Viruses, Vol. 10, Pages 646: Human Fetal Astrocytes Infected with Zika Virus Exhibit Delayed Apoptosis and Resistance to Interferon: Implications for Persistence

Authors: Daniel Limonta Juan Jovel Anil Kumar Adriana M. Airo Shangmei Hou Leina Saito William Branton Gane Ka-Shu Wong Andrew Mason Christopher Power Tom C. Hobman Zika virus (ZIKV) infection and persistence during pregnancy can lead to microcephaly and other fetal neurological disorders collectively known as Congenital Zika Syndrome. The immunological and virological events that contribute to the establishment of persistent ZIKV infection in humans are unclear though. Here we show that human fetal astrocytes (HFAs), the most abundant cell type in the central nervous system, become persistently infected with ZIKV resulting in continuous viral shedding for at least one month; a process that is facilitated by TIM/TAM receptors. HFAs are relatively resistant to ZIKV...

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