London – Pioneering new treatments for flu, ebola and cancer are being developed by scientists using man-made DNA.
Experts have worked out how to create strands of artificial DNA, each mimicking a different killer disease, and inject them into patients.
The idea is that the patients’ immune systems will then be able to recognise the threats and eliminate them.
Inovio, one of the companies behind the technique, has begun trials in humans, after strong results in the lab.
The American company is using the method to attack flu, ebola and certain types of cancer – as well as HIV and hepatitis.
Experts have already started trials on female patients to see if they can stop them developing cervical cancer.
Dr Joseph Kim, Inovio’s chief executive, said: ‘We are able to clear pre-cancerous lesions which, left untreated, can turn into full-blown cervical cancer.’
He said the approach could also be used to fight a range of cancers by teaching cells to recognise a protein found in 85 per cent of cancers called hTERT. He believes that this method could even lead to the development of what he called a ‘universal cancer therapy’.
Dr Kim added: ‘We are at the front edge of a new wave of medicine that will change the way that cancer is treated. New approaches will lead to better, safer treatment of patients who are stricken with cancer.’
Mail On Sunday