M-P Virus

After careful study of the literatureand other information available to it,the American Cancer Society does nothave evidence that treatment with theM-P Virus results in objective benefitin the treatment of cancer in humanbeings.

The following is a summary of information on the M-P Virus in theAmerican Cancer Society files:

TherapyIn articles in Nature in December

1964 and in the Journal of the NationalCancer Institute in March 1965, Norman Molomut, Ph.D., et al. describedthe isolation of a lymphocytopenic virusboth from Ehrlich ascites carcinomain mice and from the cell culturesderived from this murine tumor, andcommented on its action in inducingcomplete remission of a transplantablelymphoid leukemia and Ehrlich ascitescarcinoma.'2The Naturearticleadded:“¿�Themice also recover from the viralinfection, and are immune to furtherinfection with the lymphocytopenicvirus. These immune mice, however, donot have the ability to inhibit thegrowth of subsequenttransplantsofEhrlich's ascites or leukaemia. Thissuggests that the viral agent directlyaffects the tumour cells in mice.―

Another article in Nature by Drs.Molomut and Padnos in December 1965used the name M-P Virus, for the firsttime and noted: “¿�Inconsidering thepossibility that the M-P Virus may bean agent worthy of trial for humananti-cancer therapy (especially leukaemias and lymphomata), we areaware of the fact there are seriouslimitations to be borne in mind. Theselatter were commented on in an editorial in Lancet (February 13, 1965, p.366) : ‘¿�.. . A serious limiting factorhas been that immune response to thetherapeutic agent renders it less effective for continued use. Also, the longterm infectivity and mutation possibilities of injecting live virus must beborne in mind.' We are, nevertheless,encouraged, because the M-P virus induces a mild, transient viraemia without serious disease of sequelae in experimental animals in doses which haveinhibited experimental tumours.― 54

Microscopy studies of the M-P Viruswere presented by Dr. Molomut at aSymposium on Viruses in the Serviceof Man, sponsored by the University ofMontreal at Mont Gabriel Lodge inQuebec, Canada. As reported in Medical World News, September 26, 1969,Dr. Molomut stated that he isolated theagent in 1963, and added: “¿�‘It'sa

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Unproven Methods ofCancer Management

Tile following statementwas recently distributed totile .58 Divisions of tileAm erican Cancer Society fortheir information.

friendly virus, and it doesn't producedisease in any animal, including man...But it does always produce a viremia.We have found the virus present in allorgans in laboratory animals. But viralinfection does not necessarily mean disease—there's a vast difference betweenthe two states.' “¿�@

In a televised interview overWNBC-TV in April 1969, Dr. Molomutexplained that the virus was namedafter the discoverers, Molomut andPadnos, M-P Virus.' He also statedthat they had “¿�realizedby critical teststhat it is indeed a virus,― had “¿�seenitin the electron microscope,― and had established “¿�thatit is safe to give, thatit in fact does not produce any diseasein normal animals― by over a period ofnearly two years injecting “¿�thisvirusinto . . - the usual laboratory rodents,swine, dogs, cats, and every known rodent that is used in the laboratory.― Headded that they had “¿�alsosatisfied ourselves that if you give the virus to ananimal that other animals or the technicians will not catch the virus—it isnot infectious by ordinary means. - - .“He concluded by stating that while allof the work with this virus at theWaldemar Medical Research Foundation had been experimental, the M-PVirus was undergoing clinical trial in

England and that results there “¿�arenothing short of remarkable.― In response to a question, he said that it hadnot been used to treat human beings inthe United States, but that the NewYork State Department of Health hadobtained some of the virus with the“¿�objectin mind of starting clinicaltrials. - - .“

In a fund raising letter in July, 1970,A. Gale Borders, M.D., Clinical Research Associate of the WaldemarFoundation, stated: “¿�Myrecent clinicalresearch with six patients and the previous animal research which datedback to 1962, indicates that a filterablevirus, the M-P virus, has the ability toattack and destroy malignant tumors.There is a demonstrable decrease intheir size within one week and, in somepatients, there is complete relief of previously intractable pain.― In August,1970, a correspondent stated that research with the M-P Virus was beingconducted at St. Francis Hospital inPort Washington, New York.

RationaleAn article in the Medical World

News in September 1969, reported that“¿�speculatingabout the mechanisms bywhich the MP virus attacks humancancer, Dr. Molomut says: ‘¿�Itsprimary

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distribution is in the tumor. And italters the host cells so that the patient's own immune system attacks thetumor.' Some preliminary evidence forthis theory comes from animal work,the New York researcher asserts. ‘¿�Wegive the MP virus to mice and isolatethe antibody from the animals. Thenwe find these animals are immune toinoculations of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma.'

ProponentsAccording to American Men of Sci

ence, 1966, Norman Molomut, Ph.D.was born in 1913, and received a Ph.D.degree in Bacteriology from ColumbiaUniversity in 1939. He held positionsas: Assistant in Virus Research, Pasteur Institute in Michigan, 1934-35;Assistant Bacteriologist from 1939-40and Associate Bacteriologist from1940-46, in the Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University; Director,Biological Laboratories, Inc., NewYork, 1946-54; and Director of Research, Waldemar Medical ResearchFoundation, Inc., 1947 to date. He alsoserved as a major in the U.S. Army AirForce from 1942-45.

Morton Padnos, Ph.D., according toAmerican Men of Science, 1967, wasborn in 1914 and received a Ph.D. degree in Protozoology from New YorkUniversity in 1961. He held positionsas: Instructor in Anti-Aircraft RemoteControl Systems from 1942-44 and asLaboratory Officer from 1945-56 inU. S. Army Services; Protozoan Research Collaborator, New York Aquarium from 1947-49; Director of Development Studies, Protista ResearchLaboratory from 1950-57, and SeniorResearch Associate at Waldemar Medical Research Foundation from 1957 todate.

Waldemar Medical Research Foundation, Inc., for the first seven yearsafter its incorporation in 1947, occupied

a loft building at 16 Clinton Avenue inBrooklyn, New York. In January, 1954,the Foundation moved into a 60 x 60,one story, building at 16 Sintsink DriveEast, Manorhaven, Port Washington,Long Island, New York. Up to the timethat the new building was opened, noneof the senior scientists had receivedany remuneration for their services.From February, 1954, on, Dr. Molomutreceived a salary. From the time theFoundation moved into the new building, annual fund-raising dinners wereheld, and an intensive fund-raising program was undertaken. After ten yearsin the Port Washington building, inJanuary, 1964, the Waldemar CancerResearch and Prevention Centeropened the cancer detection wing of itsbuilding in Woodbury, Long Island.This building, which contained 40,000square feet of space, of which approximately one quarter was the cancer detection wing, and the remainder waslaboratories, was described in June,1964, as a “¿�twostory $1,500,000 building.― From June to December 1964,the Waldemar Foundation was underinvestigation by the Nassau CountyDistrict Attorney's Office for possiblemishandling of funds. In December,1964, a Nassau Grand Jury cleared theFoundation “¿�ofany wrong-doing in itsfinancial practices.― From the beginning, the program of the Foundationinvolved basic research into the causesand treatment of cancer. With themove to Port Washington in 1954, physician participation and communityservice programs were started. Whenthe building at Woodbury, Long Islandwas opened in January, 1964, a cancerdetection program was added.

Investigation

Dr. Molomut, reporting to the Symposium on Viruses in the Service ofMan on the studies carried out by Dr.H. E. Webb at St. Thomas' Hospital in

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London, England, stated, according toMedical World News, that: “¿�Dr.Webbhas inoculated the MP virus into 22terminal patients, including those withreticulum cell sarcoma, Hodgkin's disease, carcinomatosis from various primary tumors, and acute lymphatic leukemia. Remissions have lasted as longas 17 months, according to Dr. Mobmut . . . ‘¿�andcomplete pathologic andhistologic studies at autopsy show extensive destruction of the cancer cellsin all sites throughout the body. This isalso true for patients with metastases.' “¿�@

In response to an inquiry, an investigator for the New York State Department of Health stated that he and anassociate had a protocol for studyingthe M-P Virus “¿�inhumans with ad

vanced lymphoma, leukemia and solid

tumors.― In December, 1969, he reported that the M-P Virus had beenused experimentally for the treatmentof three patients: two with Hodgkin'sdisease, and one with reticulum cellsarcoma. The two patients with Hodgkin's disease died. The investigatorconcluded that M-P Virus is contraindicated in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease because of the lack ofcellular immunity in persons with thisdisease. The virus “¿�doesseem to affect malignant tissue but the patient isunable to control the virus.― In the patient with reticulum cell sarcoma, thevirus produced no change in the clinical course of the disease. Antibodies tothe virus were demonstrated in the patient's blood.

References5. Viruses Enlisted in Fighting Cancer. Medical

World News 10:19-20 (Sept. 26), 1969.

6. Radio TV Reports transcript: Dr. Norman Mo

tomut—Friendly Viruses.' Interview on ResearchProject, by Frank Field, WNBC-TV, New York,Neu, York, 3:00 P.M., April 20, 1969.

7. McLane, D.: War on Cancer. Waldemar Research Foundation Seeks Answers to—and Prevention of—Cancerous Diseases. New York SundayNews, June 28, 1964.

8. Green, B.: Air ‘¿�Shortcomings' at Waldeinar.

Newsday, June 12, 1964.

1. Molomut, N.; Padnos, M.; Gross, L., and Satory,

V.: Inhibition of a transplantable murine leukaemia by a lymphocytopenic virus. Nature 204: 10003-10004, 1964.

2. Molomut, N.; Padnos, M., and Smith, L. W.: A

lymphocytopenic filterable agent derived from tissue cell cultures of murine carcinoma. J. Nat.Cancer Inst. 34: 403-413, 1965.

3. Molomut, N., and Padnos, M.: Inhibition of

transplantable and spontaneous murine tumors bythe M-P Virus. Nature 208: 948-950, 1965.

4. Annotations. Viral inhibition of mouse leukaemia. Lancet 1: 366-367, 1965.

And indeed, what is a scientist? Not, certainly, he who knows how to manipulate all theinstruments in the physical laboratory, or who in the laboratory of the chemist handles thevarious reactives with deftness and security, or who in biology knows how to make readythe specimens for the microscope. Indeed, it is often the case that an assistant has a greaterdexterity in experimental technique than the master scientist himself. We give the namescientist to the type of man who has felt experiment to be a means guiding him to searchout the deep truth of life, to lift a veil from its fascinating secrets, and who, in this pursuit,has felt arising within him a love for the mysteries of nature, so passionate as to annihilatethe thought of himself. The scientist is not the clever manipulator of instruments, he is theworshipper of nature. .

—¿�MariaMontessori, “¿�TheMontessori Method.―New York: SchockenBooks, 196-4.P. 8. [Paperback Edition.]

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