Alphavirus M1 can target cancer cells: study  

广州中山大学研究发现天然病毒M1可杀灭癌细胞

记者13日从广州中山大学获悉，该校中山医学院颜光美教授课题组研究发现天然病毒M1能选择性地感染并杀伤包括肝癌、结直肠癌、膀胱癌、黑色素瘤在内的多种体外培养的癌细胞，而对正常细胞无毒副作用。[查看全文]

Guangzhou (ECNS) – A research team at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, has found that the naturally occurring alphavirus M1 can selectively target human cancer cells.

Tests on animals showed that injected virus M1 can find its way to tumor tissues and inhibit their growth without hurting other normal cells.

The novel virus mainly targets the zinc-finger antiviral protein(ZAP) -- deficient cancer cells, including liver cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer and melanoma.

An unnamed expert said the virus is promising to become a key factor of oncolytic virotherapy.

The research report has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.