Zika Virus for Brain Cancer Treatment?

Malignant brain tumors are among the most aggressive cancers with poor prognosis and no effective treatment despite all available therapies and technologies. The search for treatments for gliomas allowed the discovery that the Zika virus (ZIKV), a flavivirus, has a tropism for brain tumor cells and acts with an oncolytic effect, reaching brain tumors, in addition to stimulating the antitumor immunity of the host. Thus, it provides long-term immunity against cancer remission, reduces tumor burden, less metastasis and complete remission in some animals, consequently increases survival. There has been support that treatment with ZIKV against glioblastoma can be effective, suggesting a new future therapy that could revolutionize the prognosis of patients with brain tumors