Preocupaciones del virus Zika

Harrison Haws

BIOL 1610, Section 009

Dr. Michaela A. Gazdik Stofer

February 8^th, 2017

On the website “Biology News Net,” a team from Yale University published an article of the research they did on Zika virus. It is reported the team from Yale was studying the Zika virus and how it causes fetal brain damage. Zika virus is passed on from specimen to specimen through mosquitos. The name originated from the Zika Forrest of Uganda where the virus was found in 1947.  The article states that the virus actually attacks and mutates a protein that is a key part in the cell division for the human brain. The protein is known as TBK1. This causes a birth defect called microcephaly. Microcephaly is a medical condition in which the brain does not develop properly. Due to this condition, the head of the infant does not fully develop in size, but actually results in having a smaller than normal sized head. This defect results in poor motor function, intellectual disability, seizures, and dwarfism.

 The research team of Yale also suggested that the Zika virus maybe vulnerable to already existing antiviral drugs. It would prevent disruption to the nervous system as well as disruption to the process of making brain cells. Sofosbuvir is a FDA-approved drug that shows potential in preventing the Zika virus infection. Analysis shows that through mutating the protein TBK1, the process of regenerating brain cells ceases, and the cells begin to die off. Through these antiviral drugs such as Sosfosbuvir, they prevent the Zika infection from developing and also keeps the phosphor- TBK1 involved in cell division. More testing is being done to find other therapeutic options to halt the Zika infection.

I decided to study the Zika virus more in depth because during my LDS mission I heard many warnings and guidance about the Zika virus. I was living in the northern desert of Peru for two years. I heard a lot about the dangers of Zika, especially when I was living on the border of Ecuador and Peru. I heard about the birth defect and how pregnant mothers were delivering babies with shrunken heads. For that reason, I wanted to read more about this virus and figure out what mutation causes this. This article was very insightful. It was calming due to the knowledge that there are prescription drugs out there to help prevent this mutation. Hopefully through more research, we may find a vaccine to permanently prevent this virus from causing infections and a way to prevent the threat that it holds towards pregnant mothers.

Source: http://www.biologynews.net/archives/2016/08/24/yale_team_discovers_how_zika_virus_causes_fetal_brain_damage.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+biologynews%2Fheadlines+%28Biology+News+Net%29