Zika virus breakthrough developed at UTMB Galveston

UTMB team genetially engineered first zika virus clone

GALVESTON – The next big breakthrough in fighting the Zika virus may come from the Houston area.

The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston announced it has a team that has genetically engineered a clone of the Zika virus strain. UTMB said it is the first in the world to develop the clone, which could help scientists develop a vaccine faster.

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According to UTMB, researchers can now make Zika virus from test tube and cells on petri dishes because of this clone.

The team fed Zika-transmitting mosquitoes human blood infected with either the parental Zika virus or the man-made Zika virus. UTMB said the number of infected mosquitoes was similar, and therefore "the cloned virus is highly infectious for Aedes aegypti mosquitoes."

"The new Zika clone, together with mosquito infection models and the UTMB-developed Zika mouse model, represent a major advance towards deciphering why the virus is tied to serious diseases," said lead author Pei-Yong Shi, UTMB endowed professor. "The new clone is also a critical step in developing a vaccine and antiviral drug against Zika."