The cytopathic effects of Zika virus: has new research discovered what is to blame?

A recent study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has described seven key proteins that may be responsible for the life-threatening cytopathic effects of the Zika virus (ZIKV). These findings may lead the way to further research that could one day eradicate the virus. Despite significant attention in recent years, relatively little is known about specifically how ZIKV causes damaging health complications – including microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome – or what drives its cytopathic effects. In this study, researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (MD, USA) attempted to uncover the specific viral...