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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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
