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Monkeypox, the resemblance of a defeated enemy

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by Antonio Gregorio Dias Junior (twitter: @GregorioDias1) edited by: Layal Liverpool (twitter: @layallivs) Back in the old days, the use of animals for laboratory experimentation was not as tightly regulated as it is today. Consequently, several studies were routinely performed in wild animals caught in tropical rainforests from Asia and Africa. In one of these events, scientists in Denmark isolated the monkeypox virus (MPXV) for the first time in 1958 from a naturally-infected captive monkey. The virus was not believed to cause disease in humans until its first case detected in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Africa. This finding was very alarming as it came during the World Health Organization (WHO)-led global vaccination campaign to eradicate smallpox (1966-1980). Within this context, one could ask what monkeypox has to do with smallpox and why its discovery in humans was so alarming? Monkeypox as a threat during the smallpox eradication campaign The sma...
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Bats can fly and host viruses that are deadly to humans. What's the connection?

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When I was a kid, I used to see bats as otherworldly creatures that could turn into vampires. Although I still cannot prove whether this is true or not, today I learned that bats are curiously weirdos. Scientists have discovered that bats carry a mutation in an immune (defence) protein, named STING. This mutation tentatively explains how bats can cope with the metabolic rates required for flying but also can carry, without disease symptoms, viruses that are rather deadly to humans. To explain this better, let's divide the cells into two compartments: cytoplasm and nucleus. DNA (the genetic material) is restricted to the nucleus and inside mitochondria (cytoplasmic organelles). This means no DNA should be found outside of these compartments. If for some reason this happens, this out-of-place DNA would indicate to the cells that stress or viral infection is taking place and the cells would respond to it by activating defence mechanisms (including cellular suicide!). Bats have not tak...
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Advances in Zika virus vaccination: from testes to brain

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Written by: Antonio Gregorio Dias Junior, PhD. @GregorioDias1 (Twitter) Edited by: Layal Liverpool. @Layallivs (Twitter) Zika virus goes both ways. It can infect testes (1). It can infect the vagina (2). These observations are supported by epidemiological evidence in humans and research using experimental animal models (3–5). Importantly, these animal models are currently being further explored for the development and testing of vaccine candidates. The risk of sexual transmission and potential brain damage Zika virus is mainly transmitted by mosquitoes in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Increasing evidence also suggests the virus can spread from human-to-human through a new potential route: sexual transmission. This is because the virus has the ability to replicate in the reproductive organs of men and women. In the laboratory, scientists have discovered that Zika virus infection can lead to infertility in young male mice. These animals presented with smaller testes and re...
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A Candidate For A Zika Virus Vaccine Passes Mouse Trials. What’s Next?

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Author: Antonio Gregorio Dias Jr Edited by: Layal Liverpool and Inês Barreiros Originally published on the Science Innovation Union (Blog ). Looking at the burden of Zika virus in the Americas during its most recent outbreak, a vaccine is urgently needed. Above all, it must protect pregnant women and the developing foetus from the teratogenic effects that Zika virus infection can cause. To tackle this issue, scientists all over the world have been working on the development of vaccine candidates. More recently, advances in a live-attenuated vaccine have generated promising results in mice and tests in non-human primates are now well underway. A live-attenuated Zika virus vaccine As the name suggests, a live-attenuated vaccine means the generation and use of a “live” Zika virus particle with a lowered ability to infect and replicate within its host. This might sound strange and scary…, but has this been successful before? Yes! The Yellow Fever virus vaccine is a good example. It ...
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The envelope containing information about Zika virus

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Originally posted on "Science Innovation Union (SIU)" blog (SIU reviews section): http://science-union.org/ Authors: Antonio Gregorio Dias Jr ( agregorio.diasjr@rdm.ox.ac.uk) Layal Liverpool (layal.liverpool@imm.ox.ac.uk) Edition: Ines Barreiros (SIU editorial team) “Deu zika!” is a popular expression in Brazil to indicate something unpleasant has happened. But Zika is of course also a virus transmitted by mosquitoes that has recently become notorious for its ability to infect pregnant women and affect foetal development. In the context of the current Zika outbreak, scientists all over the world have been studying this virus, while the search for treatments and vaccines is an ongoing progress. According to a recent report by the World Health Organisation (WHO), 70 countries and territories have identified cases of Zika since 2007. In approximately 20 of these countries, Zika virus infection has been associated with improper foetal brain development as well as a rar...
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“Deu Zika” in mice brain

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For a long time, “deu zika” has been a very popular expression in Brazil to indicate something has gone wrong - often meant as a joke. For example, as a Brazilian, I could say “deu zika” when referring to the Germany X Brazil World Cup 2014 football match. Ironically, after the games, Brazilians discovered an actual virus named Zika existed and was circulating in the country. No longer funny to hear, Zika virus (ZIKV) soon became an international public health concern for unborn babies. The Latin American health authorities, World Health Organization (WHO), and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, USA) reported that the new circulating virus was able to infect pregnant women and affect the foetal development. However, the latter claim had to be formally supported with experimental evidence. Now, scientists have been able to achieve this by infecting animal models, such as mice, with the virus. Here we discuss the findings of two independent research groups from United States...
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