Natural born killers: Common virus can stimulate immune system to destroy cancer cells – study

British scientists say a common virus that causes childhood coughs and colds could be key in developing future treatments for primary liver cancer and hepatitis C. Researchers at University of Leeds found that a Reovirus can stimulate the body’s own immune system to kill off cancerous cells. Moreover, it is neutralizing the hepatitis C virus, which is a common cause of primary liver cancer. Liver cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer worldwide, estimated to be responsible for nearly 746,000 deaths in 2012. The study published in the journal Gut used the Reovirus as an immunotherapy to target both the tumor and the underlying hepatitis C infection – the driving force behind its growth. The method proved successful in treating both liver cancer cells grown in the laboratory and those taken directly from patients undergoing surgery. “Using a mixture of experiments in human cancer samples and mice, our research showed that...