Zika Virus, Potential Cure For Brain Cancer – Research

The Zika virus is well known for causing devastating brain defects in fetuses. But what if scientists could use that ability to do something good?

A recent medical report on Friday said the devastating Zika virus could be used in the fight against brain cancer.

The report was published on Tuesday by researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch, who have been researching into the Zika virus for years, trying to figure out how the virus attacks the brain.

Glioblastoma multiforme is thought to be the most dangerous form of brain cancer as most patients die within two years after diagnosis.

According to the leader of the research group, Dr. Shi Peiyong, it is almost incurable because tumours always grow back after surgery and chemotherapy.

Scientists found that a live-attenuated Zika vaccine with a weakened version of the virus could kill GBM stem cells without causing disease in humans.

“That’s because GBM stem cells have similar properties to neural stem cells, the target of Zika,’’ Dr. Shi explained.

Research has shown that the Zika vaccine could prolong the lives of mice with human GBM without damaging the brain or altering their behaviour.

“However, that is far from enough, we still need to further improve the specificity of the cancer-killing ability, while retaining the safety of the vaccine strain.

“For example, we need to make sure that the therapeutic vaccine virus does not infect and kill normal neurons in humans,’’ Dr. Shi explained.

Zika has not been considered as a severe problem until a massive outbreak in 2015.

Apart from flu-like symptoms, Zika could also cause birth defects including blindness, deformed limbs and microcephaly in children from infected mothers during pregnancy.





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