A University of Zagreb virologist has taken a bold and unconventional path to tackle her own breast cancer, using a technique based on viruses she grew herself in a lab. Writing in the journal Vaccine, Beata Halassy describes her experience as “something not to be imitated,” raising ethical questions about self-experimentation.
In 2020, Halassy received a devastating diagnosis: a new tumor had formed in the same spot where she had previously undergone a mastectomy. Faced with this recurrence and the possibility of facing chemotherapy again, she chose to explore an alternative. Using her scientific expertise, she delved into the available literature and began to develop a personalized therapy. Halassy employed an innovative strategy known as oncolytic virotherapy, which uses viruses to fight tumor cells and activate the immune system. Although this technique was still in its early stages of testing, Halassy decided to apply it in his own case.
The strategy consisted of injecting two viruses directly into the tumor: the measles virus and one of the vesicular stomatitis viruses. After two months of treatment, during which oncologists constantly monitored the situation to intervene if necessary, Halassy saw a progressive reduction in the tumor without serious side effects. This allowed the surgical removal of the tumor itself. She was then treated with a monoclonal antibody for a year. An analysis of the tumor tissue revealed that the therapy had been successful, with significant infiltration of lymphocytes, the immune cells responsible for the immune response.
After facing rejections from scientific journals, Halassy finally published her research results. Despite the controversy surrounding her choice to self-experiment, she expresses no regrets and stresses that replicating her approach would require advanced scientific expertise. Halassy has now received funding to test his therapy on pets with cancer. This direction could open up new avenues for using virotherapy in larger clinical settings. Beata Halassy’s story not only highlights the potential of oncolytic virotherapy but also raises important questions about the future of medical research and the ethics of self-experimentation.
Trump’s Tariff Plans: A Day-One Agenda Against Drug and Human Trafficking In a bold move to combat drug and human smuggling, President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to impose significant tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China immediately after his inauguration on January 20.
Government Unveils “Get Britain Working” Initiative to Combat Unemployment In a bid to rejuvenate the UK job market, the government has introduced its ambitious “Get Britain Working” initiative, promising extensive reforms aimed at reducing the benefits bill and increasing employment.