Scientists from Stanford University and Jennerex Biotherapeutics have further modified the cancer killing vaccinia virus (JX-963) to make it even more potent. The researchers have found a way to allow this strain to stimulate its host to create cancer-fighting white blood cells.

Ever since it was first developed, virus therapies have had limited success in eliminating all the cancer cells in the body. This new method calls upon the body's own defenses to help defend itself against cancer. The modifications on the virus has it producing a substance called granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a protein that stimulates the production of white blood cells.