Study data published in the Journal of Radiation Oncology Researchers suggest that suicide gene therapy successfully and safely kills prostate tumour cells, when combined with chemotherapy, as reported Breitbart.
"Once the herpes virus gene was delivered and it started manufacturing TK [thymidine kinase], we gave patients a commonly used anti-herpes drug, valacyclovir," said Brian Butler, chair of the radiation oncology department at Houston Methodist Hospital, adding "the combination attacked the herpes DNA, and the TK-producing tumour cells self-destructed, which is why the procedure is called 'suicide gene therapy.'"
The gene modification strategy was used to treat 66 prostate cancer patients between 1999 and 2003, and those with less severe disease also received radiotherapy, while more severe cases received both radiotherapy and hormonal therapy.
The less severe group of patients had a survival rate of 97 percent and those with more severe cancer had a 94 percent survival rate.
The survival rate results were reportedly 5 percent to 20 percent better than survival rates achieved by current procedures.
Lead study author Bin Teh said "we firmly believe this will be a viable treatment strategy."
