering a virus specifically to evade the immune system. As long as it stays un-mutated, fine. But what if a mutation occurs that results in it becoming a deadly disease, with the bonus of being "camouflaged from the immune…
The virus was selected because it already evades the immune system: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talimogene_laherparepvec https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpesviridae#Immune_system_ev... They altered it to make it less virulent to normal cells and more lethal to cancer cells.
Considering that what you said can be translated to "we are curing cancer with an infectious disease that was modified to spread more slowly and kill cancer cells faster than it kills you", I don't think it is reassuring to the people that has to live day to day with the patient either.
It is a horrible necessity to have cancer patients be dosed with poison, but infecting themselves with something that can get to their families is in another league.
Oncolytics Biotech is studying a virus that hitch-hikes through the body on certain blood cells, camouflaged from the immune system. Is it just me, or does this sound kinda dangerous? That is, engineering a virus specifically to evade the immune system. As long as it stays un-mutated, fine. But what if a mutation occurs that results in it becoming a deadly disease, with the bonus of being "camouflaged from the immune…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The virus was selected because it already evades the immune system: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talimogene_laherparepvec https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpesviridae#Immune_system_ev... They altered it to make it less virulent to normal cells and more lethal to cancer cells.
Your answer is not very reassuring on the mutation front. Considering that what you said can be translated to "we are curing cancer with an infectious disease that was modified to spread more slowly and kill cancer cells faster than it kills you", I don't think it is reassuring to the people that has to live day to day with the patient either. It is a horrible necessity to have cancer patients be dosed with poison, b…
Oncolytics Biotech is studying a virus that hitch-hikes through the body on certain blood cells, camouflaged from the immune system. Is it just me, or does this sound kinda dangerous? That is, engineering a virus specifically to evade the immune system. As long as it stays un-mutated, fine. But what if a mutation occurs that results in it becoming a deadly disease, with the bonus of being "camouflaged from the immune…
Oncolytics Biotech is studying a virus that hitch-hikes through the body on certain blood cells, camouflaged from the immune system. Is it just me, or does this sound kinda dangerous? That is, engineering a virus specifically to evade the immune system. As long as it stays un-mutated, fine. But what if a mutation occurs that results in it becoming a deadly disease, with the bonus of being "camouflaged from the immune…
> But what if a mutation occurs that results in it becoming a deadly disease It seems dangerous to me as well, but I should point out that viruses don't typically do that - they are either dangerous or not. They might change how infectious, or which species they target, but it rare to go from harmless to dangerous. It's also not in their interest to be dangerous, it's better for them to simply be infectious without c…
Unfortunately viruses (and genes for that matter) don't mutate intentionally for their best interests.
Oncolytics Biotech is studying a virus that hitch-hikes through the body on certain blood cells, camouflaged from the immune system. Is it just me, or does this sound kinda dangerous? That is, engineering a virus specifically to evade the immune system. As long as it stays un-mutated, fine. But what if a mutation occurs that results in it becoming a deadly disease, with the bonus of being "camouflaged from the immune…
Getting a herpes is probably a side effect folks with advanced melanoma could live with.