Potential of Genetically- Modified Measles Virus as A Treatment Modality For Carcinoma: A Review

Abstract

Malignancy is a disease in which cell division is uncontrolled and prognosis is often poor. Despite recent advances in the felid of medicine the life expectancy after the diagnosis of advanced stages of cancers has high mortality rates . The traditional methods of treatment have low curative effects and high risk of side effects. Further the possibility of re-occurrence is not completely eliminated by any of the conventional methods of treatment. Thus, a technique that affects only the tumour cells without leaving behind any cancer initiator cells must be deviced. Recently genetically modified variants of measles virus were used to cure multiple myeloma .The idea to use of measles virus dates back to 1950’s.Constant research has lead the advent of a branch known as oncolytic virotheraphy . Precise targeting of cancer cells is one of the dominant advantages of cancer therapy through virus and it can be achieved in multiple manners. A few viruses such as exclusively replicating mumps virus, moloney leukemia virus, parvoviruses, reovirus, newcastle disease virus have a natural preference for malignant cells, whereas vesicular stomatitis adenovirus, virus, measles, vaccinia and herpes simplex virus can be adapted or engineered to make them cancer-specific.