Scientists found a means against the virus that causes blood cancer

Exciting news: it has been discovered that the drugs tenofovir and Dolutegravir, which are used to treat HIV, may be effective in the fight against the HTLV-1 virus that causes blood cancer. A study published in the journal Cell showed that these drugs are capable of significantly suppressing the activity of the virus in T-cells.

According to scientists, HTLV-1 is similar to HIV as it attacks the same immune system cells and can cause blood cancer. Until now, there was no effective treatment or vaccine against this virus.

Researchers also tested a new method that combines antiviral drugs with MCL-1 protein blockers, which are responsible for the survival of infected cells. This combination allowed for the destruction of infected cells without affecting healthy ones.

«This is good news not only for the prevention of HTLV-1 but also for the possible treatment of already infected patients,» the authors of the study emphasized.

Furthermore, leading physician from the UK, Stephen Powis, stated that cancer is no longer a death sentence, as an increase in survival rates after it is projected to quadruple over the next fifty years. These are truly impressive news in the fight against these diseases.