A cancer-killing, virus-based therapy developed in Spain has shown some promise against retinoblastoma (which is a tumour of the retina that affects mainly children) in mouse models and a pilot clinical trial. Although further work is needed, the therapy lays the groundwork for new treatment options for the cancer, which is currently treated with disfiguring surgery. Researchers estimate that retinoblastoma causes 8,000 cases worldwide each year, a figure that represents 11% of all cancers in children under the age of one. Most cases result from inactivation of the gene RB1, which normally plays a critical role as a tumour suppressor. Chemotherapy is the standard-of-care for retinoblastoma, but intensive rounds of such drugs can damage the retina and cause long-term vision problems. In some cases, surgery is needed to remove the eye entirely, an invasive procedure called enucleation, that results in loss of vision. The alternative treatment, called VCN-01, harnesses a virus that infects and kills cancer cells harbouring a dysfunctional RB1 pathway. The study appears in Science Translational Medicine .
