Strategies for Investigation of Zika Virus Pathogenicity

Abstract

This review presents the analysis of the literature data on the mechanisms of ZIKV pathogenesis using biomodels (sensitive cell cultures and animals). Human and animal cell cultures have shown that this virus effectively infects primary endometrial stromal cells, embryonic stem cells, cortical and motor neurons, astrocytes, peripheral neurons and neural crest cells of the embryo. Cultures of prostate, testis and kidney cells showed a high level of ZIKV load without cytopathic disorders which implies their participation in the persistence of the pathogen. A productive infection of ZIKV on cell cultures derived from non-human primate, pig, rabbit, hamster and chicken suggests that these animal species may be important reservoirs and/or potential laboratory models. Monkeys of the species Macaca mulatta (macaque rhesus) have the disease caused by ZIKV similar to that in humans. Therefore these animals are a suitable model for studying the pathogenesis of a congenital infection as well as for preclinical evaluation of vaccines and antiviral drugs during pregnancy. Mice, domestic pigs and humanized chicken embryos can be used as surrogate models for studying ZIKV pathogenesis. Recently, attenuated ZIKV has become the object of research in a new area of medical virology – in oncolytic virotherapy against glioblastoma.