Targeting Zika Virus with New Brain- and Placenta-Crossing Peptide-Porphyrin Conjugates.

ABSTRACT: Viral disease outbreaks affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide and remain a serious threat to global health. The current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and other recent geographically- confined viral outbreaks (severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Ebola, dengue, zika and ever-recurring seasonal influenza), also with devastating tolls at sanitary and socio-economic levels, are sobering reminders in this respect. Among the respective pathogenic agents, Zika virus (ZIKV), transmitted by Aedes mosquito vectors and causing the eponymous fever, is particularly insidious in that infection during pregnancy results in complications such as foetal loss, preterm birth or irreversible brain abnormalities, including microcephaly. So far, there is no effective remedy for ZIKV infection, mainly

SUBMITTER: Todorovski T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9032516 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature