Croatian scientist successfully treats own cancer with lab-grown viruses
In an unconventional approach to treating cancer, Croatian virologist Beata Halassy, 49, recently treated her recurrent breast cancer using lab-grown viruses in a procedure known as oncolytic virotherapy (OVT). With the tumour shrinking significantly, Halassy was able to undergo successful surgical removal and has remained cancer-free for four years. This unusual self-treatment has sparked discussions around the ethics of self-experimentation in medicine.
The treatment, detailed in the journal ‘Vaccines’, involved injecting the tumour with viruses she cultivated herself. Halassy used two viruses consecutively – a measles virus and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), both known to target her tumour type and previously trialled in other forms of cancer. Over two months, she administered the injections with research-grade material prepared in her lab. Monitoring by her oncologists allowed her to shift to conventional chemotherapy if necessary, though the treatment proceeded without significant side effects. Ultimately, the tumour detached from surrounding tissue, facilitating its surgical removal. Post-surgery analysis confirmed an immune response, with lymphocytes actively infiltrating the tumour.
Although the approach proved effective, Halassy faced challenges in publishing her findings, with journals hesitant over ethical concerns. Jacob Sherkow, a law and medicine researcher, pointed out the ethical risks of promoting self-experimentation, as it may encourage patients to bypass standard treatments. However, Sherkow noted the value of preserving the knowledge gained from such cases.
OVT remains experimental, with some forms approved for metastatic melanoma in the U.S., but no official treatment for breast cancer. Halassy, who is not an oncologist, emphasised that her expertise in virology gave her confidence in attempting the treatment, though she warns others not to view self-treatment as a first option in cancer care.
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Elderly man dies after part of slab falls on him in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): A 75-year-old man died after some portion of a slab in a two-storey residential structure collapsed on him in Mumbai's Bhandup area on Saturday morning, officials said.
The incident occurred at Tulshipada in Patkar Compound of Bhandup West around 9.45 am, they said.
"The victim, identified as Susai Daevdas Kaunder, was injured when some part of the slab on the upper floor of a two-storey structure fell on him," a civic official said.
He was immediately taken to nearby Navkaar Hospital, where he was declared dead, the official said.
