THE “CANCER GERM”

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue 148, 11 September 1925, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE “CANCER GERM”

EPOCH IN MODERN MEDICINE. IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES. AFTER FOUR Y r EARS’ RESEARCH. LONDON, July 16.

About a year ago it was announced that some interesting developments in the study of cancer were taking piace at the National Institute of Medical Research. The work has advanced considerably since the spring of .1924 and has been assisted by new methods of microscopv of a very interesting character. Now it is reported that after four years’ work the cancer virus has been rendered visible by photography; that photi graphs of it have been taken, and that an organism has been discovered Tvhich produces cancer in certain circumstances. This week there will be published in The Lancet articles by Dr. W. E. Gvc on “The of Malignant New Growths,’’ and by Mr J. E. Barnard on “The Microscopical Examination of Filterable Viruses." Dr. Gye is the scientist who has been conducting the experiments at the National Institute for Medical Research, Mount Vernon, Hampstead, and his observations may represent a solution of the central problem of cancer. His carefully controlled experimental evidence loads to certain fundamental conclusions which may be , briefly summarised as follows: L AH malignant, new growths contain an ultra-microscopic virus—or group of viruses—which can be cultivated. This applies to the carcinomata and sarcomata of fowl, mice, rats, dogs, and man. The virus resides probably within the colls of the neoplasms. 2. The virus alone, washed free from all adherent material, docs not produce a tumor when injected, and does not even produce a visible lesion. 3. But when injected together with virus-free extracts of tumours the virus produces a malignant new growth. The extracts contain, therefore, a substance called by Dr. Gye the “specific factor," which enables the virus to attack the cells of the injected animal so as to transform them into cancer cells.

Living Cancer Virus. A paper follows by Mr Barnard, head of the firm of Messrs William Barnard and Sons, hatters, Jermyn Street, who spends all his spare time in the Hampstead laboratories, collaborating with Dr. Gye, especially in preparing new instruments required in the research work. He describes how he has applied the optical methods elaborated by him for the study of the organisms of bovine plcuro-pnoumonia, the largest of the known filter-passing viruses, to the study of the cancer viruses cultured by Dr. Gye, and shows that he has succeeded in rendering the cancer virus visible and even in photographing it. This is in itself a great achievement. The results of Mr Barnard’s observation so closely correspond with the experimental results obtained by Dr. Gye that the existence of a living cancer virus would appear to be established. Experimental Injections. The reasons for this broad opinion follow:—In order to make clearer the relationship existing between the virus and the specific factor, definite examples may be given. “Wc will,” says The Lancet, “call the virus obtained from a mouse tumour ‘mouse virus,’ and from a human tumour ‘human virus,’ and so on. Similarly we will call the specific substance obtained from a mouse carcinoma ‘mouse carcinoma specific,’ from a human carcinoma ‘human carcinoma specific,’ from a fowl sarcoma ‘fowl carcoma specific,’ and so on. Then the following relationships have been established experimentally after injection:—(a) Any virus alone, from any neoplasm into any animal nor effoct (b) Any specific* from gny neoplasm into any animal; no effect, (c) Mouse carcinoma virus plus fowl sarcoma specific. (1) injected into mice—no effect; (2) injected into fowls—sarcoma. (d) Human carcinoma virus plus fowl sarcoma specific; injected into mice—nothing; injected into fowls—sarcoma. “It follows, therefore, that the type of malignant new growth that is produced depends not upon the virus, but upon the specific substance. There are, therefore, two factors concerned in the aetiology of cancer; (1) A living virus —the extrinsic factor; and (2) a chemical substance produced by the cells — the intrinsic factor." Pointing the Way. The details of the experiments undertaken by Dr. Gye and Mr Barnard before satisfying themselves of the truth of their discovery were very elaborate, fully illustrated, and fairly guarded. They contain no suggestion that a cure for cancer has been discovered, but they point the way to further biochemical work, while reconciling in a striking way much conflicting theory. The work has been done entirely for the Medical Research Council. False hopes must not be raised. No one claims that the final cause of cancer has been discovered. As one of the investigators, Dr. William Ewart Gye said: “Wc believe we have made a discovery which will enable us to detect the cause, of cancer, and wc arc hopeful that we have so far advanced these discoveries as to establish certain definite results. The subject is, however, much too complicated for the lay mind to understand." Need for an Open Min'd. “The new germ," says The Times, “is now about to be submitted to the criticism of the scientific world, by the verdict of which it must stand or fall. In the circumstances, it is sufficiently obvious that all laymen must preserve an open mind. No one unacquainted with the technique of laboratories and with the vast complications of bacteriological study can express any opinion of tho slightest value on this discovery. Nor is it possible—even granting that the ‘cancer germ’ is, in fact, the causative organism of cancer —to make any prediction about the effect of its recognition on the treatment or prevention of the disease. These facts must be stated emphnti.cally, lest false hopes be raised or false conclusions drawn. Cancer, unhappily, remains so far as the sufferer is concerned, in exactly the same position which it has occupied during the last year." Sir John Bland-Sutton points out that interesting as the research work of Dr. Gye and Mr Barnard was, they had as yet no proof that they had discovered the cause of cancer. Sir James Cantile declined to believe that the cause of cancer had been found. “We are not yet beginning to learn the A B C of the disease," he declared emphatically, “and no scientific man would protend that a cure is remotely in sight. When, however, wc have discovered the distinct causes and symptoms, and know as much about the diseases as wc do of malaria the cure may prove simple." A third eminent modical authority considered that the tracing of cancer to a particular organism might greatly simplify the task of devising a cure. The work of Dr. Gye and Mr Barnard, “both first-class men in their line of country," was certainly valuable.