Zika Virus: 1 Glioblastoma: 0... Vol 6 rel 8

Hope Solo may have valid concerns about Zika, but rest assured, Zika's legacy may not be entirely that bad.

In the past we have talked about strides against brain cancer (Glioblastoma) using a variety of health deterrent agents such as polio virus.  If you recall, they achieved this feat by genetic engineering, i.e., remove poliovirus’ inherent disease-causing ability (a piece of genetic code of a cold-causing rhinovirus was spliced into the poliovirus genome).

Subsequently, the PVS-RIPO naturally infects almost all cancer cells, because the receptor for poliovirus (which is used for cell entry) is abnormally present on most tumor cells. PVS-RIPO kills cancer cells, but not normal cells, because its ability to grow (and kill) depends on biochemical abnormalities only present in cancer cells. Safety testing in non-human primates and human patients has shown no nerve cell killing, no ability to cause poliomyelitis, and no ability of PVS-RIPO to change back to wild type poliovirus that can cause poliomyelitis.  However, this method is in extreme infancy and has had its setbacks, ie., concentration limits were in question.

A NEW APPROACH

Transmission electron microscope image of 

negative-stained, Fortaleza-strain Zika virus 

(red), isolated from a microcephaly case in 

Brazil.National Institute of Allergy and Infectious 

Diseases (NIAID)

Taking that lead, researchers explored the use of oncolytic virus therapy against glioblastoma.  One in particular held researchers interest, the new Zika virus.

Zika virus (ZIKV), a flavivirus that induces cell death and differentiation of neural precursor cells in the developing fetus is unique in that it does not indiscriminately killed both tumor and normal neural cells as would it’s cousins, Dengue, West Nile virus (WNV), and Yellow Fever viruses would.

ZIKV preferentially infected and killed glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs) relative to differentiated tumor descendant or normal cells because it potently seeks out localized stem cells which in this case are the GSCs.

In a laboratory study, researchers at the University Of California San Diego School Of Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic, the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston introduced ZIKV to glioblastoma tissue samples removed from cancer patients as part of their treatment, as well as to healthy human neural tissue cultures. 

Brain cancer stem cells (left), killed by Zika virus (right). 

A study shows that the virus, known for killing cells in 

fetal brains, could be redirected to destroy brain cancer 

stem cells. (Zhe Zhu)

After seven days, the researchers found that ZIKV had replicated in certain glioblastoma cells and prevented them from multiplying, while the ordinary neural tissue cultures remained largely uninfected. The researchers also tested mice with glioblastomas, treating an experimental group with a mouse-adapted strain of ZIKV. Mice who received ZIKV survived longer than mice in the control group, and their tumors were significantly smaller than those in the control mice after one week.

MILES BEFORE I SLEEP...

The researchers caution that ZIKV may behave differently when introduced to an active glioblastoma in a living person. Even if further studies continue to yield promising results, any potential treatment derived from ZIKV would need many years of rigorous testing for safety and efficacy due to the concerns that ZIKV, in its present state could pass to pregnant women: a mosquito species that carries Zika is found in some parts of the US, and the virus can also be transmitted sexually. Instead, they plan to see if they can genetically modify the virus to be safer, but still work as a possible treatment for brain cancer.

AND YET...

However, Harry Bulstrode at the University of Cambridge, whose team has also been investigating this approach, is considering a trial of unaltered Zika in the UK.

Bulstrode points out that transmission is unlikely in the UK as the mosquitoes that carry Zika –Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus – can’t survive in the country, and that most people who get glioblastoma are over 50, so the risks of passing it on to a pregnant woman through sex are low.

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Source(s)

• https://www.newscientist.com/article/2146356-we-may-be-able-to-use-zika-virus-to-attack-brain-cancer-cells/

• http://www.ucirvinehealth.org/medical-services/brain-tumor-program/brain-tumor-treatments?gclid=Cj0KEQjw3MPNBRDj0Yztg4LGvOcBEiQA5hTrH4iLNX-f1NaRiSGl2fBezL3jXFLenlRh_Hn4hFYO-nEaAleJ8P8HAQ

• https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/zika-virus-selectively-infects-kills-glioblastoma-cells-mice

• http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/biotech/sd-me-zika-glioblastoma-20170905-story.html

So “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;”

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About Rick Ricker

An IT professional with over 23 years experience in Information Security, wireless broadband, network and Infrastructure design, development, and support.

For more information, contact Rick at (800) 399-6085 x502