articleProceedings of the National Academy of SciencesNov 29, 2016BRONZE OA

Zika virus cell tropism in the developing human brain and inhibition by azithromycin

University of California, San Francisco · Broad Center · +3 more institutions

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Abstract

The rapid spread of Zika virus (ZIKV) and its association with abnormal brain development constitute a global health emergency. Congenital ZIKV infection produces a range of mild to severe pathologies, including microcephaly. To understand the pathophysiology of ZIKV infection, we used models of the developing brain that faithfully recapitulate the tissue architecture in early to midgestation. We identify the brain cell populations that are most susceptible to ZIKV infection in primary human tissue, provide evidence for a mechanism of viral entry, and show that a commonly used antibiotic protects cultured brain cells by reducing viral proliferation. In the brain, ZIKV preferentially infected neural stem cells,…

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