Japan Pioneers Skin Cancer Treatment Using Genetically Modified Virus

ISTANBUL: In a major medical breakthrough, Japanese researchers have developed a new skin cancer treatment based on a genetically modified virus, marking a significant advance in the field of cancer therapy.

According to a report by Japan’s public broadcaster NHK, scientists from the University of Tokyo and Shinshu University collaborated to create a viral-based therapy that targets and destroys cancer cells. The experimental drug harnesses a specially engineered virus that selectively replicates within cancer cells, leaving healthy cells unharmed.

This innovative approach, known as viral therapy, was tested on patients suffering from an aggressive form of skin cancer. The virus was administered alongside conventional treatments to determine its effectiveness. The results were promising: seven out of nine patients (77.8%) showed measurable improvement after receiving the combination therapy.

Lead researcher Professor Todo Toshiki of the University of Tokyo emphasized the potential of this treatment, particularly in cases where traditional therapies have failed. “This could become a new option for patients with difficult-to-treat cancers,” he said. “If proven effective across a range of cancer types, it has the potential to fundamentally change cancer treatment.”

No serious side effects have been reported so far, and the research team plans to expand their trials to an additional group of nine patients to further assess the safety and efficacy of the therapy.

The development adds to a growing global interest in using genetically engineered viruses as precision tools in oncology, offering hope for more targeted and less invasive cancer treatments in the future.