Researcher Tamarah J. Westmoreland at Nemours Children’s Health is leading a groundbreaking study exploring the oncolytic potential of the Zika virus (ZIKV) in treating high-risk neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma, a leading cause of childhood cancer-related deaths, often has poor survival rates, particularly in MYCN-amplified cases. Westmoreland’s team demonstrated that ZIKV induces a rapid tumoricidal effect in both MYCN-amplified and non-amplified neuroblastoma models, significantly reducing tumor mass without recurrence. Importantly, the sensitivity to ZIKV treatment was found to be CD24-dependent, making CD24 a potential prognostic marker for oncolytic therapy in a range of cancers, including those resistant to current treatments.

We are proud to partner with Nemours Children’s Health and some truly amazing and talented individuals to make these research trials possible. We invite you to explore this page to learn about all the incredible, groundbreaking research funded by the Live Like Bella Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative that will help make pediatric cancer a treatable and curable diseas