Live bacteria Virus used for treatment of diseases

Do you know that there are some diseases which can only be treated by injecting live bacteria and virus at the point of disease.

Bladder Cancer treatment with live atenuated microorganisms Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG).  Gene Therapy assited by live virus vector, Novel Drug Delivery System.

One of such disease is bladder cancer which is treated by injecting live bacterial inoculum in to bladder. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is a atenuated (reduced virulence) strain of Mycobacterium bovis.

After injection of live bacterial solution ( Solution containing bacteria) with the help of catheter, it is left for hours to show it’s effect. The effect is very painful, bladder gets inflammation from bacterial invaders, swelling and even bleeding also is found.
Patients get fever, chilling and weeknes.

The benificial out come of the challaging the bladder tissue with live bacterial solution of BCG, is to enhance the local epithelial cells to produce immunity against cancerous cells present in bladder. It happens, after the live bacterial solution injection the bladder tissue start reactions to produce immunity against the bacteria. And also against cancerous cells.

After the treatment it is found that bladder cancer cells wanish in some cases, and do not propagate to other body tissues. Spreading to muscular and other tissues is the peculiar prognosis of cancer. Cancer cells propagate in other organs and damage them.

BCG is used as vaccine against Tuberculosis, every new born is given BCG vaccine to protect against Tuberculosis. Since it is live bacteria it swells and form infection at the site of injection. But the BCG strain used in the vaccine is attenuated or weekend so that it doesn’t casue any harmful effects.

Bladder Cancer Treatment with Virus Vector assited Gene Therapy.

Cancer of Bladder has got new treatment options in United States of America, US FDA have approved a new drug again a live virus vector carries a gene when injected in to bladder, the gene intercalate in to bladder epithelial cells and fixes Interferons producing gene inside the epithelium. And now the epithelium tissue starts producing Interferons which destroy cancer cells.

Detail update is available here Gene therapy for Bladder Cancer .

This Gene Therapy is approved for patients who do not respond to BCG treatment and the cancer cells have not moved to other organs and muscle tissue (non metastatic). The virus vector do not multiply in side the host cells and thus is not harmful.