Entries by melina

The clinically approved antiviral drug sofosbuvir inhibits Zika virus replication

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a member of the Flaviviridae family, along with other agents of clinical significance such as dengue (DENV) and hepatitis C (HCV) viruses. Since ZIKV causes neurological disorders during fetal development and in adulthood, antiviral drugs are necessary. Sofosbuvir is clinically approved for use against HCV and targets the protein that is […]

Potential use of saliva samples to diagnose Zika virus infection

Serological diagnosis of ZIKV in countries where dengue virus (DENV) is endemic is challenging, because antibodies elicited by a prior DENV infection may cross-react against ZIKV. Therefore, molecular techniques, such as conventional or real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR/qRT-PCR), remain the reference methods for the diagnosis of ZIKV. However, the sensitivity of ZIKV RT-PCR […]

Zika, colaboração para caracterizar uma síndrome

No fim de 2016, consolidou-se a ideia de que a microcefalia representa apenas uma fração dos problemas provocados pelo vírus zika – possivelmente a menor, mas a mais trágica por suas consequências permanentes. Trabalhos publicados em dezembro e nos meses anteriores passaram a caracterizar com mais detalhe o amplo espectro de danos que o bebê […]

Mathematical model for Zika virus dynamics with sexual transmission route

Zika virus is a flavivirus transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes. In addition to vector-borne spread, however, the virus can also be transmitted through sexual contact. In this paper, we formulate and analyze a new system of ordinary differential equations which incorporates both vector and sexual transmission routes. Theoretical analysis […]

Vulnerability of primitive human placental trophoblast to Zika virus

Infection of pregnant women by Asian lineage strains of Zika virus (ZIKV) has been linked to brain abnormalities in their infants, yet it is uncertain when during pregnancy the human conceptus is most vulnerable to the virus. We have examined two models to study susceptibility of human placental trophoblast to ZIKV: cytotrophoblast and syncytiotrophoblast derived […]

Zika pode causar cegueira em bebês

Médicos da Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp) e da Fundação Altino Ventura de Pernambuco descobriram que a microcefalia associada ao zika vírus pode ser a causa de uma lesão na mácula ocular diferente daquelas causadas por outros tipos de microcefalia. “É uma lesão irreversível na visão. Dependendo do lugar da retina e da intensidade, […]

Characterization of cytopathic factors through genome-wide analysis of the Zika viral proteins in fission yeast

The Zika virus (ZIKV) causes various neurologic defects including microcephaly and the Guillain-Barré syndrome. However, little is known about how ZIKV causes those diseases or which viral protein(s) is responsible for the observed cytopathic effects involved in restricted neuronal cellular growth, dysregulation of the cell cycle, and induction of cell hypertrophy or cell death. A […]

Researchers identify key proteins that may make Zika so deadly

Until it burst onto the scene earlier this year, Zika was an obscure, little-known virus. As a result, scientists know little about how it works. Over the past year, they have learned that it can cause a range of dangerous health problems, including birth defects such as microcephaly and neurological problems such as Guillain-Barré syndrome. […]

Structure of the immature Zika virus at 9 Å resolution

The current Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic is characterized by severe pathogenicity in both children and adults. Sequence changes in ZIKV since its first isolation are apparent when pre-epidemic strains are compared with those causing the current epidemic. However, the residues that are responsible for ZIKV pathogenicity are largely unknown. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy […]