Zika virus pathogenesis and current therapeutic advances.

Zika virus pathogenesis and current therapeutic advances. Pathog Glob Health. 2020 Nov 14;:1-19 Authors: Mwaliko C, Nyaruaba R, Zhao L, Atoni E, Karungu S, Mwau M, Lavillette D, Xia H, Yuan Z Abstract Zika virus (ZIKV) is an emerging arthropod-borne flavivirus that, upon infection, results in teratogenic effects and neurological disorders. ZIKV infections pose serious global public health concerns, prompting scientists to increase research on antivirals and vaccines against the virus. These efforts are still ongoing as the pathogenesis and immune evasion mechanisms of ZIKV have not yet been fully elaborated. Currently, no specific vaccines or drugs have been approved for ZIKV; however, some are undergoing clinical trials. Notably, several strategies have been used to develop antivirals, including drugs that target viral and host proteins. Additionally, drug repurposing is preferred since it is less costly and takes less time than other strategies because the drugs used have already been approved for human use. Likewise, different platforms have been evaluated for the design of vaccines, including DNA, mRNA, peptide, protein, viral vectors, virus-like particles (VLPSs), inactivated-virus, and live-attenuated virus vaccines. These vaccines have been shown to induce specific humoral and cellular immune responses and reduce viremia and viral RNA both in vitro and in vivo. Importantly, most of these vaccines have entered clinical trials. ...
Source: Pathogens and Global Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Tags: Pathog Glob Health Source Type: research