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FRIDAY, June 17, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists say they've identified a potential way to prevent Zika and similar viruses from spreading in the body.
They pinpointed a gene pathway that is vital for Zika and related viruses to spread infection between cells. The researchers found that shutting down a single gene in this pathway prevents these viruses from leaving an infected cell.
"We wanted to find out if we could identify genes present in the host cells that are absolutely required by the virus for infection," said study senior author Dr. Michael Diamond, the Herbert S. Gasser Professor of Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
They pinpointed a gene pathway that is vital for Zika and related viruses to spread infection between cells. The researchers found that shutting down a single gene in this pathway prevents these viruses from leaving an infected cell.
"We wanted to find out if we could identify genes present in the host cells that are absolutely required by the virus for infection," said study senior author Dr. Michael Diamond, the Herbert S. Gasser Professor of Medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
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