Tokyo: Researchers based at the University of Tokyo and Shinshu University have developed a new skin cancer treatment drug based on a genetically modified virus, public broadcaster NHK reported Thursday. Cancer "viral therapy" utilizes the genetically engineered virus to specifically target and attack cancer cells in skin cancer patients by replicating only within these cells.

According to Anadolu Agency, Prof. Todo Toshiki of the University of Tokyo and his team conducted research on patients with a rapidly progressing type of skin cancer to assess its effectiveness on other cancers. The results showed that 77.8% of the tested patients, seven out of nine, who received both conventional treatment and viral therapy experienced improvement, underscoring the significance of combining the new treatment with existing therapies.

With no serious effects reported thus far, the researchers plan to test the treatment on an additional nine patients to further ascertain its safety and efficacy. Prof. Todo stated that this treatment could become a viable option for cases where conventional treatments have not yielded effective results. He also noted the potential for this approach to "fundamentally change cancer treatment" if it can be applied to various types of cancers.