Virologist Cures Her Own Cancer by Injecting Lab-Grown Viruses: A Bold Breakthrough in Medicine

Beata Halassy, a 50-year-old virologist from the University of Zagreb, has been cancer-free for 45 months following an extraordinary self-experimentation with oncolytic virotherapy. Diagnosed with stage III breast cancer in 2020, Halassy took the bold step of using viruses cultivated in her lab to treat herself. This unconventional approach came with the approval of her oncologists but sparked ethical debates in the medical community.

In 2016, Halassy had previously battled breast cancer, undergoing treatment and recovery. However, the recurrence led her to explore innovative methods. Oncolytic virotherapy, though approved in 2015 in the U.S. for treating metastatic melanoma, is still under global clinical trials for other cancers, including breast cancer. Halassy's experiment involved injecting a strain of measles virus and the vesicular stomatitis virus directly into her tumor over six weeks. Remarkably, tumor shrinkage began within 11 days, making surgical removal possible.

Post-treatment analysis revealed her immune system's robust response, with lymphocytes infiltrating the tumor site, confirming the therapy's efficacy. Despite its success, experts caution that her case is unique, given her expertise as a virologist. Nevertheless, this breakthrough underscores the potential of oncolytic virotherapy in early-stage cancer treatments, paving the way for further research.

Currently, there are 115 clinical trials exploring the broader applications of this promising therapy, offering hope to millions battling cancer worldwide.

 

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