The Zika Virus has been all over the news lately and for good reason. The virus is very dangerous to pregnant females and fetuses. There have been several cases reported here in the United States. Zika affects the fetus of pregnant women by causing them to have abnormally small brains, a condition called, microcephaly.
I have heard a lot about this virus in the media and I was aware that it has been spreading around the US, but I never thought about the mechanisms the Zika virus used to damage fetuses brains. A team of scientists at Yale University has discovered how this happens. Knowing the little amount of biology that I do made understanding the virus quite simple.
When a fetus is exposed to the virus it starts to attack the stem cells in the brain. The stem cells do not receive the specific protein, TBK1, which is responsible for cell division in the mitochondria. The protein is altered and causes brain cells to stop development and die off. This is because the mitochondria is all of the brain cells main supply of energy and cell regulation. The result of this process is a smaller brain in the fetus. Scientists are now developing drugs that will help prevent these effects in the fetus by allowing TBK1 to remain in the process of the cell division while allowing the mitochondria to be functional.
I chose this article because I was curious to know more about Zika for myself and what scientists and researchers are doing now to help prevent the spread of it. This article explains that if a single protein malfunctions in development it can significantly alter the biology of a being. I think that it is very important for people in society to know what risks are involved with the Zika virus and that there are still tests to be done to completely understand it. I believe knowing about the virus is the first step to ending the spread of it.
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ReplyDeleteWhat exactly does the TBK1 do in mitosis?
ReplyDelete- A Wardell
Well, it looks like when disrupted it prevents the chromosomes from separating according to this article:
Deletehttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151210112133.htm
Matt N.
My wife is currently pregnant so I find this article particularly interesting. I have heard about Zika and some of its symptoms from the media this past year. I always find it interesting that when a disease or virus comes around, most people understand the symptom of the virus but not the why. I think it is hugely beneficial to have a basic knowledge of biology (what we are acquiring in this class) to understand certain mechanisms in the body. It also shows how little a virus might have to do, seemingly, in the body to have such a large change presented.
ReplyDelete- Alex G.
One of my best friends recently took a trip to Brazil. Because this virus had become so prevalent in that area, they advised that she shouldn't get pregnant for at least a year after returning home. However, with the amount of technology and man power we have researching this virus, I think it will only be a matter of time before a cure is available.
ReplyDeleteAt least a year of waiting to become pregnant- I think that signifies that we really don't know that much about this virus still. How does a pregnant woman know she doesn't just have the flu?
DeleteHW
I also had a question. How long can a virus like this stay in the mothers body, and how does it survive there?
ReplyDelete