Human Interferon-Induced Protein Blocks Zika Virus Infection

Moreover, IFITM3 was shown to prevent Zika-virus-induced cell death.

"We simply adapted the technology we had developed over the last four years working with dengue, influenza, and other viruses to begin work on Zika virus," said senior author Dr. Abraham Brass, assistant professor of microbiology and physiological systems at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

"This work represents the first look at how our cells defend themselves against Zika virus' attack," said Dr. Brass. "Our results show that Zika virus has a weakness that we could potentially exploit to prevent or stop infection. A lot of data by us and others in the field has shown that IFITM3 has a big impact on blocking many emerging viruses such as dengue, Zika, and Ebola. Given our recent results with Zika virus, it is now even more important that we work to find out how IFITM3 is blocking these viruses, and use that knowledge to prevent and treat infections."

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University of Massachusetts Medical School