Intracranial injection of genetically modified, mosquito non-transmissible Zika virus: Safety in primates and ramifications for brain tumor therapy.

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 observa

SUBMITTER: Hirsch AJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12765944 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature