Evening star., 1936-02-04

Steps toward a new possibility in the
treatment of certain kinds OF mallgnant
tumors with an extract from the bodies
of microscopic organisms have just been
reported from the Office of cancer inves-
tigations of the Public Health Service.
The experiments, confined to animals
and to cultures of living tumor cells in
test tubes, at least promise a clearer
understanding of some phases of the
cancer problem, although they seem to
apply only to narrow range of malig-
nant growthS.
For many years it has been observed
by physicians that regressionS, and some
times complete diSappearances, OF tumors
have followed acute bacterial infections,
such as erysipelas. This led to the the
ory that some product of the micro
scopic organisms causing the infection
tended to kill the tumor cells without
injuring the normal cells surrounding
them. There have been various expert
ments, both with animals and humans,
with Indifferent results.
The present work of the Public Health
Service doctors arose, according to the
report of DR.. L. c. Fogg of the cancer
laboratory staff, from a partly accidental
observation. One way of studying tumor
cells is in the test tube. 1t was observed
that some of the tubes were behaving
strangely. The cells Of the cultures were
not multiplying as they should and died
off quickly.
Seeking the cause, they found that
in spite of rigid precautions the tubes
had been contaminated with a small,
motile organism of the bacillus family.
The rat cancer cells used in the cul-
ture seemed unable to exist in oppo-
sition to It,
The next step was to inject the bacillus
directly into the veins of mice with this
particular type of tumor. Here again
the bacillus caused the malignant
prowths to recede, or even to disappear
altogether. 1t also, in nearly rs per cent
of the cases, killed the mice. In order
to continue the experiments with much
hope of practical results 1t was neces-
sary to find some means of leSSening the
toxicity of the bacillus itself.
The best results to date have been
obtained with a product obtained by
treating the bacilli with alcohol and pre-
serving the portion which is insoluble in
this medium The method was used
also with other bacterial organisms. The
results, Dr. Fogg reports, have been much
better not only because of the greater
number of tumors which have receded
completely, but because of the number
which have partially disappeared and
the lowered death rate of the mice.
Thus out of 1923 animals treated with
the alcohol insoluble extract of this par
ticular bacillus it has been possible to
obtain complete disappearance of 100
tumors and partial recession OF IS others
while the death rate has been only 80.
Even more notable are the results OBJ
tanned with test tube cultures. Tubes
containing cultures of tumor cells and
an equal number containing cultures of
normal cells were treated with minute
doses of the extract. In most cases the
growth Of the tumor cells was completely
Inhibited and even some degree OF recess
sion brought about. The extract had
little effect on the growth Of normal
tissue.
DR.. Fogg stresses the point, however.
that the results can be obtained only
with certain classes Of ttrmors found in
mice. Some Of these are spontaneous