Modified poliovirus vaccine shows potential for fighting recurrent glioblastoma

Scientists have found a modified poliovirus vaccine may be beneficial for treating recurrent glioblastoma

Researchers at the Duke Cancer Institute in the US have suggested a modified version of the poliovirus vaccine could be beneficial for the treatment of recurrent glioblastoma.

An ongoing phase I study is building upon the idea that cancer cells have a large number of receptors that act like magnets, attracting the poliovirus, which then infects and kills the cells.

Known as PVSRIPO, the investigational therapy uses an engineered form of the virus that is deadly for cancer cells yet harmless for healthy cells.

Infused directly into the patient's tumour, the therapy triggers the body's immune fighters to attack the infected tumour cells.

Preliminary data, to be presented at the 2013 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, previews the results of seven study participants with recurrent glioblastoma.

Three responded well to the therapy, remaining disease-free 12-months, 11-months and five-months after treatment respectively.

With traditional drugs, about half of glioblastoma patients experience recurrent tumour growth within eight weeks, however, two more patients treated with PVSRIPO remained disease-free for the last three and two months respectively.

Indeed, just two study patients did not respond well to the drug.