New weapon in fight against cancer

PA 127/11 A virus-packed blood cell that attacks cancers from within has added a new weapon to its armoury — and it's all down to timing. Mathematicians at The University of Nottingham have worked with scientists at the University of Sheffield and Keele University to apply mathematical modelling to a revolutionary cancer treatment to optimise outcomes. 'Arming' white blood cells, or macrophages, with viruses carrying anti-cancer genes and injecting them into the bloodstream to attack cancerous cells within the body was a major breakthrough when it was discovered by researchers in the University of Sheffield and York. These virus-infected macrophages seek out areas of tumours where there is very little oxygen (i.e. it is said to be 'hypoxic'). The engineered macrophages then become 'drug factories', attacking the tumour from within. The research team in Sheffield also discovered that inserting microscopic magnets into these white blood cells and applying a magnetic field near the tumour significantly boosted the number of these therapeutically 'armed' macrophages that were taken up by malignant tumours.