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A team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Georgia has developed a new mouse model that closely mimics fetal brain abnormalities caused by the Zika virus in humans.
This model, described in a paper published recently in the journal Development, may help scientists better understand how the Zika virus affects different cell types in the developing brain, which could hasten the creation of new treatments and diagnostics.
Spread mostly by the bite of an infected mosquito, the Zika virus can pass from a pregnant woman to her fetus. This can result in microcephaly, a birth defect in which the brain does not develop properly, resulting in a smaller than normal head.
"A lot of the discussion about Zika has focused on microcephaly, and while that is certainly important, we found that the virus causes additional devastating damages to the developing brain as well," said Jianfu "Jeff" Chen, an assistant professor of genetics in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-11-mouse-reveals-extensive-postnatal-brain.html
This model, described in a paper published recently in the journal Development, may help scientists better understand how the Zika virus affects different cell types in the developing brain, which could hasten the creation of new treatments and diagnostics.
Spread mostly by the bite of an infected mosquito, the Zika virus can pass from a pregnant woman to her fetus. This can result in microcephaly, a birth defect in which the brain does not develop properly, resulting in a smaller than normal head.
"A lot of the discussion about Zika has focused on microcephaly, and while that is certainly important, we found that the virus causes additional devastating damages to the developing brain as well," said Jianfu "Jeff" Chen, an assistant professor of genetics in UGA's Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-11-mouse-reveals-extensive-postnatal-brain.html