| Summary: | Glioblastoma multiforme is the most lethal type of brain tumor that is not yet curable owing to its frequent resurgence after surgery. Resistance is mainly caused by the presence of a subpopulation of tumor cells, the glioma stem cells (GSCs), which are highly resistant to radiation and chemotherapy. In 2015, Zikavirus (ZIKV)-induced microcephaly emerged in newborns, indicating that ZIKV has a specific neurotropism. Accordingly, an oncolytic tropism for infecting GSCs was demonstrated in a murine tumor model. Like other flaviviruses, ZIKV is enveloped by two proteins, <i>pr</i>M and E. The pME expression plasmid along with the HIV-1 vector pNL Luc AM generated <i>pr</i>ME pseudotyped viral particles. Four different <i>pr</i>ME envelopes, Z1 to Z4, were cloned, and the corresponding pseudotypes, Z1- to Z4-HIV<i>luc</i>, produced by this two-plasmid system, were tested for entry efficiency using Vero-B4 cells. The most efficient pseudotype, Z1-HIV<i>luc</i>, also infected glioma-derived cell lines U87 and 86HG39. The pseudotype system was then extended by using a three-plasmid system including pME-Z1, the HIV-1 packaging plasmid psPAX2, and the lentiviral vector pLenti-luciferase-P2A-Neo. The corresponding pseudotype, designated Z1-LENTI<i>luc</i>, also infected U87 and 86HG39 cells. Altogether, a pseudotyped virus especially targeting glioma-derived cells might be a promising candidate for a prospective glioblastoma-directed virotherapy.
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