Modeling Zika virus in mice: What have we learned so far?

Immunology Interest Group Seminar Series The recent spread of Zika virus (ZIKV) and its association with increased rates of Guillain Barre and other neurological disorders as well as congenital defects that include microcephaly has created an urgent need to develop animal models to examine the pathogenesis of the disease and explore the efficacy of potential therapeutics and vaccines. Recently developed infection models for ZIKV utilize mice defective in interferon responses. This talk will describe a new model of peripheral ZIKV infection using immunocompetent neonatal C57BL/6 mice and compare its clinical progression, virus distribution, immune response, and neuropathology with that of C57BL/6-IFNAR KO mice. Mohanraj Manangeeswaran obtained a PhD in bacterial genetics from the University of Madras, India where he studied the catabolic potential of Serratia marcescens. In 2004, he accepted a joint postdoctoral appointment at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the Laboratory of Emerging Pat hogens at CBER-FDA to work with Gerardo Kaplan on the TIM (T cell immunoglobulin and mucin) receptor gene family. There he explored their role as receptors for hepatitis A virus (HAV) showing that binding of Hepatitis A virus to its receptor HAVCR1 prevents cells from binding and taking up apoptoti c cells. Further, the virus directly blocked the activation of T cells including regulatory T cells. The resulting reduction in inflammation may be associated with the limited viru...
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