Oncolytic Effect of Zika Virus in Neuroendocrine Pancreatic Tumors: New Perspectives for Therapeutic Approaches

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer (PCa) is the fifth leading cause of cancer mortality. Recently, our group and others have demonstrated the oncolytic activity of the Zika virus (ZIKV) against glioblastoma. The peculiar features of this virus offer the opportunity to use an agent already tested in vivo through natural transmission, with minimal effects on adults, to specifically target a tumor such as glioblastoma. This remarkable specificity prompted us to explore the potential use of ZIKV oncolytic action against other tumor types. In particular, we focused on the subgroup of pancreatic tumors with a neuroendocrine origin known as neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). We found that ZIKV exerts its oncolytic activity by specifically infecting NET cells, leading to growth inhibition and cell death. We also assessed whether the oncolytic action could be extended to pancreatic tumors different from NETs. However, as expected, the viral specificity is limited to NETs and is not applicable to adenocarcinoma tumors, indicating a narrow spectrum of action for this virus. These findings support the potential use of ZIKV in therapeutic approaches not only in glioblastoma, but also against other tumors, such as neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors.