A new type of gene therapy delivered using a virus could protect healthy tissues from the harmful side-effects of radiotherapy after cancer treatment, a new study reports.
In the future, the treatment could be used to improve outcomes for breast reconstruction surgery in women with breast cancer – by protecting patients from scarring, shrinkage of the skin and damage to the underlying tissues.
Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, found they could prevent tissue damage in rats treated with radiotherapy by reprogramming healthy cells to protect themselves.