Prof. Slavin and his team have recently discovered a new oncolytic virus derived from chicken’s Newcastle disease virus (NDV)
Professor Slavin and his team have recently made a groundbreaking discovery: a novel oncolytic virus derived from the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) found in chickens. While NDV poses a threat to poultry, it is harmless to humans. Various members of the NDV family have been used in clinical practice for many years, demonstrating its potential to combat otherwise incurable brain cancers, such as glioblastoma.
The new strain of NDV, discovered through collaboration between Prof. Slavin and virologist Prof. Dan Heller, represents a significant advancement. Prof. Heller, renowned for his work in developing vaccines against viral epidemics in chickens, joined forces with Prof. Slavin to explore the potential of NDV. Motivated by past successes, Prof. Slavin was determined to identify a more potent and reliable oncolytic virus.
Prof. Heller provided Prof. Slavin with numerous viral isolates, which were meticulously screened against various types of cancer cells in Prof. Slavin’s laboratory. To their astonishment, they identified a novel oncolytic virus within the NDV family that surpassed all existing viruses in terms of effectiveness. Laboratory tests proved that this new virus exhibited significantly greater anticancer activity than previous options, underscoring its immense potential in cancer treatment.
This newly discovered virus is undergoing rigorous investigation and large-scale production in Prof. Slavin’s laboratory, thanks to financial backing from Chinese investors. Pilot clinical trials are currently underway, marking a significant step forward in the fight against cancer.