FDA scientists develop new Zika virus model

Scientists at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have developed a new mouse model that may help explore the potential activity of Zika virus vaccines and therapeutics.

A paper published in PLoS Pathogens describes how a neonatal mouse model can provide the platform for potentially improving and accelerating studies to better understand the pathology of the Zika virus.

The mouse model in the paper utilises the C57BL/6 mouse strain. The scientists found that neonatal mice of this strain are susceptible to the Zika virus and develop neurological symptoms 12 days after being infected. They also eventually recover from the disease and can provide researchers with a way to explore experimental Zika virus vaccines and therapeutics.

Daniela Verthelyi, the FDA’s Chief of the Laboratory of Immunology said: "There are many unanswered and essential questions about how the Zika virus works, including the long-term impact. This mouse model gives researchers a new tool to study and understand how the Zika virus replicates and spreads in the body, which we hope will provide these critical answers."

Following the spread of the Zika virus, an urgent need for animal models to examine the virus’ pathology is needed. The research presented by the FDA scientists disproves previous studies which indicated that only mice with compromised immune systems are susceptible to Zika virus infection.  

This research is indicative of the FDA’s effort to fight the Zika virus. The organisation has invested in initiatives to understand the effectiveness of technologies that reduce pathogens in blood, evaluate the impact of red blood cell storage on virus infection, expand the agency’s database of virus-infected samples essential to the development of diagnostic devices, and explore how long the Zika virus persists in body tissues, among other projects.

The FDA is also working in a variety of areas to respond to the emerging Ziks virus outbreak. The agency is focused on protecting the safety of the nation’s supply of blood and human cells, tissues and cellular and tissue-based products. It is also encouraging the development of diagnostic tests to help clinicians detect and diagnose Zika virus infection.

The FDA’s acting chief scientist, Luciana Borio said: “The FDA considers the public health response to the Zika virus epidemic to be a top priority. We stand ready to use our expertise and authorities to the fullest extent to help facilitate the development and availability of products that may help mitigate emerging infectious disease threats, such as the Zika virus. The FDA’s regulatory science research program is an essential component of the national response to emerging infectious diseases. Helping to advance the approaches scientists can use to understand the Zika virus will ultimately assist in speeding the development and availability of the tools needed to combat it.”