Scientists Want to Use Zika Virus <br />to Fight Brain Cancer New research published in <br />'MBio' on Tuesday suggests <br />that the viral disease could become <br />a powerful brain cancer treatment. In 2015, Zika — which is typically spread <br />by mosquitoes — was found to occasionally <br />cause birth defects in children whose mothers <br />had contracted the virus while pregnant. Researchers have been trying to understand <br />for years why the virus attacks the fetal brain. While focusing on developing treatments <br />against Zika, researchers at the University <br />of Texas Medical Branch began to wonder if they could put the virus's picky appetite to good use. The deadliest <br />form of brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), seemed like a good place to start. Mice that had human GBM's grafted onto them were given a weakened Zika strain, which killed off stem cells and prolonged their lives. Pei-Yong Shi, geneticist, via Gizmodo
