Zika’s power, destructive in fetuses, might be turned against tumors, scientists say
Zika can destroy brain cells in fetuses. Now scientists hope to harness that horrible potential as a weapon to fight cancer.
As the world discovered in 2016, the seemingly benign Zika virus is capable of inflicting life-altering damage when it finds its way into the developing brains of fetuses. Now scientists hope to harness that horrible potential as a weapon to fight cancer.
Several research groups are exploring whether Zika viruses could be unleashed on cancers, effectively wiping out the dangerous cells of a brain or central nervous system cancer. One group, at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, published findings of early-stage work Wednesday in the journal PLOS One.
The research, done in cancer cell lines, showed
