Measles Vaccine Clears Woman’s Cancer, Study

In a breakthrough that could offer new hope to people with some kinds of cancer, Mayo Clinic researchers say they managed to wipe out a woman’s cancer with a blast of measles vaccine strong enough to inoculate 10 million people.

The Mayo Clinic conducted the clinical trial last year using virotherapy. The method discovered the measles virus wiped out multiple myeloma cancer calls. Researchers engineered the measles virus in a single intravenous dose, making it selectively toxic to cancer cells.

Stacy Erholtz, 49, was one of two patients in the study who received the dose last year, and after ten years with multiple myeloma has been clear of the disease for over six months.

“My mindset was I didn’t have any other options available, so why wouldn’t I do it? I had to have failed all conventional treatment to do that trial. That actually happened last March,” said Erholtz. “It was the easiest treatment by far with very few side effects. I hope it’s the future of treating cancer infusion.”

Agencies/Canadajournal