Studies link Zika directly to microcephaly, identify target

Researchers have shown the first experimental evidence linking Zika virus infection directly with microcephaly in brain organoids and mice, and have identified toll-like receptor 3 ( TLR3) as the first molecular target to treat microcephaly caused by the virus.

In a University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine team that created cerebral organoids from human embryonic stem cells found that infection with the African prototype strain of Zika virus decreased neuroepithelium size and overall organoid size, increased viral expression in neural progenitor cells, and upregulated TLR-3. The organoids recapitulated fetal brain development, including a developing neocortex, ganglionic eminence, and retinal tissue corresponding to brain tissues at eight to nine weeks post-conception. In both organoids and mouse neurospheres treated with a TLR inhibitor, apoptosis and shrinkage were reduced compared to untreated organoids and neurospheres infected with the virus. The group recommended that more studies investigate the link between molecular mechanisms and viral-mediated microcephaly. ...