Researchers have been given approval to carry out a large clinical trial of a new treatment for patients with an aggressive type of brain tumour. There is currently no cure for glioma but experts believe that gene therapy could make a real difference. The first patient to receive the treatment seven years ago is still alive, despite initially being told he had just four months to live. The trial will be carried out by researchers in Glasgow. The new treatment involves injecting Herpes simplex virus into the brain tumours of glioma patients. The virus is modified so that it targets and kills cancerous cells but leaves normal brain cells undamaged.
