Zika virus impairs growth in human neurospheres and brain organoids

Author(s)

Garcez, Patricia P. ^{[1, 2]} ; Loiola, Erick Correia ^[2] ; da Costa, Rodrigo Madeiro ^[2] ; Higa, Luiza M. ^[3] ; Trindade, Pablo ^[2] ; Delvecchio, Rodrigo ^[3] ; Nascimento, Juliana Minardi ^{[4, 2]} ; Brindeiro, Rodrigo ^[3] ; Tanuri, Amilcar ^[3] ; Rehen, Stevens K. ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Biomed Sci, Rio De Janeiro - Brazil

^[2] DOr Inst Res & Educ IDOR, Rio De Janeiro - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Inst Biol, Rio De Janeiro - Brazil

^[4] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Science; v. 352, n. 6287, p. 816-818, MAY 13 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 414

Abstract

Since the emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV), reports of microcephaly have increased considerably in Brazil; however, causality between the viral epidemic and malformations in fetal brains needs further confirmation. We examined the effects of ZIKV infection in human neural stem cells growing as neurospheres and brain organoids. Using immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy, we showed that ZIKV targets human brain cells, reducing their viability and growth as neurospheres and brain organoids. These results suggest that ZIKV abrogates neurogenesis during human brain development. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/21035-0 - Quantitative proteomics in neural cell lines and organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cells from schizophrenia patients
• Grantee: Juliana Minardi Nascimento
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral