Maternal-fetal transmission of Zika virus and therapeutic approaches to prevent it

Maternal-fetal transmission of Zika virus and therapeutic approaches to prevent it
Credit: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

The devastating effects of Zika virus on the brain of the developing fetus during infection in pregnancy have led to intensive research to understand the routes of Zika virus transmission and how the virus travels to and infects the fetus. What researchers have learned about how Zika virus impacts pregnancy and neonatal outcomes and the promise of new therapeutic interventions are presented in a comprehensive review article published in Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research.

In the article entitled "Maternal-Fetal Transmission of Zika Virus: Routes and Signals for Infection," coauthors Bin Cao, Michael Diamond, and Indira Mysorekar, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, discuss Zika transmission in pregnancy—whether a woman becomes infected from a mosquito or via sexual contact with an infected person—how the virus reaches the intrauterine space and infects the fetus, and its negative effects on pregnancy outcomes that may include miscarriage, microcephaly and other serious brain abnormalities or birth defects in the neonate. The authors also present the latest research on the development of therapies aimed at blocking Zika virus transmission from mother to .

"This is a very informative and timely article on Zika virus transmission, currently a major threat to public health," says Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research Co-Editor-in-Chief Ganes C. Sen, Department of Immunology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH.

More information: Bin Cao et al, Maternal-Fetal Transmission of Zika Virus: Routes and Signals for Infection, Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (2017). DOI: 10.1089/jir.2017.0011

Citation: Maternal-fetal transmission of Zika virus and therapeutic approaches to prevent it (2017, June 5) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-06-maternal-fetal-transmission-zika-virus-therapeutic.html
This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

Explore further

Translational research leads to potential Zika virus vaccine

0 shares

Feedback to editors