Over the past two years the Zika virus has been like a Darth Vader to pregnant women and fetuses, causing devastating birth defects such as microcephaly. Results from a study published as a Brief Definitive Report (as opposed to a Long Vague Report) in the Journal of Experimental Medicine suggest that the Zika virus could be a future treatment for glioblastomas, the aggressive type of brain cancer now afflicting Senator John McCain. A research team found that the Zika virus may selectively kill brain tumor cells while not harming normal brain cells...in a laboratory. Using the Zika virus to kill brain cancer cells is trying to re-purpose what's been most harmful about the Zika virus: it targets and damages immature and still growing brain cells. However, in patients with brain cancer, the opposite is the case.

Source: Forbes September 09, 2017 11:48 UTC