Ohio State University cancer researchers have developed a tumor-attacking virus that both kills brain tumor cells and blocks the growth of new tumor blood vessels, or angiogenesis. Their research, published online in the journal Molecular Therapy, shows that viruses designed to kill cancer cells — oncolytic viruses — might be more effective against aggressive brain tumors if they also carry a gene for a protein that inhibits tumor blood vessel growth.

The protein, called vasculostatin, is a naturally occurring angiogenesis inhibitor produced in the brain. In the study, an oncolytic virus containing the gene for vasculostatin in some cases eliminated human glioblastoma tumors growing in animals, and significantly slowed tumor recurrence in others. Glioblastomas, which characteristically have a high number of blood vessels, are the most common and devastating form of human brain cancer. People diagnosed with these tumors survive less than 15 months on average after diagnosis.... Read More 

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