A virus that kills rabbits could help save the lives of humans with blood cancers, researchers have revealed.
A new study shows how the virus offers patients double benefits – reducing side effects from bone marrow transplants and destroying stray cancer cells.
The myxoma virus was used by humans for biological warfare against plagues of rabbits in the last century.
It was discovered in Uruguay in the 19th century and introduced to Australia in 1950s – where uncontrolled breeding by rabbits was destroying native wildlife and grasslands.
It cut the rabbit population by more than 80% but animals then developed resistance to it. The virus is supposed to be harmless to humans.
Now researchers at the University of Florida, USA, say laboratory studies show it can block the graft versus host disease that often follows bone marrow transplants.
It also kills cancer cells, they found.
The proposed treatment works by attaching the virus to T-cells – white blood cells.
Scientists have been developing the proposed treatment for seven years – but it has not been tested on human patients yet and the next stage is to test it on mice genetically bred to experience human diseases.
The findings have been published in the journal Blood.
Researcher Dr Christopher Cogle said: "Myxoma is one of the best strategies because it is effective but doesn’t affect normal stem cells."
Blood April 22 2015
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