Beata Halassy
Dr. Beata Halassy is a virologist and immunologist at Croatia's University of Zagreb. While battling a relapse of non-metastatic breast cancer, she decided to self-experiment with oncolytic virotherapy (OVT). Oncolytic viruses can both target cancer cells and activate the host's immune response. Halassy targeted her tumor with a measles virus and vesicular stomatitis virus, given their propensity for attacking the specific cell type responsible for her tumor's growth. Over months of self-treatment, Halassy observed tumor shrinkage with no side effects from the OVT. Upon tumor removal, pathology reports revealed that the tumor was infiltrated with lymphocytes, suggesting that the OVT had been effective. Halassy's self-experimentation likely saved her life and has significant implications for cancer treatment worldwide.
-Aidan
