A team of scientists at University of Massachusetts Medical School have used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to determine which human proteins the Zika virus needs to replicate — a discovery which could help combat Zika, dengue and other emerging viral infections.
The research was led by Abraham Brass, MD, PhD, an assistant professor in microbiology and physiological systems at Worcester-based UMass.
By depleting each protein in the human genome one at a time, the researchers were able to identify multiple proteins critical to both Zika and dengue viral replication — including the AXL protein, which gives the virus access to enter the cell, and the endoplasmic reticulum membrane protein complex, which is crucial to the development of the viruses' early-stage infections.
"These viral dependencies on human proteins represent weaknesses that could potentially be used to prevent or stop infection," said Dr. Brass. "Just like any enemy, the more we know about how these viruses function and replicate, the better."
Read the full report in the journal Cell Reports.
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