Intracranial injection of genetically modified, mosquito non-transmissible Zika virus: Safety in primates and ramifications for brain tumor therapy.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41406941.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1016/j.xcrm.2025.102509 and PMC identifier 12765944.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Glioblastomas (GBMs) are incurable brain tumors. Zika virus (ZIKV) has specificity in killing GBM stem cells, which drive treatment resistance. In mouse models of GBM, ZIKV also generates an anti-tumor inflammatory response and prolongs survival. To support clinical development and address safety concerns for intra-tumoral treatment, we assessed the effects of injection of an immune-sensitized ZIKV (Δ10 3'-UTR ZIKV), which cannot be transmitted by mosquitos, into non-tumor-bearing rhesus macaque brains. After injection, the primates showed no clinical signs of illness. Histologically, as expected, ZIKV infection elicited mild inflammation, which resolved within 2 weeks. No infectious virus was detected in the brain or any organs at 14 dpi. These findings, along with our preclinical observations, support the development of immune-sensitized ZIKV as a treatment for GBM.
Medical subject headings
- Zika Virus
- Brain Neoplasms
- Glioblastoma