​Zika can infect adult brain cells, not just fetal cells, study suggests

[Pathfinder]

Zika can infect adult brain cells, not just fetal cells, study suggests

By Brady Dennis August 18 at 12:00 PM
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Now, in a study in mice, researchers have found evidence that suggests adult brain cells critical to learning and memory also might be susceptible to the Zika virus.

"This was kind of a surprise," Joseph Gleeson, a professor at Rockefeller University and one of the co-authors of the study published Thursday in the journal Cell Stem Cell, said in an interview. "We think of Zika health concerns being limited mostly to pregnant women."
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Researchers found that infected mice had more cell death in their brains and reduced generation of new neurons, which is key to learning and memory. The possible consequences of damaged neural progenitor cells in humans would include cognitive problems and a higher likelihood for conditions such as depression and Alzheimer?s disease.

?Zika can clearly enter the brain of adults and can wreak havoc,? Sujan Shresta, another study co-author and a professor at the La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology, said in a statement
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...t-fetal-cells/

The study:

https://flutrackers.com/forum/forum...s-proliferation-cell-stem-cell-august-18-2016

 

[Pathfinder]

Zika infection may affect adult brain cells, suggesting risk may not be limited to pregnant women

August 18, 2016 | SCIENCE NEWS

Zika in the adult brain: Illumination of the fluorescent biomarker in green revealed that Zika can infect the adult mouse brain in a region full of neural progenitor cells, which play an important role in learning and memory.​

Concerns over the Zika virus have focused on pregnant women due to mounting evidence that it causes brain abnormalities in developing fetuses. However, new research in mice from scientists at The Rockefeller University and La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology suggests that certain adult brain cells may be vulnerable to infection as well. Among these are populations of cells that serve to replace lost or damaged neurons throughout adulthood, and are also thought to be critical to learning and memory.

“This is the first study looking at the effect of Zika infection on the adult brain,” says Joseph Gleeson, adjunct professor at Rockefeller, head of the Laboratory of Pediatric Brain Disease, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. “Based on our findings, getting infected with Zika as an adult may not be as innocuous as people think.”
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http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/2016...regnant-women/