Clinical implications of cytomegalovirus in glioblastoma progression and therapy.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the deadliest brain cancers with a median survival of only 15 months. This poor prognosis has prompted exploration of novel therapeutic targets for GBM patients. Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) has been implicated in GBM; however, its impact remains poorly defined, and there is conflicting data over the presence of HCMV in tumors.

Highly restrictive and directional penetration of the blood cerebral spinal fluid barrier by JCPyV.

The human polyomavirus JCPyV is an opportunistic pathogen that infects greater than 60% of the world's population. The virus establishes a persistent and asymptomatic infection in the urogenital system but can cause a fatal demyelinating disease in immunosuppressed or immunomodulated patients following invasion of the CNS. The mechanisms responsible for JCPyV invasion into CNS tissues are not known but direct invasion from the blood to the cerebral spinal fluid via the choroid plexus has been hypothesized.

An Elusive Target: Inhibitors of JC Polyomavirus Infection and Their Development as Therapeutics for the Treatment of Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare demyelinating disease caused by infection with JC Polyomavirus (JCPyV). Despite the identification of the disease and isolation of the causative pathogen over fifty years ago, no antiviral treatments or prophylactic vaccines exist. Disease onset is usually associated with immunosuppression, and current treatment guidelines are limited to restoring immune function.

The Oxindole GW-5074 Inhibits JC Polyomavirus Infection and Spread by Antagonizing the MAPK-ERK Signaling Pathway.

JC polyomavirus (JCPyV) is a ubiquitous, double-stranded DNA virus that causes the fatal demyelinating disease progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in immunocompromised patients. Current treatments for PML are limited to immune reconstitution, and no effective antivirals exist. In this report, we show that the oxindole GW-5074 (3-(3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxybenzylidene)-5-iodoindolin-2-one) reduces JCPyV infection in primary and immortalized cells.