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EMBARGOED UNTIL 3 P.M. CST ON 3/18/97
According to Ratliff, the canarypox virus can infect human cells and express the gene sequences that will fight the cancerous cells by activating the immune system with substances known as cytokines. The virus is a particularly promising vehicle for anti-tumor genetic material because it does not replicate itself in mammals; it can only do so in birds. "This has important implications because the canarypox virus is safe even for people with immune system deficiencies," Ratliff says. The discovery was made using laboratory mice with prostate tumor cells. According the Ratliff, the next step will be to develop experiments to determine if the immunizations will be effective in humans. Canarypox virus is owned by Virogenetics, Inc.
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