The Talimogene Laherparepvec Virus

Viruses are coated genetic material that invade cells and use the cell's apparatus for reproduction.

A virus is a small capsule that contains DNA or RNA, viruses, unlike bacteria are not self sufficient and need a host in

Originally in Takahashi and Yamanaka’s experiment, retroviruses were used as a vector to introduce factors that triggers reprogramming, however with evidences from further researches shown that retroviruses may cause insertional mutagenesis, where the host’s DNA is mutated due to the virus integrating into the host’s genome, and potentially cancerous nature of the iPSCs made this technique ill suited to further iPSC developments.(5) Therefore, other methods have been developed and used nowadays to minimise these issues and they include protein transduction, the use of

One of the most complex and unexplored disease causing agents are viruses. They are known to be able to infect a wide array of organisms, from plants and animals, to bacteria and fungi. Essentially, anything that is living is capable of being infected with a virus. Once the host's cell is infected, the viruses' goal is to produce more viruses which will infect neighboring cells to continue the cycle.

This article covers the Seneca Valley Virus (SVV-001) as a hopeful for an oncolytic treatment of certain cancer types. More specifically those with neuroendocrine properties such as rhabdomyosarcoma, Wilms tumor, glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, and adult small-cell lung cancer. Each of which effect smooth/skeletal muscle cells, kidneys/adrenal glands (mainly in children), astrocytes of the brain, nerve cells of a fetus, and lung cells in adults respectively. The virus was discovered by accident in a contaminated cell culture that contained bovine serum to promote growth. The virus was later discovered to be almost exclusively found in farm animals such as cows and pigs, due to the presence of neutralizing antibodies that were later to only ever have been found in one human sample. Just as important as that, the virus only targets the cells of the above-mentioned cancers/tumors, is a self-replicating RNA virus, and its inability to infect other cells in the body all come together to result in the lysis of these specific cancer cells. These properties alone give great hope for SVV-001 as a treatment for those infected by these diseases, and prompted for more research into its medicinal possibilities.

A virus is a small nucleic acid molecule that can only multiply within a living cell of the actual host. It can produce a copy of that specific virus at an alarming rate. They are becoming more dangerous today. We need to build a better knowledge base to educate healthcare professionals and parents that bacteria and viruses are two different animals. Giving an antibiotic for a virus is not going to help; it will eventually cause antibiotic resistance. With viruses, the symptoms just need to be managed with over the counter medication, rest, and letting it run its course.

Trying to find a cure is hard some virus can help but are they to deadly. Scientist are saying that this virus helps but the immune system does not allow it. The Lassa-VSV virus carries a gene that causes it to produce a fluorescent protein that helps researchers track which

This new remedy that scientists are experimenting with is called virotherapy. Virotherapy was defined in the article as viruses that have been genetically engineered to find and kill cancer cells while leaving healthy cells untouched. A treatment such as this has been a favorable one considering how the traditional cancer chemotherapies have been known to not only attack cancer

When we look into curing or even reducing the frequency of viruses using the tool could make a huge impact on many lives.

Traditional chemotherapy typically lasts one to three years; however, virotherapy has proven to eliminate tumors in less than two weeks. While many chemotherapy treatments can cost more than $5,000 a month, adding drugs to this cost, according to the Food and Drug Administration, treatment for a year of priced above $100,000. Contrasting to chemotherapy, oncolytic virotherapy, since it is one single treatment, would cost a patient only $20,000. The modified T-cells are still able to reproduce even after the viruses has killed all the cancer cells. By doing so, it provides the patient’s body’s own immune system the lasting ability to fight cancer. In 2015, more than 86% of patients diagnosed with advanced cancer can hope for six to ten months, even those with better statistics than this heart-breaking one must undergo months/years of intensive, as well as expensive, toxic chemotherapy (Grady). With this new method of treatment, these statistics are expected to significantly change — longer lives as well as significantly less painful

The benefits of using virotherapy have multiple advantages for treating cancer. This treatment eliminates the potential lack of cross-resistance as well as being able to cause much more deterioration to tumors. Leaving minimal to no negative effects on normal cells within the body. Not only does it leave minimal effects it is less invasive and accommodate it for everyone’s liking.Furthermore, cancer gene therapy does not require long-term transgene expression, unlike gene therapy for many non-cancer diseases.

Viruses are microscopic organisms that lack the enzymes needed to manufacture cellular components. Once infected, the virus can insert its genetic material and force the host the make copies. To combat these viruses scientists are using antiviral drugs that can stop the virus from infecting the host.

Despite the promise of such approaches, a number of difficulties remain to be overcome, the most important of which is the need for more efficient systems of gene delivery. No gene transfer system is 100% efficient, unless germ-line therapy is contemplated. During the past two decades, there have been major advances in our understanding of how cancer develops, proving that cancer has a genetic basis (2). A series of genetic abnormalities that accumulate in one cell may result in a pattern of abnormal clonal proliferation. Our growing understanding of the genetic basis of cancer offers new opportunities for the molecular prevention and treatment of cancer. There has been a

The protective capsid helps the virus escape detection and destruction during the invasion of the host. When the virus reaches the target cell, biochemical reactions between the capsid and cell wall allow the virus to latch on and inject its genome into the cell’s interior. Once inside, the viral genetic material insinuates itself into the host’s DNA or RNA. In an efficient feat of natural bioengineering, the host cell’s genetic machinery now does the rest of the work for the virus. The cell, which had already been making copies of its own genome, now also replicates that of the virus. Coded within the viral material is the blueprint for making more copies of the viral genome. Further instructions command the production of capsids and directions for assembly of new viruses. After the host cell becomes engorged with viruses, it explodes, sending the new

The viruses DNA is removed and replaced by the needed DNA that corresponds to the specific required gene, which is then to be inserted into a human body, once its inside, the cell's gene-reading machinery uses the information in the gene to build RNA and protein molecules, these proteins can therefore carry out their specific jobs within the cell(s).