New mouse model reveals extensive postnatal brain damage caused by Zika infection
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.
“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.
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